goshMunificence. 339 never be pardoned. h is the mercy of God (and not fromthe natureofthe fins) that makes them venial : fot othervvife everyfin in it fclf conuidered (be it never fo miaU) is mortal : for if it work according to its own nature, it works death ofbody and foul. It is a foolifh exceptionthatthey bringagainft ir,that thus wamake all fins equal; and that we bring in with the Stoicks, aparityof fin, hecaufe we fay all are mortal. It is a foolifh cavil : for.it is as ifonefliould argue,becaufe the Moufe,and the Ele- phant , are both living creatures, that therefore they are both aqua! bignefs Though all fins hemortal, they are not all equai,fome are greater,and fomeare Leifer, according as they are extended, andaggravatedby time, and place, andperfon, and fundry other circumftances. Suppofeone lhould be drowned in the middelt of the Sea,andanotherin a fhál low pond: in rapedofdeath all were one,both are drowned: but yet there is great- difference in refpc& of the place, for depth, and danger. So thereis great difference in this, though the leaft fin in its own nature be mortal, as the Apoftle faithhere, the wages of it is death. . Thirdly, feeing the wages offn is death, itlhould teach us what Llfe to make of Vfe ;. death, being prefented before our eyes at filch times as this : hereby we lhould call In fpeetades to remembrancethe grievoufnefs offin that brought itinto thewnrld : by the wo- ofdcaeh to fee ful wages we fhould be put in mind ofthe unhappy fervice. Had there not beenfiu, the heinou(- P PPY c(soffn.; there would hive been no death : upon the death of the foul came in the death of the body : firftthe foul died in forfaking God, and then the body died being for- faker' of the foul : the foulforfookGod willingly ; therefore it was compelled un- willingly to forlake the body. This is the manner how death came intq theworld by fin, therefore deathmuff put out fin. That houfholder,when he faw tares grow among his w.heat,he Paid to his fervants, the envious man bath done tbie: So whenfoever thou feeft Death feize upon any, Say to thy felf, fin bath done this : this is the wagesof : andif man had never fin- ned, we lhould have Peen no fuch thing. Fourthly, this muff deter us from fin, lince it gives inchwages. Indeed the man- Vf 4 ner of fn is forthemoft part (if notalwayes) to promifebetter, but it is deceitful, . To detecte us and this is the wages it payes thee. Thewages of fn is death. The word ó+ß6o,, &otn fin. tranflated wages, fometake it quaff- óy,6,,.,, of the evening, becaufe wages are paid in the evening So the morning of fin may be fair, but the evening will be font when thewages come. Atthe firft fin maybe pleafing, butremember theend, the end of it is death. Like to a frefh River that runs into the fait Sea, the ftream is fweet, but it ends inbrackifhnefs andbitternefs. Or like to 7t,ebuchadnezzart Image, the head was gold, but the feet were of clay. Or fin may be compared to : Similies. that Feaft that Abfalom made for Ammon ; therewas great cheat and jollity, and mirth for a while, but all clofed in Death, in bloudihed, and murther. It deals wish men,as f abandealt.with 7acob ; he entertains him atthe firft withgreat com- plements, but ufed him hardly at the laft. Or as the Governor of the feaft laid, /ob. z. All men in the beginning letforthgood wine, and then that which is werfe : Job. z. fo fin gives the belt at the firft, but the worft itrefervcs for the laft. This lhould keep us from every fin, though it feems never fopleafing, and never fo Tweet tous, remeinbringthat the worft isftill to come. We readthat when the people law that Saul forbadthem to eat, though they were exceeding hungry, yet r Sane. i4. not one of them dúrft touch the honey for thecùrfe, though they faw it : fo the plcafurcs of fin may drop as honey before our eyes, but wemuff not adventure tó tafte of them, becaufe they are curled fruit, and becaufe of the wages that willfol- low. Never takefin by the head, by the beginnings, as the greateft part do ;, but take it as Jacob took efaee, by the heel; look to the extream partof it, Confider thy end, and thoufbalt notdo emirs. - yez.abel might have allured a man, when having painted her face the looked out ofthe window, btltto look upon her after thewas caft out, eaten ofBoggs, and nothingremainingbut her extream parts, her (cull, and the palms ofber hands, and herfeet, it couldnot bebut withhorror : fofin may allure a man, looking only on Xx z the,
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