430. The Dead) of Sin, and I _1 is it not fin ? For, what is it that menare evil fpoken of, is itnot for this, and that'. particular evil ? Do you loveyour name ? avoid fin, Can will end in shame, it is the rflue, the fruit of it. God will giveyou honour withhis fervants, nay, even in the hearts ofthe wicked.You know the moremenftriveto' mortifie their Gns,themore the world reproacheth them ordinarily: but wemulnot judge what men do inthciv: jollity and in their pall-ion; but what themfelves do, when they are upon the wrack; ofa troubled confcience, upon their death-bed, oli then if they might die the dear*', of the righteous, oh then theywould theyhad lived the fife of the righteous, or any I thingthen,if they hadbeen like fuchaoite whom they fcorned. This gained efteemir ofJohn its Herods heart. Again, you alai! not lofeyour wealth, your eflate : all loffes ofeflate that are judgemcnts,and punithments,theyare but the fruits of tsn,you (h all keep your eltate, ! and keep itwith comfort,as far asit isgoodfor you,yourfins provokeGod, even to curie your bleffings. . You (hall not lore your pleafure if you partwith'frn ; nay, you fhallgain plea. lures. All forrow, and griefof heart, and difpiet offpirit, that arifeth from terror ofconfcience,arethey not hence, becaufeoffin ? Would you havejov,andpleafure unfpeakable,and glorious ? part from fin, that is the caufe offorrow. When we bid' you part withfen, we fpeak toyou topart with a needlefs thing, it is afuperfluity, as well as hurtful, faperfluityofmalice, what need one fin in theworld ? cannot you live, and be happy without it ? cannot you livecomfortably, and diebleffedly with- out fin ? Nay,rs'it not that that hinders your bleffednefs and happinefs? The Angels in heaven they are blefled,becaufe they are without finebutthofe of them that finned, they are referved enchains ofdarknefr, to thefudgement ofthegredtday. evldam in Pa- radife,in the Rate ofinnocency i he was bleffed,he was without fin e but as loonas Ihe finned, he wascaft out ofParadife ; and a Cherubin fet with a flamingfword, to keep theway oftheTree of life, that man fhouldnot come at it. Youyour felves, the beft comfort, the belt peace, the belt evidences youhave,are thefe that do arife from your hatredof fin. Thereforedo but confider how needlefs a thing itis. Can youget any thing by it ? canyou liveaday longer,or an hourmore happy ? can you bea whit better byit? Ifyouconk' enjoy anyprefent good by fin,rhere were fome- what to be pleaded: but whatisit? you get a little wealth byunrighreoufnefs, ¡six gain ? job faith,their bellyThall be filled withgravel. Ifaman fillhis bellywith gra- vel, what bath he gottenby it? you will get that that you mull call upagain : you get that that one day you will with you had never known : as lfrael when they turned to God, theylhould fay of their garmentsof filver and gold, that they bad made fortheirldols, getlosehence. So every worldly manthatraifethhis eftate by unrighteous means, the timewill come that he (hall with all the money that he bath gotten were in the bottomoftheSea, that hehadnever known what a penny, or a horde, or apparel hadmeant, that he bathgotten,or made, or appropriate to himfelf by any unrighteoufnefs whatfoever. What Life is there ofit ? And will you lofe your fouls for that that is nothing ? and will you lofe heaven for that that is need- lefa ? and eternal happinefsfor thatthat will not do you a moment oftime,not a lit tle prefent good, not a littleprefent cafe, nota little prefent comfort? But laflly, the greatbenefit that redoundsby it, that is fpokenof in the Text, it is that you fhall live, and Iive te God. The moreyou die'to fin,the more you fhall live toGod throughjefusChrift. Nowwe comeupon aftrongmotive to perfwade you to fet more lreartilyagainft thofe evils thatare daily reproved, the more you die to them, the more you (hall live to God. Suppofe the vvorkof repentance be a hard task. fuppofe it fhould be fomevvhatpainful ; fitppofe it be'fomething that vexand dif uiet the natural fpirit ofman: as there is pain in repentance, and mortification of fin, yet neverthelefs ifyou mayget eternal lifeby it, is it not vvorth the vvhtle? Confider vvhat youdo for natural life,fuppofe a member ofthe bodybe gangrened ; that it is in danger tobe fpreadover the wholebody, and the takingavvay ofnatural life,the loll ofa hand,andthe lofs ofanymember,though it be never foufeful,rather then the body Chaff be in danger, and a man deprived of life, youvvill lofea ufefu member; and vvbenyouhave done, you doit but in hope topreferve life t for you are¡ 4. Not wealth. 5: Not plea lutes. Si,, a needlefs thing. a.The gain by 'death to Fin.
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