Hopkins - HP BR75 .H65 1710

The Folly of Sinners-, in elfe, bur to have their Portion therein with rhofe Devi!t whofe induftrio F ~ors ihey have been: And there the Cup of God's Right Hand a Cflp of' aWrath, and unmix'd Fury, fhall be given them, and they be force'd to drink .Puff. to the very Dregs and_BQ[rom. of it, fpewingour Fire and Brimftone erern~1 1t? ' 11. u[t. ~~c~d!], Hence thmk how defperarely impious, wicked Wretelhe s the };:;re Sh:a'' :he \vho Sm only eomake others Sport; that buffoon themfelves into Hdl and pp;cJ afu ::J~J;:trufo the pleafing or~ers .~~rh the dreadful Damnarionof their own 'So~'ls:' And ~er-, tf1ar ftn,on- Ho\~ frequent IS thts m r.heWorld. H~:v many are .there, that wi!I neirherip::rri: ly ' 'tempt Gotl? nor Hta'TJen, nor Scnpture, ?Or RelrgiO'n, nor comnmn Modefly ,if they cdrrie ;,;urnt buunthe way. of~ Joft? Nothmg;, ~owfacred, howVenerable!Ocv'e.v irbe, can . . efcape them, tf they cab but: turn lt lOCO Drollery. 1' r ' I peed not mem10rt what Troprs :uid .Metaphors Men ha\~e found out to ralk. lafciviouOy by; ahn.oit ev~ry O!Jei~ perfeCt in that p~ece of Rhetoritk: Norwh:h firange,monitrous Ltes fame wdl averr openly,to raife either Mirth'or'Wonder in Company. And. that ~vhich is worft of all is,that now the Holy Bible is become a meer J eft-Dookwah them, aCommon-Pl ace for Wir, and merry Dif~ourfe. And the Devil again fpeak.s Scripture out of thefe Mens Mouths; they know no mote of it; than whattheyabufe; and all their Meditations an·d Comments upon it are only how fuch and iuch Paifages may be ingenioufly·perverted and turned imo Burlefque, to heighten the Mirrh of the next profane Compa~y they meet. ImpiOus Wretches1 thatdar.e eo violate t·he moit tremendous Mytteriesof Religion and expofe their God eo Scorn,his Oracles to Comempr, and their own Souls t~ Eternal Perdition, only for a littleGrin.ning and Sneering of a Company of vain yea, mad Fools, who think they commence Wits by applauding Bl.:tfphemy! Bu~ thefe Wits>as they are profane and impious,fo they prove themfelves V'ery Fools thus to fport rhemfelves to de1th: Their Laughter is rather fpafmir;;al.ahd convul~ five, than joyous; a Rif'!s Sardonicm,cau(ed by Venom and Poyfon j: They go doWn ·merfiiY.j to Hell? '3rid froli<ok themfelves into Perdition. ' ~nd-thlis I 'have' done ,withthe firjl fort of Fools, namely, thofe that make a JS'poit 'ancl1 MOck at' bd1et Mens Sins. r n : .. ' . ' U. ;,· The Sc~O~J'PaftiCular is to fhew,· that they· are Fools who make a · Mo~k at ~:tl :~;t th'e'ir}Own Sins, fo'-as to thi~k the Commiffion of them but a flight incoMiderable ma1:t 4 Mau'er1''11:And here I fhalllhew you, I M11lk At 1Firfl ,: That wicked Men do generally account Sin a fmall flight Matter} • ~ktirum ·Secondl], What ic-l s that induceth, and per!Uades them eo account fo flight of ms.l . it~ . , :1 ' ' 'l 11. Thirdly, Theit grofs and inexcufable Folly for fo accounting of it. nr. Firft, That wicked Men do generally account Sin a tinall incdnfiderable I. Matter, may appear from thefe three Things. I. Slight Provocations and eafie Temptations are fufficient to make them rulh sligh:· boldly iri.to the COmmiffion of Sin: Aity flight inconfiderable Gain, and cran- ·Ttmprati- fitory,fa:ding,wafhy Pleafurc; yea, oftemimes, a meerGallantry and Humour of fin1 711nke Sinning>is enough·to make them venture upon any Crime,thac the Devil_, or their ;me Mm owft wicked Hearts fhall fuggeft to them: Yet thofe verv Things; for which they m. wouldfcarce fuffer a Hair of their Heads to betwicch'd off, are yet forcible enough, to perfuade them to lie or fwear,Sins that murder and defiroy cheir -pre~ious Souls for ever~ What is thii but a plain Demonfiration, that they account Sin a meer Trifle, and look upon it as a fmall and flight thing to offend the moll high God. "· II. It is very hard and difficult to work thefe Men to ~ny true Sorr?w and Co~- Hard tQ pund:ion for their Sins :Turn the Mouth of all the ternble Threatmngs thacGod -wvk Sin- hach denounced in his Holy Wo:d again~ them, and,let th~m thu~der ouc aH the nm t;" Woes and Curfes that are in the Magazme of Gods Jufltce agamfi them, yet ;;;(,/~i~~. thefe wicked \V retches are not fiartled at it, but !till hold faft ~heir Confidence aud Boldnefs, when they have loft their Innocency and Inceg.my, and cannot, nor will not be perfuaded that God fhould be fo angry and mcenfed for fuch fmall matters. d Ill. If they are at all moved with thefe things, yet they think that a fli.ghtan 1 ' formal Rtpenttnlct will fuffice to make amends for. all :.They pac1fie che1r C~mfciences and think they appeafe God alfo, by crymg !urn Mercy ; and find"" ea fie a ~atter to repent of their Sins as it is eo commit them. And therefore ~er- ) tamly

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=