in e\•ery Sin, and this is the defperate i!fue of ir, that if once you come to account any Sin !in all, you w ill foon reckon the grearefi Sin w be no more. We commonly reckon the greatnefs of Sin by the abrupmefs of our advance eo it. })offibly it would ieem a horrid thing at the firft riling of a Temp;acion in our hearts, if we fhould prefently perpetrate the utmoft of it inro Act: therefore ~he Method of Sin is more finooth and decireful; it counts a finful Thought a little Tranfgrcflion, and finful Difcourfe to have but a little more guilt in it than a finful Thought, and finful Atl:ions to have bur a little more guilt in them than finful Words. A great Sin but in a little degree exceedsalek; and fa comparing Sin .w\rh Sin, and not with the La1v, we at length come byinvifibie Advances to look upon the great en Impieties1 in the World to be but little Sins, and iO eo commit them. If Satan pre_vails with us to go with him one itep out of our way, we are in danger to fiop no where till we come to the height of all Prophanenefs. he will make us take a fecond, and a third, and fo eo travel on eo DcfiruCl:ion ,. for each of rhefe is but one fiep ; the lafi fiep of Sin is but one ftep, a~ well as rhe firft; and if the Devil prevails with us eo take one ftep, why fhould he not prevail wit h us to take the lafi fiep as well as the firft ftep, feeing it is but one ? Your fecond Sin no more exceeds your firfi, titan your firft doth ,your Duty; and fo of the refi. We fhould not therefore account any Sinfinall, but look upon them as the fpawn of all the vilefi Abominations: And as you would abhorr Death and Hell, fo abhorr the leaft Sin ; becaufe it ha~h a Plot upon us in fubferviency to greater Sins, chat without infinite Mercy, will cenainly bring to, and terminate in Death and Hell. .S.,..lrt!t Siws Sixthly, Confider that thDjt Sim . that 1ve commonly call the leaft, are inJP "'~l!d, dwl tbe gr_eatejl and vileff Provocations. Some Sins are Sins of greater -::;;e mde~ Infa,my and Scandal ; other Sins arc Sins of greater Guilt and Sinfulnefs, • egr,ate ·rude and bluftering_ Sins. Thofe Sins that are of greater Infamy, are fuch as make him, th.at commits thetn,. a fcandalous perfon; and thefe are commonly reputed great a,1d crying Sins 1by the World. If a Man be a s,vearer, or a Drunkard, a Whoremonger, or . an Adulterer, or a Murtherer; theie Sins make a Man a Scorn a~d a Reproach to all that pretend to Civility. But now there are orher Sins \.bat are inward ~nd fpiritual Sins, that are indeed more finful, though lefs fcandalous; fuch ~s Unbelief, Hypocrifie, Htmlne{s of Heart, Slighting and Reje,Efing of Chrifl, Refifl-ing the .Holy Ghofl, and the like. Now herein lyes the grea_!: miftake of the World in efiimating of Sins: At the naming ~f the former, Wf=: lA~ ready totreJDble, and fo indeed we ought; and not only lo, but we Ol,lgi)t to fl)un and avoid thofe that are guilty of them, as Monfters of Men: But now wehavenofuch abhorrency againfi the latter; if the Life be free from grofsEnormitiei, we look upon Ut:belief and Impwitency but as [mall and trjvinl fim . Now thofe Sins tbar we thus night~ are incomparably the greateft and the vileft Sins, Murther, Adultery, Blafpbemy, and the reft of thofe crying I'mpieties, could n(_>t damn the Soul, were 1t not for Unbelief and Impmitency: It is nOt 1the Swearer, or )the Druhkartl that perilh; but it is the Unbeliever: Hethat belie-ves not i1 cot~4em'IW~4lrcady, John 3· 18, And fo hating of God, and a fecret f~orning ai<d defpifing of Holinefs, and theWays ofGod; thefe are Sins th.atdo,not deijlc ·and pollute the outward Man; and many doubtlefs are guilty Q[ .them, that arc of a fair and civill.ife and Converfation; and yet thefe are Sii'ls .that may out-vie with the mofi horrid Sins for the hottefi and loweft place i~ 'Hell. We fee thqn -whao linall heed is to be given to the Judgment of the Worl4 concerning [mal~ Sins: Thofe that the World counts little Sins,. may be greac and heinous in the fight of God ; for God judgeth not as Man JUdgeth; he is a Spirit, and t'1terefore fpiritual Sins and Provocations, fuch as Inordinacy in the Thoughcs.t: Defires ahd AffeCl:ions, thefe are Sins poffibly th2.t are more hejnous in God's Sight, than more carnal and grofi'er Sins are. DamltaU- Se.P,e;uhly, and laftly, Confider this; Damna_tio? for little Sim ?vill lte_ mofl ag- •n J~r litt!~ gravatul, and moft infolerable Damnation. Oh, Wtlllt not be a moft cutcmg Co~~ Sinr JTJill fideration to the Soul in Hell when it !hall think, here I lye and fry for ever to fN m~~ in. unquenchable Flames for the gratifying of my felf in that which I call'd littU J~::;~~m. Sfm! FoOl that ever !'was, that 1 ~ould account any Sin little that w<;mld bring . m~ to this place of Torment ! There sanother of my fellow-wretched Smners,between .whom and me there was as much difference as there was between me and
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