Vfe ti. The great Evil and Danger of Little Sins. felf, by your greater Provoc3.tions and Impi eties? As you fee in Ri'ilen rhe natural courfe of them tends to the Se.z; but the Tide joyn ing wich them 1~akes the Currem run the f\-vifrer and the more forcibly; fo is it w itH Sin· liulejim are the natural ftream of a M:m's Life, chat do of themfclves rend 1-Ie\l~ward, and' are o! chemfelves enough to carry the S~u! do'7'n filently anJ calmly ro defirutbon: But when greater and gnffi·r fim JOin Wtth them, they make a '.' iolcnt Tide, that hurries rbe Soul away with a more fwifc and rampant motion down to Hell, than little fins would or could do of rhemiCh•es. Therefore when you hear ~ow much evil there i~ in fjttfe fins~ prcfume not to think there is nothing more 10 grtat fins; yes certamly, God IS more provoked by rhern, your own Con- - fciences are more wou~ded by them,. He_ll is more inflamed by them, and your own Souls are more wtdened and capacnaced by thefc great jim co receive fuller' and larger Vials of God's wrarh, than they would be by rhe commiffion of leffir jinJ only. We may rake.an eftimare in what proportion God's dealings wirh Sinners will be when he comes co punilh them, by obferving how he deals with them when he comes co con.vince and humble chem ; rhe fOber Sinner feels no fuch Pangs and Throes ufually in the New Birth ; bur God deals wirh him in a p1ore mirigh:red and gemle manner ; bur when at any time he humbles a notorious blufiering: Sinner, ufually his Method is, even to break his Bones, and fcorch up his Marrow; and rhat he may fave him from a He/J hercafler, he creates a very Hell in his Confcience here. Now as ir is ufually rhus in Conviction, fo is 1t always thus in Condemnation, of which Convitlions are buc, as it .were, the Type and Refemblance; When God comes ro execurchisWrathand Vengeance upon Sinners for their Sins, his Hand lhall be very heavy and fore upon Civilized Sinners: Oh, bur the bold,daring,prefumpcuous Sinner, him he will prefs d<;>wn, and break in pieces with all his mighc: He that fuffers che leafi, fhall yet lye under intolerable Wrath; bur where then, unlefs in the flaming depth of rhe Bottom of Het/, ·will the infamous and prophanc Sinner appear? Secondly, Another ufe we may make of this DtCfrine is this; Is there fo great an Evil and Danger in little Sins? Then here behold a woful Shipwrack of all' the Hopes, and of all the Confidence of Formalifls and Juftitiaries, chat hope to appear before God upon the account of their own Innocency and Harmlefnefs. ~encc learn that a quiet, civil, honeft Life, free from grofs and fcandalous lmpieries, is no good Plea or Title for Heaven; ·yet truly this is chat alone thatche· generality,efpecially of the I~noranr,rely upon; their Lives are harmlefs, their Dealings upright, none can Juftly challenge them that they have done them any wrong; were they prefenrly to appear before God's Judgmem~fear, rhey know nothing by themfelves that deferves Eternal Death ; therefore if God fave any Perfons in the World, fure they are in the number of them . But is ic . fo indeed? What, do you know nothing by your felves? Had you never fo much as a Thought in you chat ftept awry ? Did you never lodge a Thought in you that had in it the leaft Vanity, Impertinency, or Frivoloufnefs? Have youne\'er uttered a Word that did fo muchaslifpagainftthe Holy Law of God? Will you dare ro tell God you never yet did an Atl:ion that Innocency it felf would be alhamed eo own? Have your Lives in every part been as frrict and holy as the Law ofGodcommandsthemto be? If not, it _is in vain to plead for Heaven that your Converfations have been honeft, civil and harmlefs, or chac you have been Religious, and maintained a conftant Courfe · of holy Duties and good· Works. I would not here he miftaken by any as if I were preaching againft Morality, or condemning Civility and common Honefiy. No, by no means,they are excellem things, and the pratlice of them very commendable; and I heartily wilh there were more of them to be found in the Lives ofrhofe chat call chemfelves Chriftians: But ifthis be all you can fay for your felves, believe it, the guilt but of one ofrour leaft Sins will.our-weigh allthefe; and you, and all this your Righceoulnefs,muft fink down together intoH,/l.If this be allMen have to plead for Happinefs, a civil,fairand honeft Converfation: This may be; and yec Men may indulge rhemfelvcs in little Sins, which will mofi certainly ruin and deftroy them. Ufelli. Thirdly, If there be fo great evil and danger in little Sins, hence learn what ·_ abfolute need we ftand in ofChrift,not only chafe among us whofeLivcs are open.. · ly grofi and fcandalous,buteven thoie who are moft circumfpetl: and moft c.areful ijl their Walkings. Though you do not wallow and roll your felves m the common
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