Of Pre{umptuotu Sins. by it inro the Gulph of Perdition, refolving to run. after the Stre~m a~~ Currem of rheir own Corruptions, becaufe they find 1t fo firong, defpatnng of ever fubduing rhem, having been fo ofren overcome by them. . Secondly, Thefreqttent Commiffion of prefumptttDUJ Jint,, makes Me." defjunr ofever obtaining Pard011 for them_; and tka~ h~rdem them in Rifqlut10m to c~ntmue m ~be':'?~nd then thq cry out ,vith Cam, my tmqutty M greater than can be (org:vtn . J:?cfp.~u _of Pardon ofrcnrimes exafperares ro more and gr~arer _Offences: As tf a Thuf, when he is Robbing of a Man, fhou!~ argue "~Hh hunfclf_,. If I am detected of this Robbery, it will coft me my Ltfe_; and If I murtber hun I car• bur lofe my Life; juft fo do many argue: My Sms are fo many a,nd fo great) th<lt I cannot avoid Damnation for them; I fee my N~me pnck d down among Reprobates; it is but in vain for me to firuggle agawft ~ny own Fare and Go~'s Decrees; it is too nice a Scruple, (ince God hath giVen me up to the Dev1l_, for me to give up my felf to fin; and fo away they go to fin) and fin ac random, defperately and refolved!y; 0 hor~id ha;dne[s! That when rhe Thou~h:s of Hell ufe to quench ::~.nd allay the \~1ck~anef:; of other M;enJ when H. 1s mofi furious; yer rhcfe Wretches never th1nk ?f Hell, bur tha~ Etcnal Ftre inflames their LufisJ and the Thoughts of rhetr own DeftruCbon do even confirm them in the Practice of rhofe very Sins that defiroy them; and yet ro chis pafs dorh the CommHiion of Jrefumptuous Sins bring many a wretched Soul in the World to. Why, now Rejolutian to fin out of DefpairJ is to fin as the Devil Jim · indeed it is to gi,re the Devil 's Image in the Soul its bft flourifh. The De-vils tmd the damned Spirit1, as they lie always fmorhering and burning in Hell, fO they .always hear that dre~dful Sound, For ever thttJJ for ever thm; and becJufe their Chains are made firong and eternal by an Almighty Decree this makes them implacable, they frer and look upward, and curfe that Golchat harh plunged them into thofe Torments, from which Hell will ne-. ver free them ; this makes them defperate in their Refolurions to fin) becaufe they defpair of ever bettering their Condition; beware therefore, left you alfo by frequent Comrniffions of Prefumptuous Sin1, be given up to I-lellifh Defpair, fuch as this is; fo eo defpair of Mercy, as at the fame eo provoke and defie Jufiice; and char's the firft great Danger of finning prefumpcuouOy, it will make Men refoluteJ either through SecuriryJ or through DefpairJ eo continue in Sin. To def;air of obtain· ing Pard(!n for th:m• Secondly) Prefumptuotu Sim M they flee! th~ heart 1uith mop rlefperate Re{oiHtio,JJJ fo thry aifo braz:.en the Face1uith moft Jhamelefs Impudency: All Shame arifcch from the Apprehenfion of fOme Evil futpetted of us, or difcover'd in us; and the Eyes that can difcover it, are either the Eyts ofGod and Angels) or the Eyes of Men like our felves : Now all prefumpruousSinners are grown bold and impudent as to God and Angels) rho' God be prefem with them in the clofeft Secrecy, rho' hisEye fees them in the thickefiDarknefs; yetthis dothnot at all over-awe them) they dare fin eVen before his Face that mufi j!.ldge them; and if fome of them be yet fo modeftJ as ro conceal their Wickednefs from the Notice of MenJ yerrhey are aHO fo fool ifh and bold, as not to regard God's feeing them, in comparifon of whom) to fin in the Sight of the whole \Vorld, Prefomptuow.Sins ma1·e M(n impudent a11djbame• lefsinSin. is bur to fin in fecret; bur yet the F.Lequency of prefumpcuous finning will alfo quickly caufe them to abandon this Shame coo, and eo our.facc the Face of Men, which they more dread) than they do the Face of God or Angels: The Lord himfclf takes notice of the Jmpudency of fuch Men , and certa in ly every Sinner bath caufe eo blufl1, when God call.<; him impudem: In Je1·em1 6. !). faysGod there, Were they afhamed) 1vhen they had committed all thefe Abomi1Mtions? Nay, they were not at allajham'd, neithercou!tl thry blujh; and in Jer. 1· 3· The; have a Whore's Forehead) and the] refufe to _bettjiMm'd; and in Ifniah 3· 9· The Jlmv of their countenance) fays God, tloth witnejs againjl them; they declare their Sin nf SodomJ theJ hide it not . There arethreeDe$_rtesof Shamefu!nefs in Sinning; to which many of our groffer Sinners do arife. Firfi,_ Thof: that '"JJJi/l dare to co':'m!t [ottl Sins even publickfJ andknrnvingly: Some Menlofe halt thePleafi1re of thwStns,unlefs others may know how wicked they are) and how far they dare affront the Almighry; the Swearer fwears nor in fe · cret, where none can hear him) bur in Company) and callsMen to wicncfs as ~ell as~o?; theDrunkard reels in ourScr~ecs in mid-day,and is r~ady eo difcharge Ius Vomit mc.he Fac:s of all hcmeers Wlth; truly pre[umptt~ous ftnning will at laft grow to publick finnmg; nor only ac the Iaft: day_, that which has been done in I i i i fec rct, TbreeDe· grees of Shamelef nr[sinSin: ning. .A commit · ti11g foul Si11spu!J. liekly.
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