The Nature, 1Jang,er, and Cure to Tongue, that the World fhould fity of them, this Man is a Dru,Jkiml, and that Man is an UnclMn Per{on, and that 1vlan is a Thief Tcli me, 0 Shmer 1 why elfe doft thou feek Corners to hide Jhy Wickednefs in ? \Vby dofi thou nor do it in the Face of the Sun, a1;~ before the Eyes of the whole World? Why, that verY Shame that makes Men fculk in fecret when they fin, had they no Secrecy to hide rhemfelves in from the Nocice of Men, it would keep them alfo from rhe Sin it felf. It cloth not terrific Men ro confider, that God writes down all their Sins in his Book ofRemembrance; bur J110uld he write all their Sins upon rheir Fore.heads in vifible Letters, that all rhe World might read them, where is rhe Wretch fo impudent that would dare to be fcen abroad? Our Streets would be defolare, ar.d your Pews would be empty, and the World would grow a Wildernefs; 2r.d thofe rhat we rook for Men, would appear robe but veryMonfters andBeafts; fuch woful Transformation hathSin made in rhe World: How nuny s,uhm are there -.v_all~wing in their own Vom~t ? How·many Goatijh Senfualifis are become Brunfl1 m filrhy Pleafurcs? How many Earth-Wonm arc there crawling up and down in the Muck of this World, loading rhemfclves with thick Clay ? Certainly, if every Sinner fhould be fcen in his own Shape, we fhould meet with very few Men in the \Vorld. Why, now wicked Men are afham'd eo be feen abroad in fuch Difguifes as thefe are, and therefore rhey fiudy to fin in fecret; or if chat cannot b:>_, they force themfelves to abfiain from Sin ; unwilling they are ro be pointed at in :he Streets, there goes a Drunkard, or an Extortioner; there a Cheater, or an Adulterer, and the like; and for the very Fear hereof, fom.etimes they are kept from th.c Commiffion of thofe infamous Sins; that would make them a Reproach, eo all their Neighbours: And that is another Advantage. Laftly, The Fear of Human Laws and Penalties dorh many times keep Men from the ·r MLaws committing many great and horrid Impieties, fuch as would fall under the ~totic'e of the :up ;.;;n Law. It is ~ gr.eat Mercy that God bath infticuced M.tzgiftracy, t~ar it may be a from Sin. Terror tO Evzl Works, as the Apojlle fpeaks, Rom. ;. q. were It no·c more fo r Fear of Human Laws, the inftiding of Corporal Puniibments uponM en, more than God's threatning ofEternal Punifhmems, the whole World would become worfe than a favage Wi!Jernefs; within would be Fears and Tumulrs, without would be Rage and Violence; our Dwellings, our Perfons, our Poffeffions, would be all expos'd to the furious Lufts of ungodly Men, and by [u1earing, aml lying, and killing, and ftealing, and committing adultery, Men would break forth, till blood touch'J blood, as the Prophet fpeaks, Hof 4· 2. bur rhe wife Providence of God, who hath fubdu'd the Beafts of the Earth to Man, bath alfo fubdu'd Man (who elfe would become more wild and brutifh than they) to Man; God bath therefore fubdu'd Man to Man, fo that thofe chat ftand not in any Awe of the G9d of Heaven, yet are they aw'd by the Gods of the Earth; and they whom the Thoughts of Hell and Eternal Wrath cannot fcare from Sin, yet many times the Thoughts of a Prifon and Gibbet doth. Now this Fear is of great Advantage to keep Men from the Commiffion of prefumptuot# Sins, which they have not to keep them from the Cornmillion of lejfer andlmal!er Sins; and whac, is not rh is Security enough againft them ? Is there need of any more? Were it not ftrange, if that Warning given before-hand eo prepare for Refifbnce, if the ReluCtancy of natural Confcience, if the Shame of the World, and the Fears of Human Laws and Penaltiesfhould not befufficienr eo preferve us from them? Were not this ihange? Yes, ir were fo; yet fo it is; notwichftanding all thefe Advantages, fiill we have great Caufe to pray with DaviJ, Lord, kup back thy Servants from prefumptuotls Sim; all other Defence is bur weak, and all ochcr Security is bur unfafe, Lord, therefore do thou keep us ; and this I iball endeavour to demonftrace unto you by cwo Particulars; the one from Scrip· wre, and the other from Experience. Firft, From Scripture. All our Ability, whetherforrhePerformanceofDuties, or for the oppofing of Corruption, is in Scripturecnrirely afcrib'd unco rhe Power of God ; rhus rhe .Apojfle exhorts the Ephefianr in Chap. 6 1 o. My Brethren, f~ys he, be (frong; bur in whom? What, in you~ felves? No, fays he, but be jhong i1: the Lord, anel in the power of his might; for in his Almighty Power, rho' mighty Corruptions ruih in upon you, and threaten your Ruin; tho' the Devil ::nd rhe Powers cf Hell pufb for e at you, to make you fall; yet God calls upon
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