Ver. 20. the Sth Chapter to the R O MAN S. as is within our graft, and reach ; again[{ God and our true. happinefs. Betides bruitifh wickednefs, How many facrilegious models do men offer to an intemperate appetite, and abufe other things by their finful defires , meat to furfeiting, drink to e$cefs, apparel to pride, wealth power and intereft, to ferve their revengful minds? 3.In the curie on the creature, man is punifhed.His bleffings curf_d, Mal. 2. 2. Thófethíngs which were made for our ufe and fervice, become firft inlèruments ofour fin, and then of our puni(hment. 'Tis jut} with God not only to punifh us in our perlons, but in the things belonging to us, as demoli(hing the Houles and Cailles of a Rebel is taken to be a part of his punifhment among men. Pharaohs houle was (mitten for Sarahs fake, Gen. 12. 17. And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his houfè for Sarahs fake. And Numb. 16. 31. on thecreattureofor mans fake; murrain on the Be Qs goods. So B alts upon Corn and Vines, and other Fruits of the Earth ; we have intereft in them, and our fubfi(ience is by them yea,the King himfelf is ferved by the field their deffrutlion 5 is our lofs, as mercy to the earth, is mercy to men. t. U S E, To teach us the evil of fn: Man by fin brought a curie upon himfelf, upon his pofterity, and upon all thecreatures ; that is it we ate upon ; fin difordered the whole world; therefore let us work our hearts to a deteftation and abhorrence of it ; we fee how highly God is difpleafed with it; the Creator, who out of his overflowing bounty created all things, and delighted in them when he had made them, yet was provoked to curie what he had created, when once man had finned ; and fo fin bath made a great change in the world ; but becaufe there are ancient things, and do little move us ; fee the judgments of every age and time, which are the fruit of this vanity which is fbrought upon the creature if a nation fin, Deut. 28. 22, 23. The Lord thy Gad ¡hall mite thee with fivers, and with the fword, and with bla/ling, and mildew, and confume thee until thou perifh. The heaven that is over thy head ¡ball be brat, and the earth under thee, iron ; the Lord (hall make the rain of thy land, powder and dufl ; from heaven ¡hall it come down upon thee, until than be deflroyed. So V. 39, 40. Than /halt carry much feed into the field, and ¡halt gather but little in, for the !Mufti Thal! confume it : thou ¡halt plant vineyàrds, fband drefs them, but (halt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes ; for the worms all eat them. Have olive trees, but the olive (hall call its fruits. Thefe are things often fulifiled before our eyes 5 fo Ifa. 24. 4,5,6. The earth mourneth, and faded away; the world languifheth,ancl fadeth away ; the earth aye is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; they have. tranfgreffed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everla/ling covenant. Therefore bath the curie devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are deflate : therefore the inhabi- tants of the earth are burned, and few men left. So for our perfons,'tis our fin that bring. eth the curfe of God on all that we injoy. Thus God by the vanity and perifhingof the creature, would (hew how angry he is with man for fin. 2. U S E, Do not caf} a greater burden upon the creature. You have already brought in too much diforder and confufion upon the world. But how do we call a greater burden upon the creature ? When you fin with, and by the creature ; as by injuftice, unmercifulnefs, opprefúon; becaufe you have much filthy excel ; by there and Inch - like you make the creature the objebt and accafion of fin ; efpecially oppofition to God, oppreffing his fervants, dealing cruelly and unmercifully with men, hoping your great- nefs Should bear us out in any of there cafes. r. Confider how the creature will cry to Godfor revenge, Hab. 2. 1 t for the flones¡hall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber ¡hall anfwer it. The very materials of their buildings and unjuft acquifitions (hall witnefs again(] them. James. 5.3, The canker and ruft of your gold and flyer fhall witne fi again/! you. 2. Theft that put a burden upon the creature, Atli have the creatures burden put on them; by your fin they are fubjeded to vanity, and by their vanity you are fubjefted to wrath. They are ready to revenge Gods quarrel, if he do but hifs for them, Ifa. 7. 18. He can make shift /es grow inilead of wheat, and cockle for barley; Inheritages gotten by op- pref$on, yob 31. 40. 3, The creatures ¡hall be delivered; but thofe that abufe the creature ¡ball not. They are fubjefhed in hope, but their worm dyeth not, their fire goeth not out. 199 ßU S B,
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