I he frzf ulne fe of Sinne . vered under Tome general! moralities. Thus as the Ser- pent in the fable had a true fling while it lay in the Glow, though it (hewed not it l'elfe bucat the fire : fo there may bee a regallpower in Gn, whereupon external! rearms it may be for a time diffemble it ftlfe. Ahab and Ieroboams Wife were as truely Princes in their difguite, as in their robes ; and a Sow as truely a Swine when wa(hed in a fpring of water, as when wallowing in a linke of dirt. The heart of man is like a beaft, that bath much filth and garbage Taut up under a faire skinne, till the Word like a facrificing fword flit open, and as it were unridge the tConicience to difcover it. All the way es of max, faith Sa- lomon, are cleave in his owne eyes, but the Lord weiglotet h Prov. r 6.2. the /piritr : He is a dilcoverer of the fecrets, and intrals of every a &ion. For the more particular opening of th's point it will . bee needfull to anfwer tome few queftions touching the raigne of fome particular finnes which haply are feldeme fo thought of. And the fir tt is Touching fmall finnes whe- ther they nay be feid to be raigning finnes ? unto which I anfwer, That it is not the greatneffe but the power of fin which makes it a king. We know there are reguli as well as reges, Kings of Cities and narrow territories, as well as Emperours over vaft provinces. Nay many times a Gnne may bee great in &1k íralêo, as the fa& is meatured by the Law, and yet in Concreto, by Circumftances, it may not be a raigning finne in the perton committing it : and on the contrary a /mall fin in the nature of the fat`I, may bee a raigning (inne in the commifon ; as in a Corpo- ration a man not halfe as rich as another may bee the chiefe Magittrate, and another of a farte greater eftate may bee an underling in regard of Government. As a !mall fone throwne with a strong arme will doe more hurt than another farre greater if but gently laid on, or fent forth with a fainter impretfon : fo a fmall fin, com- mitted with a lügh hand, with more lecurity, prefump- V 3 don, FIC b 4.1 z, i;
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