germ, CVIII. The Unpro taUenefsofSin in this Life, &c. III. Here is adefcription of the evil nature of Sin; it isa pervertingofthat which is right. Sin is a pervertingof the Conftitution and Appointment of God, and of the Nature and Order of Things. God hath given Man a Law and Rule,to walk by, but the foolifhnefs ofmanpervertethhis way. The great Linesof our Du- ty are plain and vifible to all Men ; and if we would attend to the direetion.of our own Minds, concerning Good and Evil; every Man would be a 1aw to him- felf He that fheweth thee, 0man, what isgood. That whichis right and juft and good, is plain and obvious, and offers it felf fir(t tous ; and whenever we (in, we go out of the right way that lies plain before us, and turn aide into crooked paths. But when wedo that which is right, we a& agreeably to the Defign and Frame of our Beings, and comply with the true Nature and Order of Things ; we do what becomes us, and are what we ought to be : but Sin perverts the Na- ture of Things, and puts them out of courfe ; I have finned and perverted that which was right. IV. You have here an acknowledgment of the Mifc'hievousand Pernicious Con- fequences of Sin ; Ihave finned and perverted that whi hwas right, and it profited me not. Which Taft Words are a kteiwm6, in which much lets is Paid than is meant and intended ; It profited me not, that is, it was fo far from being of advantage, that the Effe&s and Confequences of it were very Pernicious and De(tru&ive. And this is not only true as to the final iffue, and event of an Evil courfe in the other World; but I (hall endeavour to ¡hew, that even in refpe& of this World, and the prefent Life, the Pra&ice of force fins is plainly mifchievous to the temporal Interefts of Men, that others are wholly unprofitable ; and that thofe which pretend to bring forcebenefit and advantage, will, when all accounts are cart up, and all circumftances duly weighed and confidered, be found to do far otberwife. Fir/1, I (hall ¡hew, that the Pra&ice of force Vices is evidently Mifchievous and Prejudicial to us, as to this World; as all thofe Vices which fall under the cognizance of Human Laws, and are punifhed by them, Murder, Theft, Perjury, Sedition, Rebellion, and the like ; thefe cannot be denied to be of pernicious confequence to Men, and therefore the great Patrons of Vice feldom plead for thefe, the inconvenience of them is fo palpable, that force feel it, and all may fee it every day. Butbefrdes thefe, there are manyother fortsof Sin, which humanLaws either take no notice of, or do not fo feverely puni(h, which yet in their NaturalCon- fequences, are very pernicious to our prefent intereft ; either they are a di(tur- bance to our Minds, or dangerous to our Health, or ruinous to our Eftate, or hurtfultoour Reputation, or it may be at once prejudicial to us, in all, or molt of there refpe&s; and thefe are the greatelt temporal inconveniences that Men are liable to. All irregular Paffions, as Wrath, Malice, Envy, Impatience and Revenge, are not only a difturbance to our felves, but they naturally draw upon us hatred and contempt from others. Any oneof thefe Paffions is enough to render a Man un- cafre to himfelf, and to make his Converfation difguftful and tròublefome to all that are about him ; for all.Men naturally hate all thofe, who are of an envious, or malicious, or revengeful temper, and are apt to rife up and ftand upon their guard againft them. Anger and Impatience are great deformities of the mind, and make a Man look as ugly, as if he had a wry and di(torted Countenance ; and thefe Paffions are apt to breed inothers a fecret contempt ofus, and to bring our prudence into queftion, becaufe they are frgns of a weak and impotent mind, that either bath loft, or never had the Governmentofit felf. There areother Vices, which are plainly pernicious to our health, and do na- turally bring Pains and Difeafes uponMen ; filch are Intemperance and Lufi": and tho' fume may pretend to govern themfelves, in the Pra&ice of thefe, with fo much moderation and difcretion, as to prevent the notoriousbad confequences of them, yet there are very few or none that do fo; thisis feldom more than a Spe- culation, and Men that allow themfelves in any lewd or intemperate courfe, will E find 25
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