36 The ShamefrilneP of Sin, Vol. IL ateany Defers or Deformity in their Bodies ; an ill Face, if they could, how- ever a foul and had Complexion, or blind or fquinting Eye, a crooked Body or Limb, and whatever is illfavour'd or monftrous. Now in regard ofour Souls and better part, Sin bath all the monftroufnefs and deformity in pit, which we can imagine in the Body, and much more : and it is as hard tobe covered from the Eye of difcerning Men, as the deformity of the Body is; but impoffìble to be conceald from the Eye of God, to whomDarknefr and Light, fecret ando- penare all one. But then the moral Defeas and Deformities ofthe Mind have this advantage above the natural Defeêts and Deformities of the Body, that the former are poflìble tobe curedby the Grace of God, in conjun&ion with our own Care and Endeavour : Whereas no Diligence or Skill can ever help or re- move many ofthe natural Defeas andDeformities of the Body. Sin is the blindnefsof our Minds, the perverfenefs and crookednefs of our Wills, and the monftrous irregularity and diforder of our Affenions and Appe- tites, it is the mif-placing ofour Powers and Faculties, the fettingofour Wills and Pallions above our Reafon ; all which is ugly and unnatural, and if we were truly fenfible of it, matter of greatShame and Reproach to us. There is hardly any Vice, but at firft fight bath an odious and ugly Appea- rance to a well difciplin d and innocent Mind, that bath never had any acquain- tance with it. And however Familiarity and Cullommay abate the fenfe of its Deformity, yet it isas it wasbefore, and the change that is made in us, does not alter the nature of the thing. Drunkennefs and furious Paffìon, Pride and Falfhood, Covetoufnefs and Cruelty, are odious, and matter of Shame, in the fincere and uncorrupted Opinion of all Mankind. And dio' a Man, by the fre- quent praaice of any of thefe Vices, and a long familiarity with them, may not be fo fenfible of the Deformityof them inhimfelf, yet he quicklydifcerns the uglinefs of them in others, whenever they come in his way, and could with Salt and Sharpnefs enough upbraid thofe whom he fees guilty of them, but that he is inwardly confcious, that the Reproach may be fo eafily return'd, and thrown back upon himfelf. However this is anatural acknowledgmentof the Deformity and Shamefulnefs of Sin and Vice. 2. They are likewife shameful, becaufe they are fo great aDifhonour to our Nature, and to the Dignity and Excellency of our Being. We go below our felves, and act beneath the Dignityof our Nature, whenwe do any thing con- trary to the Rules and Laws of it, or to the revealed Will of God ; becaufe thefe are the Bounds and Limits which God and Nature bath let to Humane Anions ; and are the meafures of our Duty, i. e. what is fit and becoming for us to do, and what not. So that all Sin and Vice is bale and unworthy, and beneath the Dignity ofour Nature; it argues a corrupt and difeafed Conftitution and Habit of Mind, a crooked and perverfe Difpofition of Will, and a fordid and mean temper of Spirit. And therefore the Scripture doth frequently reprefent a Rateof Sin and Wick- ednefs, by that which is accounted the bafeft and meaneft Condition among Men, by a Rate of Servitude and Slavery, efpecially if it had beenour Choice, or the evident and neceffary Confequence of our wilful Fault: For we do as bad as chufe it, when we wilfully bring it upon our felves. So that to be a Sinner, is to be a Slave to fome vile Luft, Appetite, or Paflion, to fomeunnatural or irregular Delire it is to fell our felves into Bondage, and tp part with one of the molt valuablethings in theWorld, our Liberty, upon low and unworthy terms. Such a State and Condition does unavoidably debale and debauch our Minds, and . break the force 'and firtnnefs of our Spirits, and robs us, as Dalilahdid Sampfon, of our Strength and Courage, of our Refolution and Conftancy; fo that Men have not the Heart left todefign and endeavour in good earneft their own Refcue out of this mean and miferable eftate, into-which by their own Folly and Fault they have brought. themfelves. When Men are engaged into a cuftom of finning, and have habituated them- felves to any vicious Conde, how do they betray their Weaknefs and want of Refolution, by being at the beckof every foolilhLuft, and by fuf£ering themfelves to
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