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6. Evil warrants itself sometimes by the difference of time and place, fometimes by measure and degree, fometimes by made and manner. Forasmuch as that may be done at one time that may not be done at another; diftinguish but of times, (they will fay) and then they think they shall be able to justify themselves. And then by measure and degree although it be one of the most difficult things in the world to affign mode and meafure, yet man will fay it may be done in another place, though not in this; and in this manner, though not in that, or af ter any fashion, and to fuch a measure and degree. The fluggard was for a little fleep, a little flumber, &c. till evil had taken hold of him, and got an advantage upon him. In many cases it is very hard to fix the utmost bounds of good and evil, because these part as day and night which are separated by twilight; fo that there is as dim day-light between both. It is a very nice point for a man to know how far he may go, and farther he may not.

7. Evil pleads fometimes the neceffity of the cafe, and that it is unavoidable. The law of the time, the neceffity of the cafe, this anfwers all objections to the contrary. Though I must tell you, there is no neceffity at all to do that which is evil: for the worst that the world can do unto us, is not so bad, as to do evil. And we must rather expose to hazard the lofs of our lives, and all we have, than give God an offence. For it is better to die in reconciliation to God, than to live ten thousand years in all the pleasures and jollity of this world. This we find was Herod's juftification of himself, when he did

contrary

contrary to the

very

fense of his own mind. He cut off John Baptift's head because of his oath, and be caufe of thofe that were with him at that time. But take this for a notion, neceffity may put us upon inconveniencies, but neceffity must never put us upon iniquity or make us confent to evil. There is no neceffity of fin: for altho' we live no longer here, we fhall live in a better state. We must not fave our lives, and destroy the cause of life. Το live is to be in good temper of mind and regular in our actions and practice.

8. When evil hath once entangled us, there is another evil (and it may be a greater) thought neceffary to hide, or extenuate it. For evil if it be lookt into, will be ashamed of itself. Upon this account it is that men are ashamed to own it, and sometimes with a lie deny it. When Cain had murdered his brother, to the very face of God himself, he tells a lie. So Annanias and Sapphira, when they had fold the poffeffion, and pretended that they brought all and laid it down at the apoftle's feet, when as it was but a part. It had been an act of chriftian charity, to have brought any part, fo they had been fincere and hearty in it but they are faid to lie to the Holy Ghost. Seldom one evil goes alone. Gehazi did. the first evil action in going after Naaman the Syrian and asking him for gold and change of raiment, without his mafter's commiffion : but then this puts him upon another lie to juftify it, and then more followed, as you may fee in the ftory.

9. Evil

my

9. Evil juftifies itself by prescription and general practice; fo it was formerly, and fo it is ftill. And this is taken for a juftification. This was the practice of those Ifraelites that were not carried away captive, who diffembled with the prophet and with God himself; who, tho' they enquired what they should do, yet were resolved to do as their fathers did before them; because then, they said, it was well with them, when they offered incense to the queen of heaven, and therefore they would do fo aagain. Things that are in use and custom, men think they may do; and what have been done before them. What, will they fay, fhall I be wifer than forefathers? This is the answer of many Papists among us, who will hear nothing that is faid to them, because they will not damn those that went before them, nor pretend to be wiser than their ancestors; others fay, what! fhall we call into queftion common practice? do not those that are wifer and more learned than I, do the fame things? nay, do not men of place and power do the fame things? This is juft like Ahab to Micaiah, 1 Kings xxii. Do not all the prophets speak so and so? let thy word be like unto theirs. Not a word of what God should say unto him, or what was true and right; but let thy word be like unto the rest of the prophets. So it is with many men, they follow other mens practice, without confidering what is right and fit to be done.

10. I fhall obferve in the last place,that which is moft dangerous of all others, and that is this; when the first motion towards repentance and converfion

is lookt upon as if it were the fovereign remedy of repentance itself. As if forrow for fin, were the whole product of repentance; whereas indeed, that which is true repentance, must be accompanied with the forfaking of fin and bringing forth the fruits of righte ousness. By which St. John means the reformation and amendment of our lives.

And that I may the better fatisfy you in this, I defire you to confider, that the first motions of repen tance have been, where nothing that was good followed upon it. We read that Judas was forry for his fin, in betraying our Saviour; but what followed upon it? nothing but desperation and self-murder. Cain was fenfible of the murder of his brother, and affected with the confequence that he thought would follow upon it; for, faith he, every one that meets me will kill me: though this fear feemed very unreasonable at that time. We read in the 2 Pet. ii. 18. of fome that were clean efcaped from the pollutions of the world, that were again entangled, whofe last end was worse than their beginning. And that it is better not to have known the way of righteousness, than afterward to depart from the holy commandment. My caution therefore is, that if you look towards God, and your minds ferve you to make any application to him; that you pursue that good motion till you bring it into a fettled ftate; for otherwife the first motion towards repentance may prove an aggravation of your fin, and heavier condemnation.

Thus I have given you ten instances of the deceit→ fulness of fin, And, as I told you at first, it will trouble

trouble us lefs to be over-born and forced, than to be cheated. For the former we may not be able to help; but we cannot be deceived, if we be but as wife as we should, and ought to be. That one man is ftronger and richer than another may not be in our power to help; but if a man be not as wife and virtuous as another, it may be much his own fault. For this depends upon his own due care, and the improvement of thofe faculties that God hath given him. And I am of opinion, that we should all be wife enough one for another, if we were but equally honeft. The truth is, if any one be dishonest, he may deceive a good man: for such a man is given to charity, and apt to think of others as he finds himself, and fo to have a good opinion. But if I am cheated a fecond time, I am a fool. We read of perfons that lay under worldly disadvantages that yet arrived to great wisdom and understanding. The poor man by his wisdom faved the city, Ecclef. ix. 15. And we read of a wife woman that saved her husband, and a great many people. And poor Lazarus was wife for eternity. Therefore, as I faid, we may be over-born by power without any great difparagement; but we cannot be cheated, but it must have an ill reflexion upon ourselves. For no man makes a bargain unless he please, and he need not unless he will. If he want experience, why hath he not taken advice? So that, if he be cheated, it is owing to his weakness, willfulness, or rashness; for he might have prevented it. No man is afhamed that another is preferred before him in wealth and ability: but the meanest creature will

be

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