3. Lessening Sin

The third device that Satan hath to⁸¹ draw the ſoul to ſin, is by extenuating, and leſſening of ſin; ah! ſaith Satan, ‘tis but a little pride, a little worldlineſſe, a little uncleanneſs, a little drunkenneſſe, &c. As Lot ſaid of Zoar,⁸² it is but a little one, and my ſoule ſhall live; ahlas! ſaith Satan, ‘tis but a very little ſin, that you ſtick ſo at, you may commit it without any danger to your ſoule, ‘tis but a little one, you may commit it, and yet your ſoul ſhall live.

1. 81. 3. Device. [dropped from the edition]
2. 82. Gen. 19. 20.

FIrſt, ſolemnly conſider, that thoſe⁸³ ſins, which we are apt to account ſmall, hath brought upon men the greateſt wrath of God; as the eating of an Apple; gathering a few ſticks on p. 22 the Sabbaoth day, and touching of the Ark; oh! the dreadfull wrath that theſe ſinnes brought down, upon the⁸⁴ heads, and hearts of men; the leaſt ſin is contrary to the Law of God, the nature of God, the being of God, and the glory of God, and therefore tis often puniſhed ſeverely by God; and doe not we ſee daily the vengeance of the Almighty falling upon the bodies, names, eſtates, Families, and ſoules of men for thoſe ſins, that are but little ones in their eyes. Surely, if we are not utterly left of God, and blinded by Satan, we cannot but ſee it. Oh! therefore, when Satan ſaies tis but a little one, doe thou ſay, oh! but thoſe ſins that thou calleſt little, are ſuch, that will cauſe God to raine Hell out of Heaven upon ſinners, as he did upon the Sodomites.

1. 83. 1. Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 84. Draco the Rigid Law-giver, being asked why, when ſins were not equall, he appointed death to all? Anſwered, he knew that ſins were not all equall; but he knew the leaſt deſerved death. So though the ſins of men he not all equall, yet the leaſt of them deſerves eternall death.

The ſecond Remedy againſt this device⁸⁵ of Satan, is, ſeriouſly to conſider, that the giving way to a leſſe ſin, makes way for the committing of a greater; he that to avoide a greater ſin will yeild to a leſſer, ten thouſand to one, but God in Juſtice will leave that ſoule to fall into a greater; if we commit one ſin to avoid another, ‘tis juſt we ſhould avoid neither; we having not law nor power in our own hands, to keep off p. 23 ſin, as we pleaſ, and we by yeilding to the⁸⁶ leſſer, doe tempt the tempter to tempt us to the greater. Sin is of an incroaching nature, it creeps on the ſoule by degrees, ſtep by ſtep, till it hath the ſoule to the very height of ſin; David gives way to his wandring eye, and this led him to thoſe foule ſins, that cauſed God to breake his bones, and to turne his day into night, and to leave his ſoule in great darkneſſe. Jocab, and Peter, and other Saints have found this true, by wofull experience, that the yeelding to a leſſer ſin, hath been the uſhering in of a greater; the little thief will open the doore, and make way for the greater; and the little wedge knock’t in will make way for the greater; Satan will firſt draw thee to ſit with the drunkard, and then to ſip with the drunkard, and then at laſt, to be drunke with the drunkard; he will firſt draw thee to be unclean in thy thoughts, and then to be unclean in thy looks, and then to be unclean in thy words, and at laſt, to be unclean in thy practiſes; he will firſt draw thee to looke on the golden wedge, and then to like the golden wedge, and then to handle the golden wedge; and then at laſt, by wicked wayes to gaine the golden wedge, though thou runneſt the p. 24 hazard of looſing God, and thy ſoul⁸⁷ for ever: as you may ſee in Gehazi, Achan, and Judas, and many in theſe our dayes. Sinne is never at a ſtand, Pſal. 1. v. 1. Firſt, ungodly, then ſinners, then ſcorners; here they goe on from ſin to ſin, till they come to the top of ſin, viz. to ſit in the ſeat of ſcorners, or as ris in the Septuagint (τῶν λοιμῶν) to affect the honour of the chair of Peſtilence. Auſtin writing upon John, tells a ſtory of a certaine man, that was of an opinion, that the Devill did make the flye, and not God; ſaith one to him, if the Devill made flies, then the Devill made wormes, and God did not make them; for they are living creatures, as well as flies; true ſaid he, the Devil did make wormes; but ſaid the other, if the Devil did make wormes, then he made birds, beaſts, and man; he granted all: thus ſaith Auſtin, by denying God in the fly, he came to deny God in man, and to deny the whole Creation; by all this we ſee, that the yeelding to leſſer ſins, drawes the ſoul to the committing of greater; Ah! how many, in theſe dayes have fallen, firſt, to have low thoughts of Scripture, and Ordinances, and then to ſlight Scripture, and Ordinances, and then to make a noſe of wax of Scripture, and Ordinances, and p. 25 then to caſt off Scripture and Ordinances; and then at laſt, to advance, and lift up themſelves, and their Chriſt-diſhonouring, and ſoul-damning opinions,⁸⁸ above Scripture and Ordinances. Sinne gaines upon mens ſoules by inſenſible degrees, Eccleſiaſtes 10. v. 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is fooliſhneſſe, and the end of his talking is miſchievous madneſſe: Corruption in the heart, when it breaks forth, is like a breach in the Sea, which begins in a narrow paſſage, till it eat through, and caſt down all before it. The debates of the ſoul are quick, and ſoone ended; and that may be done in a moment, that may undoe a man for ever. When a man hath begun to ſin, he knowes not where, or when, or how he ſhall make a ſtop of ſin; uſually the ſoule goes on from evill to evill, from folly, to folly, till it be ripe for eternall miſery; men uſually grow from being nought, to be very nought, and from very nought to be ſtarke nought, and then God ſets them at nought for ever.

1. 85. 2. Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 86. Pſal. 137. ver. 9. Happy ſhall he be that taketh and daſheth thy little ones againſt the ſtones. Hugho’s Gloſſe is pious, &c. (Sit nihil in te Babylonicum) Let there be nothing in thee of Babylon, not onely the grown men, but the little ones muſt be daſhed againſt the ſtones, not onely great ſins, but little ſins muſt be killed, or they will kill the ſoul for ever.
3. 87. An Italian having found his enemy at an advantage, promiſed him, if he would deny his faith, he would ſave his life; he to ſave his life denyed his faith, which having done, he ſtab’d him, rejoycing, that by this, he had, at one time, taken revenge both on ſoule and body.
4. 88. A young man being long tempted to kill his Father or lie with his mother, or be drunk, he thought to yeeld to the leſſer, viz. to be drunk, that he might be rid of the greater; but when he was drunk, he did both kill his Father, and lie with his Mother.

The third Remedy againſt this third⁸⁹ device, that Satan hath to draw the ſoul to ſin, is ſolemnly to conſider, that ‘tis ſad to ſtand with God for a trifle; Dives would not give a crum, therefore⁹⁰ he ſhould not receive a drop; ‘tis the p. 26 greateſt folly in the world, to adventure the going to hell for a ſmall matter; I taſted but a little honey, ſaid Jonathan,⁹¹ and I muſt dye; it is a moſt unkinde, and unfaithfull thing, to break with God for a little; little ſins carry with them but little temptations to ſin,⁹² and then a man ſhewes moſt viciouſneſſe, and unkindneſſe, when he ſins on a little temptation; ‘Tis diveliſh to ſinne without a temptation, ‘tis little leſſe then diveliſh to ſin on a little occaſion; the leſſe the temptation is to ſin, the greater is that ſinne; Saul’s ſin in not ſtaying for Samuel, was not ſo much in the matter, but it was much in the malice of it; for though Samuel had not come at all, yet Saul ſhould not have offered Sacrifice; but this coſt him dear, his Soul, and his Kingdome. ‘Tis the greateſt unkindneſſe that can be ſhewed to a friend, to adventure the complaining, bleeding, and grieving of his ſoule, upon a light and ſlight occaſion,: ſo ‘tis the greateſt unkindneſſe that can be ſhewed to God, Chriſt, and the Spirit, for a ſoul to put God upon complaining, Chriſt upon bleeding, and the Spirit upon grieving, by yeelding to little ſins; therefore, when Satan ſayes ‘tis but a little one, doe thou anſwer, that often times there is the greateſt unkindneſſe p. 27 ſhewed to Gods glorious Majeſty, in the acting of the leaſt folly, and therefore thou wilt not diſpleaſe thy beſt and greateſt friend, by yielding to his leaſt enemy.

1. 89. 3. Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 90. Luk 16. 21.
3. 91. 1 Sam. 14. 43.
4. 92. It was a vexation to King Lyſimachus, that his ſtaying to drink one ſmall draught of water, loſt him his Kingdome: and ſo it will eternally vex ſom ſouls at laſt▪ that for ſome one little ſin, (compared with great tranſgreſſions) they have loſt God Heaven, and their ſoules for ever.

The fourth Remedy againſt this Device⁹³ of Satan is, ſeriouſly to conſider, that there is great danger, yea many times moſt danger, in the ſmalleſt ſins;⁹⁴ A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; if the Serpent wind in his head, he will draw his whole body after. Greater ſins doe ſooner ſtartle the ſoule, and awaken, and rouſe up the ſoul to repentance,⁹⁵ then leſſer ſins doe; little ſins often ſlide into the ſoule, and breed, and work ſecretly, and undiſcernably⁹⁶ in the ſoule, till they come to be ſo ſtrong, as to trample upon the ſoule, and to cut the throat of the ſoule; there is, oftentimes, greateſt danger to our bodies in the leaſt Diſeaſes, that hang upon us, becauſe we are apt to make⁹⁷ light of them, and to neglect the timely uſe of means for the removing of them, till they are grown ſo ſtrong, that they prove mortall to us: ſo there is moſt danger often in the leaſt ſins, we are apt to take no notice of them, and to neglect thoſe heavenly helps, whereby they ſhould be weakned and deſtroyed, till they are grown up to that ſtrength that p. 28 we are ready to cry out, the Medicine is⁹⁸ too weak for the Diſeaſe; I would pray, and I would hear, but I am afraid that ſin is growne up by degrees to ſuch a head, that I ſhall never be able to prevaile over it; but as I have begun to fall,⁹⁹ ſo I ſhall utterly fall before it, and at laſt periſh in it, unleſſe the power, and free grace of Chriſt doth act gloriouſly, beyond my preſent apprehenſion, and expectation. The Viper is killed by the little young ones that are nouriſhed, and cheriſhed in her belly: ſo are many men eternally killed and betrayed by the little¹⁰⁰ ſins (as they call them) that are nouriſhed in their own boſomes. I know not, ſaith one, whether the maintenance of the leaſt ſin, be not worſe then the commiſſion of the greateſt; for this may be of frailty, that argues obſtinacy; a little hole in the Ship ſinks it; a ſmall breach in a Sea-bank carries away all before it; a little ſtab at the heart kills a man, and a little ſin without a great deale of mercy, will damn a man.

1. 93. 4 Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 94. 1 Cor. 5. 6.
3. 95. Caeſar was ſtab’d with bodkins.
4. 96. Pope Adrian was choaked with a Gnat.
5. 97. A Scorpion is little, yetable to ſting a Lion to death; a Mouſeis but little, yet killeth an Elephant, if he gets up into his trunck.
6. 98. The Leopard being great, is poyſoned with a head of Garlick.
7. 99. The ſmalleſt errors prove many times moſt dangerous. It is as much treaſon to coyne pence, as bigger pieces.
8. 100. One little miſcarriage doth in the eyes of the world, overſhaddow all a Chriſtians Graces, as one little cloud doth ſometimes overſhadow the whole body of the Sun.

The fift Remedy againſt this Device¹⁰¹ of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that other Saints have choſen rather to ſuffer the worſt of torments, rather then they would commit the leaſt ſin, i. e. ſuch as the world accounts: ſo as you may ſee in Daniel, and his Companions, p. 29 that would rather chuſe to burne, and be caſt to the Lions, then they would bow to the Image that Nebuchadnezzer had ſet up: when this peccadillo (in the worlds account) and a hot fiery furnace ſtood in competition, that they muſt either fall into ſin, or be caſt into the¹⁰² fiery furnace; ſuch was their tenderneſſe of the honour and glory of God, and their hatred and indignation againſt ſin, that they would rather burn, then ſin; they knew that it was far better to burne for their not ſinning, then that God and conſcience ſhould raiſe a hell, a fire in their boſomes, for ſin. I have read of that noble ſervant of God, Marcus Arethuſius, Miniſter of a Church in the time of Conſtantine, who in Conſtantines time, had been the cauſe of overthrowing an Idols Temple; afterwards, when Julian came to be Emperour, he would force the people of that place to build it up again, they were ready to doe it, but he refuſed; whereupon, thoſe that were his owne people, to whom he preached, took him, and ſtript him of all his cloaths, and abuſed his naked body, and gave it up to the Children, to lance it with their pen-knives, and then cauſed him to be put in a basket, and anointed his naked body with Honey, and ſet him in the Sun, to be ſtung p. 30 with Waſps; and all this cruelty they ſhewed, becauſe he would not doe any thing toward the building up of this Idol-Temple; nay, they came to this, that if he would doe but the leaſt towards it, if he would give but a halfepenny to it, they would ſave him; but he refuſed all, though the giving of a half-penny might have ſaved his life; and in doing this, he did but live up to that principle that moſt Chriſtians talk of, and all profeſſe, but few come up to it, viz. That we muſt chooſe rather to ſuffer the worſt of Torments that men and Devils can invent, and inflict, then to commit the leaſt ſin, whereby God ſhould be diſhonoured, our conſciences wounded, Religion reproached, and our own ſouls endangered.

1. 101. 5 Remedy. Melius mori fame quam Idolothys is veſci, Auguſt. It is better to dye with hunger, then to eat that which is offred to Idols.
2. 102. Many Heathens would rather dye, then cozen or cheat one another: ſo faithfull were they one to another. Will not theſe riſe in judgement againſt many Profeſſors in theſe dayes, who make nothing of over-reaching one another?

The ſixt Remedy againſt this Device¹⁰³ of Satan, is, ſeriouſly to conſider, that the ſoule is never able to ſtand under the guilt and weight of the leaſt ſin, when God ſhall ſet it home upon the ſoul; the leaſt ſin will preſſe, and ſink the ſtouteſt ſinner as low as hell: when God ſhall open the eyes of a ſinner, and make him ſee the horrid filthineſſe, and abominable vildneſſe that is in ſin. What ſo little, baſe, and vile creatures as lice or gnats, and yet by theſe little, poor creatures, God ſo plagued ſtout-hearted p. 31 Pharaoh, and all Aegypt, that fainting under it, they were forced to cry out, This is the finger of God: When little¹⁰⁴ Creatures, yea the leaſt Creatures, ſhall be armed with a power from God, they ſhall preſſe and ſink down the greateſt, proudeſt, and ſtouteſt Tyrants that breath: ſo when God ſhall put a ſword¹⁰⁵ into the hand of a little ſin, and arm it againſt the ſoule, the ſoule will faint and fall under it. Some, who have but projected adultery, without any actuall acting it; and others having found a trifle, and made no conſcience to reſtore it, knowing by the light of naturall Conſcience, that they did not doe, as they would be done by; and others, that have had ſome unworthy thought of God, have been ſo frighted, amazed,¹⁰⁶ and terrified for theſe ſins which are ſmall (in mens account) that they have wiſht they had never been, that they could take no delight in any earthly comfort; that they have been put to their wits end, ready to make away themſelves, wiſhing themſelves annihilated.

1. 103. 6 Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 104. Exod. 8. 16, 17, 18, 19.
3. 105. The Tyrant Maximinus, who had ſet forth his Proclamation ingraven in braſſe, for the utter aboliſhing of Chriſt, and his Religion, was eaten of Lice.
4. 106. Ʋna guttula malae conſcientiae totum mare mundani gaudii abſorbet. i. e. One drop of an evill conſcience ſwallows up the whole ſea of worldly joy. How great a pain, not to be borne, comes from the prick of this ſmall thorne, ſaid one.

M^r Perkins mentions a good man, but very poor, who being ready to ſtarve, ſtole a Lamb, and being about to eat it, with his poor children, and (as his manner was afore meat) to crave a bleſſing, p. 32 durſt not doe it; but fell into a great perplexity of Conſcience, acknowledged his fault to the owner, promiſing payment if ever he ſhould be able.

The ſeventh Remedy againſt this Device,¹⁰⁷ is ſolemnly to conſider, That there is more evill in the leaſt ſin, then in the greateſt affliction; and this appears as clear as the Sun, by the ſevere dealing of God the Father, with his beloved Son, who let all the vials of his fierceſt wrath upon him, and that for the leaſt ſin as well as for the greateſt; The wages¹⁰⁸ of ſin is death, of ſin indefinitely, whether great or ſmall; Oh! how ſhould this make us tremble, as much at the leaſt ſpark of luſt, as at hell it ſelfe? Conſidering that God the Father would not ſpare his boſome Son, no, not for the leaſt ſin; but would make him drink the dregs of his wrath. And ſo much for the Remedies that may fence and preſerve our ſouls from being drawn to ſin, by this third Device of Satan.

1. 107. 7 Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 108. Death is the hire of the leaſt ſin; the beſt wages that the leaſt ſin gives his ſouldiers, is death of all ſorts; in a ſtrict ſence, there is no ſin little, becauſe no little God to ſin againſt.