Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

First, in the least sin that can be named, there is so much life and venom, as not all the concurrent strength of those millions of Angels, one of whom was in one night able to stay so many thousand men, had been able to remove. More violence and injustice against God in a wandering thought, in an idle word, in an impertinent and unprofitable action, then the worth of the whole Creation, though all the Heavens were turned into one Sun, and all the earth into one Paradise, were able to expiate. Think we as meanly and slightly of it as we will, swallow it without fear, live in it without sense, commit it without remorse, yet be we assured, that but the guilt of every one of our least sins being upon Christ, who felt nor knew in himself nothing of the pollution of them, did wring out those prodigious drops of sweat, did express those strong cries, did pour in those woeful ingredients into the Cup which he drank, as made him, who had more strength then all the Angels of Heaven, to shrink and draw back, and pray against the work of his own mercy, and decline the business of his own coming.

First, in the least sinne that can bee named, there is so much life and venome, as not all the concurrent strength of those millions of Angels, one of whom was in one night able to stay so many thousand men, had been able to remove. More violence and injustice against God in a wandring thought, in an idle word, in an impertinent and unprofitable action, then the worth of the whole Creation, though all the Heavens were turned into one Sunne, and all the earth into one Paradise, were able to expiate. Thinke we as meanely and slightly of it as wee will, swallow it without feare, live in it without sense, commit it without remorse, yet be we assured, that but the guilt of every one of our least sins being upon Christ, who felt nor knew in himselfe nothing of the pollution of them, did wring out those prodigious drops of sweat, did expresse those strong cryes, did poure in those wofull ingredients into the Cup which he dranke, as made him, who had more strength then all the Angels of Heaven, to shrinke and draw backe, and pray against the worke of his owne mercy, and decline the businesse of his owne comming.

Secondly, if the least of my sins could do thus, O what a guilt and filthiness is there then in the greatest sin which my life hath been defiled withal? If my Atoms be Mountains, O what heart is able to comprehend the vastness of my mountainous sins? if there be so much life in my impertinent thoughts, how much rage and fury is there in my rebellious thoughts? In my thoughts of gall and bitterness, in my contrived murders, in my speculative adulteries, in my impatient murmurings, in my ambitious projections, in my covetous, worldly, froward, haughty, hateful imaginations, in my contempt of God, reproaching of his Word, smothering