A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

§. 10 6. We must mourn for those Sins of others that are in appearance advantageous to our selves. Though a Sin may bring us profit, or honour, yet it must bring us no Pleasure, if it bring God dishonour, and the Sinner destruction.¹ 'Tis very observable in Paul and Barnabas, that they rent their Clothes (the usual sign of mourning) for a Sin that did cast the greatest Honour imaginable upon them, that attributed a Divinity to them, by doing Sacrifice to them. Act. 14.14. We must never endure the advancement of our Interest, by the diminution of Gods Glory through Sin. As God will not give his glory to another, so God not giving it, we must not dare to take it. That he may be advanced, we must be willing to be debased, and depressed. We should not desire any Glory that promotes not his, nor should we shun any disgrace, that sets up his honour. All our Glory and Gain are unprofitable to us, that further not the End why we had out beings. Nothing done to a Tree is ⟨p. 113⟩profitable to it, which makes it not more fruitful. Though its Leaves be gilded, though its Branches should have Pearls and Diamonds hung thick upon them, though the Body be adorned with Satins, and Cloth of Gold, yet this makes not the Tree better as a Fruit-tree. It would be better for the Tree to dung it than to adorn it. To cut its bark, than to beautify its body. We should embrace the vilest debasures, and the most torn and poor condition, if they conduce to our end, the glorifying of God, rather than by any ones Sin, to shine and be advanced in the World. 'Twas an excellent option of that ingenious Writer Nierembergius to this purpose. I had rather,² Lord, could it be without Sin, that all should hate me, than that they should love me for my self; for if all should hate me, I should have but what is mine; if they should love me for my self, I should usurp what is thine. Besides, we purchase any temporal Benefit at too dear a rate if it be with the loss of an eternal Soul, that sins to obtain it for us. If David poured out the water to the Lord, ³and would not drink thereof, because it was brought with the jeopardy of the lives of the bringers; how far should we be from delighting in those Gains that are obtained by endangering the Souls of those that procure them for us.