THE Words are the repetition of a powerful Motive, by our Blessed Saviour, to deter Men from indulging Temptations to sin, how grateful or useful soever to them: If thy Hand offend thee, cut it off; if thy Foot offend thee, cut it off; if thy Eye offend thee, pluck it out. All the Occasions whereby Sin insinuates it self, and inflames our Inclinations, whether it bribes us with Profit, or allures by Pleasure, must be immediately cut off, ⟨p. 494⟩and for ever separated from us. This Counsel seems very severe to the natural Man, who freely converses with Temptations: To do Violence to himself, and tear his beloved Lusts from his Bosom, the Carnal Nature will not consent to. Our Saviour therefore urges such Arguments as may move the Understanding and Affections, may strike Sense and Conscience: For it is better to enter into Life maimed, than having two Hands to go into Hell where the Fire never shall be quenched. Hope and Fear are the most active Passions: The Hope of Heaven is motive enough to induce a true Believer to despise and reject all the Advantages and Pleasures of Sin that are but for a Season: and the fear of an Everlasting Hell, is strong enough to control the vicious Appetites. Reason determines, that when a Gangrene that is deadly and spreading,1 has seized upon a Member, presently to cut off an affected Arm or Leg, to save the rest: how much more reasonable and necessary is it to part with the most charming and favourite Sin, to preserve the Soul from Eternal Death? 'Tis observable, our Saviour inculcates three times, ⟨p. 495⟩that Men may take notice of it with terror, Where the Worm never dies, and the Fire is never quenched: A Worm gnawing upon the Bowels, that are of the most tender and quick sense, Fire that causes the most vehement pain, are fearful Representations to typify the Torments of the Damned: And that the Worm is undying, and the Fire unquenchable, infinitely aggravates their Punishment.
THE Words are the repetition of a powerful Motive, by our Blessed Saviour, to deter Men from indulging Temptations to sin, how grateful or useful soever to them: If thy Hand offend thee, cut it off; if thy Foot offend thee, cut it off; if thy Eye offend thee, pluck it out. All the Occasions whereby Sin insinuates it self, and inflames our Inclinations, whether it bribes us with Profit, or allures by Pleasure, must be immediately cut off, ⟨p. 494⟩and for ever separated from us. This Counsel seems very severe to the natural Man, who freely converses with Temptations: To do Violence to himself, and tear his beloved Lusts from his Bosom, the Carnal Nature will not consent to. Our Saviour therefore urges such Arguments as may move the Understanding and Affections, may strike Sense and Conscience: For it is better to enter into Life maimed, than having two Hands to go into Hell where the Fire never shall be quenched. Hope and Fear are the most active Passions: The Hope of Heaven is motive enough to induce a true Believer to despise and reject all the Advantages and Pleasures of Sin that are but for a Season: and the fear of an Everlasting Hell, is strong enough to controul the vicious Appetites. Reason determines, that when a Gangreen that is deadly and spreading,1 has seiz'd upon a Member, presently to cut off an affected Arm or Leg, to save the rest: how much more reasonable and necessary is it to part with the most charming and favourite Sin, to preserve the Soul from Eternal Death? 'Tis observable, our Saviour inculcates three times, ⟨p. 495⟩that Men may take notice of it with terror, Where the Worm never dies, and the Fire is never quenched: A Worm gnawing upon the Bowels, that are of the most tender and quick sense, Fire that causes the most vehement pain, are fearful Representations to typify the Torments of the Damned: And that the Worm is undying, and the Fire unquenchable, infinitely aggravates their Punishment.
- 1Ut corpus redimas ferrum patieris & ignes: ut valeas animo quicquam tolerare negabis? At pretium pars haec corpore majus habet. Ovid.
