Thirdly, One sin never goes alone, Cain's anger is seconded §3with murder,1 Ahab's covetousness is attended with bloody cruelty, and Jeroboam's rebellion with idolatry, and Judas his thievery with treason. I might give instances of this in Adam and Eve, and in Lot, Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Joseph, ⟨p. 262⟩2Job, David, Solomon and Peter, &c. but a touch on this string is enough; one sin commonly disposes the heart to another sin, a small sin many times draws the heart to a greater, •nd one great sin draws the heart to another great sin, and that to a greater, till at last the soul comes to be drowned in all excess. Augustine relates this story of Manicheus, who being tormented with Flies,3 was of opinion that the Devil made them and not God; why then, said one that stood by, •f the Devil made Flies, then the Devil made Worms and not God, for they are living creatures as well as Flies; true said he, the Devil did make Worms: But said the other, if the Devil did make Worms, then he did make Birds, Beasts, and Man; he granted all. And thus saith that old Father by denying God in the Fly, he came to deny God in Man; and so consequently the whole Creation. And thus yielding to lesser sins, draws the soul to the come sion of greater, yea often to the greatest of all. I have both heard and read a story of a young man, who being often tempted by the Devil and his own wicked heart, to commit three sins, viz. to kill his father, to lye with his mother, and to be drunk; the two former his heart would not yield to, as being things abhorrent to the light and law of nature, and therefore to free himself from the temptation, he yielded to the last and least; but when he was drunk, he killed his father and ravished his mother: Thus these two abominable sins, Murder and Incest were ushered in by one that was not of so deep a dye. There is something in sin, like the radical virtue that is in the seed of Herbs and Plants; the seed is but a small inconsiderable thing in it self, yet let it be but cast into the ground, and there rest quietly a time, and it will take root, and grow up to a great stock, and bring forth many flourishing branches, like the grain of mustard-seed, Mat. 13.31, 32. which though it be the least of seeds, yet being cast into the ground, grows up to be the greatest among herbs, and becometh a Tree, so that the birds of the Air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Thirdly, One sin never goes alone, Cain's anger is seconded §3with murder,1 Ahab's covetousness is attended with bloudy cruelty, and Jeroboam's rebellion with idolatry, and Judas his thievery with treason. I might give instances of this in Adam and Eve, and in Lot, Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Joseph, ⟨p. 262⟩2Job, David, Sol•mon and Peter, &c. but a touch on this string is enough; one sin commonly disposes the heart to another sin, a small sin many times draws the heart to a greater, •nd one great sin draws the heart to another great sin, and that to a greater, till at last the soul comes to be drowned in all excess. Augustine relates this story of Manicheus, who being tormented with Flies,3 was of opinion that the Devil made them and not God; why then, said one that stood by, •f the Devil made Flies, then the Devil made Worms and not God, for they are living creatures as well as Flies; true said he, the Devil did make Worms: But said the other, if the Devil did make Worms, then he did make Birds, Beasts, and Man; he granted all. And thus saith that old Father by denying God in the Fly, he came to deny God in Man; and so consequently the whole Creation. And thus yielding to lesser sins, draws the soul to the comm ssion of greater, yea often to the greatest of all. I have both heard and read a story of a young man, who being often tempted by the Devil and his own wicked heart, to commit three sins, viz. to kill his father, to lye with his mother, and to be drunk; the two former his heart would not yield to, as being things abhorrent to the light and law of nature, and therefore to free himself from the temptation, he yielded to the last and least; but when he was drunk, he killed his father and ravished his mother: Thus these two abominable sins, Murder and Incest were ushered in by one that was not of so deep a dye. There is something in sin, like the radical vertue that is in the seed of Herbs and Plants; the seed is but a small inconsiderable thing in it self, yet let it be but cast into the ground, and there rest quietly a time, and it will take root, and grow up to a great stock, and bring forth many flourishing branches, like the grain of mustard-seed, Mat. 13.31, 32. which though it be the least of seeds, yet being cast into the ground, grows up to be the greatest among herbs, and becometh a Tree, so that the birds of the Air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
- 1Gen. 4.6, 8.
- 21 King. 12.
- 3Exposit. in Evang. S. John, Tract. cap. 1. tom.
