A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

First, The Devil by his Temptations, is continually nursing up youngling Sins till they arrive to a full strength and stature of wickedness. He is continually suiting Occasions and Temptations to the propensions of our Lusts: Hath he wrought any sinful desire, or any evil purpose in you, he will take care you shall not long want an occasion to fulfil it. Were it not for his vigilancy many a Sin must needs Die in the Womb that conceived it; but as it was conceived by his Temptations, so is it brought forth by his industry and diligence.

Secondly, Natural Corruption it self is of a thriving, growing Nature. If any Lust hath seized strongly on the thoughts, and boils there, it will vent it self in Discourse. A bad Heart, as well as a bad Liver will break out at the Lips; and if the Discourse be poisonous, the Venom ⟨p. 76⟩will spread it self into the Life and Conversation; for out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh; and evil Words corrupt good Manners. Sinful Thoughts form themselves into Words, and Words will consolidate themselves into Actions; and then Sin is perfected, and hath attained its full growth: And if you would know what the next degree or step is that Sin takes, the Apostle St. James tells you, Jam. 1.15. When Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sin; and Sin, when it is perfected, bringeth forth Death. You can no more set bounds to your Corruptions, than to the raging Sea; nor say to it, Hitherto shall thy proud Waves go and no further. It were Folly, when you have set fire to a Train of Powder, to expect it should stop any where short of the utmost of it. So truly, when the Thoughts are set on fire of Hell, this will inflame the Tongue, and that will inflame the Life; and unless God's infinite Mercy prevent, this burning will stop no where short of everlasting burning. Ask but your own Experiences this; Have you not often found it so? Hath not the Devil drilled you on from little Sins to great Sins, and ⟨p. 77⟩from these, to far greater Abominations? Believe it, there is a bottomless deceit in every Sin, and this is the desperate issue of it, that if once you come to account any Sin small, you will soon reckon the greatest Sin to be no more. We commonly reckon the greatness of Sin by the abruptness of our advance to it. Possibly it would seem a horrid thing at the first rising of a Temptation in our hearts, if we should presently perpetrate the utmost of it into Act; therefore the Method of Sin is more smooth and deceitful; it counts a sinful Thought a little Transgression, and sinful Discourse to have but a little more guilt in it than a sinful Thought, and sinful Actions to have but a little more guilt in them than sinful Words. A great Sin but in a little degree exceeds a less; and so comparing Sin with Sin, and not with the Law, we at length come by invisible Advances to look upon the greatest Impieties in the world to be but little Sins, and so to commit them.