A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

Thirdly,¹ The fear of Shame and of Infamy in the World many times puts a great restraint upon the Lusts of Men, and keeps them from breaking out into those daring and presumptuous Wickednesses that otherwise they would do. Therefore our Saviour describes the unjust Judge to be one of a strange temper, that neither feared God, nor regarded Man, Luke 18.2. Why, those that have worn off all fear of God from their Hearts, yet usually have some awe ⟨p. 252⟩of Man still lest them; though the are so hardened that they fear not God Judging them, yet they are withal • Childish that they fear Man's Censuring them; loath they are that their Name should be tossed to and fro, from Tongue to Tongue, that the World should say of them, this Man is a Drunkard, an• that Man is an Unclean Person, an• that Man is a Thief. Tell me, O Sinner, why else dost thou seek Corners t• hide thy Wickedness in, why dost tho• not do it in the face of the Sun, and before the Eyes of the whole World, why that very shame that makes Men scull in secret when they Sin, had they n• secrecy to hide themselves in from the notice of Men, it would keep them also from the Sin it self. It doth not terrify Men to Consider, that God write down all their Sins in his Book of Remembrance, but should he write al• their Sins upon their Foreheads in visible Letters, that all the World might Read them, where is the Wretch so impudent that would dare to be seen abroad, our Streets would be desolate, and your Pews would be empty, and the World would grow a Wilderness, and those ⟨p. 253⟩that we took for Men would appear to be but very Monsters and Beasts, such woeful transformation hath Sin made in the World: how many Swines are there •wallowing in their own Vomit? how many Goatish sensualists are become Brutish in Filthy Pleasures? how many Earth Worms are there crawling up and down in the Muck of this World, loading themselves with thick Clay? certainly, if every Sinner should be seen in his own shape, we should meet with very few Men in the World.