A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

¹Lastly, The fear of Humane Laws and Penalties doth many times keep Men from the committing many great and horrid Impieties, such as would fall under the notice of the Law. It is a great Mercy that God hath Instituted Magistracy that may be a Terror to Evil Works as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 3.13. were it not more for fear of Humane Laws the inflicting of Corporal Punishment upon Men, more than God's Threatening of Eternal Punishments, the whol• World would become worse than a Savage Wilderness; within would be Fear and Tumults, without would be Rag• and Violence; our Dwellings, our Persons, our Possessions, would be all exposed to the furious lusts of ungodly Men, and by swearing, and lying, an• killing, and stealing, and committing adu• terry, Men would break forth, till bloo• toucheth blood, as the Prophet speaks Ho• 4.2. but the wise Providence of God who hath subdued the Beasts of the Earth to Man, hath also subdued Man (wh• else would become more wild and br• tish than they) to Man; God hath ther• fore subdued Man to Man, so that tho• that stand not in any awe of the Go• ⟨p. 255⟩of Heaven, yet are they awed by the Gods of the Earth; and they whom the thoughts of Hell and Eternal Wrath cannot scare from sin, yet many times the thoughts of a Prison and Gibbet doth. Now this fear is of great advantage to keep Men from the commission of presumptuous Sins, which they have not to keep them from the commission of lesser and smaller sins; and what, is not this security enough against them? is there need of any more? were it not strange, if that warning given before-hand to prepare for resistance, if the reluctancy of natural Conscience, if the shame of the World, and the fears of humane Laws and Penalties should not be sufficient to preserve us from them? Were not this strange? Yes it were so; yet so it is; notwithstanding all these advantages, still we have great cause to pray with David, Lord keep back thy servants from presumptuous Sins, all other defence is ut weak, and all other security is but unsafe, Lord, therefore do thou keep us; nd this I shall endeavour to demonstrate nto you by two particulars, the one rom Scripture, and the other from Experience.