A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

and to what an excess doth Sin grow in those that deny themselves nothing, and will not be denied in any thing? Lusts grow licentious and unruly: and because they usurp God's place in the Heart, therefore God suffers it; always it ends ill, in Shame and Judgment. Judas at first was but a little worldly, he allowed his Covetousness, and it brought him to betray his Master, and that brought him to the Halter. Gehazi was first blasted with Covetousness, and then with Leprosy. Ananias and Sapphira were taken off with sudden Judgment. Nay, God sometimes arms their own Hands and Thoughts against themselves. Covetousness begins with inordinate Desire, and ends in Injustice; and then that Injustice must be professed and veiled with Hypocrisy, (as in Judas); and that Hypocrisy breeds hardness of Heart; and then God bringeth them to Shame, and that Shame leads on to Despair and Ruin. And so I may instance in other Lusts; Sensuality begins with Daintiness, and ends in Adultery, or some shameful Act, or else with Beggary, or some shameful Punishment; and both end with Despair: as Sodom began with fullness of Bread, then went on to foulness of Lust, and that brought Hell out of Heaven. The Lust of the Flesh can also boast of its Trophies and Spoils; it drowned the old World, burned Sodom, slew three thousand of God's own People in one day, Numb. 23. compared with 1 Cor. 10. Pride is not behind-hand; proud Men have their Falls, and usually they are the more shameful, because God's Honour is most sensibly usurped by Pride. The great Work of Providence for these 6000 Years, hath been to pour Shame and Contempt upon Pride. The first Act of God's Judicial Providences, was the casting the Angels out of Heaven, then Adam out of Paradise: What, shall I tell you of Nebuchadnezzar turned a grazing, and Herod eaten up with Lice? Thus you see we had need to beware; Sin is an ill Guest, that always sets its Lodging on fire. Once more, why we are to deny these Lusts; it is Lust that blasts all your Duties and Services; it either hinders or poisons them; it either draws away the Heart from Duty, or in Duty. Gal. 5.17. The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh; and these two are contrary one to the other; so that you cannot do the things that you would. And Rom. 7.19