1. §11Then I infer, that they are miserably mistaken that seek for any good in Sin; as sin is, so its effects are, all evil to man: there are (woe unto them) that call evil good, or as 'tis in the Margin, Isa. 5.20. that say concerning evil, it i• good; they think (and stick not to say as they ⟨p. 243⟩think) that evil is good, and place their chief happiness in the chiefest evil, i. e. in sin, and (as 'tis said of Doeg, and such as he, Psal. 52.3.) they love evil more then good. Alas, how many do not only undo themselves, but take pains and pleasure to do and in doing of it; yea, that think it strange, that others are not so mad as they, and run not with them to the same excess of riot, 1 Pet 4.4. all which proceeds from this mistake, that evil is good, viz. to them, as bringing profit, honour, or pleasure to them, which is called the Lust of the Eye, flesh, and pride of life, 1 Joh. 2 16. from whence came the first sin, Gen 3.6. but, alas, (as the event proved then, 'twill always) they gather no grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles, they seek the living among the dead, and may as well find case in and from Hell, as good in or from sin: the morsels of sin are deceitful, though called Dainties; sin is a mere cheat, with (not so much fair as) false shows it deceives the heart of the simple: the stolen waters of sin (how sweet soever they seem to be in the mouth and to the taste) will be gall and wormwood in the belly; bitterness in the latter end. All the corruption that is in the world, came in by lust, 2 Pet. 1 4 and all lust is deceitful, Eph. 4.22. and thus the woman was first deceived, and by her the man, 1 Tim. 2 14 and instead of being as God, which they thought was promised, they became as the Devil, which was the thing intended and designed by him; and sin first deceived, and then slew St. Paul, as he speaks, Rom. 7.11. It pretends as Jael did to Sisera, to bring milk and ⟨p. 244⟩butter in a Lordly dish, but the hammer and nail is in its heart and hand: They that serve divers lusts are deceived, as the Apostle speaks, Titus 3.3. All the servants of sin are deceived, not of sins wages, but of sins promises; and though they sport themselves (while they play and nibble at the bait, like silly fishes) 'tis but in their own deceiving, for an evil heart hath deceived them, 2 Pet. 2.13.
1. §11Then I infer, that they are miserably mistaken that seek for any good in Sin; as sin is, so its effects are, all evil to man: there are (wo unto them) that call evil good, or as 'tis in the Margine, Isa. 5.20. that say concerning evil, it i• good; they think (and stick not to say as they ⟨p. 243⟩think) that evil is good, and place their chief happiness in the chiefest evil, i. e. in sin, and (as 'tis said of Doeg, and such as he, Psal. 52.3.) they love evil more then good. Alas, how many do not only undo themselves, but take pains and pleasure to do and in doing of it; yea, that think it strange, that others are not so mad as they, and run not with them to the same excess of riot, 1 Pet 4.4. all which proceeds from this mistake, that evil is good, viz. to them, as bringing profit, honour, or pleasure to them, which is called the Lust of the Eye, flesh, and pride of life, 1 Joh. 2 16. from whence came the first sin, Gen 3.6. but, alas, (as the event proved then, 'twill always) they gather no grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles, they seek the living among the dead, and may as well find case in and from Hell, as good in or from sin: the morsels of sin are deceitful, though called Dainties; sin is a meer cheat, with (not so much fair as) false shews it deceives the heart of the simple: the stollen waters of sin (how sweet soever they seem to be in the mouth and to the taste) will be gall and wormwood in the belly; bitterness in the latter end. All the corruption that is in the world, came in by lust, 2 Pet. 1 4 and all lust is deceitful, Eph. 4.22. and thus the woman was first deceived, and by her the man, 1 Tim. 2 14 and instead of being as God, which they thought was promised, they became as the Devil, which was the thing intended and designed by him; and sin first deceived, and then slew St. Paul, as he speaks, Rom. 7.11. It pretends as Jael did to Sisera, to bring milk and ⟨p. 244⟩
- 1That they are mistaken who seek for any good in or from sin.
