Sin, the Plague of Plagues

2. The nature of the thing, viz. sin cannot afford pleasure, it being contra-natural to man: and therefore the Heathen Philosophers could say, that punishment succeeds guilt at the heels; like that, Gen. 4.7. if thou do evil, sin lies (dogging) at the door. Another saith more expressly, that punishment doth not only succeed ⟨p. 251⟩sin, but they are born together, and are Twins: For they that deserve punishment, expect it, and who ever expects it, suffers it in a degree; so that the sinner is his own tormentor, and sin his torment: our knowledge of having miscarried will return and complain of the abuse, and the impressions of the fault will bring fear, which fear hath torment, if there were no more to come; the upbraids of conscience mar the mirth, and make the pleasure very displeasing. What pleasure can it be to feel the upbraids of meat, though it taste pleasantly? poison it self is sweet to the taste, but not therefore pleasant: regrets and ill-savouring belchings do not speak pleasure. Whatever crosseth and thwarteth Nature, is a punishment, not a pleasure, and so is sin to primitive and created Nature; if custom and a seared conscience seem to deny the sense of such regrets, yet that argues the case the worse; for what pleasure can that be that benumbs a man, and makes him not only stupid, but dead? and they that live in such pleasures, are (by the infallible truth declared to be) dead while they live, 1 Tim. 5.6. When stupidity may pass for pleasure, and death for life, or dreams for enjoyments, these then may have a large share. But,

2. The nature of the thing, viz. sin cannot afford pleasure, it being contra-natural to man: and therefore the Heathen Philosophers could say, that punishment succeeds guilt at the heels; like that, Gen. 4.7. if thou do evil, sin lies (dogging) at the door. Another saith more expresly, that punishment doth not only succeed ⟨p. 251⟩sin, but they are born together, and are Twins: For they that deserve punishment, expect it, and who ever expects it, suffers it in a degree; so that the sinner is his own tormenter, and sin his terment: our knowledge of having miscarried will return and complain of the abuse, and the impressions of the fault will bring fear, which fear hath torment, if there were no more to come; the upbraids of conscience mar the mirth, and make the pleasure very displeasing. What pleasure can it be to feel the upbraids of meat, though it taste pleasantly? poyson it self is sweet to the taste, but not therefore pleasant: regrets and ill-savouring belchings do not speak pleasure. Whatever crosseth and thwarteth Nature, is a punishment, not a pleasure, and so is sin to primitive and created Nature; if custom and a seared conscience seem to deny the sense of such regrets, yet that argues the case the worse; for what pleasure can that be that benums a man, and makes him not only stupid, but dead? and they that live in such pleasures, are (by the infallible truth declared to be) dead while they live,