A Body of Practical Divinity

5. Sin is a Disease, Isa. 1.5. The whole head is sick. Some are sick of Pride, others of Lust, others of Envy. Sin hath distempered the [Greek or Hebrew], the intellectual part, 'tis a leprosy in the Head, it hath poisoned the Vitals, Tit. 2.16. Their Conscience is defiled. 'Tis with a sinner as with a sick Patient, his Palate is distempered, the sweetest things taste bitter to him. The Word, which is sweeter then the Honeycomb, tastes bitter to him, Isa. 5.20. they put sweet for bitter. Thus, a Disease, and nothing can cure this Disease but the Blood of the Physician.

5. Sin is a Disease, Isa. 1.5. The whole head is sick. Some are sick of Pride, others of Lust, others of Envy. Sin hath distempered the 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the intellectual part, 'tis a leprosy in the Head, it hath poison'd the Vitals, Tit. 2.16. Their Conscience is defiled. 'Tis with a sinner as with a sick Patient, his Pallat is distempered, the sweetest things taste bitter to him. The Word, which is sweeter then the Honycomb, tasts bitter to him, Isa. 5.20. they put sweet for bitter. Thus, a Disease, and nothing can cure this Disease but the Blood of the Physitian.

6. Sin is an irrational thing; it makes a Man act not only wickedly, but foolishly. It is absurd and irrational to prefer the lesser before the greater, the Pleasures of Life, before the Rivers of Pleasures at God's right hand for evermore? Is it not irrational to lose Heaven for the satisfying or indulging the Lust? as Lysimachus, who for a draught of Water lost a Kingdom. Is it not irrational to gratify an Enemy? in sin we do so. When Lust, or rash Anger burn in the Soul, Satan warms himself at this fire. Mortalium errores epulae sunt daemonum, Mens sins feast the Devil.