Religion our true interest, or, Practical notes upon the third chapter of Malachi the…Religion our true interest, or, Practical notes upon the third chapter of Malachy the…

1. The Fear of God will make a man fear sin, Gen. 39.9.¹ How can I do this Great wickedness and sin against God; indeed sin is the only Formidable thing; this is the Gorgons Head, that affrights; it is the Evil of Evils. 'Tis the Poison the Old Serpent hath spit into our Virgin-nature: In Sin is both Pollution and Enmity: Sin is compared to a Thick Cloud, Isa. 44.22. ⟨p. 46⟩which not only hides the light of Gods Face, but brings down showers of Wrath. Sin is worse than all penal evils: there is more evil in a drop of Sin, than in a Sea of Affliction. 1. Sin is the cause of Affliction, it conjures up all the Winds and Storms in the World^*. Out of this Viperous womb come Mutinies, Divisions, Massacres, and the cause is worse than the effect.

1. 1Answ.
2. *[Greek or Hebrew]. Chrys.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Chrys.

2. In Affliction Conscience may be quiet; the Hail may beat upon the Tiles, when there is Music in the room: but Sin terrifies the Conscience. Nero in the midst of Feasts and Roman sports was full of horror of mind; the numbers of men he had Killed, troubled him. Catiline was frighted at every noise. Cain in Killing Abel stabbed half the World at one blow, yet could not he Kill the Worm of his own Conscience.