The Evil of Evils

if there were but one wilful sin committed among them, any one apparent sin, it were enough to damp all the joy that day; and indeed it should be so. We read of David when he carried the Ark, a gracious work, and there was but one sin committed, in touching the Ark unadvisedly, and it damped all the joy. And certainly, it was the sin from which there was more cause of damping the joy, than from the punishment; for there was more evil in the sin, than in the punishment: Now you shall have many men and women in merry Meetings, and Company, they be merry, and eat, and drink, and laugh: well, but abundance of sin is committed in the Company, but not one whit damped all that day; but can go on in their mirth, and tales, and laughing; go on as freely and fully, as if there were no sin committed. Be it known to you this day from the Lord, any of you that have been in any Company, merry and jolly, and yet sin hath been committed before your eyes, and you have heard it with your ears, if it have not damped your joy and mirth; know your hearts be not right with God; and it is a sign your hearts have been vile, cursed hearts, that when you have seen sin committed in your company, yet you can go on with joy. Suppose in your company, ⟨p. 468⟩in the midst of your mirth, one takes a knife and stabs himself into the heart; would not this damp your joy? would you goon in your mirth still? would not all your joy be gone? when you be in company and hear one swear, if you had eyes you would see them even stab them selves to the heart: and there is more Evil in this, than in the other; and yet you can go on in your joy and mirth, though since you sate down there hath been forty oaths sworn there. We read in the 2 Sam. 13. 29. at the feast of Davids Sons, Absaloms inviting of Amnon to dinner, Absalom bids his servants, whom Amnon was merry, to strike him to the wall; and they did so: and then every one of the King's Sons gat up, and all their mirth was done, though they were very merry before. So if your hearts be right when you are in company, and hear one swear, or blaspheme Gods Name, or speak against Religion, it would be as much as if one were stabbed in the room, all the mirth of that day would be gone if your hearts were right. And do not think this too strict, that sin committed by others should damp your joy:

if there were but one wilful sin committed among them, anie one apparent sin, it were enough to damp all the joy that day; and indeed it should be so. We reade of David when he carried the Ark, a gracious work, and there was but one sin committed, in touching the Ark unadvisedly, and it damped all the joy. And certainlie, it was the sin from which there was more cause of damping the joy, than from the punishment; for there was more evil in the sin, than in the punishment: Now you shall have many men and women in merrie Meettings, and Companie, they be merry, and eat, and drink, and laugh: well, but abundance of sin is committed in the Companie, but not one whit dampt all that day; but can go on in their mirth, and tales, and laughing; go on as freelie and fullie, as if there were no sin committed. Be it known to you this day from the Lord, any of you that have been in anie Companie, merrie and jollie, and yet sin hath been committed before your eyes, and you have heard it with your ears, if it have not dampt your joy and mirth; know your hearts be not right with God; and it is a sign your hearts have been vile, cursed hearts, that when you have seen sin committed in your companie, yet you can go on with joy. Suppose in your company,