A discourse concerning earthquakes. Occasioned by the earthquakes which were in New-England, in the…

1. It is a greater Evil than Affliction. There is more of Evil in one sin, than in all the Afflictions in the world. For sin makes those over whom it reigns to be Evil. It makes the man to be an Evil man; Mat. 12. 35. An Evil man out of the Evil treasure of his Heart brings forth Evil things. Sinners are called by the Name of Evil: Psal. 5. 4. Neither shall Evil, that is the sinner dwell with thee. But Affliction does not make an Evil man. No man is the worse merely for his being Afflicted. He may be the most Afflicted, and yet the Best man in the ⟨p. 59⟩world. Holy Job was so. God gave him that Character, There is none like him on the Earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth Evil, Job 1. 8. Yet was he the most Afflicted man on the Earth. JESUS CHRIST the Son of God was a man of sorrows. By reason of Afflictions His Visage was warred more than any mans, and His Form more than the sons of men. Yet never was there Man in the world to be compared with Him for Holiness & Good••s. And our Afflictions are some part of our Conformity to Christ. But sin does the contrary, it makes us unlike to Christ. In some cases it is a Duty to chose Affliction. Moses chose to suffer Affliction, rather than to enjoy the Plea•••es of sin. The case may be so cir••m•tanced with a man as that he must of necessity either sin or suffer: Then it his Duty to choose to suffer rather than to sin. When Job under his unparalleled Afflictions uttered some impatient words, Elihu reproved him, saying, Take heed, regard not Iniquity, for this thou hast cho••n rather than Affliction, Job 36. 21. Intimating that men ought to choose any Affliction, yea, the greatest that can be, ⟨p. 60⟩rather than the least sin. Sin may not be chosen in any case. Although' a man could escape never so great Evils by chuing to sin, he might not do it. Or, if he could obtain never so great Good by committing a sin, he might not do it. When Austin was asked whether a man might not tell a Lye to save his Friend, No (says he) thou mayt not do it to save his Life, nay, if thou couldest save his Soul by telling a Lye thou mayt not do it. The Honour of God is to be valued and preferred above any mans Life in the world. And this is according to the Scripture, which says, that we may not do Evil that Good may come,