is but the effect of fin, we may justly reckon, that he that draws a Man to fin, is likewife the betrayer of him to punishment, as he that gives a Man a mortal wound is the caufe of his Death; therefore under the evil of fin both are contained, fo that I need fpeak only of that.

Drawing to fin the great eft injury.

6. And fure there cannot be a higher fort of wrong, than the bringing this great evil upon the Soul. Sin is the difeafe and wound of the Soul, as being the direct contrary to Grace, which is the health and foundness of it. Now this wound we give to every Soul whom we do by any means whatsoever draw into fin.

Direct means of it.

7. The ways of doing that are divers: I fhall mention fome of them, whereof though fome are

more direct than others, yet all tend to the fame end. Of the more direct ones there is, firft, The commanding of fin, that is, when a person that hath power over another fhall require him to do fomething which is unlawful; an example of this we have in Nebuchadnezzar's commanding the worship of the Golden Image, Dan. 34. and his Copy is imitated by any Parent or Matter, who fhall require of his Child or Servant to do any unlawful act. Secondly, There is counfelling of fin, when Men advise and perfuade others to any wickedness: Thus Job's Wife counfelled her Husband to curfe God, Fob 2. 7. And Achitophel advised Alfalem to go in to his Father's Concubines, 2 Sam. 16. 21. Thirdly, There is enticing and

alluring

alluring to fin, by fetting before Men the pleafures or profits they fhall reap by it. Of this fort of inticement Solomon gives warning, Prov. 1. 10. My Son, if Sinners intice thee confent thou not; if they say, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without a canfe, &c. And verfe 13. you may fee what is the bait, by which they feek to allure them, We fhall find all precious fubftance; we shall fill our boufes with Spoil. Caft in thy Lot among us, let us all have one purse. Fourthly, there is an affiftance in fin, that is, when Men aid and help others either in contriving or acting a fin. Thus Jonadab helpt Amnon in plotting the ravishing of his Sifter, 2 Sam. 13. All thefe are direct means of bringing this great evil of fin upon our Brethren.

8. There are alfo others which

though they feem more indirect, may Indirect. yet be as effectual towards that ill

end: As firft, example in fin; he that fets others an ill pattern, does his part to make them imitate it, and too often it hath that effect, there being generally nothing more forcible to bring Men into any finful practice, than the feeing it ufed by others, as might be inftanced in many fins to which there is no other Temptation, but their being in fashion. Secondly, there is encouragement in fin, when either by approving, or elfe at least by not fhewing a diflike, we give others confidence to go on in their wickedness. A Third Means is by justifying and defending any finful act of another's; for by that we do not only confirm him in this evil, but endanger the drawing others to the like, who may be the K 5

more

more inclinable to it, when they fhall hear it fo pleaded for. Laftly, The bringing up any reproach upon ftrict and chriftian living, as thofe do who have the ways of God in derifion: This is a means to affright Men from the practice of duty, when they fee it will bring them to be fcorned and defpifed; this is worfe than all the former, not only in refpect to the Man who is guilty of it, (as it is an evidence of the great prophanenefs of his own Heart) but also in regard of others,it having a more general ill effect,than any of the former can have; it being the betraying Men, not only to fome fingle acts of difobedience to Chrift, but even to the cafting off all fubjection to him; by all these means we may draw on our felves this great guilt of injung and wounding the Souls of our Brethren.

'Men fadly to confider whom they have thus injured.

9. It would be too long for me to inftance in all the feveral fins, in which it is ufual for Men to enfnare others; as Drunkennefs, Uncleanness, Rebellion, and a multitude more. But it will concern every Man for his own particular, to confider fadly what mifchiefs of this kind he hath done to any, by all, or any of these means, and to weigh well the greatness of the Injury. Men are apt to boaft of their innocency towards their Neighbours, that they have done wrong to no Man; but God knows many that thus brag, are, of all other, the most injuricus perfons; perhaps they have not maimed his Body, nor ftoln his Goods, but alas! the Body is but the cafe and cover of the Man, and

the

the Goods fome appurtenances to that; 'tis the Soul is the Man, and that they can wound and pierce without remorfe, and yet with the Adulterefs, Prov. 30. 20. fay. They have done no wickednefs; but glory of their friendly behaviour to those whom they thus betray to eternal ruin; for whomfoever thou haft drawn to any fin,thou haft done thy part to ascertain to thofe endless flames. And then think with thy felf how base a treachery this is; Thou wouldeft call him a treacherous Villain, that fhould, while he pretends to embrace a Man, fecretly ftab him; but this of thine is as far beyond that, as the Soul is of more value than the Body, and Hell worfe than Death. And remember yet farther, that besides the cruelty of it to thy poor Brother, it is alfo moft dangerous to thy felf, it being that a8ainft which Chrift hath pronounced a Woe, Mat. 18.7. And verfe 6. he tells us, that Whoever shall offend (that is, draw into fin) any of thefe little ones, it were better for him that a Millftone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea. Thou mayeft plunge thy poor Brother into Perdition, but as it is with Wreftlers, he that gives another a Fall commonly falls with him, fo thou art like to bear him company to that place of torment. 10. Let therefore thy own and his danger beget in thee a fenfe of the greatness of this fin, this horrid piece of Injustice to the precious Soul of thy Neighbour. Bethink thy felf feriously to whom thon hat been thus cruel; whom thou haft enticed to drinking, alve i to rebellion,

Heartily to bewail it.

rebellion, allured to Luft, ftirred up to Rage, whom thou haft affifted or encouraged in any ill course, or difcouraged and difheartned by thy prophane fcoffings at Piety in general, or at any conscionable ftrict walking of his in particular; and then draw up a Bill of Indictment, accufe and condemn thy felf as a Cain, a Murtherer of thy Brother,heartily and deeply bewail all thy guilts of this kind, and refolve never once more to be a ftumbling-block, as St. Paul calls it, Rom. 14. in thy Brother's way.

EL. But this is not all,there muft Endeavour be fome fruits of this Repentance to repair it. brought forth: Now in all fins of injuftice, reftitution is a neceffary fruit of Repentance, and fo it is here; thou halt committed an act (perhaps many) of high injuftice to the Soul of thy Brother; thou haft robbed it of its innocency, of its Title to Heaven; thou must now endeavour to restore all this to it again, by being more carneft and induAtrious to win him to Repentance, than ever thou wert to draw him to fin: Ufe now as much art to convince him of the danger,as ever thou did ft to flatter him with the pleafures of his Vice: In a word, countermine thy felf by ufing all thofe methods and means to recover him, that thou didft to destroy him, and be more diligent and zealous in it; for 'tis neceffary thou shouldft both in regard of him and thy felf. First, in respect of him, because there is in Man's nature fo -much a greater promptnefs and readiness to evil than to good, that there will need much more pains and diligence to inftil the one into him

than