When it is compared to a _wound_, or disease, it is not to teach us, that it may as justly and easily be healed as bodily wounds, but to help us to conceive the greatness of its evil; that, as diseases bring death to the body, so sin brings a worse kind of death upon the soul. Since therefore the _nature_ and _guilt_ of sin can only so far be known, as to make it highly to be _dreaded_, but not so known as to be _fully_ understood, by any thing we can compare to it: Since the _relation_ which God bears to _sinners_, can only be so known, as to make it highly reasonable to prostrate ourselves before him, in every instance of humility and penitence; but not so fully known as to teach us, in what manner, God must deal with us: it plainly follows, that if God is not an _arbitrary_ being, but acts according to a _fitness resulting_ from this relation, he must, in this respect, act by a _rule_ known only to himself, and such as we cannot _possibly_ state from the _reason_ and _nature_ of things. For if the nature of things, and the fitness of actions resulting from their relations, is to be the rule of our reason, then _reason_ must be here at a full stop, and can have no more knowledge to proceed upon, in stating the _nature_, the _guilt_, or proper _atonement_ of sin in men, than of sin in _angels_. For _reason_ can no more tell us what the _guilt_ of sin is, what _hurt_ it does us, how far it _enters_ into, and _alters_ our very nature, what _contrariety to_, and _separation_ from God, it necessarily brings upon us, or what _supernatural_ means are, or are not, necessary to abolish it; our _reason_ can no more tell this, than our _senses_ can tell us, what is the _inward_, and what is the _outward_ light of angels. Ask reason what _effect_ sin has upon the soul, and it can tell you no more, than if you had asked, what effect the _omnipresence_ of God has upon the soul. Ask reason, and the nature of things, what is, or ought to be, the _true nature_ of an atonement for sin, how far it is like _paying_ a _debt_, or _healing_ a _wound_, or how far it is different from them? And it can tell you no more, than if you had asked, what is the _true degree_ of power that _preserves_ us in existence, how far it is _like_ that which at first created us, and how far it is _different_ from it. All these enquiries are, by the nature of things, made impossible to us, so long as we have no light but from our own natural capacities, and we cannot take upon us to be _philosophers_ in these matters, but by deserting our reason, and giving ourselves up to _vision_ and _imagination_. And we have as much authority from the nature of things, to appeal to _hunger_ and _thirst_, and _sensual pleasure_, to tell us _how_ our souls shall live in the beatific presence of God, as to appeal to our _reason_ and _logic_, to demonstrate how sin is to be _atoned_, or the soul _prepared_, and _purified_, for future happiness.