[ 788] Not to be in love with Sinne.
IT is observable, that Xerxes bare a strange affection to the Plane tree which he hung about with chains,* 1.1 and deck'd with Iewels of greatest price; A fond and foo∣lish affection as being to a ••reee, & such a tree as is good for nothing but to shade one out of the Sun: This folly of so great a Monarch, very well resembleth all those who are not guided by the spirit of God into the ways of Truth and Life, but are led by the spirit of errour, or by the errour of their own spirits to ungodly and sinful cour∣ses, the very beaten paths to Hell and Death; The Tree they are in love with, and adorn, and spend so much cost upon, is the forbidden tree of sin, altogether unfruit∣ful as that of Xerxes,* 1.2 it hath neither fair blossoms, nor sweet fruit on it, only it is well grown, hath large arms, and broad boughes, and casteth a good shade, or to speak properly, a shadow of good, a noysome or pes••ilent shade, making the ground barren, and killing the best plants of Vertues, by depriving them of the sun-shine of Gods grace;* 1.3 yet as divers Nations in the dayes of Pliny, paid Tribute to the Romans for the shade of these Trees; so do these Men pay for the seeming delight and plea∣sure of sin (being indeed but a shadow of vanity) to the Devil, the greatest Tribute that can be paid, even the Tribute of their most prectous souls.