The Way of IJJackflidillg. foidcn, by fuch faif< appeara~ccs of truth which they are unable to confute. Bnt flill an ill-prepued unfumi01ed Mind is the chiefell Caufe. • § 7• 2. But chafe whofe JudgemtHtl are conquered by the perverfe inclination of their WiUs, are ufua\ly carnal worldly hypocrites, who never conquered the flefhly mind and interdl, nor overcame the world, nor ever were acquainted with the heavenly Nature and Life, nor with the power of Divine Love; and thcfe having mad.e achange of their prof€ffio1t, through the meer conviClion of their underfiandings) and benetir of Education or Government, or the advantages of Religion in the Countrcy where they live, without a rehewed. hol)' Heart,_the byas of their Heart! doth eafily prevai~ .againfl the Light of their Underfiandings: And bteaulc they woxld.failt have thofe Doctrines tb be true, which fave them from fulferings, or give them liberty for a flefhly, ambitious, wbtldly life; therefore they do by dcgn:es prevail with their undedlandings to rcd:ivc them. §. 8. 2· EackflidtrJ in He.trt, do fall by divers degrees and means: for Sa.tans Methods are notal– wa.yes the fame. Some of them fall through the corruption of their Judgements : for every error hath much id\uence on the heart: Some are tempted fuddcnly, into iomc grQfs or fenfual fin; and fo the errors of their lives call away their hearts from God. Not but that fome tin of the Heart or Will, cloth llill go tirfi,· but yet the extraordinary ,declcnfion and pravity Of the heart; may fornctirnc:s be caufcd by the errors of the Judgement or the Life. But fometirnes the beginning and progrefs is aimof\ obfervable in the Appetite and Will it felf: And here the Inclinin;; to Evil, ( that i~, fO fenfu1l or carnal good) and the declining from true fpiritual good, do ~lmoli alwayes go together. And it is mofi ufually by this method, and by thcfe degrm. t. The Devilufually beginneth with the fantafie and appetite, and reprefenteth fome w<rid!JJI<jhly tbing as very plefJfont and dcfirable: 2. Next that he caufhh this C1mplactncy to entice the ThrJHghu; fo that they are much and oft in thinkJng on this pleafure. 3· Next that the fYiU is drawn into a liking of ir, and he n·ijheJb he might enjoy ir ( whether it be riches, or plea(3.nt dWellings, or plcafant company, or pleafam meats or drinks, or flefhly accommodations, or apparel, ot honour, or command, or eal~, or lufl,or fports and recreations, or whatever c:lfe ). 4· Next that 1he underlland· ing is dn.wn into the ddign, and is cafting and contriving how it may be obtained , and all lawful m<ans are 6rfi conGdered of, that if poflible, the bulinds might be :rccompli!hed without the ha– zard of the foul. S· Next to that, Endcav:urs are v{(d fO that ~nd, by fuch means as arefuppofed hwful, and the confciencc quieted with the conceit of the harmlefnefs and fecurity. 6. By this time the man is engaged in his carnal cau{f: and courfe, and fo the difficulty of returning is increafed: And the inclination of the heart groweth fironger to the fenfual pleafure than before. 'J· And then he is drawn to profecutc his ddign by a11y means, how finful foever ; if it be po(fible making him.: {elf believe by fome reafoniogs or other that all is lawful Hill , or i( the cafe be too palpable to be fo cloaked, confcience at Jafi is cafi afleep, and feared and fi:upificd, that it may be filent un• der all : Till either Grace or Vengeance awake the finner, and make him amazed Jt Pis madncfs and Hupidiry: This is the mofi ufual Method of the Hearts relapfe to pofitive evil. - 9· 1o. 2· And by fuch degrees cloth the hrart de<linefrom the Love of God and Goodnefs: As 1. The thought! are diverted ro fome carnal vanity that is overlovcd. And the thoughts ofGod are fddomer and fhoner than they were wont to be. 2· And at the fame time the thoughts of God do grow Jefs firiour and plrafing, and more dead and lifrlefs. 3· And then the means which Chould kindle love, are ufed with more dulnefs, and remifsnefs, and indiffcrcncy. +· And then Confcience being galled with Jhe guilt of wilful omitlions and commiflions ( being acquainted with the fle!hly ddigns of the hearr, ) cloth raife a fccret fear of Gods difpleafure ; and this being not firong enough to rdlram the man from fin, doth make IH!l fin greater, and maketh him very back– ward to draw near to God, or feriouOy to think of him, or call upon him; and turneth Love in.: to terror and averfation. 5 And if God do not Hop and recover the finncr, he will next gtoW quite aweary of God, and out of love with a holy life, and chan~ehim for his worldly flcfhly pleafurfs. 6. And next that he w1ll entertam fome Infidel, or Athe1!hcal, or Libertine Doctrine which may quiet him in his courfe of fin, by jufiifying it, and will conform his judgement to hi~ heart. 7· And next that, he will hate God, and his wayes, and fervants, and turn a perfecutor of them: Till vengeance lay him in Hell, where pain and defperation will increafe his hatred ; but his flcjhly pleafitre, and malitio•u perfecutio/lt !hall be for ever at an end• .9· ll· 3• Backjliderr in Life and Prallice, do receive the firfl infection at the heart ; and the life dc– chneth no further than the Heart de.lincth .; But yet I difiinguifh this fort from the other, as the ef– fect from thecaufe: And the ratherbecaufe fomefew do much decline in heart, that yet feemtokeep much blan\elefsnefs of life, in the eye ofMen. And it is ufually done by thefe degrees. 9· 12· t• In the mans backfliding into politive (in (as fenfua!ity or worldlinefs) the heart being prepared as before. 1. The judgtmtnt dorh reafon more rernif1y againfi fin, than it did before : And the T.YiU doth oppofe it with lefi re[olution, and with greatt:r faimne{s andindifferency. z. Then.the finner t~j~cth of the. bait, a~d tirHdraw~th as near t.o fin as he dare, and embraceth the oceafirms and opport~mtus_of finnmg, wlnlc yet he thm~eth to .Y'eld no fur.ther. ~nd in this Cife he is fa long d1fput1ng wuh the Tempter, and hearkmng_ to h1m, an~ ~mng on the bait, till at Jafi he yield– eth: and havmg long been playm~at the I'"' bnnk, hiS Violent lufi or appetite cloth thrufi him in; 3· When he hath ence finned ( agatnll knowledge ) he is troubled a while, and this he taketh for uue Repentance: And w~en he i~ grown i~to fonte hope that die firft fin is forgiven him, he is the bolder to \'enture on the hke ~gatn.; an~ thtnketh ~hat .rh: fuondmay be as well tOrgiveo as the firfi; of· In the flrne order he falleth mto tt agam and agatn, (JIItt <ome to acufiome. 5-And by this time he Kkkk ~ · bovetli
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