SPIRITUAL PEACE AND COMFORT. 369 giving it to the.poor,when he had great. possessions. It was not that he could not be rid of his sin, but that he could not have Christ and heaven without forsaking the world. This is the case of unsanctified persons that are enlightened to see the need of Christ, but are not weaned fromworldly profits, honors, and pleas- ures ; they are perhaps troubled in. mind, (and I cannot blame. them,) but it is'not that they cannot leave sinning, but that they cannot have heaven without leaving their delights and contentments on earth. Sin as sin theywould willingly leave ; for no man can love evil as evil. But their fleshly profits, honors, and pleasures, they will not leave, and there is the stop ; and this is the cause of their sorrows and fears. For their own judgment cries out against them, "He that loveth the world, the love of the Father is mot in him. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die. God resisteth the proud." This isthe voice of their informed understandings. And . conscience seconds it, 'and saith, "Thou art the man." But the flesh cries louder than both these, '. Wilt thou leave thypleasures ? Wilt thou undo thyself ?, Wilt thou be made a scorn or laughing- stock to all ?' Or rather it strongly draws and provoketh, whenit bath nothing to say. No wonder if this poor sinner be here in a strait, and live in distress ofmind. Butas long as the flesh holds so fast, that all. this conviction and trouble will not cause it to lose itshold, the poor soul is still in the bonds of iniquity. The case of such an hypocrite, or half Christian, is like the case of the poor Papist, that, having glutted himself with flesh in the Lent, was in this strait, that either he must vomit it up, and so disclose his fault, and undergo penance ; or else he must be sick of his surfeit, and hazard his life. But he resolveth rather to venture on the danger, than tobear the penance. Or their case is like that of a proud woman, that hath got a strait garment, or pinching shoe, and because she will not be out of the fashion, she will rather choose to bear the pain, though she halt-or suffer at every step. Or like the more impudent sort of them, who will endure the cold, and perhaps haz- ard their lives, by the nakedness of their necks, and breasts, and arms, rather than they will control their shameless pride. What cure now should a wise man wish to such :people as these ? Surely that the shoe might pinch a little harder, till the pain might force them tocast it off. And that they might catch some cold that would pay them for their folly, (so it would but spare their lives) till it should force them to be ashamed oftheir pride, and cover their nakedness. Even so when disobedient hypocrites do com- plain that they are afraid they have no grace, and afraid God doth not pardon them, and will not save them, I should tell them, if I knew them, that I am afraid. so too ; and that it is not without cause, and,desìre, that their fears were such as might affright them from VOL. I. 47
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