on the Excellency of the Sou/. 275 give them deadly wounds, upon which the fouls of mofk do perith. Queft. Wowrding, bow you wiltfay ? Anfzn. By that 1 mean the commit-lion offing again!} con - fcience ; to commit a known fin, and a wilful fin, oh this gives a wide gash in the foul, a mo(t fearful wound! every fin againft confcience gives a wound that requires a falve ro heal it, that is more worth than a thoufand worlds ; the fins againft confcience, againft light, againft knowledge,they are deep wounds unto the fouls of men; and it is not ufual for fuch wounds to bee healed, for they do not onely ftrike at the life of the foul, but they harden the heart of the firmer exceedingly, and keep off the, means that might do the foul good; thou goeft abroad into company, and there thou committeft a fin againft thy confcience, oh thou haft given a gafh to that precious foul of thine, thou haft given it a deep wound, and except thou lookeft to it, and that prefenrly, thy foul perhaps may die for ever ! A man that bath re- ceived a deep wound, hee prefently fends for the Chyrur- gion, and if it bleeds well, hee hopes the cure is more hope- ful : fo when thou haft committed fin, if indeed it bleed , that is, if thy foul prefently bee fenfible of ir, and affeSted with it, and mourn and lament, and fo feek after the Chy- rurgion, there may bee hopes ; but men and women do wound their own fouls by wilful fins, fins againft their con - fciences, and yet they are not fenfible of them, they do not fo much as bleed, but they lye in the very open Air , as it were, and are not bound up at all, Ah ! thoufand thoufands there are that die and perifh this way. Fourthly, And then a fourth fort there are that lofe their fouls by being gulled of them, by being deceived of them; Satan perfwades them they are in a good condition , that all is well with them, and they need not fear , what need they to trouble themfelves,thefe are but the melancholly thoughts of fuch and fuch kind of people; there is no fuch great ¡nat- ters required in forrow for fin, and it is buca Lord have mer- cy upon us, and but, a being in Chri.ft , and hoping in Nl m 2 Gods
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