,i treats,fe ofConfcieltce. i 89. preiènt, yet force of there troubled confciences feramble up again with vain hopes, and fomedo not. Cain got up again, it fhould Teem : but. Judas did not.. Thofe that never get up Dsfperare again, eitherfiríf, they live in intolerable honour and vexation ellininfer- of ípirit, as ifthey had a devil in them to put them to anginal, nui dee- andoften ( being weary of their lives ) do make away them- feendeve, íélves, and fo leap quick into hell : or ellè fecond, they runne ifid' defperately into all abominable court-es : Their confciences telling them there is nothing to be expeted but damnation, they give themfelves defperately tocommit finne withgreedi- nefie, laying with them in feremie, There is no hope ; therefore we will wallafterour own devifes, Jer.18.t2. Orel;&3..they grow fenfeleffe of it. They fee they are wrong, but they are not lènCible of it. It may be they pray and reade and heare ; but their confciences fecretly whisper, All is to nopurpof. Con- EKe . 4. lciencc eateth and eateth l,ke a Worm, -and they, pineaway in Z3 their iniquities; as the Prophet apeaketh, A kindofforrow they have,' but they cannot; mourn ; a kind of fad dolour, but they cannot Weep : re all not mane nor weep, butpine away inyour finne:, faith the text.. I confetfe there be more prefumers in the world; who promilè themfelves that all (hall be well with them : but yet there be defpairers too, and very many, whole confciences are troubled with fieret defpair ; though it may be not apparently to others. Now the. eaufes of there defpairing confeiences arc there. t . The greatne'fe of finne ; when the h .art.thinketh fecretly thus. Certainly the Lord cannotfind in his heart to forgive ;ne. As it was with Cain : When he had lived in earthly minded- ne fie, and then in formality, and then in difcontent and in hatred, and then in hardneffe of heart, the Lord rebuked him, and yethis heart was fo hard that f}ill he went on in evil ; then he murdered hisbrother ; and laflly he defpaireth ` Myfinnes Gen,4 T3 are greater, faith his confeiencc, then can be forgiven. He thought God could not find in his heart to forgive him. So vuhen men finne and finne, and the Lord doth rebuke them, and yet they do finne, and their confciences do check them, and Aa3 'yet
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=