® treat fe of Conclence, 89 prefent, yet Tome of th.efe troubled confciences fcramble up again with vain hopes, and Tome do not. Cain got up again., it fhould feem : but Judas did not. Thofe that never get up again, either firfi, they live in intolerable horrour and vexation of fpirit, as if they had a devil in them to put them to anguifh, and often ( being weary of their lives) do make away them- felves, and fo leap quick into hell : or elfe fecund, they runne defperately into all abominable courfes : Their confciences telling them there is nothing to be expebted but damnation, they give themfelves desperately to commit finne with greedi- nefle, laying with them in Jerernie, There is no hope; therefore we will walks fter oar own devifer, Jer.t 8.i a. Or elfe 3. they grow fenfelefle of it. They fee they are wrong, but they are not finable of it. It may be they pray and reade and heare ; but their confciences f cretly whifper, All Se to nopurpofi% Con- lcience eateth and. eateth like a worm, and they pine away in their inignities,as the Prophet fpeaketh. A kind of forrow they have, but they cannot mourn ; a kind offàd dolour,: but they cannot weep : re /hall not mene nor weep, but pine away inyaur fans, faith the text. I confeffe there be more prefumers-in the world, who prowife themfelves that all fhall be well with them : but yet there be defpairers.too,andvery many; whole confciences are troubled with fecret defpair; though it may be not apparentlyto others. Now the eaufes of there defpairing confciences arc there. a . The greatne;% of finne ; when the heart thinketh fecretly thus.. Certainly the Lord cannot find in his heart to forgive me. As. it was with Cain : When he had lived in. earthly mind:d- ne ire, and then in formality, and then in difcontent and, in hatred, and then in hardneffe of heart,the Lordxebuked him, and yet his heart was fo hard that fill he went on in evil ; then he murdered his brother ; and laftly he defpaireth ` My finnes are greater, faith his conlcience, then can be forgiven. He thought God could not find in his heart to forgive. him. So when 'men (inn and finne, and the Lord. Both rebuke then, I and yet they do fame, and their confciences do check them, and AA. 3 yet Defperrsre oft ¡n mier- sum de. feendere, Ifid. EVk.i4,. 23. Gex.4r3.
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