201 THE 1t1ANKER Or CON its exercise, the instruments of it in the faculties of the- soul, organs of the senses, and members of the body, growing every day more serviceableunto it, and more apt to receive impressions from it, or to comply with its motions. Hence, some charge the sine of youth on the beatof blood, and the restlessness of the animal spirits, which prompt men unto irregularities and extravagan- cies. But these are only velricula concupiscentim, things which it makes use of to exert its poison by. For sin turns every thing in this state unto its own advantage, an abuseth even the commandment itself, to work in to all manner of concupiscence, Rom. vii. 8.. Again, the objets of lust, by the occasions of life; are now multi- plied. Temptations increase with years, and the busi- nesses of the world; but especially by that corruption of conversation which is among the most. Hence, sundry persons are in this part of their youth, one way or other, overtaken with some gross actual sin or sins. That all arenot so, is amere effect of preventing grace, and not at all from themselves. This- the apostle re- spects in his charge, 2 Tim. ii. 22. Fleeyouthful lusts; such lusts as work effectually, and prevail mightily, in those that are young,. if not subdued by the grace. of God. And David, in. a sense and from experience hereof, prays, that God would not remember the sins of his youth, Psal. xxv. 7. And a reflection from them is sometimes the torment of age, Job xx. 11. So he, in whom we have chosen to exemplify the instances of such a course, he humbly confesseth unto God his falling into, . and being overtaken with great sins, such as fornication and uncleanness in his younger days, in the mire whereof he was long detained. To this purpose he dis- courseth at large, lib. 2. cap. I, 2, 3. And of the rea- son of this his bumble and public acknowledgments, he gives this holy accounts ,c Neque enim tibi Demmeus, sed aped tenarro hate generi meo, generi humane, quantulacunque ex particula incidere potest in istas cr meas literas. Et ad quid hoc? ut videlicet ego et ;r quisq tis lime legit cogitemus de quam profundo, cla- oa mandum sit ad te," Cap. S. I declare these things, Omy God, not unto thee, but before thee, or in thy presence, unto my own race, unto human kind, what-. ever portion thereof may fall on these writings of mine. And unto what end, namely, that I, and every one who shall read these things, may consider out of what great depths we are to cry unto. thee." So he, who lived vEltslto EFPLArlEm not to see the days wherein humble confession of sin was made a matter of contempt and scorn. Sect. 7.Now, there is commonly a twofold event of mens falling under the power of temptations, and there- by into great actual sins. 1. God sometimes takesoccasion from them to awaken theirconsciences unto a deep sense,. not only of that sits in particular, whose guilt they have contracted, but of their other sins also. The great physician of their souls turns this poison into a medicine; and makes that wound which they have giventhemselves, to be the lancing of a festered sore. For, whereas their oscitaney, prejudices and custom of sinning, have taken away the sense of lesser sins, and secure them from reflections from them-, the stroke on- their consciences from those greater pro- vocations pierceth sodeep, as that they are forced to entertain thoughts of looking out after a release or re- medy: Sodid they of old at the sermonof Peter, when he charged themwith the guilt of a consent to the cru- cifyingofJesus Christ, they werepricked to the heart, and cried out, Men and brethren what shall we do, Acts ii. 36, 37. Sect. 8.-2. With others it proves a violent entrance into a further pursuit of sin. The bounds of restraints, with the influence of natural light, being broken up and rejected, mens lusts being let loose, do break through all remaining obstacles, and run out into the greatest compass of excess and riot; observing no present evil to ensue on what they have done, according to their first fears, they are emboldened to greater wickedness,. Eccl. viii. 11. And by this means is their conversion unto God rendered. more difficult, and men thus wan- der away more and more from him unto the greatest distance that is recoverable by grace. For, Sect. 9.-5thly, A course in, and a custom of sin- ning,with many, ensues hereon. Such the apostle treats concerning, Eph. iv, 18, 19. Being past feeling, rr have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to, ea work all uncleanness with greediness." Custom of sinning takes away the -sense of it. The course of the world takes away the shame of it;. and love to it makes: men greedy in the pursuit of it; see Confess. lib. 2. cap. 6. And this last eifert of sin, as incited, provoked, and assisted by temneat:ons- bath great variety in the effects and degree -. n, Hence are the.various courses, f unhumbied s..,-;c:: in the world, wherein the out-
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