Preston - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.P74 S2 1637

hip A s Npentance. fhadow, which darkens the minde, fo that it cannot fee For that that the Apoftles fayes of hatred, r labn a. 9. that flab an one as bates his brother,.iiveth in darkeneffe ; the fame may bee fayd of all other finnes. Secondly, becaufe aEtuall firms increafe the paf- fion which at the firft made us commit it ; now the ftronger the pallions are, the more is the judgement corrupted. Thirdly, becaufe finne worketh on thofe facul. ties which fhould judge, it weakeneth the judge- ment, and is like a blow on the head that taketh a. way all fenfe. Fourthly, becaufe aEluall finne grievth the holy Ghoft, and makes him depart, and it is hee onely that convinceth us of finne ; and therefore how can we fee when bee is gone, that enlightneth us e And when this holy Spirit is gone, then incomes the evill fpirit which puts into us falle reafons, and fo we by them cxcufe our (elves_ The Vfe is, firft therefore to let us take heed of declining from God,and falling into any finne, fee. ing it's fo difficult a thing to get out of it againe. What makes us to recover,but a fight of our firmest' Now falling into finne, blindeth our eyes, where- fore it mu ft needs be very hard to recover. Seeing then it's fo hard to recover,take heed of firft falling into fine) fora man that is a little fallen into finne, is like a man ina quicke-fand, ready to flake deeper and deeper. Suppofe a man doth pollute Gods Sabbaths ; at the firft there is forrow for it ; after- ward a

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