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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	faith_n	law_n	5,376	5	5.2987	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92846	The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he intrusted with his notes.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing S2363; Thomason E1003_1; ESTC R203493	249,727	327

division let something come unto the soule which makes a division sin will quickly lose its dominion It must be something may gaine the affections It must be something that must breed a strife Directions Look up to God and Christ 3. Againe It must be something which may gaine the affections it must be able to winn the heart to dispose of love and hatred for dominion is made or marred by one of them 4. Againe it must be something which may breed a stiffe and couragious resolution that the heart will not serve sin but will go free And hereupon against all inward and outward opposition breakes forth into the use of victorious meanes Now then the directions are these 1. If ever thou wouldest get down the dominion of sin thou must looke up to God and Christ they are able to disanull the covenant with sin and to subdue iniquities Rom. 8. 2. the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death looke as it must be a Rich mercy which pardons so it must be a mighty power which conquers sin why but what is it to the Lord to command thy heart home to himselfe to cast down the high imaginations and strong holds As Jehosaphat spake against those strong armies we know not what to doe yet our eyes are upon thee soe in the sense of thy naturall vileness and sinfull dominion O Lord I am bound I am in bondage I am dead in sins Lord I am unable to escape but thou art able to deliver O deliver my soule for thy mercies sake and subdue mine iniquities and shew forth thy power c who shall deliver me I thanke God through Jesus Christ Rom. 7. 24 25. Secondly because meer power doth not do it but power in a quality working through some quality Therefore beg of Beg the grace of Gods spirit God that he would give thee the grace of his spirit it is true that naked power takes not off the sinfull dominion nor doth the quality alone doe it but both can doe it If God gives a man grace and mightily asists and workes by and through that grace this now will beat downe ●he dominion of sinne The light though it be but a little at first yet asisted by a mighty principle of light shall conquer darknesse pride will have dominion till humility comes in Now then beg of God for grace for his holy spirit for another heart for a new heart and a new spirit Thirdly labour earnestly for faith if two things were done Labour for faith sin could not possibly continue in dominion viz. If Christ did rule in the soule If thy love were drawn off from sin But faith sets up the scepter of Christ it will know no Lord but Christ my Lord and my God said believing Thomas And faith turnes the love to Christ makes Christ the center of the heart O it represents such goodnesse such excellency such propriety such bounty such love in Christ as inflames the heart and knits it with love to Christ again Nay to add to all this faith bestowes the life on Christ too He died for me said faith I judge it therefore most reasonable that I should live to him Now where Christ comes to rule and hath love and life there sinne without all doubt looseth its dominion 4. Lastly take a couragious resolution we are held many times by our lusts through a faintnesse of spirit why we shall Take a couragious resolution never get down these sins and what will people say and we know not what to do Sol. Why up and be doing for what is past the Lord will mercifully pardon all of it if now the yoke be broken and be consident of this if thou art setting against thy sins thou doest that which God likes very well for he hath commanded thee it as a duty and hath set out meanes and promised his helpe and blessing Therefore stand not hovering and hammering were I best shall I shall I yet O no thy life lies upon this or thy death Therefore resolve on it to set against thy sins say this with thy selfe if I suffer sin to rule thus I perish for ever if I get off the dominion I live for ever if I continue in this sinfull estate I must bid God farwell and Christ farwell and heaven and all the comforts of my poor soul farwel I confess I may get a little pleasure by my sins a little profit by my sins but I am not sure to enjoy them one moment and why should I venture eternity of misery for one draught of sinful water If I could get off sins dominion O what a God might I look on plead with sue unto what a Saviour should I get what precious joys what heavenly consolations what peace here what hopes for hereafter well come of it what will though I have been sinful I will not still continue so to God will I come to Christ will I goe I will beseech them to have mercy upon me a sinner and to give me grace and to change my heart I will not serve my base lusts any longer I will never leave praying hearing reading studiing inquiring working till I be delivered from this bondage and translated into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Against actuall dominion Wherein actual dominion lies 2. Against Actuall dominion Thus for directions Against the natural dominion of sin Now I proceed to some helpes against actual dominion which is the particular prevalency of a sinne into act Let me premise a proposition or two and then you shall have the special directions themselves 1. Actual Dominion I speak in respect of grosse acts is usually in respect of some particular lusts which works with more strength in the soul then any other lusts Though it be most true that in every man there is an universal root of sinning yet you finde it in experience that the multitudes of sinful inclinations and thoughts and temptations run ordinarily in some peculiar way with most frequency and violence Secondly actual Dominion is ordinarily by such a sin which hath the advantage of a natural complexion and outward condition and occasions and affections upon these doth sinne set the temptation as an Enginer doth place his battery upon such a Simile piece of ground which doth best advantage and further his shot against a City A mans natural temper and complexion doth mightily facilitate his acts and a mans calling or condition of life may accidentally be a forcible perswasion to him to much infidelity and impatience and indirectness And occasions in conversing actively or passively have infinite baits in them and when our affections may run in some lawful measure and manner there sin takes occasion to tempt and prevaile with ease if we look not to it he may quickly be cast down by a sinful temptation who is already prepared thereunto by a sinful faction Therefore if

for presumption is usually confident of Note longer life and therefore imboldens it self to stronger sins a foolish error and vain for were it true that in a natural probability thou mightest yet live long yet in a judicial course this is most true that great sinnings shorten the life the thief goes to the Gallows in his youth because of his theft and the sinner is suddenly laid in his grave by reason of his sinnings And then ●wo unto thee better that thou hadst never been born if thou lives and dies in thy sins to the Judgement-seat of God must thou be brought with sin in thy bones and presumptuous iniquity in thy heart thou who now darest to out-face the Ministers of God shall not then dare to look the holy and just and terrible God in the face but he will fill thy breast with confusion and all the veins of thy soul with flames of hottest vengeance and indignation Eightly Get knowledge sanctified Knowledg is like a sword it Get knowledge sanctified may defend a man and it may hurt a man it may both arm him and kil him or like the light of a Candle which may both direct and also burn and so accidentally even knowledge it self may prove a great addition to our sinnings That which serves to give us light against them may yet improve the guilt of them upon us There is a two-fold knowledge 1. One naked which shews the evil 2. Another sanctified which keeps from evil the former is good at the Object but the latter is good with the subject that looks upon what is to be done or not to be done this looks down to the heart and inclines it strongly to embrace the good and to resist and abhor the evil This is certain that not all the spirits of speculation are a sufficient rescue of thy soul from presumptuous sinnings Object Why saith a man I will not sin so I know better then so Sol. Alas The bullet strikes down the souldier for all his head-piece naked knowledge is at best but an head-piece and that not of proof neither but sanctified knowledge is a breast-plate and that keeps off the dart Lastly Renounce thine own strength of nature of parts of Renounce thy own strength gifts yea of graces yea of services he shall be brought far in sin who goes far upon his own strength thy own strength will deceive thee it is not enough to keep thee good nor preserve thee from being bad if thou couldest get a trembling heart and a bended knee and a believing eye and an humble spirit then thy Castle were impregnable c. PSAL. 19. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over me CHAP. IV. HAving handled Davids prayer against sin as lying in presumption now I shall touch on it as it doth respect sin in Dominion Let them not have dominion over me There may be divers conjectures about the connexion and depending sense of these words Two Expositions of the words First As if they were a distant petition q. d. Lord I pray unto thee against high kinds of sinning and perhaps I may sometimes be laid flat by them but then I desire of thee that though they strike me down yet they 1. As a distinct petition may not rule over me though I stoop yet I may not serve though I fall yet I may not lie and rest though they may be sometimes so strong as to over-come yet never so full as to reign let them not have Dominion over me Secondly As if they are but the same petitions greatly inforced q. d. O Lord I beseech thee to keep back thy servant 2. As the same petition inforced from presumptuous sins all sins are bad and inglorious and foul but none so as they they are high transgressions therefore I beseech thee let them not have Dominion i. never suffer them to prevail over me never let them enter into my soul or life let them never over-come me let them not over-take me let me never commit them Now which way of these you conjecture the sense of the words may be aimed at it requires accurateness to determine and cut the thred For my part I think that both may be commodious and are pious though the latter to me doth seem more genuine yet in this I easily submit to better Judgements FOR the words themselves this is evident that they express the spirit of holy David as vehemently carried against presumptuous sins in Dominion for the better discussing of them I shall inquire these particulars 1. What Dominion of sin here may import Four things wherein it consists 2. Whether sins in Dominion may befall a David 3. Why David prayes so against it 4. Then some usefull applications SECT I. Quest 1. FOR the first of these What Dominion of sin doth What Dominion of sin imports import Sol. Dominion is given sometimes to God sometimes to Christ as Mediator sometimes to man over man sometimes to Satan over man sometimes to death which is said to rule and sometimes to sin when it is betwixt sinne and the sinner as betwixt a King and his Subjects As a raigning King hath dominion so sin it acts in all things like a King 1. It hath possession original sin of our hearts actual sin of our lives 2. Hath a title our forsaking of God and voluntary election and compact 3. Hath a throne our souls 4. Hath servants our Members 5. Hath a councel our carnal wisdom and corrupt reasonings 6. Hath power to give Laws and see them executed Paul speaks of the Law in his members and the Law of sin Rom. 7. 21 22. But more distinctly for the better understanding this Four things observe these particulars 1. That Dominion properly is the Right and Power of a What is dominion properly Lord over a servant it is a word implying Superiority and Subjection one who hath Authority to command and another whose condition is obe●iential and to serve so that in the dominion there is one who doth rule and another who is ruled one who doth command and another who yeelds at least virtute ●uris he is to yeeld and obey and ratione facti where dominion is exercised there is actual command and actual obedience as the Centurion who had authority and dominion over his servants he said to one go and he did go to one come and he did come to another do this and he did it Secondly observe that Dominion is twofold it is either Dominion is either 1. Original and absolute and this is when the Lord hath a Original and Absolute natural and prime and irrespective title it belongs to him as so to command and impose obedience meerly from his absolute right and acco●ding to his own pleasure such a dominion belongs only to ●od who made all the world and is Lord of all All the creatures are his servants and are set by the Law

holiness as a man may be a Traitor when he yet doth seeme to do something of the service to a Prince So sinne may be a mans Lord though he doth do many things which seem good Herod loved Herodias though he heard John Baptist and did many things gladly there is scarce any man where Christ is professed that is so universally bad but he may now and then do something which may be particularly good at least materially considered 4. But yet fourthly the Dominion of sin cannot consist with But it cannot consist with the love of holinesse the love of holiness for where sin is in dominion there sinne hath the love of the soul Now it is impossible for a man to love sin and to love holinesse I grant it that many things may be the object of love though there be a numerical variety of them yet there may be an objective unity they may all meet in one common reason and natural course of love and therefore may be loved But then opposite and contradictory things cannot be both loved at once the reason is because you cannot reconcile them into an objective unity that which is a reason of the love in one is a reason of hatred in the other Now sin and holinesse are opposite they are at the greatest distance in spiritual contradictions their natures and courses and effects all are opposite so that a man cannot at once possibly love them both And therefore if holinesse and grace hath thy love verily sin hath not dominion I must not insist at large on this only observe whether thou lovest holinesse preciselie and purely for it self what is it which thou esteemest most which thou desirest most is the want of it thy greatest grief is the prosperity of it either in thy self or others a true and singular joy unto thee at what paines art thou to purchase and encrease it what are thy thoughts of them who are holy and of those Ministries which edge and work on thy heart most unto holinesse these and such like things will shew whither thou lovest holiness which if thou doest thy sin is not thy Lord. 4. Whose Laws doest thou approve and delight in according Whose Laws doest thou approve and delight in as a mans Lord is so are his Laws and according as the man is so is his minde and affections towards those Laws of that Lord you shall finde that when sinne hath dominion there sin hath several Laws several commands the obedience of which is delightful to the sinner And therefore such a one is said to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and to commit sin with greediness Ephes 4. 19. and to yeeld himself over unto sin Thus it is on the contrary where sin is broken off from its dominion and Christ doth rule the heart his Lawes have a marvellous sutablenesse with the spirit of that man his Law is written in the heart i. there is a powerful and answerable inclination stamped in the heart which gives way to the command In the volume of thy book it is written of me that I should do thy will loe I come Psalm 40. 7. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is in my heart v. 8. Thou saidest seek ye my face my heart said unto me Thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27. 8. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. 6. Obj. It is true that sinful corruption yet abiding in the best will make head against the holy commands of Christ it will be backward enough cross enough unwilling enough resisting and striving Sol. But yet three things will more habitually appear in a Three things appeare in a person governed by Christ and not by sin Approbation person whose soule is governed by Christ and not by sinne 1. One is Approbation i. this judgement doth highly esteeme of the commands of Christ Paul counted the commandment holy and righteous and good and tending to life Rom. 7. 12. 2. Another is consent i. his will yeelds unto it as to a rule Consent most sit to be obeyed I consent unto the Law that it is good Rom. 7. 16. and therefore would obey it 3. A third is inward delight Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Inward delight Law of God after the inward man The Apostle from this though he found a contrary Law in his members warring against the Law of his minde and much evil present when he would do any good yet concludes against sins dominion Rom. 7. 25. so then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin Why brethren this is a great matter and a great discovery of our hearts to observe what Law that is with which we take part which we set up as our rule whose authority we do justifie sinne will command in him which hates it i. it will be prescribing to our affection and our actions but then if Christ doth rule us we war against those commands we resist them we defie them we pray against them we take not part with them We acquit that Law of Christ which we would follow but sometimes cannot so fully as we should we justifie it as a most righteous command and strive to conform our hearts to that and to order our lives by that 5. A fifth tryal may be this what is the disposition and What is the disposition of our hearts under the passive captivities of our soul by sin course of our hearts under the passive captivities of our souls by particular sinnings There is a twofold captivity of the soul to sin One is active wherein a man doth as Ahab sell himself to wickednesse or as Judas offer himself to betray Christ he went to the high-Priest what will you give me and I will betray him c. Another is passive wherein as Paul complained he is sold under sinne like a souldier over-powered and by strength taken captive and led away prisoner I confesse that this is most true a good man may sin nay he doth sin sin may have many particular victories where yet it hath not a Kingdom or Dominion As there may be antecedent differences before sin is committed and as there may be concomitant differences when sin is committing which may be as so many lively testimonies against dominion so there are consequent differences there are some things afterward which shew that yet sin hath not dominion though it did prevaile and overcome Three things Three things discover this Hearty grief 1. One is hearty grief though a good man hath not alwayes sufficient strength to conquer a temptation yet he hath sufficient grace to bewaile his sinnings though he cannot always rejoyce that he stands yet he can heartily grieve that he falls either sin is his conquest or else it is his sorrow Though you see not David cast down by his pleasures yet you shortly see him cast down himselfe by his mournings Though you see

to walk with him he would be careful to please him fearful to offend him ready to obey him would be kept in for God he would not make so many strayings he would minde Gods glory more Thirdly get to hate sin A secret love of sin after all restraints and pauses will draw the soule aside It will like a covered Get to hate sin disease break out againe There are three things in hatred which contribute to uprightnesse 1. It is an inward aversation the very heart is drawen off from an object and the heart is filled with a loathing and a detestation of the evill not the tongue and looks onely but the very inclination of the will is turned aside 2. It is universall for hatred is of the kinde the will in the whole latitude of it is the object of hatred I hate every false way said David Psal 119. 3. It is permanent and durable passion is a storme which will quickly off but hatred is a setled quality arguments allay it not nor doth time remove it what have I to do any more with Idols said Ephraim Hosea 14. 8. They shall defile their coverings and say unto them get thee hence Esa 30. 22. So that if a man could get the hatred of sin he should quickly finde an even uprightnesse The cause why a man is not even in his walking is either because 1. His heart is not bent against sinne but gives a delightful way unto it it doth not resist and loath it but harbours and favours it 2. Some one particular lust winnes and gaines upon the soule though some are unacted yet one speciall lust is retained which hath power to command and rule the life 3. He is carried against sin upon mutable and decaying grounds which being removed the heart then returnes to its proper and naturall bent But now if spiritual hatred of sinne were implanted then the combat twixt sin and the person would be inward the very heart would loath the nature and inclinations of it and it would be universall and constant so that here would arise a generall evennesse in a mans coversation Unevenness though it appear without yet it begins within the heart is the maine wheele of a mans course and therefore if love gets the heart for God and hatred rules the heart against sin you may very well believe that these two will yeeld out a very upright endeavour and course of holinesse In spirituals that which keeps the fountaine doth keep the streame and that which betters the heart doth likwise well order the life 2. For the second which respect the preserving meanes take Directions for preserving it these directions 1. First if you would preserve uprightnesse you must preserve Preserving a● holy feare of God an holy feare of God you know the promise I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall not depart from me Jere. 32. Sinning is the only departing from God He never leaves us but for sin our departing is our unevenness and we never leave him but by sinne and our unupright walkings but that now which keeps us from departing is feare The feare of the Lord is a fountaine of life to depart from the snares of death Prov. 24. 27. If a man could alwayes keep an awful and powerfull regard to God that he stood in awe of his attributes and of his word he would keep plaine with God he would not transgresse for a morsel nor thinke that it may be safe for him to sin An Holy feare of God hath these two Properties 1. It puts the soule and actions in Gods presence one saith that God is all eye to see every thing and all eare to heare every thing so doth holy feare represent God as one who is now beholding all that I do and as one who understands my thoughts afar off from whom no not the whisperings of the minde nor the imaginations of my heart nor the closest and most secret actings can be concealed Its stands in awe of this all discovering God how can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God saide Joseph when there were none but he and his mistresse and his God together Gen. 39. 9. I feare his justice that it will breake out upon me if I should dare to sin and I feare his mercy that it will draw off if I presume to offend Psal 4. 4. Stand in awe and sinne not Psal 119. 161. Princes also have persecuted me without a cause Why this might stirre up strange qualities in David O no but my heart standeth in awe of thy word q. d. I dirst not breake out to sin for all that thy word which I feared kept me in 2. Faith breeds and preserves uprightnesse and evennesse I ●aith preserves uprightnesse remember the Apostles caution Heb. 3. 12. Take heed brethren least their be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God unbeliefe it is the root of all hypocrisie and appostacy that men are but halfe in duties it is because they do not indeed believe the extent of obedience to God and that they keep some private lust it is because they do not indeed believe the truth of Gods justice power wrath But saith causeth evennesse forasmuch 1. As it sets up prevailing argu●ents the soul never doubtes in the way but by the strength of false arguments either false pleasures or false profits is forcible with the heart insnares it we step aside alwaies by the cunning of error But faith not only discovers false inducements but also bringes better and stronger motives it knowes and teacheth where the soule will be at a losse and holds it off by the goodnesse and kindnesse and loving favour of God who would venture his comfortable aspect of God and sweet communion with Christ for a morsel of stollen bread or for one draught of unlawful pleasure 2. It constraines the heart to singular love of God and Christ the more faith the more love all true faith is inflaming for it sees and feels much love and therefore kindles much now much love raiseth much evennesse in walking whiles the love is kept up close to God the heart and life ordinarily are kept in an upright motion for all true love is tender and careful and pleasing 3. It purifies the heart Faith is like fire which hath one quality to ascend and another to burne so faith it negotiates for us at heaven and likewise it breeds more intrinsecall renovation of the heart by holinesse faith is the best friend to our graces the surest helpe to our affections the strongest prop to our duties and the sorest enemy to our sinnes No grace doth so much for the heart as faith our assistance for good and our resistance of evil depends most on it we finde experimentally that many sinnes then breake out when we loose the sight of God as long as we can eye God the soule is safe see God in his promises

be damned And verse 10. They were such who received not the truth in the love of it Thirdly When there is no conformity to the Gospel-rules of life Now what shall I say of our selves what accounts have we of this pearl what affections have we to this Doctrine of Grace Have we any impressions of Reverence any impressions of love unto the Ministry of the Spirit Alas our stomacks begin to loath the hony comb and we are almost as weary of this Gospel as the Israelites were of their Manna Why else those many neglects Acts 7. 5. Ye resist the Holy Ghost of this word of grace why else our slight entertainment of it why else our very scorn and contempt of it Shall I speak the truth the heavenly strains of the Holy Ghost in the Gospel fall too low and sound too flat in our curious ears The sharp inventions of some Poet or the brain-Raptures of a Comedian shall relish our Palats with more pleasure then the sweerest principles and lessons that ever the wisedome of Heaven hath dedicated The plain tune of Scripture striks us not unless there be also smart descantin●s of humane wit Mistake me not I speak not this to banish the convenient use of fitting expressions in our delivery of the Gospel of Christ by condemning our inaffectionate attentions to the simplicity of Christ I do not hereby apologize for the language of rudeness no I would not have the highness of the word to be made offensive by my Barbarisms only let me tell you that where the Word of life coming in the strength and beauty of its own elegant plainness findeth not only coldness of respect and love but the lashes also of ignorant censure and scorn we are mounted upon an high step of prophaneness and are descending to that unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost Secondly Private or publick scorning of holiness Holiness it is the Glory of God and in a sort the rectitude of all his attributes God delights to reveal himself in Scorning of Holiness Heb. 12. 14. this holiness and tells us that without holiness none shall see his face It is the most distinguishing effect of the Spirit of God and that which is both an assurance of divine Election as also the secular zeal of our salvation Yet may not I confidently affirm to you that nothing is more fallen into the base derisions of witless sinners then this glorious image of heaven Strip me a person of the well-spoken complements of dignity wealth conceited projects and deportments for the itch of the times and suppose him only cloathed with the endowments of true grace and holiness who is there that is set forth with more disdain and derision and jeering then such a person this is the only reason of our scornings that he is aperson of purity one of the Spirit A religious David is the song of Drunkards and the Innocent Objects of mockings reproaches scorns and jestings Bonus vir perhaps but Christianus so now bonus vir sed Bonus vir Cajus Seius sed malus tantum quod Christianus Tertul. Apolog p. 810. Christianus si nullius criminis nomine reus est valde infestum si solius nominis crimen e●● Ibi p. 809. Religiosus Lord What think we of God or his Spirit or Heaven is holiness beautifull in God admirable in the Spirit of God lovely in the Word of God and yet contemptible effectively considered in the servants of God As sure as the Lord liveth if the bounds of publick Authoity did not awe and the sectet suspitions of publick shame did not bank these enemies of Grace their private Sarcasms and blemishes of Grace would break forth into publick fury against all real power and practise of Grace Who but an Ishmael will scoff at an Isaae and who but a Cain will hate his brother because his works are good and who but an ignorant wretch agitated by the Spirit of darkness and perverseness will flie out with hellish invectives against holiness in heart and practise which is the Glory of God the perfection of Angels the sacred work of the Spirit and the pledge of our immortal inheritance in the heavens My brethren be cautioned to sorrow for this and reform in offering violence to holiness in man thou fastnest indignity upon the very image of God and despite upon the Holy Ghost who is the immediate efficient of Holiness in the Creature Thirdly Sleighting the checks of conscience Conscience Sleighting the checks of conscience especially inlightned it is our Angel-Guardian the private Register of our courses and the faithfull Monitor within our own breasts it is the eye of the soul to oversee the whole occasions of heart and life and it is the tongue that reports to us the rectitude or aberration of our wayes The Law testifies de jure and this de facto There is not I believe a sinner partaking of any illumination general or particular under the powerfull presence of a sound Ministry but his Conscience sometimes in the hearing of threatnings from the Pulpit sometimes in his retired secessions or withdrawings from company doth lay unto him the guilt of his sins and perhaps stings him with unquestionable convictions and horrors it tells him that his heart is yet desperately foul and that his wayes are not the wayes of life and comfort Zach. 7. 11. But now for this person to stop his ears at this faithful voice of conscience for him to deal with this as Felix did with Paul discoursing of Judgement to come go thy way for this time wh●n I have convenient season I will Act. 24. 25. call for thee or else to quench and drown their private clamors by the untimeliness of other discourses and fouler actions O what direct injury do we hereby offer to the workings of Gods Spirit and what stronger power do we add hereby to the workings of our heart A tender conscience is like a tender eye or stomack but neglect of motions in the conscience prepares for hardness of heart It will be with us in sinning as it is with the iron which becomes the more hardened after the fire and the sinner more sinfull after the slighting of the checks of conscience or as with a disease which growes incurable by neglect yet might have been cured and healed by observance or as a tree which after many shakeings takes deeper root and hold in the earth It is a fearfull Judgement to sin against Conscience this will breed custome and delight and defence and at length hatred of that Truth which shall present light for Reformation Hereby we grieve the Holy Spirit and quench him and cauterize or sear our consciences with senselesness whence ariseth a greediness to sin Ephesians 4. 18. Fourthly Be not peremptory for worldly ends he who Be not peremptory for worldly ends sets up his resolution that he will be some body in the world he will have his covetous ends or ambitious projects no