Men commonly deal with their sins, as hedgers do, when they go to plash thorny bushes: they put on tinning gloves, that the Thorns may not prick them. So these harden their hearts, that their own thorns may give them no compunction. But all vanities are but like the fools ⟨p. 142⟩laughter, 1which Solomon compares to the crackling of thorns under a p•t: they make a noise, and suddenly go out. But sin never parts with the wicked, without leaving a sting behind it.2 Luther saith, there are two fiends, that torment men in this world: and they are sin, and a bad conscience. The latter follows the former: or if you will, the former wounds the latter: for sin is the thorn, and the conscience the subject it strikes. This thorn often pricks deep; to the very heart. Acts 2. to the very bones, Psal. 38.3 There is no rest in my bones because of my sin. 4Vis nunquam esse tristis? bene vive. Nunquam securus est reus animus. Wouldest thou never be sorrowful? live well. A guilty mind cannot be securely quiet. An evil mind is haunted and vexed with the thorns of his own conscience. Sin to the affections, whiles it is doing, is oleum ungens, supple oil. Sin to the conscience when it is done, is tribulus pungens, a pricking thorn. What extreme contraries do often wicked conceits run into? In their time of security they cannot be brought, to think sin to be sin. At last desperately, they think it such a sin, that it cannot be forgiven. At first they are delighted with the sense and smell of their iniquity, as of a sweet rose: but the rose of their delight withers, and there is a thorn under it, that pricks the hart. Hereupon Solomon couples pleasant vanity, and troublesome vexation together. If that tickles the flesh, this shall wound the spirit. You shall hear an Usurer in the madness of presumption ⟨p. 143⟩expostulating, what? may I not make benefit of my money? Observe him, and in the end you shall hear him in the madness of despair, cry out of his own damnation for it. At first they make question whether it be a sin: at last they know it such a sin, that they make question whether God will forgive it. So men will look to sin either too superficially, or too superstitiously. There was no danger saith the Drunkard, when he is asked how he seap'd such a passage: bring him back in the sober morning to see, and he falls down dead in astonishment.
Men commonly deale with their sinnes, as hedgers do, when they go to plash thorny bushes: they put on tyning gloues, that the Thornes may not pricke them. So these harden their hearts, that their owne thornes may giue them no compunction. But all vanities are but like the fooles ⟨p. 142⟩laughter, 1which Salomon compares to the crackling of thornes vnder a p•t: they make a noise, and suddenly go out. But sinne neuer parts with the wicked, without leauing a sting behind it.2 Luther saith, there are two fiends, that torment men in this world: and they are sinne, and a bad conscience. The latter followes the former: or if you will, the former wounds the latter: for sinne is the thorne, and the conscience the subiect it strikes. This thorne often pricks deepe; to the very heart. Acts 2. to the very bones, Psal. 38.3 There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne. 4Vis nunquam esse tristis? bene viue. Nunquam securus est reus animus. Wouldest thou neuer be sorrowfull? liue well. A guilty mind cannot be securely quiet. An euill mind is haunted and vexed with the thornes of his owne conscience. Sinne to the affections, whiles it is doing, is oleum vngens, supple oyle. Sinne to the conscience when it is done, is tribulus pungens, a pricking thorne. What extreame contraries doe often wicked conceits runne into? In their time of securitie they cannot be brought, to think sinne to be sinne. At last desperately, they thinke it such a sinne, that it cannot be forgiuen. At first they are delighted with the sense and smel of their iniquitie, as of a sweet rose: but the rose of their delight withers, and there is a thorne vnder it, that pricks the hart. Hereupon Salomon couples pleasāt vanitie, and troublesome vexation together. If that tickles the flesh, this shall wound the spirit. You shall heare an Vsurer in the madnes of presumption ⟨p. 143⟩expostulating, what? may I not make benefit of my money? Obserue him, and in the end you shall heare him in the madnes of despaire, cry out of his owne damnation for it. At first they make question whether it be a sinne: at last they know it such a sinne, that they make question whether God will forgiue it. So men will looke to sin either too superficially, or too superstitiously. There was no danger saith the Drunkard, when he is asked how he seap'd such a passage: bring him backe in the sober moming to see, and hee falls downe dead in astonishment.
- 1Eccl. 7. 6.
- 2In. Galat. cap. 1. ver. 3.
- 3Psal. 38. 3.
- 4I sid. lib. 2. Soliloquiorum. mens enim malae conscientiae proprijs agitatur stimulis.
