Englands sickness, comparatively conferred with Israels Divided into two sermons, by ThoEnglands sicknes, comparatively conferred with Israels Diuided into two sermons, by Tho

So timorous is this Patient, that because he knows his ⟨p. 86⟩wound deep, he will not suffer the Chirurgeon to search it, willing rather to kill his soul, then to disquiet it. Such is the folly of his partial indulgence to his conscience, that whiles he would softer it, he doth fester it. They write of the Elephant, that (as if guilty of his own deformity, and therefore not abiding to view his snout in a clear spring:) he seeks about for troubled and muddy waters to drink in, This sick wretch (without question induced by the like reason) refuseth to look into the glass of the Law, or to come to the clear springs of the Gospel, or any perspective that may represent his evil conscience to his eyes, but seeks to muddy and polluted channels, Taverns, Theatres, societies of sin, to drown the thought of former iniquities with floods of new. (And if he be enforced to any such reflection, he spurns and tramples that admonition, as Apes break the glass that represents their deformity, He runs himself prodigally into so deep arrearages and debts, that he cannot endure to hear of a reckoning. Whiles he despairs of sufficiency to pay the old, h•e recks not into what new desperate courses and curses he precipitates himself. And as it was in the Fable with the blind woman and the Physician: the Physician coming often to her house, ever carried away a portion of her best goods; so that at last recovered, by that time her sight was come again, her goods were gone. So this wretch will not see the ransacking of his soul, and spoil of his graces, till his conscience be left empty, and then he sees, and cries too late, as Esau for his blessing.

So timorous is this Patient, that because he knows his ⟨p. 86⟩wound deepe, he will not suffer the Chirurgion to search it, willing rather to kill his soule, then to •isquiet it. Such is the folly of his partiall indulgence to his conscience, that whiles hee would softer it, he doth fester it. They write of the Elephant, that (as if guilty of his owne deformity, and therfore not abiding to view his snowt in a cleare spring:) he seekes about for troubled and muddy waters to drinke in, This sicke wretch (without question induced by the like reason) refuseth to looke into the glasse of the Law, or to come to the cleare springs of the Gospell, or any perspectiue that may represent his euill conscience to his eyes, but seekes to muddy and polluted channels, Tauerns, Theaters, societies of sinne, to drowne the thought of former iniquities with floudes of new. (And if he be enforced to any such reflection, hee spurnes and tramples that admonition, as Apes breake the glasse that represents their deformity, He runs himselfe prodigally into so deepe arrerages and debts, that hee cannot endure to heare of a reckoning. Whiles he despaires of sufficiency to pay the old, he reckes not into what new desperate courses and curses he precipitates himselfe. And as it was in the Fable with the blind woman and the Physitian: the Physitian comming often to her house, euer carried away a portion of her best goods; so that at last recouered, by that time her sight was come againe, her goods were gone. So this wretch will not see the ransacking of his soule, and spoile of his graces, till his conscience be left empty, and then hee sees, and cries too late, as Esau for his blessing.