Aggravation of sin and sinning against knowledge. Mercy. Delivered in several sermons upon divers…Aggravation of sinne and sinning against knowledge. Mercie. Delivered in severall sermons upon divers…

Secondly, in regard of a known estate of sin, and impenitency persisted in; when men continue, ⟨p. 61⟩and go on in such a state against conviction of conscience, that such is their estates.

Secondly, in regard of a knowne estate of sinne, and impenitencie persisted in; when men continue, ⟨p. 61⟩and goe on in such a state against conviction of conscience, that such is their estates.

For the first,¹ because particular acts of sin committed against knowledge are infinite, and there will be no end of instancing in particulars,² therefore I will not insist: Only in brief this distinction concerning such acts may be observed, and the observation of it may be useful: That some acts of sins against knowledge, are merely transient: that is, are done and ended at once. And though the guilt of them is eternal, yet the extent of the act is finished with the committing it, and reacheth no further:³ as a vain oath, breach of the Sabbath, &c. which acts cannot be repealed, though they may be repented of. But others there are, which though the act may be but once outwardly and professedly done,⁴ yet have an habitual and continued permanency, life, & subsistence given it, such as that until a man doth recall them, he may be said continually to renew those acts, and every day to be guilty of them, and to maintain it, and so habitually to commit them. As it is with Laws, which though made but once, are yet continued acts of the State, whilst they stand in force unrepealed: so is it in some sins. For instance, when a man doth take goods from his neighbour unjustly, the act indeed is done but once: but till he restores them, he may be said to steal them; every day, every hour, he continues to do it habitually; So a man having subscribed to falsehood, or recanted the truth publicly, the act, though done but once, yet until a retractation be some ways made, he