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…

Fourthly, when thou comest to lay hold on §4mercy at death,¹ thy knowledge will give thee up to more despair, than another man. Knowledge, though when it is but newly revealed, it is an help; yet not made use of, turns against the soul, to wound it, and to work despair; and this both because we have sinned against the means that should have saved us, as also because such as sin against knowledge, sin with more presumption; and the more presumption in thy life, the more despair thou art apt to fall into at death. Therefore Isaiah 59. 11, 12. what brought such trouble, and roarings like Bears upon these Jews? and that when salvation was looked for, that yet it was so far off from them, in their apprehensions? our iniquities (say they) testify to our face, and we know them. Now then sins testify to our face, when our conscience took notice of them, even to our faces, when we were committing them; and then also the same sins themselves will again testify to our faces, when we have recourse for the pardon of them. Therefore thou wilt ⟨p. 90⟩lye roaring on thy death bed, and that thou knowest them, will come as an argument, that thou shalt not have mercy. As ignorance is a plea for mercy, I did it ignorantly, therefore I obtained mercy; so I did it knowingly, will come in as a bar and a plea against thee, therefore I shall not have mercy.

Fourthly, when thou commost to lay hold on §4mercy at death,¹ thy knowledge will give thee up to more despaire, than another man. Knowledge, though when it is but newly revealed, it is an help; yet not made use of, turns against the soul, to wound it, and to work despaire; and this both because we have sinned against the meanes that should have saved us, as also because such as sinne against knowledge, sin with more presumption; and the more presumption in thy life, the more despaire thou art apt to fall into at death. Therefore Esay 59. 11, 12. what brought such trouble, and roarings like Beares upon these Jewes? and that when salvation was looked for, that yet it was so far off from them, in their apprehensions? our iniquities (say they) testifie to our face, and we know them. Now then sins testifie to our face, when our conscience tooke notice of them, even to our faces, when we were committing them; and then also the same sins themselves will againe testifie to our faces, when we have recourse for the pardon of them. Therefore thou wilt