The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

but now I would have you see sin in the nature of it, and therefore look upon sin ⟨p. 262⟩in the Lord Jesus Christ, and there see it in its colours, and see what vexation it brought on our Saviour, the same it will bring upon thee, unless the Lord be the more merciful. Is is with sinners, as it is with children; little children that know not the nature of a Bear or a Lion, if they lie sleeping, they will be ready to play with them; but if the Bear begin to shake himself, and the Lion begin to roar, it makes not only children afraid, but even the stoutest to fly, we dally with the hole of the Asp: sin hath devoured thousands at this day, and children that we are, we play with sin, and with the pride of our own cursed hearts, and our lusts, and our ambition, and uncleanness, and with the neglect of Gods ordinances, and every other corruption: The drunkard plays with his drunkenness, and the adulterer with his dalliances, and the proud man with his ambitious thoughts, and so every wretch with his wicked practices, and this ambition is now asleep: but if you could see these roaring upon you, and ready to devour you, then certainly you that now take delight in them, would fly from them: Proverbs 7.27. It is observable what sin will do, the adulterous woman meets the poor deluded creature, and she enticeth him with her base lusts, and he dreams of nothing but Down beds, and all kind of dalliance, and he knows nothing but goes as an Ox to the slaughter, until a dart strike through his liver, and he knows not that it is for his life, he goes and his life goes: Her house is the way to the grave, ⟨p. 263⟩which goeth down to the chambers of death: the like is in Judas, he desired to betray Christ, and for what? only to get a little poor pittance of thirty pence: his covetousness was now asleep, and he had a murdering heart towards the Lord Jesus Christ, and a covetous heart for himself: all this while sin was asleep; but when Christ was attached and condemned, then Judas began to be worried with his corruptions; he comes in horror of heart and throws down the thirty pence, and comes into the high Priests hall, and saith, I have sinned in betraying innocent blood: Now tell me, Judas, is it good to be covetous now?

but now I would have you see sinne in the nature of it, and therefore looke upon sinne