A09364:73
The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three main questions concerning…The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three maine questions concerning…
The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three main questions concerning man, simply considered in himself, are propounded and resolved, according to the word of God. Taught and delivered, by M. William Perkins in his Holy-day lectures, by himself revised before his death, and now published for the benefit of the Church.The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three maine questions concerning man, simply considered in himselfe, are propounded and resolued, according to the word of God. Taught and deliuered, by M. William Perkins in his Holy-day lectures, by himselfe revised before his death, and now published for the benefit of the Church.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1604Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1604
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The use of this doctrine is manifold. First, by it we learn, what the heart of man is by nature: namely, a corrupt and unclean fountain, out of1 which issueth in the course of this life, the streams of corruptions infinite in number, noisome in qualities, heinous in degrees, dangerous in effects. For from thence do flow, all the differences of sins before named, with their several branches, and infinite many more, that cannot be rehearsed. This must move us humbly to sue unto God, & earnestly to entreat him, to wash us throughly from our wickedness, & cleanse us from our sins: yea to purge and to rinse the fountain thereof, our unclean and polluted hearts. And when by Gods mercy in Christ, apprehended by faith, our hearts shall be purified, then to set watch & ward2 over them▪ and to keep them with all diligence.3 Secondly it teacheth us, that miserable mortal man, is not guilty of one or more sins, but of many & sundry corruptions, both of heart and life. Who can understand his faults? saith David. Now4 the allowance of sin being death by gods ordinance, & God being justice it self: answerably to the ⟨p. 42⟩number of our offences, must we needs be liable to many punishments, yea to death it self, both of the body and of the soul. This being our woeful estate, little cause is there, that any man should think himself to be in good case, or presume of Gods mercy in regard of the small number of his sins. And much less cause hath he, falsely to imagine with the Popish sort, that he can merit the favour of God by any work done by him, above that which the Law requireth; considering that it is impossible for him to know either the number, or the nature, or the measure of his sins. Lastly, the consideration of this point, must be a bar to keep us in, that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our own estate: for as much as we learn out of the word of God, that in respect of the multitude of our corruptions, this our life is full of much evil, and many difficulties, that we have whole armies of enemies to encounter withal, not only out of us in the world abroad, but within us, lurking even in our own flesh.