4 The spirit rebukes a man for his evil intents & desires, and represseth the face of them, and as it were nips them in the head. Thus Isaiah describeth the inward motions of the spirit, uAnd thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying this is the way walk ye in it, when thou turnest to the right hand and when thou turnest to the left. And Saint John saith: The spirit xjudgeth the world of sin. This was in David who when he did any evil, his hart smote him. 2. Sam. 24. 10. Out of this doctrine issueth a notable difference betwixt the wicked & the godly: In the godly when they are tempered to sin, there is a fight between the hart & the hart: that is, between the hart & it self: In the wicked also there is a fight, when they are tempted to sin: but3 this fight is only between the heart and the conscience. The wicked man whatsoever he is, hath some knowledge of good and evil: and therefore when he is in doing any evil, his conscience ⟨p. 92⟩accuseth, checketh and controleth him, & he feels it stirring in him, as if it were some living thing that crawled in his body, and gnawed upon his hart, and thereupon he is very often grieved for his sins, yet for all that he liketh his sins very well, and loveth them, and could find in his4 hart to continue in them for ever: so that indeed, when he sinneth, he hath in his hart a striving and a conflict, but that is only between himself and his conscience; But the godly have an other kind of battle and conflict, for not only their consciences prick them and reprove them for sin, but also their hearts are so renewed,5 that they rise in hatred and detestation of sin; and when they are tempted to evil by their flesh and Satan, they feel a lust and desire to do that which is good,
4 The spirit rebuks a man for his euil intents & desires, and represseth the face of them, and as it were nips them in the head. Thus Esay describeth the inward motions of the spirit, uAnd thine eares shal heare a word behind thee, saying this is the way walke yee in it, when thou turnest to the right hand and when thou turnest to the left. And Saint Iohn saith: The spirit xiudgeth the world of sinne. This was in Dauid who when he did any euill, his hart smote him. 2. Sam. 24. 10. Out of this doctrine issueth a notable difference betwixt the wicked & the godly: In the godly when they are tempred to sin, there is a fight between the hart & the hart: that is, betwene the hart & it self: In the wicked also there is a fight, when they are tempted to sinne: but3 this fight is onely betweene the heart and the conscience. The wicked man whatsoeuer hee is, hath some knowledge of good and euill: and therefore when hee is in doing anie euill, his conscience ⟨p. 92⟩accuseth, checketh and controuleth him, & he feeles it stirring in him, as if it were some liuing thing that crauled in his body, and gnawed vpon his hart, and therevpon he is verie often greeued for his sinnes, yet for all that hee liketh his sinnes verie well, and loueth them, and coulde finde in his4 hart to continue in them for euer: so that indeede, when hee sinneth, hee hath in his hart a striuing and a conflict, but that is onlie betweene himselfe and his conscience; But the godlie haue an other kinde of battell and conflict, for not onelie their consciences pricke them and reproue them for sinne, but also their hartes are so renewed,5 that they rise in hatred and detestation of sinne; and when they are tempted to euill by their flesh and Sathan, they feele a luste and desire to doe that which is good,
- uEsa. 30. 21
- xJoh. 36. 8.Ioh. 36. 8.
- 3Rom. 2. 14. 15.
- 41. Pet. 4. 3. 4
- 5Psal. 97. 10 Psal. 119. 104. 118. Rom. 7. 15.
