Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

Secondly, look into the Conscience, you shall find it full of Insensibleness, the Apostle saith of the Gentiles,¹ That they were past feeling, and of the Apostates in the latter times, that they had their consciences seared with ²a hot iron, which things though they be spoken of an Habitual, and acqui•'d hardness which grows upon men by a custom of sin, yet we are to note that it is originally in the Conscience at first, and doth not so much come unto it, as grow out of it. As that branch which at first shooting out is flexible and tender grows at last even by it own disposition into a hard and stubbo•e bow, as those parts of the nail next the flesh which are at first softer then the rest, yet do of themselves grow to that hardness which is in the rest; so the consciences of children have the seeds of that insensibility in them, which makes them at last dea•e to every charm, and secure against all the thunder that is threatened against them. Full of Impurity and disobedience, dead, rotten,³ unsavoury works. Full of false and absurd excusations, and accusations, fearing where there is no cause of fear, and acquitting where there is great cause of fear as Saint Pauls here did.

Secondly, looke into the Conscience, you shall finde it full of Insensiblenesse, the Apostle saith of the Gentiles,¹ That they were past feeling, and of the Apostates in the latter times, that they had their consciences seared with ²a hot iron, which things though they be spoken of an Habituall, and acqui•'d hardnesse which growes upon men by a custome of sinne, yet wee are to note that it is originally in the Conscience at first, and doth not so much come unto it, as grow out of it. As that branch which at first shooting out is flexible and tender growes at last even by it owne disposition into a hard and stubboe bow, as those parts of the naile next the flesh which are at first softer then the rest, yet doe of themselves grow to that hardnesse which is in the rest; so the consciences of children have the seedes of that insensibility in them, which makes them at last deae to every charme, and secure against all the thunder that is threatned against them. Full of Impurity and disobedience, dead, rotten,