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…

And now when we can secure our Consciences in the inward, true, and spiritual renovation of our heart, in this invincible and unperishable obsignation of the spirit, who knitteth us as really (though mystically) unto Christ, as his sinews and joints do fasten the parts of his sacred body together; how may our heads be crowned with joy, and our hearts sweetly bathe themselves in the perfruition and preoccupation of those rivers of glory which attend that Spirit wheresoever he goeth? Many things I know there are which may extremely dishearten us in this interim of mortality; many things which therein encounter and oppose our progress. The rage, malice and subtlety of Satan; the frowns, flatteries, threats, and insinuations of this present World; the impatience and stubbornness of our own flesh; the strugglings and counterlustings of our own potent corruptions; the daily consciousness of our fall's and infirmities; the continual intercourse of our doubts and fears; the ebbing and languishing, decaying and even expiring of our Faith and Graces; the frequent experience of Gods just displeasure, and spiritual desertions, leaving the Soul to its own dumps and darkness. Sometimes like froward children we throw our selves down and will not stand: and sometimes there comes a tempest which blows us down that we cannot stand. And now whither should a poor Soul, which is thus on all sides invitoned with fears and dangers, betake it self? Surely so long as it looks either within or about it self, no marvel if it be ready to sink under the concurrent opposition of so many assaults.

And now when we can secure our Consciences in the inward, true, and spirituall renovation of our heart, in this invincible and unperishable obsignation of the spirit, who knitteth us as really (though mistically) unto Christ, as his sinewes and joynts do fasten the parts of his sacred body together; how may our heads bee crowned with joy, and our hearts sweetly bathe themselves in the perfruition and preoccupation of those rivers of glory which attend that Spirit wheresoever he goeth? Many things I know there are which may extremely disharten us in this interim of mortalitie; many things which therein encounter and oppose our progresse. The rage, malice and subtilty of Satan; the frownes, flatterles, threates, and insinuations of this present World; the impatience and stubbornnesse of our owne flesh; the struglings and counterlustings of our owne potent corruptions; the daily consciousnesse of our fall's and infirmities; the continuall entercourse of our doubts and feares; the ebbing and languishing, decaying and even expiring of our Faith and Graces; the frequent experience of Gods just displeasure, and spirituall desertions, leaving the Soule to its owne dumpes and darknesse. Sometimes like froward children we throw our selves downe and will not stand: and sometimes there comes a tempest which blowes us downe that we cannot stand. And now whither should a poore Soule, which is thus on all sides invitoned with feares and dangers, betake it selfe? Surely so long as it lookes either within or about it selfe, no marvell if it be ready to sinke under the concurrent opposition of so many assaults.