The Soul's Conflict with Itself

All the aggravations, that conscience and Satan helping it, are able to raise sin unto, cannot rise to that degree of infiniteness, that Gods mercy in Christ is of. If there be a spring of sin in us, there is a spring of mercy in him, and a fountain opened daily to wash ⟨p. 359⟩our selves in. If we sin oft, let us do as S. Paul, who prayed oft against the prick ¹of the flesh. If it be a devil of long continuance, yet fasting and prayer will drive him out at length.

All the aggravations, that conscience and Sathan helping it, are able to raise sinne unto, cannot rise to that degree of infinitenesse, that Gods mercy in Christ is of. If there be a spring of sin in us, there is a spring of mercy in him, and a fountaine opened daily to wash ⟨p. 359⟩our selves in. If we sin oft, let us do as S. Paul, who prayed oft against the prick ¹of the flesh. If it be a devill of long continuance, yet fasting and prayer will drive him out at length.

1. 1Zac. 13. 1.

Nothing keeps the soul more down, then sins of long continuance, because corruption of nature hath gotten such strength in them, as nature ¹is added to nature, and custom doth so ²determine and sway the soul one way, that men think it impossible to recover themselves, they see one link of sin draw on another, all making a chain to fasten them to destruction, they think of necessity they must be damned because custom hath bred a necessity of sinning in them, and conceive of the promise of mercy, as only made to such as turn from their sinful courses, in which they see themselves so hardened, that they cannot repent.