The Saints in this world, and in this mortal flesh, and most corrupt, are as Mariners in the sea; the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, are the tempests of the sea: Jona• is as Christ, with his word and law: to cast Jonah out of the ship into the sea is (as it were) to cast off, by sin, Christ and his law from us▪ The Mariners certainly did cast Jonah into the sea; so the Saints sin, not by casting the law of God from them, that is by transgressing of it, but being willing. But as they by many signs manifested, that they cast Jonah into the sea not willingly, that is, not from their desire, and purposely; so do the Saints declare, that they will not that sin which yet they commit: first, before the tempest of temptations they had no mind to transgress Gods law, but rather they hated sin, and loved the law of God; again, being ⟨p. 197⟩assaulted by temptations, they do not forthwith yield the hand, they do (as it were) with contrary oars, so much as strength will afford, resist and withstand; yea by calling upon the name of the Lord; and so long they do resist, until being (as it were) quashed in pieces, they do bow down under the temptation, which if it were not such and so great, that they Saints were not often able to resist they would never do that they would not, but would always do that they would. Thirdly, after the sin committed, or after the violence of the sea, that is of concupiscence, be abated, they do lament the fact, and mourn, and pray forgiveness, and offer the sacrifice of repentance, that he may pardon it: verily by all those things which befall to the Saints both before, in, and after the temptation, and sin committed, it abundantly appeareth, how the Saints in sinning both will and nill sin, and do the evil they would not, and do not the ⟨p. 198⟩good they would. And therefore it cannot be said of them; that they do sin as the wicked do, with a fui will.
The Saints in this world, and in this mortall flesh, and most corrupt, are as Mariners in the sea; the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the deuill, are the tempests of the sea: Iona• is as Christ, with his word and law: to cast Ionas out of the ship into the sea is (as it were) to cast off, by sinne, Christ and his law from vs▪ The Mariners certainly did cast Ionas into the sea; so the Saints sinne, not by casting the law of God from them, that is by transgressing of it, but being willing. But as they by many signes manifested, that they cast Ionas into the sea not willingly, that is, not from their desire, and purposely; so doe the Saints declare, that they will not that sinne which yet they commit: first, before the tempest of temptations they had no mind to transgresse Gods law, but rather they hated sinne, and loued the law of God; againe, being ⟨p. 197⟩assalted by temptations, they doe not forthwith yeeld the hand, they doe (as it were) with contrary oares, so much as strength will affoord, resist and withstand; yea by calling vpon the name of the Lord; and so long they doe resist, vntill being (as it were) quashed in peeces, they doe bow downe vnder the temptation, which if it were not such and so great, that they Saints were not often able to resist they wold neuer do that they would not, but would alwaies doe that they would. Thirdly, after the sinne committed, or after the violence of the sea, that is of concupiscence, be abated, they doe lament the fact, and mourne, and pray forgiuenesse, and offer the sacrifice of repentance, that hee may pardon it: verily by all those things which befall to the Saints both before, in, and after the temptation, and sinne committed, it abundantly appeareth, how the Saints in sinning both will and nill sinne, and doe the euil they would not, and doe not the ⟨p. 198⟩good they would. And therefore it cannot be said of them; that they do sin as the wicked do, with a fui will.
