How should this startle and affright the secure worldlings of our time? sawest thou ever a leprous person whose body is bespread with sores and scabs: Such and a thousand times worse art thou in the sight of God. Knewest thou at any time a man in debt for some hundreds of pounds more than he is worth, for whom the Bailiffs and Sergeants lye in wait at every corner: see the shadow of thy own estate in him. A world of actions hath the Lord against thee, and his justice is ready to attach thee, and ⟨p. 17⟩seize upon thee every hour. Could we seriously think on this, it would make us unsatisfied in abasing our selves, and cause us never to rest, till we have made our peace with God. Thou beholdest abroad a vain person, fairly set out to the eye, tricked and trimmed in the best fashion, and it may be thou knowest of some secret foul disease he hath, or of some great debt he is in: Dost thou not in thy thoughts now scorn such a one of folly; Dost thou not say to thy self, no marvel (sure) he should be so proud, that hath such a deal of filthiness underneath his gayness, ⟨p. 18⟩that lies in every bodies debt, and owes more than he is able to discharge. Turn this home to thine own soul and wonder as much at thy self that can be so careless, so fearless, so presumptuous, when thy soul hath such need of washing, and there are against thee such Bills of iniquity, and for ought thou knowest not yet blotted out before the Lord. Canst thou think well of thy self that hast by nature such a filthy soul? Oh bewail that spiritual thraldom wherein thou art plunged, commune wth thine own heart and say, Into what misery ⟨p. 19⟩& bondage have I brought my self? Thou Lord madest me holy, pure, and upright; but by sin I sold my self unto the service of Satan, from which to this day, I cannot get deliverance. My mind is blind, vain, foolish, my will perverse and rebellious, all my affections out of order, there is nothing whole or sound within me. Night and day I am pestered with sinful motions. The desires of my deceitful heart be so strong and prevailing, that I am carried headlong to that which is evil.
How should this startle and affright the secure worldlings of our time? sawest thou ever a leprous person whose body is bespred with sores and scabs: Such and a thousand times worse art thou in the sight of God. Knewest thou at any time a man in debt for some hundreds of pounds more than he is worth, for whom the Bayliffes and Serjeants lye in waite at every corner: see the shadow of thy own estate in him. A world of actions hath the Lord against thee, and his justice is ready to attache thee, and ⟨p. 17⟩seise upon thee every houre. Could we seriously thinke on this, it would make us unsatisfied in abasing our selves, and cause us never to rest, till we have made our peace with God. Thou beholdest abroad a vaine person, fairely set out to the eye, tricked and trimmed in the best fashion, and it may be thou knowest of some secret foule disease he hath, or of some great debt he is in: Dost thou not in thy thoughts now scorne such a one of folly; Dost thou not say to thy selfe, no marvell (sure) he should be so proud, that hath such a deale of filthinesse underneath his gaynesse, ⟨p. 18⟩that lies in every bodies debt, and owes more than hee is able to discharge. Turne this home to thine own soule and wonder as much at thy selfe that can bee so carelesse, so fearelesse, so presumptuous, when thy soule hath such neede of washing, and there are against thee such Bills of iniquity, and for ought thou knowest not yet blotted out before the Lord. Canst thou thinke well of thy selfe that hast by nature such a filthy soule? Oh bewail that spirituall thraldome wherein thou art plunged, commune wth thine own heart and say, Into what misery ⟨p. 19⟩& bōdage have I brought my selfe? Thou Lord madest me holy, pure, and upright; but by sin I sold my selfe unto the service of Sathan, from which to this day, I cannot get deliverance. My mind is blind, vaine, foolish, my will perverse and rebellious, all my affections out of order, there is nothing whole or sound within me. Night and day I am pestered with sinfull motions. The desires of my deceitfull heart bee so strong and prevailing, that I am carried headlong to that which is evil.
