A discourse about the state of true happiness delivered in certain sermons in Oxford,…A discourse about the state of true happinesse deliuered in certaine sermons in Oxford,…

But these more inward marks of difference, howsoever by a sweet and gracious experience they be felt, and acknowledged of the child of God; yet generally, and to the unregenerate, they are hidden mysteries, and undiscernible to the brightest eye of the natural man. Therefore I will come to those marks of difference betwixt the state of formal hypocrisy, and saving grace, which are more outward, familiar, and more generally, and casilie discernible. Of which one may be this:

But these more inward markes of difference, howsoeuer by a sweete and gratious experience they be felt, and acknowledged of the child of God; yet generally, and to the vnregenerate, they are hidden mysteries, and vndiscernable to the brightest eye of the naturall man. Therefore I will come to those markes of difference betwixt the state of formall hypocrisie, and sauing grace, which are more outward, familiar, and more generally, and casilie discernable. Of which one may be this:

The power of grace doth beget in a regenerate man, a watchfulness, care and conscience of smaller offences, of secret sins, of sinful thoughts, of appearances of evil, of all occasions of sin, of profane company, of giving just offence in indifferent actions and the like: whereas the formal hypocrite taketh not such things as these much to heart, but either makes no conscience of them at all, holding it a point of preciseness to be too conscionable; or else proportions it to serve his own turn, or to give satisfaction to others. And in forbearance of sins, he hath an especial eye only at those that may notoriously disgrace him in the world, entangle him in danger of law, or vex his conscience with some extraordinary terror.

The power of grace doth beget in a regenerate man, a watchfulnesse, care and conscience of smaller offences, of secret sins, of sinfull thoughts, of appearances of euill, of all occasions of sinne, of prophane companie, of giuing iust offence in indifferent actions and the like: whereas the formall hypocrite taketh not such things as these much to heart, but either makes no conscience of them at all, holding it a point of precisenes to be too conscionable; or else proportions it to serue his owne turne, or to giue satisfaction to others. And in forbearance of sinnes, he hath an especiall eye onely at those that may notoriously disgrace him in the world, entangle him in danger of law, or vexe his conscience with some extraordinarie terror.