When Grace is gone from the soul, the excellency is departed from it; as it was said of Reuben, his excellency was departed, in respect of that sin of his. How many a man or woman, who have fair comely bodies, good complexion, beautifully dressed up; but within, spirits most ugly and horrid; spirits ⟨p. 109⟩full of filth, full of venom & loathsome distempers; spirits full of wounds and putrefied sores, breeding filthiness continually; nothing else but filth and corruption issuing out from them: Men of corrupt minds, as the Apostle speaks? How unsavoury to any who have the least of God in them? If the Lord should give men but a view of the horrid deformedness, and filthiness of their spirits, it would amaze them, and sink their hearts in woeful horror; they could not but abhor themselves, as loathsome creatures, fit to be cast out from the Lord, as an everlasting curse: especially, if together with the filth of their own spirits, they had a sight of the infinite brightness, and glory of the holiness of God, who is an infinite, pure, glorious Spirit. God abhors not any other filthiness, but the filth of spirits. The Devils are abhorred of God, because they are unclean spirits. There is no other object of Gods hatred, but the corruption of spirits. God made mans ⟨p. 110⟩soul at first, a most excellent creature, the very glass of his own infinite wisdom and holiness; but now, what an ugly, base, loathsome creature is it, where it is not renewed? If mens bodies were deformed, and ran with loathsome issues, and putrefied sores, how dejected would they be in their own thoughts? But certainly this spirit-defilement is incomparably worse. If mens bodies were so putrisied, that they bred vermin continually (as it is reported of Maximinus) how grievous would it be to them? Their spirits have these loathsome diseases upon them, by which they are infinitely more miserable. If they had such a distemper of body, as their excrements came from them, when they knew not of it; this would be accounted a grievous evil: but their spirits so corrupt, that much filth comes from them, and they know not of it. Many are so deeply putrefied in their spirits, that they usually swear and speak filthily, and know not of it; and think this ⟨p. 111⟩a sufficient excuse, that they did not think of it.
When Grace is gone from the soule, the excellency is departed from it; as it was said of Ruben, his excellency was departed, in respect of that sinne of his. How many a man or woman, who have faire comely bodies, good complexion, beautifully dressed up; but within, spirits most ugly and horrid; spirits ⟨p. 109⟩full of filth, full of venome & loathsome distempers; spirits full of wounds and putrified sores, breeding filthinesse continually; nothing else but filth and corruption issuing out from them: Men of corrupt mindes, as the Apostle speakes? How unsavory to any who have the least of God in them? If the Lord should give men but a view of the horrid deformednesse, and filthinesse of their spirits, it would amaze them, and sinke their hearts in wofull horrour; they could not but abhorre themselves, as loathsome creatures, fit to be cast out from the Lord, as an everlasting curse: especially, if together with the filth of their owne spirits, they had a sight of the infinite brightnesse, and glory of the holines of God, who is an infinite, pure, glorious Spirit. God abhorrs not any other filthinesse, but the filth of spirits. The Devills are abhorred of God, because they are uncleane spirits. There is no other object of Gods hatred, but the corruption of spirits. God made mans ⟨p. 110⟩soule at first, a most excellent creature, the very glasse of his owne infinite wisedome and holinesse; but now, what an ugly, base, loathsome creature is it, where it is not renewed? If mens bodies were deformed, and ranne with loathsome issues, and putrified sores, how dejected would they be in their owne thoughts? But certainly this spirit-defilement is incomparably worse. If mens bodies were so putrisied, that they bred vermine continually (as it is reported of Maximinus) how grievous would it be to them? Their spirits have these loathsome diseases upon them, by which they are infinitely more miserable. If they had such a distemper of body, as their excrements came from them, when they knew not of it; this would be accounted a grievous evill: but their spirits so corrupt, that much filth comes from them, and they know not of it. Many are so deeply putrified in their spirits, that they usually sweare and speak filthily, and know not of it; and think this ⟨p. 111⟩a sufficient excuse, that they did not thinke of it.
