A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

Secondly, if we would preserve our hearts in purity, we must labour to keep them from all sin; not only those reigning and raging lusts, which waste the conscience, and extinguish the vital spirits, like strong poisons; but even from those lesser corruptions which most men regard not, thinking no sin so small that we may live in it, nor giving allowance to the least carnal and worldly lusts. For these also will defile the heart themselves, and make way for the pollution of fouler sins, whilst they lessen our care to keep them out; even as when the house is already somewhat fouled, men care not greatly though it be fouled more, whereas when they see it clean, they more carefully keep it so from all annoyance. But most especially we must labour to preserve our hearts pure from those sins, with which they have formerly been most tainted, and unto which they are still most naturally inclined. And as men take most care to prevent hereditary diseases; and that they do not by relapse fall into that sickness, out of which they have newly recovered, because they are more prone unto them then any other: so also must we do in keeping our hearts pure from those special corruptions, which have made them sick to the death, and have fearfully hazarded their everlasting salvation. In time of war we most strongly man that part of the wall, which being weakest, hath most often been attempted by the enemy; and if a breach be made, we keep it with a narrow watch and strong guard, till it be again repaired. So the experience of our enemies policy and power in putting us often to the worst, doth make us more vigilant and ⟨p. 64⟩