Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

If you keep your Sins now, you do despite unto the Spirit of Grace that in the Gospel,¹ invites, persuades, and offers to enable you to forsake them: You trample under foot the precious Blood of the Son of God, which should wash you from all your Impurities; you count it as a common thing, and let it be spilt in vain, as water on the ground. One brings in Satan upbraiding our Saviour with the fewness of his Followers, and true Disciples; he (Satan) did never any good for Man, he is Mans Enemy on all accounts; and yet upon the offer of any foolish Toy, Profit or Pleasure, he is obeyed, and men yield themselves up to his service, tho so hard and tyrannical a Master. Our Blessed Lord became Man, lived meanly, dyed miserably, that he might gain Obedience to such just Precepts and Commandments that are for our good, and yet hath so very few that will serve and obey him:² Be astonished, O ye Heavens; Therefore Christ dyed, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of the living and of the dead: All things are put under his feet, and by his Power he ruleth over all, whether they will or no: But Christ died and suffered, that he might obtain a willing People, ³such as out of choice and love would obey him.

If you keep your Sins now, you do despite unto the Spirit of Grace that in the Gospel,¹ invites, perswades, and offers to enable you to forsake them: You trample under foot the precious Blood of the Son of God, which should wash you from all your Impurities; you count it as a common thing, and let it be spilt in vain, as water on the ground. One brings in Satan upbraiding our Saviour with the fewness of his Followers, and true Disciples; he (Satan) did never any good for Man, he is Mans Enemy on all accounts; and yet upon the offer of any foolish Toy, Profit or Pleasure, he is obeyed, and men yield themselves up to his service, tho so hard and tyrannical a Master. Our Blessed Lord became Man, liv'd meanly, dyed miserably, that he might gain Obedience to such just Precepts and Commandments that are for our good, and yet hath so very few that will serve and obey him:²