Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

He is a desperate gamester that will venture a Crown at a throw, against some petty advantage: yet this is really done by sinners who hazard the loss ⟨image 120⟩of Heaven for this World: they hang by slender strings, a little breath that expires every moment, over bottomless perdition, and are insensible, without any palpitation of Heart, any sign of fear.

How strong is the delusion and concupiscence of the carnally minded? The lusts of the flesh bribe and corrupt their understandings, or diverts them from serious consideration of their ways and the issues of them. From hence it is they are presently entangled and vanquished by sensual temptations; they are cozened by the colours of good and evil, and Satan easily accomplishes his most pernicious and envious design, to make Men miserable as himself. How just is the reproach of Wisdom▪ How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity, and fools hate knowledge? The light of reason and revelation shines upon them, they have not the excuse of ignorance, but the righteous and heavy condemnation of those who love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. 'Tis no mean degree of guilt to extenuate sin, and make an apology for sinners. The wisest of Men, tells us, Fools make a mock of sin: they count it a fond niceness, a silly preciseness to be fearful of offending God. They boast of their deceitful arts and insinuations, whereby they represent sin as a light matter, to corrupt others. But 'tis infinitely better to be defective in the subtlety of the Serpent, than in the innocence of the Dove. A mere natural, who is only capable of sensitive actions, and is distinguished from a Brute by his shape, is not such a forlorn sot, as the sinful fool. What the Prophet Jeremiah speaks of one who gets riches unjustly, that he shall leave them, and in the end die a fool, will be verified of the wilful obstinate sinner: in the end he shall by the terrible conviction of his own mind be found guilty of the most woeful folly: and how many have acknowledged in their last hours, when usually Men speak with the most feeling and least affectation, how have they in words of the Psalmist arraigned themselves, So foolish have we been, and like beasts before thee?