A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

VII. If you would not be swallowed up with sorrow, swallow not the Baits of sinful Pleasure. Passions, and Dullness, and defective Du•ies have their degrees of guilt; but it is pleasing Sin that is the dangerous and deep wounding Sin. O fly from the Baits of Lust, and Pride, and Ambition, and Covetousness, and an unruly Appetite to Drink or Meat, as you would fly from guilt, and grief, and terror. The more pleasure you have in Sin, usually the more sorrow it will bring you; and the more you know it to be Sn, and Conscience tells you that God is against it, and yet you will go on, and bear down Conscience, the sharplier will Conscience afterward afflict you, and the hardlier will it be quieted when it is awakened to Repentance: yea, when a humbled Soul is pardoned by Grace, and believeth that he is pardoned, he will not easily forgive himself. The remembrance of the wilfulness of sinning, and how poor a Bait prevailed with us, and what Mercies and Motives we bore down, will ⟨p. 283⟩make us so displeased and angry with our selves, and so to loath such naughty hearts, as will not admit a speedy or easy reconciliation. Yea, when we remember that we sinned against knowledge, even when we remembered that God did see us, and that we offended him, it will keep up long doubts of our Sincerity in the Soul, and make us afraid lest still we have the same hearts, and should again do the same if we had the same Temptations. Never look for Joy or Peace as long as you live in wilful and beloved Sin: This Thorn must be taken out of your hearts before you will be eased of the pain; unless God leave you to a senseless heart, and Satan give you a deceitful peace, which doth but prepare for greater sorrow.

VII. If you would not be swallowed up with sorrow, swallow not the Baits of sinful Pleasure. Passions, and Dulness, and defective Du•ies have their degrees of guilt; but it is pleasing Sin that is the dangerous and deep wounding Sin. O fly from the Baits of Lust, and Pride, and Ambition, and Covetousness, and an unruly Appetite to Drink or Meat, as you would fly from guilt, and grief, and terror. The more pleasure you have in Sin, usually the more sorrow it will bring you; and the more you know it to be Sn, and Conscience tells you that God is against it, and yet you will go on, and bear down Conscience, the sharplier will Conscience afterward afflict you, and the hardlier will it be quieted when it is awakned to Repentance: yea, when a humbled Soul is pardoned by Grace, and believeth that he is pardoned, he will not easily forgive himself. The remembrance of the wilfulness of sinning, and how poor a Bait prevailed with us, and what Mercies and Motives we bore down, will