The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

3. It may be known by its domination, its commanding power over all other sins: look as there is a kind of government in Hell, such an one as it is: Beelzebub is called the Prince of Devils; so in a wicked mans soul one sin or other is still uppermost, and keeps the throne: all other sins do as it were bow the knee to this sin, hold up the train of this sin: are obedient servants to this sin, it says to one go and it goes, and to another come, and it comes: for instance, if covetousness be the beloved sin, lying, and deceiving, and injurious dealing will serve that: If Ambition, temporising and sinful compliance will serve that: If Adultery, sinful wasting of time, and estate, and body will serve that. If Vainglory be the Pharisees great sin, devouring widows houses under pretence of long prayers, will serve that. As it is with a mans body, when it is hurt or maimed, all the ill humours will flow to the part that is ill affected. Hence it is, when a man is first wounded, he feels but a little pain, because he suffers only upon the single account of the division of the part: but after wards the pain is increased, for then he suffers doubly, upon the account of the division of the part, as also by the conflux of ill humours. When the soul hath received some gash, some hurt more then ordinary by its particular sin, all the sinful humours will make haste to feed that iniquity: so that this is the sin that carries it and bears the sway in the soul. In a word: the sinner hath the curse of Ham as it were pronounced upon him: a servant of servants is he, his other sins are servants to his beloved sin, and he himself is a slave to them all.

3. It may be known by its domination, its commanding power over all other sins: look as there is a kind of government in Hell, such an one as it is: Beelzebub is called the Prince of Devils; so in a wicked mans soul one sin or other is still uppermost, and keeps the throne: all other sins do as it were bow the knee to this sin, hold up the train of this sin: are obedient servants to this sin, it says to one go and it goes, and to another come, and it comes: for instance, if covetousness be the beloved sin, lying, and deceiving, and injurious dealing will serve that: If Ambition, temporising and sinful compliance will serve that: If Adultery, sinful wasting of time, and estate, and body will serve that. If Vainglory be the Pharisees great sin, devouring widows houses under pretence of long prayers, will serve that. As it is with a mans body, when it is hurt or maimed, all the ill humours will flow to the part that is ill affected. Hence it is, when a man is first wounded, he feels but a little pain, because he suffers only upon the single account of the division of the part: but after wards the paine is encreased, for then he suffers doubly, upon the account of the division of the part, as also by the conflux of ill humours. When the soule hath received some gash, some hurt more then ordinary by its particular sin, all the sinful humours will make haste to feed that iniquity: so that this is the sin that carries it and bears the sway in the soul. In a word: the sinner hath the curse of Cham as it were pronounced upon him: a servant of servants is he, his other sins are servants to his beloved sin, and he himself is a slave to them all.