A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

Impediment 1. Self-love, ¹this the Apostle names as Captain general of the Devil's Army, whereby titular Christians manage their enmity against God, in the dregs of the last days, this will make the times dangerous, Men shall be lovers of their own ^cselves. When men over-esteem themselves, their own endowments of either body or mind; when they have a secret reserve for self in all they do, self-applause, or self-profit, this is like an error in the first concoction, get your hearts discharged of it, or you can never be spiritually healthful; the best of you are too prone to this; I would therefore commend it to you, to be jealous of your selves in this particular, ⟨p. 14⟩for as conjugal-jealousy is the bane of conjugal love, so self-jealousy will be the bane of self-love. Be suspicious of every thing that may steal away, or divert your love from God.

Impediment 1. Self-love, ¹this the Apostle names as Captain general of the Devil's Army, whereby titular Christians manage their enmity against God, in the dregs of the last dayes, this will make the times dangerous, Men shall be lovers of their own ^cselves. When men over-esteem themselves, their own endowments of either body or mind; when they have a secret reserve for self in all they do, self-applause, or self-profit, this is like an errour in the first concoction, get your hearts discharg'd of it, or you can never be spiritually healthful; the best of you are too prone to this; I would therefore commend it to you, to be jealous of your selves in this particular, ⟨p. 14⟩for as conjugal-jealousie is the bane of conjugal love, so self-jealousie will be the bane of self-love. Be suspicious of every thing that may steal away, or divert your love from God.

1. 1Impediments of our love to God.