The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

1. In your preventing sin, and maintaining your Innocency, if you cannot do it without denying your credit, and exposing your self to disgrace; or without the loss of friends, or a breach in your estate, do it nevertheless: Yea, if it would cost you your utter ruin in the world, thank God that put such an opportunity into your hand for extraordinary Consolations: For ordinarily the Martyrs Comforts exceed other mens, as much as their burden of duty and suffering doth. Cyprian is fain to write for the comfort of some Christians in his times, that at death were troubled that they mist of their hopes of Martyrdom. So also if you cannot mortify any lust without much pinching the flesh, do it cheerfully; for the dearer the victory costeth you, the sweeter will be the issue and review.

1. In your preventing sin, and maintaining your Innocency, if you cannot do it without denying your credit, and exposing your self to disgrace; or without the loss of friends, or a breach in your estate, do it nevertheless: Yea, if it would cost you your utter ruine in the world, thank God that put such an opportunity into your hand for extraordinary Consolations: For ordinarily the Martyrs Comforts exceed other mens, as much as their burthen of duty and suffering doth. Cyprian is fain to write for the comfort of some Christians in his times, that at death were troubled that they mist of their hopes of Martyrdom. So also if you cannot mortifie any lust without much pinching the flesh, do it chearfully; for the dearer the victory costeth you, the sweeter will be the issue and review.

2. The same counsel I give you also in your rising from sin. It is the sad condition of those that yield to a Temptation, and once put their foot within the doors of Satan, that they ensnare themselves so, that they must undergo thrice as great difficulties to draw back, as they needed to have done before-hand for prevention and forbearance. Sin unhappily engageth the sinner to go on; and ⟨p. 326⟩one sin doth make another seem necessary. O how hard a thing is it for him that wronged another by stealing, deceit, over-reaching in bargaining, or the like, to confess his fault, and ask him forgiveness, and to the utmost of his ability to make restitution! What abundance of difficulties will be in the way? It will likely cost him the loss of his Credit, besides the breach in his estate, and perhaps lay him open to the rage of him that he hath wronged. Rather he will be drawn to cover his sin with a Lye, or at least by Excuses. And so it is in many other sins. Now in any of these Cases, when men indulge the flesh, and cannot find in their hearts to take that loss or shame to themselves, which a through-Repentance doth require, they do but feed the troubles of their soul, and hide their wounds and sores, and not ease them. Usually such persons go on in a galled, unpeaceable condition, and reach not to solid Comfort: (I speak only of those to whom such Confession or Restitution is a duty.) And I cannot wonder at it: For they have great cause to question the truth of that Repentance, and consequently the soundness of that heart, which will not bring them to a self-denying duty, nor to Gods way of rising from their sin. It seems at present the interest of the flesh is actually predominant,