The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse showing a Christians…The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse shewing a Christians…

2. When a man is worse after then before, this is an evident sign he hath profaned this Ordinance. When a man is strengthened in a state of sin returns with more violence to any particular sin; as you see Judas, the Devil entered into him, he took fuller and stronger possession of him; and you shall see this the ordinary fruit of profanation of this ordinance, men wax worse & worse, proceeding from evil to evil. It may be, when first they came to receive, they were fearful; for there is some natural tenderness ⟨p. 154⟩of conscience in men, and they are afraid to come to so great an Ordinance, without some kind of preparation, and therefore it may be they did catch up a book the day before, and say a Prayer more, carry themselves demurely. But afterwards, when men are grown up in the profanation of this ordinance, they can look upon all the threats, upon all the judgements denounced against them in this Ordinance, and never start at them, never tremble. And what is the Reason they trembled before, and do not now, their condition is never the better, it may be far worse. Why, here is the reason, the custom of profanation of this Ordinance, hath hardened them in their way, they now fear nothing, their heart is fortified. They have sinned away those common principles, that natural tenderness, that was once in them; ⟨p. 155⟩Sin is an eating thing, it eats out the very heart of every thing wch is good in men. A man may not only sin away his moral principles, but he may sin away the very principles of nature. Sin will never leave till it hath made all as vile as it self, Rom. 1.26, 27. When men live in the profanation of this Ordinance, they wax worse and worse. That man runs violently on in sin, who sets out from the profanation of Gods Ordinances, because he runs with the Devils strength, Satan hath filled his heart with more mischief. As the Saints do run more actively in the ways of God after, so the wicked more violently in a way of sin. The profanation of this Ordinance doth strengthen men to further sin; either as, 1. One sin doth dispose a man to another, helps the birth of another.

2. When a man is worse after then before, this is an evident sign hee hath prophaned this Ordinance. When a man is strengthened in a state of sin returns with more violence to any particular sin; as you see Judas, the Devil entred into him, he took fuller and stronger possession of him; and you shall see this the ordinary fruit of prophanation of this ordinance, men wax worse & worse, proceeding from evill to evill. It may be, when first they came to receive, they were fearfull; for there is some naturall tenderness