Ninthly, Many take up in an outward change and reformation, they have left some old courses and sinful practices, which formerly they walked in &c. and therefore they conclude and hope, that their condition is good, and that all is well, and shall be for ever well with them; they were wont to swear, whore, be drunk, profane Sabbaths, reproach Saints, &c. but now they have left all these practices, and therefore the main work is done, and they are made for ever. I confess sin is that abominable1 thing which God hates, and therefore it is a very great mercy to turn from it; to leave one sin is a greater mercy, than to win the whole world; and it is certain that he that doth not outwardly reform, shall never go to heaven; he that doth not leave his sins he2 can never be happy here, nor blessed hereafter, and yet it is possible for a man with Herod to reform many things3 and yet be a lost and undone man for ever as he was. Judas was a very reformed man, but he was never inwardly changed, nor throughout sanctified. The Scribes and Pharisees were outwardly reformed, but they were not inwardly renewed. A man may be another man than what once he was, and yet not be a new man, a new creature. When a sinner is sermon-sick, O! then he will4 leave his sins, but when that sickness is off, he returns with the dog to his vomit, and with the sow to her wallowing in the mire. Sometimes conscience is like the hand-writing upon the wall, it makes the sinners countenance to change, and his thoughts to be troubled, and the joints of his loins to be loosed, and his knees to smite one against another; and now the sinner is all for reforming, and turning over a new leaf, but ⟨image 10⟩when these agonies of conscience are over, the sinner returns to his old courses again, and often times is twofold more a Child of Hell than before. There was a5 man in this City, who was given up to the highest wickednesses, on his sick bed conscience made an Arrest of him, and he was filled with such wonderful, horror and terror, that he cried out day and night, that he was damned, he was damned, he was damned; and when he had some small intervals, O what large promises did he make! what a new man, a reformed man he would be! but when in time his terrors and sickness wrought off, he was seven-fold worse than before. Sometimes the awakened Sinner parts with some sins, to make room for others;
Ninthly, Many take up in an outward change and reformation, they have left some old courses and sinful practices, which formerly they walked in &c. and therefore they conclude and hope, that their condition is good, and that all is well, and shall be for ever well with them; they were wont to swear, whore, be drunk, prophane Sabbaths, reproach Saints, &c. but now they have left all these practices, and therefore the main work is done, and they are made for ever. I confess sin is that abominable1 thing which God hates, and therefore it is a very great mercy to turn from it; to leave one sin is a greater mercy, than to win the whole world; and it is certain that he that doth not outwardly reform, shall never go to heaven; he that doth not leave his sins he2 can never be happy here, nor blessed hereafter, and yet it is possible for a man with Herod to reform many things3 and yet be a lost and undone man for ever as he was. Judas was a very reformed man, but he was never inwardly changed, nor throughout sanctified. The Scribes and Pharisees were outwardly reformed, but they were not inwardly renewed. A man may be another man than what once he was, and yet not be a new man, a new creature. When a sinner is sermon-sick, O! then he will4 leave his sins, but when that sickness is off, he returns with the dog to his vomit, and with the sow to her wallowing in the mire. Sometimes conscience is like the hand-writing upon the wall, it makes the sinners countenance to change, and his thoughts to be troubled, and the joints of his loins to be loosed, and his knees to smite one against another; and now the sinner is all for reforming, and turning over a new leaf, but ⟨image 10⟩when these agonies of conscience are over, the sinner returns to his old courses again, and often times is twofold more a Child of Hell than before. There was a5 man in this City, who was given up to the highest wickednesses, on his sick bed conscience made an Arrest of him, and he was filled with such wonderful, horrour and terrour, that he cryed out day and night, that he was damned, he was damned, he was damned; and when he had some small intervals, O what large promises did he make! what a new man, a reformed man he would be! but when in time his terrors and sickness wrought off, he was seven-fold worse than before. Sometimes the awakened Sinner parts with some sins, to make room for others;
- 1Jer. 41. 4. Matth. 1•. 2•.
- 2Job 22. 23, 26.
- 3Mark •• 2•. Mat. 26. 20, 21. 22 1 The•s. 5. 23.
- 42 Cor. 5. 17. 2 P•t. 2. 20, 22. D•st. 5. 5, 6, 7, 8.
- 5Matth. 23. 15.
