A30242:964
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgess ...The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgesse ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for T.U., 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1In the next place, Consider the aggravation of those sins that are secret and hidden. For although to be an open bold sinner, is in some respects a greater sinner, than a close private sinner, because hereby there is more dishonour to God, more scandal to others, and more impudency in the sinner, which happily might be the cause of that speech attributed to Athanasius, Utinam omnes essent hypocritae. Hence some are reproved for having an whores fore head, that they were not ashamed, when they had sinned, that they b•asted of it, yet in many respects these secret sins, have terrible aggravations:
1In the next place, Consider the aggravation of those sinnes that are secret and hidden. For although to be an open bold sinner, is in some respects a greater sinner, than a close private sinner, because hereby there is more dishonour to God, more scandal to others, and more impudency in the sinner, which happily might be the cause of that speech attributed to Athanasius, Ʋtinam omnes essent hypocritae. Hence some are reproved for having an whores fore head, that they were not ashamed, when they had sinned, that they b•asted of it, yet in many respects these secret sins, have terr•ble aggravations:
- 1The aggravation of secret hidden sins.
1. It argueth a m•n hath more consciousness to himself, that he doth not wel•, therefore he wou•d not have the world know, Now when any man sins with a consciousness to himself that he doth sin; this is a bloody aggravation. Tremble at this, you who live in secret wickedness, Why doest thou keep it so close? Why art thou so fearful? Why doest thou as Rachel make a excuse to cover thy Idols? All this argueth the more consciousness, the more gut in thee: Thy conscience is awakened, thou hast strugglings and convictions within thee; this is to rebel against light; this is to stop the mouth o hy monitor; thy conscience within, which the very Heathen could say, was a god to every man; I tell thee, sinning thus against conscience more have despaired than upon any other ground. Oh they did thus, and they lived thus; but all this while they had a consciousness to themselves they should do otherwise. This hath made them so deeply possessed (though happily upon false grounds) that they have sinned against the holy Ghost.