It is first, because there is but a little grace in the midst of a great deal of corruption in young converts, like a spark of fire in the midst of a great deal of ashes; now if there lies a heap of ashes and nothing else, you do not stir them; but if there be ashes and some fire, then you will stir them and be blowing those sparks to kindle another fire by. Now when you come to make any motion, then the ashes will fly about, whereas before they lay still; So it is here, before God wrought upon thy heart, there was nothing else but ashes upon thy soul, and then they lay still, but now God hath kindled some sparks of grace in thy heart, and God is blowing them up to a greater heat, and is bringing of them to a flame; upon this motion that is in thy heart, and the stirring to kindle those sparks further in thy heart, it is that the ashes of thy corruption do as it were fly about thine ears, and that there is such stirrings of corruption more than there was before, 'tis not because there is more corruption than there was formerly, but before there being nothing else but corruption it lay still, and now because there is something else, therefore it is that corruption doth so stir; and besides, you know a man that was wont to keep lewd company, if God turn him that he will keep that company no more, at first he shall be more troubled with them than he was before; and they will keep oftener knocking at his door, and labouring to get him to them again; so 'tis here, when the soul, vanity and lusts were as friends together there was no disturbance, and taking notice of any thing then, but now when the soul is casting out those sinful distempers, and will have no more of them, they for the present will be more importunate, active and stirring than they were before. And besides, the Lord doth this to humble thy heart the more, that thereby thou mayest come to see the great corruption that was in thy soul before; the working of thy corruptions will discover much evil in thy heart, that thou didst not think was there before; when the corruptions of men and women lie still, they think there is no such thing in their souls;
It is first, because there is but a little grace in the midst of a great deal of corruption in yong converts, like a spark of fire in the midst of a great deal of ashes; now if there lies a heap of ashes and nothing else, you do not stir them; but if there be ashes and some fire, then you will stir them and be blowing those sparks to kindle another fire by. Now when you come to make any motion, then the ashes wil flie about, wheras before they lay still; So it is here, before God wrought upon thy heart, there was nothing else but ashes upon thy soul, and then they lay still, but now God hath kindled some sparks of grace in thy heart, and God is blowing them up to a greater heat, and is bringing of them to a flame; upon this motion that is in thy heart, and the stirring to kindle those sparks further in thy heart, it is that the ashes of thy corruption do as it were flie about thine ears, and that there is such stirrings of corruption more than there was before, 'tis not because there is more corruption than there was formerly, but before there being nothing else but corruption it lay still, and now because there is something else, therefore it is that corruption doth so stir; and besides, you know a man that was wont to keep lewd company, if God turn him that he will keep that company no more, at first he shall be more troubled with them than he was before; and they will keep oftener knocking at his door, and laboring to get him to them again; so 'tis here, when the soul, vanity and lusts were as friends together there was no disturbance, and taking notice of any thing then, but now when the soul is casting out those sinful distempers, and will have no more of them, they for the present will be more importunate, active and stirring than they were before. And besides, the Lord doth this to humble thy heart the more, that thereby thou mayest come to see the great corruption that was in thy soul before; the working of thy corruptions will discover much evil in thy heart, that thou didst not think was there before; when the corruptions of men and women lie still, they think there is no such thing in their souls;
