A supplement to the several discourses upon various divine subjects

1. Antecedent acts. How many preparatory motions of the mind are there to one wicked external act^*? Yea, how many sinful thoughts are twisted together to produce one deliberate sinful word? All which have a distinct guilt, and, if weighed together, would outweigh ⟨p. 8⟩the guilt of the action abstractedly considered. How many repeated complacencies in the first motion, degrees of consent, resolved broodings, secret plottings, proposals of various methods, smothering contrary checks, vehement longings, delightful hopes, and forestalled pleasures in the design? All which are but thoughts assenting, or dissenting in order to the act intended. Upon a dissection of all these secret motions by the critical power of the word, we should find a more monstrous guilt, than would be apparent in the single action, for whose sake all these spirits were raised. There may be no sin in a material act, considered in it self, when there is a provoking guilt in the mental motion. A Hypocrite's Religious services are materially good, but poisoned by the Imagination skulking in the heart, that gave birth unto them. 'Tis the wicked mind or thought makes the Sacrifice (a commanded duty) much more an abomination to the Lord.²

1. Antecedent acts. How many preparatory motions of the mind are there to one wicked external act^*? Yea, how many sinful thoughts are twisted together to produce one deliberate sinful word? All which have a distinct guilt, and, if weigh'd together, would outweigh ⟨p. 8⟩the guilt of the action abstractedly considered. How many repeated complacencies in the first motion, degrees of consent, resolved broodings, secret plottings, proposals of various methods, smothering contrary checks, vehement longings, delightful hopes, and forestalled pleasures in the design? All which are but thoughts assenting, or dissenting in order to the act intended. Upon a dissection of all these secret motions by the critical power of the word, we should find a more monstrous guilt, than would be apparent in the single action, for whose sake all these spirits were raised. There may be no sin in a material act, considered in it self, when there is a provoking guilt in the mental motion. A Hypocrite's Religious services are materially good, but poisoned by the Imagination skulking in the heart, that gave birth unto them. 'Tis the wicked mind or thought makes the Sacrifice (a commanded duty) much more an abomination to the Lord.