An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…

A conscience thus disabled to perform its work, being either blind, secure, sleepy, or feared, is tame and quiet with the worst of men. But all this while, though this wicked man hath some ease, yet he hath no peace; his conscience while seared, is far enough from being settled; his conscience while asleep is far enough from rest. It is with such, as with some sick men, ask them how they do, they will say, Very well, when as indeed they are so sick, that they know not how ill they are; they take death it self for health, and their not feeling of pain for the curing of their disease.

A conscience thus disabled to performe its worke, being either blind, secure, sleepy, or feared, is tame and quiet with the worst of men. But all this while, though this wicked man hath some ease, yet he hath no peace; his conscience while seared, is farr enough from being setled; his conscience while asleep is farr enough from rest. It is with such, as with some sick men, aske them how they doe, they will say, Very well, when as indeed they are so sick, that they know not how ill they are; they take death it selfe for health, and their not feeling of paine for the curing of their disease.

But when the conscience of a wicked man is once enlightened, softened, and awakened, he cannot but have these dreadful sounds, which will neither give nor let him receive any rest. Conscience will awake at last, and speak terrible things, conscience will be a Boanerges, a terrible Preacher, thundering out, not only a chiding reproof, but a sentence of condemnation, and then the wicked will even gnash their teeth, because conscience did no sooner use its teeth, they will gnaw their tongues for sorrow, because conscience had no tongue to speak, or they no ears to hear what it spake, till it was too late: A dreadful sound is in his ear.

But when the conscience of a wicked man is once enlightned, softned, and awakned, he cannot but have these dreadfull sounds, which will neither give nor let him receive any rest. Conscience will awake at last, and speak terrible things, conscience will be a Bounnerges, a terrible Preacher, thundring out, not only a chiding reproofe, but a sentence of condemnation, and then the wicked will even gnash their teeth, because conscience did no sooner use its teeth, they will gnaw their tongues for sorrow, because conscience had no tongue to speak, or they no eares to heare what it spake, till it was too late: A dreadfull sound is in his eare.