3.1 In wicked men there is a complication and a connection of sins, Sins thus multiplied are linked one to another; and are twisted together, as there is a chain of graces in a godly man, that if you draw one link you move the whole chain; when you exercise Faith upon a promise, (suppose) of eternal Life, this sets all his graces on exercise, as one wheel in a Watch moveth all the rest: Faith applying this promise, stirreth up love to God that made the promise, and hath prepared the thing promised, it inflames holy desires after it, & desires put on to diligent endeavours to obtain it; it begets a lively hope, which earnestly, yet patiently waiteth for the possession of it. So there is a concatenation of sin, therefore sin is compared to a body, in which all the members by sinews and ligaments are knit together;2 that though all the members do not grow, to an equal quantity, but some are bigger, some less; yet all do proportionably grow; so though all sins in a wicked man are not of the same magnitude, but in some drunkenness is greatest, in some pride, in some covetousness, yet all sin is growing in them, and therefore must necessarily be worse and worse: as unbelief makes a sinner fearless of Gods threatenings, and fearlessness makes him secure, and security hardeneth his heart, and when his heart is hard, and his ⟨p. 20⟩Conscience seared, he will be very bad.
3.1 In wicked men there is a complication and a connexion of sins, Sins thus multiplied are linked one to another; and are twisted together, as there is a chaine of graces in a godly man, that if you draw one link you move the whole chaine; when you exercise Faith upon a promise, (suppose) of eternall Life, this sets all his graces on exercise, as one wheele in a Watch moveth all the rest: Faith applying this promise, stirreth up love to God that made the promise, and hath prepared the thing promised, it inflames holy desires after it, & desires put on to diligent indeavours to obtain it; it begets a lively hope, which earnestly, yet patiently waiteth for the possession of it. So there is a concatenation of sin, therefore sin is compared to a body, in which all the members by sinewes and ligaments are knit together;2 that though all the members do not grow, to an equall quantity, but some are bigger, some lesse; yet all do proportionably grow; so though all sins in a wicked man are not of the same magnitude, but in some drunkenness is greatest, in some pride, in some covetousness, yet all sin is growing in them, and therefore must necessarily be worse and worse: as unbelief makes a sinner fearless of Gods threatnings, and fearlesness makes him secure, and security hardneth his heart, and when his heart is hard, and his ⟨p. 20⟩Conscience seared, he will be very bad.
- 1Sin is linked to sin.
- 2Rom. 6.6.
