2. Another cause and fountain of Sinful Fear, is guilt upon the Conscience: A servant of sin cannot but first or last be a slave of Fear, and they that have done evil, cannot choose but expect evil, no sooner had Adam defiled and wounded his Conscience with guilt, but he presently trembles and hides himself, so it is with his children, God calls to him not in a threatening, but gentle dialect, not in a tempest, but in the cool of the day, yet it terrifies him, there being in himself mens conscia facti, a guilty and condemning ⟨p. 32⟩Conscience, Gen. 3. 8. 'Tis Seneca's observation, That a guilty Conscience is a terrible whip and torment to the Sinner,1 perpetually lashing him with solicitous thoughts and fears, that he knows not where to be secure, nor dare he trust to any promises of protection, but distrusts all, doubts and jealouzeh all; of such it is said, Job 15. 21. That a dreadful sound is in their ears, noting not only the effects of real, but also of imaginary dangers, his own presaging mind and troubled fancy scares him where no real danger is, suitable to that Pro. 28. 1. The wicked fleeth when none pursues, but the righteous is bold as a Lion, just as they say of sheep, that they are affrighted by the clattering of their own feet, when once they are set a running; so is the guilty Sinner with the noise of his own Conscience which sounds nothing in his ears, but misery, wrath, and hell; we may say of all wicked men in their frights as Tacitus doth of Tyrants that if it were possible to open their inside,2 their mind, and conscience, many terrible stripes and wounds would be found there; and it's said, Isai. 33. 14. The sinners in Zion are afraid trembling taketh hold on the hypocrite fear; and trembling as naturally ariseth out of guilt, as the sparks do out of a fiery charcoal, Histories abundantly furnish us with sad examples of the truth of this observation. Catiline that monster of wickedness would start at any sudden noise, being haunted with the furies of his own evil conscience. Charles the IX. after his bloody ⟨p. 33⟩and barbarous Massacre of the Protestants, could neither sleep nor wake without music to divert his thoughts. And our Richard the Third after the murder of his two innocent Nephews, saw divers images or shapes like Devils in his sleep, pulling and haling him. Mr.
2. Another cause and fountain of Sinful Fear, is guilt upon the Conscience: A servant of sin cannot but first or last be a slave of Fear, and they that have done evil, cannot chuse but expect evil, no sooner had Adam defiled and wounded his Conscience with guilt, but he presently trembles and hides himself, so it is with his children, God calls to him not in a threatning, but gentle dialect, not in a tempest, but in the cool of the day, yet it terrifies him, there being in himself mens conscia facti, a guilty and condemning ⟨p. 32⟩Conscience, Gen. 3. 8. 'Tis Seneca's obserservation, That a guilty Conscience is a terrible whip and torment to the Sinner,1 perpetually lashing him with solicitous thoughts and fears, that he knows not where to be secure, nor dare he trust to any promises of protection, but distrusts all, doubts and jealouzeh all; of such it is said, Iob 15. 21. That a dreadful sound is in their ears, noting not only the effects of real, but also of imaginary dangers, his own presaging mind and troubled fancy scares him where no real danger is, suitable to that Pro. 28. 1. The wicked fleeth when none pursues, but the righteous is bold as a Lion, just as they say of sheep, that they are affrighted by the clattering of their own feet, when once they are set a running; so is the guilty Sinner with the noise of his own Conscience which sounds nothing in his ears, but misery, wrath, and hell; we may say of all wicked men in their frights as Tacitus doth of Tyrants that if it were possible to open their inside,2 their mind, and conscience, many terrible stripes and wounds would be found there; and it's said, Isai. 33. 14. The sinners in Sion are afraid trembling taketh hold on the hypocrite fear; and trembling as naturally ariseth out of guilt, as the sparks do out of a fiery charcoal, Histories abundantly furnish us with sad examples of the truth of this observation. Catiline that monster of wickedness would start at any suddain noise, being haunted with the furies of his own evil conscience. Charles the IX. after his bloudy ⟨p. 33⟩and barbarous Massacre of the Protestants, could neither sleep nor wake without musick to divert his thoughts. And our Richard the Third after the murther of his two innocent Nephews, saw divers images or shapes like Devils in his sleep, pulling and haling him. Mr.
- 1Malè facinorum conscientia flagellari, & plurimum illi tormen torum esse, eo quod perpetuo illam solicitudo urget, ac verberat quod sponsoribus securitatis suae non potest credere. Senec. Epist. 97.
- 2Si recludantur merits Tyrannorum posse aspici laniatus & ictus. Annal.Si recludantur mentes Tyrannorum posse aspici laniatus & ictus. Annal.
