The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

Thirdly, Choose you which of these two you will, a mourning time must be for sin, either here or hereafter, there is no avoiding it; if your mourning begin hereafter, you will not be in capacity of that Promise, He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, Revel. 21.4. Take heed your weeping doth not begin there, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, Matth. 25.30. but no wiping.

Thirdly, Chuse you which of these two you will, a mourning time must be for sin, either here or hereafter, there is no avoiding it; if your mourning begin hereafter, you will not be in capacity of that Promise, He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, Revel. 21.4. Take heed your weeping doth not begin there, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, Matth. 25.30. but no wiping.

Fourthly, But to ease you a little more; you are mistaken very much in thinking that Religion, in the power of it, only serves to make men mopish and sad, though you do see Christians sometimes dejected. I grant it, when God first deals with the Soul, or if he deserts the Soul, or if he lets it lie under its strong combatings with potent corruptions, and denies to send in answers of prayers, these are sad times with Christians; and is there not cause? The Christian is rational in all this: what Faith may do in such times I deny not; 'tis easy for them to talk of Faith at such times who are not pressed with these loads; but still this is not the fault of Religion. It is not Conversion or the power of Religion that makes them sad, but the want of Religion and fuller Conversion; give them what they desire in Religion, and they shall be cheerful enough; so that, they do not put Religion in sour faces, whatever he said, that it may be hath had as sour a face for a lesser cause, since he spake it. It were to be wished indeed, that others might not see the dejected countenances of Christians, hide them always they cannot. If any worldling or irreligious person have his countenance dejected for being crossed in something he desires, as it is their lot oftentimes, this is nothing; but if one that is set for God and Religion, do at any time show such a countenance, by and by the fault is laid upon Religion. It is far from my thoughts to plead for levity, frothiness, among Christians, ⟨p. 67⟩I am afraid some take too much liberty; but yet, I think, a cheerful, affable, courteous behaviour in Christians, avoiding that mopishness, austerity, morosity, which some Christians express, especially towards carnal men, would better become the Gospel, and convince men of the goodness and content that is to be found in the ways of God: None rejoice more heartily then those who rejoice in the Lord, to which Christians are so much exhorted; this joy is spiritual, heavenly. Yet there is another joy lawful, as we are rational Animals, have bodies as well as souls; these bodies call for many things; and whilst we do enjoy things that support and comfort them, we may rejoice in the goodness God conveyeth by them. Some Christians, that think we should rejoice only in the Lord, and are persons of a more sour, melancholy temper, how offended are they if they see others laugh?

Fourthly, But to ease you a little more; you are mistaken very much in thinking that Religion, in the power of it, only serves to make men mopish and sad, though you do see Christians sometimes dejected. I grant it, when God first deals with the Soul, or if he deserts the Soul, or if he lets it lie under its strong combatings with potent corruptions, and denyes to send in answers of prayers, these are sad times with Christians; and is there not cause? The Christian is rational in all this: what Faith may do in such times I deny not; 'tis easie for them to talk of Faith at such times who are not pressed with these loads; but still this is not the fault of Religion. It is not Conversion or the power of Religion that makes them sad, but the want of Religion and fuller Conversion; give them what they desire in Religion, and they shall be chearful enough; so that, they do not put Religion in sowr faces, whatever he said, that it may be hath had as sowr a face for a lesser cause, since he spake it. It were to be wished indeed, that others might not see the dejected countenances of Christians, hide them alwayes they cannot. If any worldling or irreligious person have his countenance dejected for being crossed in something he desires, as it is their lot oftentimes, this is nothing; but if one that is set for God and Religion, do at any time shew such a countenance, by and by the fault is layed upon Religion. It is far from my thoughts to plead for levity, frothiness, among Christians, ⟨p. 67⟩I am afraid some take too much liberty; but yet, I think, a chearful, affable, courteous behaviour in Christians, avoiding that mopishness, austerity, morosity, which some Christians express, especially towards carnal men, would better become the Gospel, and convince men of the goodness and content that is to be found in the wayes of God: None rejoyce more heartily then those who rejoyce in the Lord, to which Christians are so much exhorted; this joy is spiritual, heavenly. Yet there is another joy lawful, as we are rational Animals, have bodies as well as souls; these bodies call for many things; and whilst we do enjoy things that support and comfort them, we may rejoyce in the goodness God conveyeth by them. Some Christians, that think we should rejoyce only in the Lord, and are persons of a more sowr, melancholy temper, how offended are they if they see others laugh?

as if Risibility were an evil quality that befell us after our fall from God; but surely being an essential property, having its emanation from the rational Soul, even in our creation, it belongs to us as rational Animals; and so Christians may laugh upon other causes (provided no sin be mixed) besides that joy they have in God. Grave deportments, especially of Ministers and men in places, I honour; but that a Minister must be always so grave, that he must speak nothing to make others laugh (according to his Monkish Divinity) as if gravity and cheerfulness ordered with prudence were inconsistent, receive this who will. It was a notable answer old Mr. Richard Rogers gave to a Gentleman, in whose company he was; the Gentleman told him, Mr. Rogers, I like you and your company very well, but you are so precise. O Sir, said he, I serve a precise God. It is very true, but cannot Christian cheerfulness stand with holy and due preciseness? Austerity may awe inferior persons, but it will never take with persons of good breeding, nor ever win to the Gospel. I heard that the former ^*Mr. Rogers, and Mr. Knewstubs (who preached his Funeral Sermon) were once riding abroad, Mr. Rogers riding before the other at some distance, there meets him a person whom he ⟨p. 68⟩knew, one of a good estate, but a carnal man, Mr. Rogers rides by him, takes no notice of him; Mr. Knewstubs, riding after, meets him also, and salutes him very courteously, and talks with him a little space of time very affably, and so parted; when Mr. Knewstubs overtook Mr. Rogers, he asks Mr. Knewstubs, Why do you show so much familiarity to such a wicked man? this is the way to harden him in his sinful course: To whom Mr. Knewstubs answered, Ah my Brother, this kind of (austerity he meant) carriage, is not the way to win wicked men to a liking of the Gospel and the ways of God, but rather to beat them off. This was the sense of his answer, though for the very words, so many years since spoken, there may be some difference. That Gentleman I mentioned before, at whom his Companions took such great offence, when he was under the workings of God in Conversion, being then sad, who before in time of his vanity was as vainly merry, after God had settled him in good hopes of his Love, he proved an excellent Christian, and now returned to his cheerfulness again, but purged from former sin and froth;

as if Risibility were an evil quality that befell us after our fall from God; but surely being an essential property, having its emanation from the rational Soul, even in our creation, it belongs to us as rational Animals; and so Christians may laugh upon other causes (provided no sin be mixed) besides that joy they have in God. Grave deportments, especially of Ministers and men in places, I honour; but that a Minister must be alwayes so grave, that he must speak nothing to make others laugh (according to his Monkish Divnity) as if gravity and chearfulness ordered with prudence were inconsistent, receive this who will. It was a notable answer old Mr. Richard Rogers gave to a Gentleman, in whose company he was; the Gentleman told him, Mr. Rogers, I like you and your company very well, but you are so precise. O Sir, said he, I serve a precise God. It is very true, but cannot Christian chearfulness stand with holy and due preciseness? Austerity may awe inferiour persons, but it will never take with persons of good breeding, nor ever win to the Gospel. I heard that the former ^*Mr. Rogers, and Mr. Knewstubs (who preached his Funeral Sermon) were once riding abroad, Mr. Rogers riding before the other at some distance, there meets him a person whom he ⟨p. 68⟩knew, one of a good estate, but a carnal man, Mr. Rogers rides by him, takes no notice of him; Mr. Knewstubs, riding after, meets him also, and salutes him very courteously, and talks with him a little space of time very affably, and so parted; when Mr. Knewstubs overtook Mr. Regers, he asks Mr. Knewstubs, Why do you shew so much familiarity to such a wicked man? this is the way to harden him in his sinful course: To whom Mr. Knewstubs answered, Ah my Brother, this kind of (austerity he meant) carriage, is not the way to win wicked men to a liking of the Gospel and the wayes of God, but rather to beat them off. This was the sense of his answer, though for the very words, so many years since spoken, there may be some difference. That Gentleman I mentioned before, at whom his Companions took such great offence, when he was under the workings of God in Conversion, being then sad, who before in time of his vanity was as vainly merry, after God had settled him in good hopes of his Love, he proved an excellent Christian, and now returned to his chearfulness again, but purged from former sin and froth;

1. *A Gentlewoman since told me it was his Son Mr. Daniel Rogers, and indeed it was like him, but I had it from one of his Relations, and question whether he were so inward, with Mr. Knewstubl.

Thus much in answer to the Objections which the carnal heart maketh against my Use, which I draw from this Head of Illumination and Conviction; only before I leave this Head, I must leave one Caution: This counsel, which the carnal heart is shy of, many poor Christians are forward enough to take it; they are following this Position hard: O that God would open their eyes to see sin; they never yet saw sin enough; they fear they shall prove rotten Hypocrites for want of this thorough discovery of sin; yet examine them well, and you will find a good work in them, and it may be have their loads also; yea, some I have observed have such loads, that they cannot lift up their heads or hearts in a day of darkness, yet cry out they cannot see sin enough. It is a meditation that I have thought of often, and I judge it to be a truth: God cannot discover sin too much, if he will not discover his grace and Christ too little. Let him please but to discover his grace and Christ, and then discover sin what he please; but without this, the sight of sin is a dreadful sight. Let therefore Christians take heed here, and not teach ⟨p. 70⟩God what he shall do, lest you meet with the same answer that Mr. Leaver did in the same case, mentioned by that Learned and Eminent Divine Doctor Sibbs, ¹in his precious piece of the Souls Conflict: God gave Mr. Leaver his request, he did discover sin to him in the most ugly colours, he had such a fight of sin, that he saw no comfort in his following days; and therefore thought it fitter to leave it to Gods wisdom to mingle their portion of sorrow, then to be their own choosers.

Thus much in answer to the Objections which the carnal heart maketh against my Use, which I draw from this Head of Illumination and Conviction; only before I leave this Head, I must leave one Caution: This counsel, which the carnal heart is shy of, many poor Christians are forward enough to take it; they are following this Position hard: O that God would open their eyes to see sin; they never yet saw sin enough; they fear they shall prove rotten Hypocrites for want of this thorough discovery of sin; yet examine them well, and you will find a good work in them, and it may be have their loads also; yea, some I have observed have such loads, that they cannot lift up their heads or hearts in a day of darkness, yet cry out they cannot see sin enough. It is a meditation that I have thought of often, and I judge it to be a truth: God cannot discover sin too much, if he will not discover his grace and Christ too little. Let him please but to discover his grace and Christ, and then discover sin what he please; but without this, the sight of sin is a dreadful sight. Let therefore Christians take heed here, and not teach ⟨p. 70⟩God what he shall do, lest you meet with the same answer that Mr. Leaver did in the same case, mentioned by that Learned and Eminent Divine Doctor Sibbs, ¹in his precious piece of the Souls Conflict: God gave Mr. Leaver his request, he did discover sin to him in the most ugly colours, he had such a fight of sin, that he saw no comfort in his following dayes; and therefore thought it fitter to leave it to Gods wisdom to mingle their portion of sorrow, then to be their own chusers.

1. 1p. 375.

More Uses I might make of this Head, but I purposely break off to make haste to the next.

CHAP. IV. Of Compunction.

The Spirit of God having set up this Divine Light in the understanding, and convinced the sinner what his state is, there is a sad report carried to the Will and Affections, which now begin to be moved; the same Spirit accompanying this Light, hath his operation in the heart, as before in the understanding; Acts 2.37. When by the Spirits working with Peter's, Sermon, they were enlightened and convinced of their great sin in crucifying the Lord Christ, presently Compunction follows; it was not some weeks or months after, but presently Compunction follows at the heels of Conviction; why did they not oppose, or dispute against Peter? No, there was one did so dispute within them, that there was no opposing; men may have much illumination to know sin, and can speak much what an evil sin is; they have Conviction that they are sinners, but no Compunction follows that Conviction; but it shall not be so in the day of Christs power, Psal. 110.3. when the Spirit comes to work on the Vessel of Mercy.

THe Spirit of God having set up this Divine Light in the understanding, and convinced the sinner what his state is, there is a sad report carried to the Will and Affections, which now begin to be moved; the same Spirit accompanying this Light, hath his operation in the heart, as before in the understanding; Acts 2.37. When by the Spirits working with Peter's, Sermon, they were enlightned and convinced of their great sin in crucifying the Lord Christ, presently Compunction follows; it was not some weeks or months after, but presently Compunction follows at the heels of Conviction; why did they not oppose, or dispute against Peter? No, there was one did so dispute within them, that there was no opposing; men may have much illumination to know sin, and can speak much what an evil sin is; they have Conviction that they are sinners, but no Compunction follows that Conviction; but it shall not be so in the day of Christs power, Psal. 110.3. when the Spirit comes to work on the Vessel of Mercy.

That the heart must needs be much moved, appears upon these two grounds.

First, The greatness of the evil which now it is convinced of, and feeleth it lieth under. Let a man see and feel himself under the bonds of guilt, in danger of hell, under the power of his lusts, enmity against God, and God a stranger to him, let but the sense of this condition lye upon his heart, and let him go on in his jollity if he can: What a woeful Creature doth a man see himself now to be? He envies the happiness of the beasts that are filled, and play in their pastures. We have heard of him, who ⟨p. 72⟩when he saw a Toad, stood weeping, because God had made him a Man, so excellent a Creature, and not a Toad, so abominable; the goodness of God then, it seems, as he apprehended it, made him weep: but this man he meets a Toad, and he weeps also; but why? because he is a man, who thinks his estate infinitely worse then the condition of a Toad, and if it were possible to obtain it, would change states with the Toad, that hath no guilt of sin, fears no wrath of God, is not under power of lusts or creatures; God is no enemy to it, which is his miserable state: We shall need no other man to dispute with Doctor Twice upon that strange position, of which I know no need in that Controversie, Miserum esse quacunque miseria poenae magis est eligibile, ¹quam omnino non esse. I have thought many times, had Doctor Twice felt what others have done, he would never have asserted such a Position: whatever a man may say for such an Assertion in Aristotle's School, from some Philosophical notions, yet in the Divinity Schools, those notions will be contemned, by him who lies under the sense of his miserable, undone and damned state by sin, let the Doctor tell him never so often he lies, as he doth a few lines before: Whether non-entity be eligible or not? or what truth there may be in those notions taken in the abstract, I dispute not: what they are in the concrete, I know full well: to dispute against sense is nonsense.

First, The greatness of the evil which now it is convinced of, and feeleth it lieth under. Let a man see and feel himself under the bonds of guilt, in danger of hell, under the power of his lusts, enmity against God, and God a stranger to him, let but the sense of this condition lye upon his heart, and let him go on in his jollity if he can: What a woful Creature doth a man see himself now to be? He envies the happiness of the beasts that are filled, and play in their pastures. We have heard of him, who ⟨p. 72⟩when he saw a Toad, stood weeping, because God had made him a Man, so excellent a Creature, and not a Toad, so abominable; the goodness of God then, it seems, as he apprehended it, made him weep: but this man he meets a Toad, and he weeps also; but why? because he is a man, who thinks his estate infinitely worse then the condition of a Toad, and if it were possible to obtain it, would change states with the Toad, that hath no guilt of sin, fears no wrath of God, is not under power of lusts or creatures; God is no enemy to it, which is his miserable state: We shall need no other man to dispute with Doctor Twisse upon that strange position, of which I know no need in that Controversie, Miserum esse quacunque miseria poenae magis est eligibile, ¹quam omnino non esse. I have thought many times, had Doctor Twisse felt what others have done, he would never have asserted such a Position: whatever a man may say for such an Assertion in Aristotles School, from some Philosophical notions, yet in the Divinity Schools, those notions will be contemned, by him who lies under the sense of his miserable, undone and damned state by sin, let the Doctor tell him never so often he lies, as he doth a few lines before: Whether non-entity be eligible or not? or what truth there may be in those notions taken in the abstract, I dispute not: what they are in the concrete, I know full well: to dispute against sense is nonsense.

1. 1Vind. gra. l. 2. dig. 1.

Secondly, It must needs be so from the scope of God in this work; that which he intendeth, namely, to loosen the Soul from its lusts, to make it willing to part from them, to turn from them, to himself: the strength of sin (as to the point in hand) lieth in that hold or room it hath in the will, with the affections of love and delight, which it gets by the pleasure and profit, which it propounds and brings to the will and affections. Poor Christians in the day of their temptations, when they are in combat with their corruptions, be what they will, they find their wills, love and delight incline very much to those corruptions, and hence conclude themselves to be Hypocrites; why I pray? they ⟨p. 73⟩suppose the work of Conversion and true mortification, leaves no will, no love, no delight for sin; What no? then I would not care a rush for all the temptations in the world, they would be light, and very easy to conquer, the prevalency in these affections must be observed. But to come to our head; Here is one way to loosen the Soul from loving and delighting in them, [what the Spirit doth Physically, I do not speak of] that these lusts, in themselves and in their effects, appear to be the greatest evil in the world, therefore, not to be chosen, not to be loved or delighted in. The other way, which helps this; that-being apprehended thus evil; instead of love and delight working towards them, there are other Affections acting, contrary to them, and while they are acting, love and delight cannot so move towards them.

Secondly, It must needs be so from the scope of God in this work; that which he intendeth, namely, to loosen the Soul from its lusts, to make it willing to part from them, to turn from them, to himself: the strength of sin (as to the point in hand) lieth in that hold or room it hath in the will, with the affections of love and delight, which it gets by the pleasure and profit, which it propounds and brings to the will and affections. Poor Christians in the day of their temptations, when they are in combate with their corruptions, be what they will, they find their wills, love and delight incline very much to those corruptions, and hence conclude themselves to be Hypocrites; why I pray? they ⟨p. 73⟩suppose the work of Conversion and true mortification, leaves no will, no love, no delight for sin; What no? then I would not care a rush for all the temptations in the world, they would be light, and very easie to conquer, the prevalency in these affections must be observed. But to come to our head; Here is one way to loosen the Soul from loving and delighting in them, [what the Spirit doth Physically, I do not speak of] that these lusts, in themselves and in their effects, appear to be the greatest evil in the world, therefore, not to be chosen, not to be loved or delighted in. The other way, which helps this; that-being apprehended thus evil; instead of love and delight working towards them, there are other Affections acting, contrary to them, and while they are acting, love and delight cannot so move towards them.

What affections those are is easily apprehended, by the evil tidings brought to the heart, and against the truth of which there is no disputing; here is the wrath of God, the everlasting burnings, which though they have not seized actually upon the Soul, but are future, yet certain, intolerable, and very difficult, if not impossible in his own thoughts to avoid; hence fears rise and act strongly; if the thread of his life be cut, which may soon be, he is gone for ever. As to the present state, he feels bonds of guilt, accusations of Conscience, apprehends God is an enemy to him, Christ a stranger from him, he under the power of his lusts, and enmity against God, which causeth all this misery; this causeth sorrow to work strongly. Hatred, that lies at the bottom, but that doth not so appear as the other: Acts 2.37. Men and brethren, what shall we do? the men speak as if they were afraid; so did the stout Jailer: Job 15.21. A dreadful sound is in his ears: What to make of those sounds or voices, that some have heard, I know not: That Gentleman, who was my intimate Friend and Companion, for whom I did verily think God had mercy, when he was in the midst of his swearing and drinking with his Companions, upon one ground which ⟨p. 74⟩I mention not, he told me, that in the time of his sickness with the Small-pox, when God did grapple with him, none but God and he, no Christian came at him, he thought verily he heard these words spoken to him, No mercy, which made him cry out sadly: How the Fancy works in that Disease I know well; but here seemed to be more then a fancy, not only by the effects it had upon him in his disease, but afterwards; for when he was recovered, and so well that he married, his Companions came and got him out again, but for being drunk any more that he was not; but coming home, riding with his Companions, something dark it was, the words came again, No mercy, and struck him so down, that his Companions got him out no more, and after that the work went on to make a through and excellent Convert. Another I knew, but I cannot say of him as of the former, as Scholar he was, of pretty natural parts, bred and brought up under excellent preaching, and in a place where he had the examples of excellent Christians, so that he must needs have light, but proved a debauched person, no lust came amiss to him; upon a time he sent for me to pray with him:

What affections those are is easily apprehended, by the evil tidings brought to the heart, and against the truth of which there is no disputing; here is the wrath of God, the everlasting burnings, which though they have not seized actually upon the Soul, but are future, yet certain, intollerable, and very difficult, if not impossible in his own thoughts to avoid; hence fears rise and act strongly; if the thread of his life be cut, which may soon be, he is gone for ever. As to the present state, he feels bonds of guilt, accusations of Conscience, apprehends God is an enemy to him, Christ a stranger from him, he under the power of his lusts, and enmity against God, which causeth all this misery; this causeth sorrow to work strongly. Hatred, that lies at the bottom, but that doth not so appear as the other: Acts 2.37. Men and brethren, what shall we do? the men speak as if they were afraid; so did the stout Jaylour: Job 15.21. A dreadful sound is in his ears: What to make of those sounds or voices, that some have heard, I know not: That Gentleman, who was my intimate Friend and Companion, for whom I did verily think God had mercy, when he was in the midst of his swearing and drinking with his Companions, upon one ground which ⟨p. 74⟩I mention not, he told me, that in the time of his sickness with the Small-pox, when God did grapple with him, none but God and he, no Christian came at him, he thought verily he heard these words spoken to him, No mercy, which made him cry out sadly: How the Fancy works in that Disease I know well; but here seemed to be more then a fancy, not only by the effects it had upon him in his disease, but afterwards; for when he was recovered, and so well that he married, his Companions came and got him out again, but for being drunk any more that he was not; but coming home, riding with his Companions, something dark it was, the words came again, No mercy, and struck him so down, that his Companions got him out no more, and after that the work went on to make a through and excellent Convert. Another I knew, but I cannot say of him as of the former, as Scholar he was, of pretty natural parts, bred and brought up under excellent preaching, and in a place where he had the examples of excellent Christians, so that he must needs have light, but proved a debauched person, no lust came amiss to him; upon a time he sent for me to pray with him:

I went willingly; in my discourse with him he told me, that several times (not once) as he hath been going through the fields to see persons, he hath heard one call him by his Surname, and doubled his call, bidding him, Make haste, make haste, time is short: he could see no body, when he looked who it should be that spake; this did so affect him, as it troubled him: he told me, oftentimes when he was amongst his Companions, that he could not go on so freely in his lewd practises, but I wish I could say it had wrought to Conversion: his time was but short indeed, for he was cut off in the prime of his years, within a very few years after he told me of it.

I went willingly; in my discourse with him he told me, that several times (not once) as he hath been going through the fields to see persons, he hath heard one call him by his Sirname, and doubled his call, bidding him, Make haste, make haste, time is short: he could see no body, when he looked who it should be that spake; this did so affect him, as it troubled him: he told me, oftentimes when he was amongst his Companions, that he could not go on so freely in his lewd practises, but I wish I could say it had wrought to Conversion: his time was but short indeed, for he was cut off in the prime of his years, within a very few years after he told me of it.

Concerning these fears and sorrows, which men of the world, strangers to Conversion, call, melancholy, madness, and I know not what, send them to the Physicians, and Apothecaries shop for cure, I shall not insist upon them; what other Divines have at large written about the clearness, ⟨p. 75⟩greatness, permanency of these fears and sorrows, is well known; and to some so well known, that it hath caused great fears in them that their Conversion was never sound, because they have not experienced those great and permanent fears and sorrows, they preach and write of. Having spoken to Preparations more largely in my first Chapter, (to which I refer the Reader) I shall add but a few Positions here, and so come to the resolution of one Question about them, which I know those who have been troubled about these preparatory legal works, will be willing to read.

Concerning these fears and sorrows, which men of the world, strangers to Conversion, call, melancholy, madness, and I know not what, send them to the Physitians, and Apothecaries shop for cure, I shall not insist upon them; what other Divines have at large written about the clearness, ⟨p. 75⟩greatness, permanency of these fears and sorrows, is well known; and to some so well known, that it hath caused great fears in them that their Conversion was never sound, because they have not experienced those great and permanent fears and sorrows, they preach and write of. Having spoken to Preparations more largely in my first Chapter, (to which I refer the Reader) I shall add but a few Positions here, and so come to the resolution of one Question about them, which I know those who have been troubled about these preparatory legal works, will be willing to read.

First Position. Though many times great sins produce, and great sinners meet with great fears, great sorrows and terrors, yet not always so.

First Position. Though many times great sins produce, and great sinners meet with great fears, great sorrows and terrors, yet not alwayes so.

God doth not keep this method or road always with men, as sinners; great sinners great terrors, less sinners less terrors: Sometimes those who have been less sinners then others by far, as to outward acts, and living in a course of sin, have met with greater sorrows, fears, bruisings, then others who have been greater and viler sinners.

God doth not keep this method or road alwayes with men, as sinners; great sinners great terrors, less sinners less terrors: Sometimes those who have been less sinners then others by far, as to outward acts, and living in a course of sin, have met with greater sorrows, fears, bruisings, then others who have been greater and viler sinners.