A41668:541
The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan…
The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan showing him how to carry himself Christian-like in the whole course of his life / by Tho. Gouge ...The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan shewing him how to carry himself Christian-like in the whole course of his life / by Tho. Gouge ...
London: printed by S. and B.G. for Nevil Simmons, 1676
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5. For a man to live and lye impenitently in the practice ⟨p. 120⟩of a known sin is the dreadfullest judgement in the World. Better were it for a man to be given up to the Devil, than to the power of one sinful Lust. The incestuous person was delivered up to Satan, (1 Cor. 5. 5.) but he was restored again, and the better for it. Whereas we seldom read, or hear of any who were given up to the Lusts of their own hearts, that ever recovered.
5. For a man to live and lye impenitently in the practice ⟨p. 120⟩of a known sin is the dreadfullest judgement in the World. Better were it for a man to be given up to the Devil, than to the power of one sinful Lust. The incestuous person was delivered up to Satan, (1 Cor. 5. 5.) but he was restored again, and the better for it. Whereas we seldome read, or hear of any who were given up to the Lusts of their own hearts, that ever recovered.
O Young man, how doth it then concern thee to withstand every Lust, not to indulge thy self in any sin? but especially to keep thy self from thine own iniquity. I mean, thy natures darling sin, to which thou art most propense by thy complexion, and constitution, and of all thy Lusts are loathest to leave. Let not that bear rule in thee as formerly, but bend thy greatest force against it. As the King of Syria commanded his 32. Captains to fight principally against the King of Israel, for full well he knew, that the King being once slain, the whole Army would soon be discomfited. So if thy beloved sin that reigns and rules in thee were once subdued, thy other sins would soon be vanquished.
O Young man, how doth it then concern thee to withstand every Lust, not to indulge thy self in any sin? but especially to keep thy self from thine own iniquity. I mean, thy natures darling sin, to which thou art most propense by thy complexion, and constitution, and of all thy Lusts are lothest to leave. Let not that bear rule in thee as formerly, but bend thy greatest force against it. As the King of Syria commanded his 32. Captains to fight principally against the King of Israel, for full well he knew, that the King being once slain, the whole Army would soon be discomfited. So if thy beloved sin that reigns and rules in thee were once subdued, thy other sins would soon be vanquished.