A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

First, Pray earnestly for a wise and an understanding Heart, and for a soft and tender Conscience. Some Sins so Counterfeit an harmless appearance, and look so innocently, that a Man had need of much spiritual Wisdom, to know how to distinguish between Good and Evil, and to put a difference between those things, that differ as much as Heaven and Hell do: Now this ariseth from that great blindness and ignorance that is in Mens minds, whereby they cannot discern that great evil and mischief that lurks under small Sins, but are apt to account every thing that is not scandalous and grossly wicked to be but an indifferent matter: And as their Minds are thus blinded, so their Hearts are hardened, that what they see and know to be sinful, yet they will dare to venture upon it: Whence is it else that the generality of the World live in the Commission of those that they call little Sins, but because their Hearts are hardened, and their Consciences seared, that those Sins that are great enough to Damn them, yet are not great enough to trouble them. A tender Conscience is like the Apple of a mans Eye, the least dust ⟨p. 99⟩that gets into it afflicts it. No surer and better way to know whether our Consciences begin to grow dead and stupid, then to observe what impressions small Sins make upon them. If we are not very careful to avoid all appearance of Evil, and to shun whatsoever looks like Sin; if we are not as much troubled at the vanity of our Thoughts and Words, at the rising up of sinful motions and desires in us, as we have been formerly; we may then conclude our Hearts are hardened, and our Consciences are stupefying; for a tender Conscience will no more allow of small than of great Sins.

First, Pray earnestly for a wise and an understanding Heart, and for a soft and tender Conscience. Some Sins so Counterfeit an harmless appearance, and look so innocently, that a Man had need of much spiritual Wisdom, to know how to distinguish between Good and Evil, and to put a difference between those things, that differ as much as Heaven and Hell do: Now this ariseth from that great blindness and ignorance that is in Mens minds, whereby they cannot discern that great evil and mischief that lurks under small Sins, but are apt to account every thing that is not scandalous and grosly wicked to be but an indifferent matter: And as their Minds are thus blinded, so their Hearts are hardned, that what they see and know to be sinful, yet they will dare to venture upon it: Whence is it else that the generality of the World live in the Commission of those that they call little Sins, but because their Hearts are hardned, and their Consciences seared, that those Sins that are great enough to Damn them, yet are not great enough to trouble them. A tender Conscience is like the Apple of a mans Eye, the least dust