A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

Secondly,¹ Sanctifying Grace strikes especially at the Sins of the Heart, but Restraining Grace usually only hinders the ⟨p. 286⟩[…] ⟨p. 287⟩[…] ⟨p. 288⟩Sins of the Life. An Unregenerate Man, though never so Moral, hunts his Sins only in purlieus, as soon as they are gotten within the Pale he ceaseth his pursuit. It is usually the highest care and upshot of a Moral Man's endeavours to keep his Lusts from boiling over, and raising Smoke and Ashes about him, and if he can but obtain this, let the Heart be brim full of Sin, let the thoughts soak and stew in Malicious, Unclean, Covetous, Designs and Contrivances, he never opposeth or laments them; a mere Restraint walks only round about the outward Man, and if it meets with any Lust struggling abroad, it drives it in again into the Heart, but for those Sins that lie Pent up there, it seldom molests, and never subdues them: The Heart may indulge it self in vain, filthy, destructive, and pernicious Thoughts, it may set brooding over Cockatrice-Eggs till it hatch them into Serpents, and in them be stung to Death; it may toss a Sin to and fro in the Fancy, and thereby make some kind of recompense to the Devil for not committing of it; and yet this Man be only under a powerful restraint ⟨p. 289⟩from God's Restraining Grace. But now Sanctifying Grace doth more especially oppose the Sins of the Heart and of the inward Man, for there is its Seat and Residence in the Heart: Restraining Grace watcheth without, but true Grace dwells within. And as Christ speaks of the Church of Pergamos, it dwells there where Satan's Seat is, it rules in the midst of its Enemies, and it is engaged so to do for its own security, that it may still crush them as they arise in the Heart. Now from this particular we may be helped in Judging, whether our abstaining from Sin be only from common Restraining Grace, or from Sanctifying and Renewing Grace: See what Sins they are that you most of all labour to beat down, do you strive only against the Sins of your Lives, and not against the Sins of your Hearts that are the Spring and Fountain of the other? Are you content when you have beaten your Corruptions from the out-works, and driven them in, where they do not rage so furiously as they have done; whereas before they sallied forth at pleasure, and made havoc of your Souls, and wounded your Consciences, now they are