A49255:375
The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin…
The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin and the privilege of the pardon of sin : together with a discourse of Christs ascension into heaven and of his coming again from heaven : wherein the opinion of the Chiliasts is considered and solidly confuted / being the sum and substance of several sermons preached by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love ...The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin and the priviledge of the pardon of sin : together with a discourse of Christs ascension into heaven and of his coming again from heaven : wherein the opinion of the Chiliasts is considered and solidly confuted / being the sum and substance of several sermons preached by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love ...
London: printed for John Rothwell, 1657
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.
Fifthly consider, That what your sins do want in regard of others mens in bulk and magnitude, you may make up in number. Suppose thou hast not been a drunkard, an adulterer, an oppressor, yet thou hast many small sins, thou hast many secret and small failings: now remember, many small sins may sooner damn thee, then a few greater sins, I may make use of that pertinent Scripture, in Jer. 5. 6. Wherefore a Lion out of the forrest shall slay them, and a Wolfe of the evenings shall spoil them; a Leopard shall watch over their cities, every one that goeth out hence shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their back-slidings are increased, Vers. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this? &c. Because their transgressions were many, therefore God comes with a question, How shall I pardon? Beloved, Suppose thy sins be not great, yet if ⟨p. 80⟩they be many small sins, God may put this question to you, How shall I pardon you? Let me tell a paradox, that small sins are as hardly yea more hardly pardoned, then greater sins are. And the reason is, because a man is not so apt to repent for small sins, as he will be for great, because they are not so visible, and therefore conscience not so apt to do its office to put a man upon repentance; that is the reason of Christs speech, Verily I say unto you, that Publicans and harlots shall go to heaven before them, why? because the Pharisees did depend upon their righteousness, and did not see their little small sins: a Publican, a harlot, that could not but by the light of nature see their extortion, their wickedness, and harlotry, they should go to heaven before them, Christ told them of their sins and they repented of them. Therefore though your sins be but small, yet they may be many, and that will greaten your sins: a many small sins may run thee into deeper arrearages unto God, then a few grosser evils. As in Arithmetic many small figures put together amount to a greater sum then a few great ones; So it is in respect of little sins. O then let me persuade you, that none of you would presume on pardon, because you have not fallen into greater and grosser evils. Thus much for first branch of the Use.
Fifthly consider, That what your sins do want in regard of others mens in bulk and magnitude, you may make up in number. Suppose thou hast not been a drunkard, an adulterer, an oppressor, yet thou hast many small sins, thou hast many secret and small failings: now remember, many small sins may sooner damn thee, then a few greater sins, I may make use of that pertinent Scripture, in