A49255:393
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, Complacency of heart in sin, when sin is not only the sin of thy practise, and of thy life, but thou delightest in sin; if sin be riveted and rooted in thy heart, ⟨p. 87⟩thou art unclean: canst thou go to God, & say, Lord what grace is here land what mercy is here! that thou hast pardoned great transgressions, and those sins that I can aggravate by many heinous circumstances; I have read my pardon, and yet I have now blotted my pardon: canst thou say, I have sinned, and upon a very trivial occasion and on a small temptation, I am a drudge to the Devil on an easy temptation; when the Devil can draw thee by a silken thread to a sin; O it is a great aggravation, when Conscience arrests thee for sin, and thou wilt still be stifling the cries of conscience: would you greaten sin, you are in a ready way to greaten mercy, & pardoning grace, that is a 4th direction.
Fifthly, Complacency of heart in sin, when sin is not onely the sin of thy practise, and of thy life, but thou delightest in sin; if sin be rivetted and rooted in thy heart, ⟨p. 87⟩thou art unclean: canst thou go to God, & say, Lord what grace is here land what mercy is here! that thou hast pardoned great transgressions, and those sins that I can aggravate by many hainous circumstances; I have read my pardon, and yet I have now blotted my pardon: canst thou say, I have sinned, and upon a very trivial occasion and on a smal temptation, I am a drudge to the Devil on an easie temptation; when the Devill can draw thee by a silken thread to a sin; O it is a great aggravation, when Conscience arrests thee for sin, and thou wilt still be stifling the cries of conscience: would you greaten sin, you are in a ready way to greaten mercy, & pardoning grace, that is a 4th direction.
Fifthly, If God doth out of the riches of his grace pardon aggravated sins, take you heed, that when you have obtained great and gracious pardons for great and grievous sins, you do not extenuate your sins, do not say of your sins as Lot of Zoar, Is not this a little one? do not say of wilful enormities as Jacob did. Peradventure it was an oversight, do not mince the matter, and do not lessen sin, but greaten sin. The reason why thou shouldst not do it, consider first by extenuating sin and making it small and little in your eye, you will lessen the greatness of Gods pardoning grace: who will value the skill and Physic of a kitchen woman? That Physician is valued that can cure a deadly and dangerous disease: when a mans spirits are gone, and strength is consumed, the Physician is prized: thou by lessening thy sin dost lessen pardoning grace.