Secondly, Sin takes advantage to work by its ⟨p. 117⟩deceit in this matter of drawing off the mind from a due sense of it, from the state and condition of men in the world. I shall give only one instance of its procedure in this kind. Men in their younger days have naturally their affections more quick, vigorous and active, more sensibly working in them, than afterwards. They do as to their sensible working and operation naturally decay, and many things befall men in their lives, that take off the edge and keenness of them. But as men lose in their Affections, if they are not besotted in sensuality, or by the corruptions that are in the world through lust, they grow and improve in their Understandings, Resolutions, and Judgements. Hence it is, that if what had place formerly in their Affections, do not take place in their minds and judgements, they utterly lose them, they have no more place in their souls. Thus men have no regard for, yea, they utterly despise those things which their Affections were set upon with delight and greediness in their Childhood. But if they are things that by any means come to be fixed in their Minds and Judgements, they continue a high esteem for them, and do cleave as close unto them, as they did when their Affections were more vigorous. Only as it were they have changed their seat in the soul. It is thus in things spiritual; the first and chiefest seat of the sensibleness of sin, is in the Affections; as these in natural youth, are great and large, so are they spiritually in spiritual youth, Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals. Besides such Persons are newly come off from their convictions, ⟨p. 118⟩wherein they have been cut to the heart, and so made tender. Whatever touches upon a wound is throughly felt. So doth the guilt of sin before the wound given by conviction be throughly cured. But now when affections begin to decay naturally, they begin to decay also as to their sensible actings and motions in things spiritual. Although they improve in Grace, yet they may decay in sense. At least spiritual sense is not radically in them, but only by way of communication. Now in these decays, if the soul take not care to fix a deep sense of Sin on the Mind and Judgement, thereby perpetually to affect the heart and affections, it will decay. And here the deceit of the Law of Sin interposeth it self.
Secondly, Sin takes advantage to work by its ⟨p. 117⟩deceit in this matter of drawing off the mind from a due sense of it, from the state and condition of men in the world. I shall give only one instance of its procedure in this kind. Men in their younger daies have naturally their affections more quick, vigorous and active, more sensibly working in them, than afterwards. They do as to their sensible working and operation naturally decay, and many things befall men in their lives, that take off the edge and keenness of them. But as men lose in their Affections, if they are not besotted in sensuality, or by the corruptions that are in the world through lust, they grow and improve in their Understandings, Resolutions, and Judgements. Hence it is, that if what had place formerly in their Affections, do not take place in their minds and judgements, they utterly lose them, they have no more place in their souls. Thus men have no regard for, yea, they utterly despise those things which their Affections were set upon with delight and greediness in their Childhood. But if they are things that by any means come to be fixed in their Minds and Judgements, they continue a high esteem for them, and do cleave as close unto them, as they did when their Affections were more vigorous. Only as it were they have changed their seat in the soul. It is thus in things spiritual; the first and chiefest seat of the sensibleness of sin, is in the Affections; as these in natural youth, are great and large, so are they spiritually in spiritual youth, Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals. Besides such Persons are newly come off from their convictions, ⟨p. 118⟩wherein they have been cut to the heart, and so made tender. Whatever touches upon a wound is throughly felt. So doth the guilt of sin before the wound given by conviction be throughly cured. But now when affections begin to decay naturally, they begin to decay also as to their sensible actings and motions in things spiritual. Although they improve in Grace, yet they may decay in sense. At least spiritual sense is not radically in them, but only by way of communication. Now in these decayes, if the soul take not care to fix a deep sense of Sin on the Mind and Judgement, thereby perpetually to affect the heart and affections, it will decay. And here the deceit of the Law of Sin interposeth it self.
