(2) As I said, God often-times suffers it to chasten our other Negligences; for as with Wicked men, he gives them up to one Sin as the Judgement of another,1 a greater for the punishment of a less, or one that will hold them more firmly and securely, for that which they might have possibly obtained a Deliverance from: So even with his own, he may, he doth leave them sometimes to some vexatious distempers, either to prevent or cure some other Evil: So was the Messenger of Satan let loose on Paul, 2that he might not be lifted up through the abundance of spiritual Revelations. Was it not a Correction to Peters vain Confidence, that he was left to deny his Master? Now if this be the ⟨p. 84⟩state and Condition of Lust in its prevalency, that God often-times suffers it so to prevail, at least to admonish us, and to humble us, perhaps to chasten and correct us, for our general loose and careless walking, is it possible that the effect should be removed, and the cause continued; that the particular Lust should be mortified, and the general Course be unreformed? He then that would really, throughly, and acceptably mortify any disquieting Lust, let him take care to be equally diligent in All parts of Obedience; and know that every Lust, every Omission of Duty, is burdensome to God,3 though but one is so to Him. Whilst there abides a Treachery in the Heart to indulge to any Negligence in not pressing Universally to all Perfection in Obedience, the Soul is weak, as not giving Faith its whole work; and selfish, as considering more the Trouble of Sin, than the Filth and Guilt of it; and lives under a constant provocation of God, so that it may not expect any comfortable Issue in any spiritual Duty that it doth undertake, much less in this under Consideration, which requires another Principle, and Frame of Spirit for its Accomplishment.
(2) As I said, God often-times suffers it to chasten our other Negligences; for as with Wicked men, he gives them up to one Sin as the Judgement of another,1 a greater for the punishment of a less, or one that will hold them more firmly and securely, for that which they might have possibly obtained a Deliverance from: So even with his own, he may, he doth leave them sometimes to some vexatious distempers, either to prevent or cure some other Evil: So was the Messenger of Satan let loose on Paul, 2that he might not be lifted up through the abundance of spiritual Revelations. Was it not a Correction to Peters vain Confidence, that he was left to deny his Master? Now if this be the ⟨p. 84⟩state and Condition of Lust in its prevalency, that God often-times suffers it so to prevail, at least to admonish us, and to humble us, perhaps to chasten and correct us, for our general loose and careless walking, is it possible that the effect should be removed, and the cause continued; that the particular Lust should be mortified, and the general Course be unreformed? He then that would really, throughly, and acceptably mortifie any disquieting Lust, let him take care to be equally diligent in All parts of Obedience; and know that every Lust, every Omission of Duty, is burdensome to God,3 though but one is so to Him. Whilest there abides a Treachery in the Heart to indulge to any Negligence in not pressing Universally to all Perfection in Obedience, the Soul is weak, as not giving Faith its whole work; and selfish, as considering more the Trouble of Sin, than the Filth and Guilt of it; and lives under a constant provocation of God, so that it may not expect any comfortable Issue in any spiritual Duty that it doth undertake, much less in this under Consideration, which requires another Principle, and Frame of Spirit for its Accomplishment.
- 1Rom. 1.26.
- 22 Cor. 12.7.
- 3Isa. 43.24.
