Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself

1. Position. Conscience, being a mass of knowledge, and if there be any oil to give light, its here; its then likest it self,¹ when it most bears witness of well and ill-doing. Now, we are more in sinning, then obeying God; and because of the corruption of nature, the number of natural consciences that are awake to see sin, are but very few. And when the renewed conscience is on the work of feeling and discerning guiltiness, in ⟨p. 44⟩its best temper, The more life the more sense: Sick ones in a swoon,² or dying persons that do neither hear, see, nor speak, are half-gate amongst the dead. The conscience sick of over-feeling, and so under over-sense of sin, is in so far in a fever: for often a fever is from the exsuperancy of too much blood, and rankness of humours, the vessels being too full; and therefore its like a river that cannot choose but go over banks, the channel being a vessel too narrow to contain it all.

1. Position. Conscience, being a masse of knowledge, and if there be any oyle to give light, its here; its then likest it self,¹ when it most beares witnesse of well and ill-doing. Now, we are more in sinning, then obeying God; and because of the corruption of nature, the number of naturall consciences that are awake to see sin, are but very few. And when the renewed conscience is on the worke of feeling and discerning guiltinesse, in ⟨p. 44⟩its best temper, The more life the more sense: Sick ones in a swoon,² or dying persons that doe neither heare, see, nor speak, are halfe-gate amongst the dead. The conscience sick of over-feeling, and so under over-sense of sin, is in so farre in a feaver: for often a feaver is from the exsuperancy of too much bloud, and ranknesse of humours, the vessels being too full; and therefore its like a river that cannot chuse but goe over banks, the channell being a vessell too narrow to containe it all.