Certain select cases resolved specially tending to the right ordering of the heart, that…

But Lord it is grace, Grace that it is not so, and this is Evangelical humiliation. Look again upon your self, as you stand on your own bottom, and live in your own nature, and so you may say after the least infirmity; I have now broken a most holy and righteous Law, and therefore I am already condemned: O woe is me, I have already undone my self by mine iniquity: and this is Legal humiliation, which serves for mortification, as the first for vivification. I know it is very difficult to bring the heart to acknowledge freely it deserves death after so •mall an involuntary offence: but when the Lord reveals two things, First, himself in his glory, Secondly, how the least sin strikes him: I persuade my self the vilest heart cannot but be forced to confess how just God should be in his severest proceedings against him. And withal consider, the more involuntary any sin is, the more strong and natural it is, and the more natural, the more horrible, as to be a natural Thief is far worse then to be a deliberate thief, who sometimes steals; and therefore (good Sir) take heed of looking no deeper, nor seeing no further then the bare act, and unvoluntarinesse and accidentalness, and suddenness of your infirmities: for if you do, you look through the wrong end ⟨p. 18⟩of the glas•e, and they will appear so small, that you will find it a very tough work to bring your heart consentively to say (if I may say and use your own phrase) It is thy mercy Lord that I am not consumed for them: but look upon them as indeed they are, in respect of that infinite glory, you strike doing the greatest mischiefs to God by them, and (which makes them the viler) as they are so strong, you cannot remove them; and so horrible, as that it is natural to you to commit them, &c. And surely you will not (through grace) find such thoughts haunt you long; not but that they will be (haply) rising and tempting, but never alway vexing and prevailing. Satan's ground reaching as far as the minds of Gods people,¹ and therefore so far he may come, and there he may walk, (for the came into the mind of innocent Adam. nay Jesus Christ. by his suggesting temptations) but the heart is Christs peculiar possession and purchase;

But Lord it is grace, Grace that it is not so, and this is Evangelicall humiliation. Look again upon your self, as you stand on your own bottom, and live in your owne nature, and so you may say after the least infirmity; I have now broken a most holy and righteous Law, and therefore I am already condemned: O woe is me, I have already undone my selfe by mine iniquity: and this is Legall humiliation, which serves for mortification, as the first for vification. I know it is very difficult to bring the heart to acknowledge freely it deserves death after so mall an involuntary offence: but when the Lord reveales two things, First, himself in his glory, Secondly, how the least sinne strikes him: I perswade my selfe the vilest heart cannot but be forced to confesse how just God should be in his severest proceedings against him. And withall consider, the more involuntary any sinne is, the more strong and naturall it is, and the more naturall, the more horrible, as to be a naturall Thief is farre worse then to be a deliberat thiefe, who sometimes steales; and therefore (good Sir) take heed of looking no deeper, nor seeing no further then the bare act, and unvoluntarinesse and accidentalnesse, and suddennesse of your infirmities: for if you do, you look through the wrong end