The Sincere Convert

First, no unregenerate man, though §1he go never so far,¹ let him do never so much, but he lives in some one sin or other, secret or open, little or great. Judas went far, but he was covetous. Herod went far, but he loved his Herodias. Every dog hath his kennel, every swine hath his swill, and every wicked man his lust, for no unregenerate man hath fruition of God to content him, and there is no mans heart, but it must have some good to content it; which good is to be found only in the Fountain of all good, and ⟨p. 140⟩that is God; or in the cistern, and that is in the creatures: hence a man having lost full content in God, he seeks for, and feeds upon contentment in the creature, which he makes a God to him, and here lies his lust or sin, which he must needs live in. Hence, ask those men that go very far, and take their penny for good silver, and commend themselves for their good desires: I say, ask them, if they have no sin. Yes, say they, who can live without sin? and so they give way to sin, and therefore live in sin; Nay, commonly, all the duties, prayers, care, and zeal of the best Hypocrites, are to hide a lust; as the whore in the Proverbs, that wipes her mouth, and goes to the Temple, and pays her vows; or to feed their lusts, as Jehu his zeal against Baal was to get a Kingdom. There remains a root of bitterness in the best Hypocrites, which howsoever it be lopped off sometimes by sickness, or horror of conscience, and a man hath purposes never to commit it again, yet there it secretly lurks, and ⟨p. 141⟩though it seemeth to be bound and conquered by the Word, or by prayer, or by outward crosses, or while the hand of God is upon a man, yet the inward strength and power of it remains still; and therefore when Temptations, like strong Philistines, are upon this man again, he breaks all vows, promises, bonds of God, and will save the life of his sin.

First, no unregenerate man, though §1he goe never so farre,¹