The Sincere Convert

Fourthly, by giving the soul rest and sleep, that is, cessation sometimes from the act of sin; hence they are hardly persuaded that they live in sin, because they cease sometimes from the act of sin, as no man doth always swear, nor is he always drunk, nor always angry. They think, only their falls in these or the like sins, are slips and falls, which the best man may have sometimes, and yet be a dear child of God. Oh! Satan will not always set men at his work; for if men should always have their cups in their hands, and their queans in their arms; if a covetous man should always root in the earth, and never pray, never have good thoughts, never keep any Sabbath, if a man should always speak idly, and never good word drop from him, a mans conscience would never be quiet, but shaking him up for what he doth; but by giving men respite from sinning for a time, Satan getteth stronger possession afterwards, as Matth. 12. 43. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, it returns ⟨p. 202⟩worse. Samsons strength always remained, and so doth sins strength in a natural man, but it never appears until temptation come.

Fourthly, by giving the soule rest and sleepe, that is, cessation sometimes from the act of sinne; hence they are hardly perswaded that they live in sin, because they cease sometimes from the act of sinne, as no man doth alwayes sweare, nor is he alwayes drunk, nor alwayes angry. They think, onely their falls in these or the like sinnes, are slips and falls, which the best man may have sometimes, and yet be a deare child of God. Oh! Satan will not alwayes set men at his worke; for if men should alwayes have their cups in their hands, and their queanes in their armes; if a covetous man should alwayes root in the earth, and never pray, never have good thoughts, never keepe any Sabbath, if a man should alwayes speake idely, and never good word drop from him, a mans conscience would never be quiet, but shaking him up for what he doth; but by giving men respite from sinning for a time, Satan getteth stronger possession afterwards, as Matth. 12. 43. When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man, it returnes ⟨p. 202⟩