The Sincere Convert

These are the causes why men are ignorant of their woeful, miserable estate, which Ignorance is the first Rock, or the first powder-plot ⟨p. 213⟩that spoils thousands. Yet, there are three more dangerous, because more secret.

These are the causes why men are ignorant of their wofull, miserarable estate, which Ignorance is the first Rocke, or the first powder-plot ⟨p. 213⟩that spoyles thousands. Yet, there are three more dangerous, because more secret.

Now followeth the second reason of mens ruin.¹ By reason of mans carnal security, whereby men cannot be affected with, nor so much as have hearts to desire to come out of their misery, when they know it: for if a mans mind understand his misery, yet if the heart be hard or sleepy, and not affected, loaden, wounded, humbled, and made to groan under it, he will never greatly care to come out of it, Isa. 29. 9, 10. Now this is the estate of many a soul, he doth know his misery, but by reason of the sleepy, secure, senseless spirit of slumber, he never feels it, nor mourns under it, and so comes out of it.

Now followeth the second reson of mens ruine.¹ By reason of mans carnall securitie, whereby men cannot be affected with, nor so much as have hearts to desire to come out of their misery, when they know it: for if a mans minde understand his misery, yet if the heart be hard or sleepy, and not affected, loaden, wounded, humbled, and made to groane under it, he will never greatly care to come out of it,