1The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soul of the evil of sin, but of the evil after sin, I mean of the just punishment which doth follow sin, and that is this, viz. that it must dye, and that eternally for sin, if it remains in this estate it is now in. Rom. 4.15. The Law works wrath, i. e. sight and sense of wrath, Rom. 7.9. When the Law came, sin revived, and I dyed: i. e. I saw my self a dead man by it; so the soul sees clearly God hath said, The soul that sinneth shall dye: I have sinned, and therefore if the Lord be true I shall dye, to hell I shall, if now the Lord stop my breath and cut off my life, which he might justly and may easily do. Death is the wages of sin, even of any one sin, though never so little; when then will become of me who stand guilty of so many, exceeding the number of the hairs on my head, or the stars in heaven? Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, the Minister ⟨p. 19⟩hath said so, the Lord himself hath told me so, Heb. 13.4. I am the man, my conscience now tears me and tells me so, what will become of me? The Lord Jesus will come in flaming fire to render vengeance against all that know not God; and that obey not the Gospel. This I believe, for God hath said it, 2 Thes. 2.7, 8▪ 9. and now I see I am he that hath lived long in ignorance, and know not God; I have had the Gospel of grace thus long wooing and persuading my heart, and oftentimes it hath affected me, but yet I have resisted God and his Gospel, and have set my filthy lusts, my vain sports, my companions cups and queans at a higher price then Christ, and have loved them more then him; and therefore though I may be spared for a while, yet there is a time wherein Christ himself will come out against me in flaming fire. To this purpose doth the Spirit work; for beloved, the great means whereby Satan overthrew Man at first in his innocency, was this principle, although thou dost eat, and so sin against God, yet thou shalt not dye. Gen. 3.4. Ye shall not surely die; the Serpent doth not say, Ye shall not die, for that is too gross an out-facing of the Word, Gen. 2.17. but he saith, Ye shall not surely die: that is, there is not such absolute certainty o• it; it may be you shall live, God loves you better then so, and is a more merciful Father ⟨p. 20⟩then to be at a word and a blow.
1The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of the evill of sin, but of the evill after sin, I meane of the just punishment which doth follow sin, and that is this, viz. that it must dye, and that eternally for sin, if it remaines in this estate it is now in. Rom. 4.15. The Law works wrath, i. e. sight and sense of wrath, Rom. 7.9. When the Law came, sin revived, and I dyed: i. e. I saw my selfe a dead man by it; so the soule sees cleerly God hath said, The soule that sinneth shall dye: I have sinned, and therefore if the Lord be true I shall dye, to hel I shall, if now the Lord stop my breath and cut off my life, which he might justly and may easily doe. Death is the wages of sin, even of any one sin, though never so little; whan then will become of me who stand guilty of so many, exceeding the number of the haires on my head, or the stars in heaven? Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, the Minister ⟨p. 19⟩hath said so, the Lord himselfe hath told me so, Heb. 13.4. I am the man, my conscience now teares me and tells me so, what will become of me? The Lord Iesus will come in flaming fire to render vengeance against all that know not God; and that obey not the Gospell. This I beleeve, for God hath said it, 2 Thes. 2.7, 8▪ 9. and now I see I am he that hath lived long in ignorance, and know not God; I have had the Gospel of grace thus long wooing and perswading my heart, and oftentimes it hath affected me, but yet I have resisted God and his Gospel, and have set my filthy lusts, my vaine sports, my companions cups and queanes at a higher price then Christ, and have loved them more then him; and therefore though I may be spared for a while, yet there is a time wherein Christ himselfe will come out against me in flaming fire. To this purpose doth the Spirit worke; for beloved, the great meanes whereby Satan overthrew Man at first in his innocencie, was this principle, although thou dost eate, and so sin against God, yet thou shalt not dye. Gen. 3.4. Ye shall not surely die; the Serpent doth not say, Ye shall not die, for that is too grosse an out-facing of the Word, Gen. 2.17. but he saith, Ye shall not surely die: that is, there is not such absolute certainty o it; it may be you shall live, God loves you better then so, and is a more merciful Father
- 1Con. 3.
