The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

so the Spirit saith, why dost thou say thy sin is small? it is disobedience, (as Samuel said to Saul, 1 Sam. 15.) 23. which is rebellion, and as the sin of witchcraft; and is that a small matter? the Spirit of conviction by the clear evidence of the truth, binds the understanding that it cannot struggle against God any more; and hence let all the world plead to the contrary, nay let the godly come to comfort them in this estate, and think and speak well of them; yet they cannot believe them, because they are certain their estates are woeful: hence also we shall observe the soul under conviction, instead of excusing sin, it aggravates sin, and studies to aggravate sin; did ever any deal thus wickedly, walk thus sinfully, so long, against so many checks and chidings, light and love, means and mercies, as I have done? And it is wonderful to observe that those things which made it once account sin light, make it therefore to think sin great: ex. gr. my sin is little; the more unkind thou (saith the Spirit) that wilt not do a small matter for the Lord: my sin is common; the more sinful thou that in those things wherein all the world rise up in arms against God, thou joinest with them: God spares me after sin; the greater is thy sin ⟨p. 26⟩therefore that thou hast continued so long in, against a God so pitiful to thee; the dearest sins are now the vilest sins, because though they were most sweet to him, yet the Spirit convinceth him, they were therefore the more grievous unto the soul of God; you poor creatures may now hide, and colour, and excuse your sins before men, but when the Lord comes to convince, you cannot lye hid; then your consciences (when Jesus Christ the Lord comes to convince) shall not be like the Steward in the Gospel that set down 50. for a 100 l. no, the Lord will force it to bring in a true and clear account at that day.

so the Spirit saith, why dost thou say thy sin is small? it is disobedience, (as Samuel said to Saul, 1 Sam. 15.) 23. which is rebellion, and as the sinne of witchcraft; and is that a small matter? the Spirit of conviction by the cleare evidence of the truth, binds the understanding that it cannot struggle against God any more; and hence let all the world plead to the contrary, nay let the godly come to comfort them in this estate, and think and speak well of them; yet they cannot beleeve them, because they are certaine their estates are wofull: hence also we shall observe the soule under conviction, instead of excusing sin, it aggravates sinne, and studies to aggravate sinne; did ever any deale thus wickedly, walke thus sinfully, so long, against so many checks and chidings, light and love, meanes and mercies, as I have done? And it is wonderfull to observe that those things which made it once account sin light, make it therefore to think sin great: ex. gr. my sin is little; the more unkind thou (saith the Spirit) that wilt not doe a small matter for the Lord: my sin is common; the more sinfull thou that in those things wherein all the world rise up in arms against God, thou joynest with them: God spares me after sin; the greater is thy sin