A62050:405
Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an…
Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an exhortation with motives, means and directions to be speedy and serious about the work of conversion. By George Swinnocke M.A. sometime fellow of Balliol College in Oxford, and now preacher of the Gospel at Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire.Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an exhortation with motives, means and directions to be speedy and serious about the work of conversion. By George Swinnocke M.A. sometime fellow of Baliol Colledge in Oxford, and now preacher of the Gospel at Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire.
London: printed by E.M. for Tho. Parkhurst, 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
This is absolutely necessary in order to the second direction I have to commend to thee; which is the sincere humiliation of thy soul. There must be a day-break of light in the understanding, before there can be an heart-break of sorrow in the affections; till sin and wrath be discerned by knowledge in the mind, they will be no burden to the conscience, nor grief to the spirit: As no good wrapped up in darkness excites desire, so no evil swathed up in ignorance striketh terror. We may observe this by the holy Apostles expression; I was alive without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, Rom. 7.9. i. e. the time was that I was ignorant both ⟨p. 232⟩of the laws strictness and my own sinfulness, and then I thought my self to be very safe, my conscience was very quiet, and my heart full of hope (or more properly presumption) about my future eternal happiness; thus I was alive without the law; but when my eyes were enlightened, to see how exceeding broad the Commandments of God were, and that once I compared my crooked race with that strait rule, and took notice how far short I came of that obedience which the law required, I was then a dead, a lost man; I quickly pulled in my plumes, and took down my sails, with which I was hastening in my conceit to Heaven; for I found that I was in very deed in the road to hell. When the Commandment came, sin revived and I died: There was then life enough in my lusts to wound me unto death, for I dyed.
This is absolutely necessary in order to the second direction I have to commend to thee; which is the sincere humiliation of thy soul. There must be a day-break of light in the understanding, before there can be an heart-break of sorrow in the affections; till sin and wrath be discerned by knowledge in the mind, they will be no burden to the conscience, nor grief to the spirit: As no good wrapt up in darknesse excites desire, so no evil swathed up in ignorance striketh terror. We may observe this by the holy Apostles expression; I was alive without the law, but when the commandement came, sin revived and I died, Rom. 7.9. i. e. the time was that I was ignorant both ⟨p. 232⟩