The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission

1. The first excuse is, that Omissions are small sins, and this Opinion is generally rooted in all men. Because they do not fly in the face of Conscience, disturb the light of Reason, trouble the Societies where, and debauch the persons amongst whom we live, as some sins of Commission do; therefore thy fancy (for it is but a fancy) that they are light and little, and no great matter is to be made of them. When once a man hath sucked in this poisonous Opinion, no wonder if his heart swell, and his life swarm with such sins. For when his Nature hath a reluctancy against the positive Precepts, (much more than against the negative) and his lazy temper sets him farther off, and he believes that they are Peccadilloes, and little taken notice of by God; yea, that a pardon in the High Court of Heaven is allowed in course for such small offences; what should hinder but he should abound and continue in them to the end of his life, unless his judgment of them be altered.

1. The first excuse is, that Omissions are small sins, and this Opinion is generally rooted in all men. Because they do not fly in the face of Conscience, disturb the light of Reason, trouble the Societies where, and debauch the persons amongst whom we live, as some sins of Commission do; therefore thy fancy (for it is but a fancy) that they are light and little, and no great matter is to be made of them. When once a man hath suckt in this poysonous Opinion, no wonder if his heart swell, and his life swarm with such sins. For when his Nature hath a reluctancy against the positive Precepts, (much more than against the negative) and his lazy temper sets him farther off, and he believes that they are Peccadilloes, and little taken notice of by God; yea, that a pardon in the High Court of Heaven is allowed in course for such small offences; what should hinder but he should abound and continue in them to the end of his life, unless his judgment of them be alter'd.

In all our converses and dealings, we are most careless about matters which ⟨p. 411⟩we judge to be of small concernment. For 'tis judged a part of folly to be very solicitous about toys and trifles. If I have a slight cut on my Finger, or my skin razed, I possibly let it go, and am nothing troubled about it; but if a bone be broken, or a vital part infected, I am not a little perplexed, and quickly apply the best means for the cure of it. The less I apprehend the danger to be, the less care I take to prevent it.