A62053:555
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission wherein is discovered, the nature, causes, and cure of those sins / by Geo. Swinnock.
London: printed for Geo. Swinnock, 1675
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 44: Another cause of Omissions, is vain excuses men have, that Omissions are little sins, w…
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.
When Pompey, saith Plutarch, could not prevail with a City to billet his Army, he yet persuaded them to take in a few weak maimed Soldiers; but those soon recovered strength, and let in the whole Army, to command and govern the City. Thus Satan by sins of Infirmity prevails at length for sins of Presumption. Great storms arise out of little gusts; and Clouds no bigger than the palm of a mans hand, comes in time to cover the whole Heavens. The greatest River is fed with drops, and the biggest Mountain made up of atoms. As Sulla said, when (in his Proscription time, that he slew so many) one pleaded ⟨p. 428⟩for the life of Caesar, In uno Caesar multi Marii. In one little Youth, many old subtle men; so in one little Sin, there may be many great ones. When one evil Spirit hath got lodging in the Heart, he prepares it, and makes room for seven more wicked and worse than himself.
When Pompey, saith Plutarch, could not prevail with a City to billet his Army, he yet perswaded them to take in a few weak maimed Souldiers; but those soon recovered strength, and let in the whole Army, to command and govern the City. Thus Satan by sins of Infirmity prevails at length for sins of Presumption. Great storms arise out of little gusts; and Clouds no bigger than the palm of a mans hand, comes in time to cover the whole Heavens. The greatest River is fed with drops, and the biggest Mountain made up of atomes. As Sylla said, when (in his Proscription time, that he slew so many) one pleaded ⟨p. 428⟩for the life of Caesar, In uno Caesare multi Marii. In one little Youth, many old subtle men; so in one little Sin, there may be many great ones. When one evil Spirit hath got lodging in the Heart, he prepares it, and makes room for seven more wicked and worse than himself.
Keepers first ply their Deer with little Beagles till it be heated and blown, and then they put on their great Buck-Hounds. So the Devil first plies us with little sins, afterwards when we are used to them with greater. One circle made with a stone in the water, makes way for a second greater than it, the second for a third greater than that, &c. Rivers (far from their Springs) grow as they go along greater and greater, and enlarge their Channels, till at last they empty themselves into the Ocean. Thus Sin encroacheth by degrees upon the Soul, if it can get but one of its claws into us, it will quickly follow with its head and whole body. A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Unfaithfulness to God is first discovered in the smallest matters, then it proceeds to greater