A62053:567
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.
Reader, I would not have thee think any of thy sins little. It's unbecoming a Christian to entertain such a thought of his sins; nay, it greatens his sin, for him to presume it is little. As we should not lessen the Mercies of God, but always think them great, and too great for us, and our selves less than the very least of them; so we should never lessen our sins, but judge the least of them great, and the lightest of them heavy, and every of them too great and too heavy for us to bear; and upon these ⟨p. 439⟩accounts loath and leave them. Friend, think of what I have said of little sins, and certainly thou wilt be of another mind than to allow of them, because they are little; and rather reject them, because they are sins. Is there any thing that God hates but sin, and must that be the Object of his hatred? Is there any thing that offends God, or grieves his Spirit, but sin, and will nothing delight and please thee, but what provokes and displeaseth him?
4. I answer, that Omissions are not little sins. I have already largely proved, that in some respects, and as they may be circumstantiated, they may be much greater sins than sins of Commission. Reader, consider what is written in the danger of sins of Omission before the Uses, and then judge whether they are little sins or no.
Are they little sins which do most oppose the Mind and Will of God, which make way for whole herds of Sins of Commission, and which do exceedingly grieve the good Spirit of God? Are those little sins which God complains of so frequently, threateneth so severely, ⟨p. 240⟩and punisheth with such dreadful Judgments; on their Bodies, on their Souls, in this World, on both eternally, in the other World without any remedy? But, Friend, consider farther;