A65285:2406
A Body of Practical Divinity
A body of practical divinity consisting of above one hundred seventy six sermons on the lesser catechism composed by the reverend assembly of divines at Westminster : with a supplement of some sermons on several texts of Scripture / by Thomas Watson ...
London: printed for Thomas Parkurst, 1692
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
4. From Horror of Mind. A Man hath sinned a great Sin, he hath swallowed down some Pills of Temptation the Devil hath given him; and these Pills begin to work in his Conscience, and the Horror is so great, that he chooseth Strangling. Judas having betrayed Innocent Blood, he was in that Agony, that he hanged himself to quiet his Conscience. As if one should, to avoid the stinging of a Gnat, endure the biting of a Serpent. This Self-murder, [Greek or Hebrew], is an High Breach of this Commandment, it is an execrable Sin. I can see no ground of hope for such as make away themselves; for they die in the very Act of Sin, and cannot have time to repent.
4. From Horror of Mind. A Man hath sinn'd a great Sin, he hath swallowed down some Pills of Temptation the Devil hath given him; and these Pills begin to work in his Conscience, and the Horror is so great, that he chooseth Strangling. Iudas having betray'd Innocent Blood, he was in that Agony, that he hanged himself to quiet his Conscience. As if one should, to avoid the stinging of a Gnat, endure the biting of a Serpent. This Self-murder, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, is an High Breach of this Commandment, it is an execrable Sin. I can see no ground of hope for such as make away themselves; for they die in the very Act of Sin, and cannot have time to repent.
(2.) Here is forbidden hurting ones own Soul. Thou shalt not Kill. Many who are free from other Murder, yet are guilty here; they go about to murder their own Souls; they are wilfully set to damn themselves, and throw themselves into Hell.
Quest. Who are they that go about desperately to murder their own Souls?