A Body of Practical Divinity

6. When a Man sins under Affliction. God doth not only thunder by Threatening, but hath let his Thunderbolt fall; he hath inflicted Judgments on a Person, he may read his Sin in his Punishment, yet he sins: His Sin was Uncleanness; he hath wasted his Strength as well as his Estate; he hath had a Fit of Apoplexy, yet tho ⟨p. 393⟩he feels the smart of Sin, he retains the Love of Sin. This is to sin against Conviction. 2 Chron. 28.22. In his Distress did he trespass yet more: this is that King Ahaz. This doth enhance and make the Sin greater than other Sins: For sinning against an enlightened Conscience,

6. When a Man sins under Affliction. God doth not only thunder by Threatning, but hath let his Thunderbolt fall; he hath inflicted Judgments on a Person, he may read his Sin in his Punishment, yet he sins: His Sin was Vncleanness; he hath wasted his Strength as well as his Estate; he hath had a Fit of Apoplexy, yet tho ⟨p. 393⟩he feels the smart of Sin, he retains the Love of Sin. This is to sin against Conviction. 2 Chron. 28.22. In his Distress did he trespass yet more: this is that King Ahaz. This doth inhance and make the Sin greater than other Sins: For sinning against an enlightned Conscience,

First, Is full of Obstinacy and Pertinaciousness. Men can give no Reason, make no Defence for their Sins, yet they are resolved to hold fast Iniquity. This is desperate Wilfulness: And Voluntas est regula & mensura actionis, The more of the Will in a Sin, the greater the Sin. Jer. 18.12. We will walk after our own Devices. Tho there be Death and Hell every step, we will march on under Satan's Colours. This made the Sin of the Apostate Angels so great, because it was wilful; they had no Ignorance in their Mind, no Passion to stir them up, there was no Tempter to deceive them, but they sinned obstinately and out of Choice.