Heaven taken

Take heed of indulging any lust. Sin ¹lived in will spoil all violence for Heaven. Sin enfeebles; 'tis like the cutting Sampson's hair, and then the strength departs. Sin is aegritudo animi, the soul's sickness. Sickness takes a man off his ⟨p. 175⟩legs, and doth so dis-spirit him, that he is unfit for any violent exercise. A sick man cannot run a Race. Sin lived in, takes a man quite off from duty, or makes him dead in it. The more lively the heart is in sin, the more dead it is in prayer. How can he be earnest with God for mercy, whose heart accuseth him of secret sin. Guilt breeds fear; and that which strengthens fear, weakens violence. Adam having sinned was afraid, and hid himself, Gen. 3. 10. When Adam had lost his innocence, he lost his violence. Therefore lay the Axe to the root; let sin be heaven down; not only abstain from sin in the Act, but let the love of sin be mortified, and let every sin be put to the sword. Many will leave ail their sins but one; save one sin, and lose one soul. One sin is a fetter; a man may lose the Race as well by having one fetter on his leg, as if he had more. I have read of a great Monarch^*, that flying from his enemy, he threw away the Crown of gold on his head that he might run the faster: So that sin which thou didst wear as a Crown of gold, throw it away that thou mayest the faster run to the heavenly Kingdom.

Take heed of indulging any lust. Sin ¹lived in will spoil all violence for Heaven. Sin infeebles; 'tis like the cutting Sampson's hair, and then the strength departs. Sin is aegritudo animi, the soul's sickness. Sickness takes a man off his ⟨p. 175⟩legs, and doth so dis-spirit him, that he is unfit for any violent exercise. A sick man cannot run a Race. Sin lived in, takes a man quite off from duty, or makes him dead in it. The more lively the heart is in sin, the more dead it is in prayer. How can he be earnest with God for mercy, whose heart accuseth him of secret sin. Guilt breeds fear; and that which strengthens fear, weakens violence. Adam having sinned was afraid, and hid himself,