Gods husbandry

The first is,¹ to lay open before his mind in some settled and serious meditation, the infiniteness of that evil which shall surely come upon him for his hypocrisy, unless by lamenting it he do prevent the same. Put thy self in mind of the certainty of thy being damned if thou continue an Hypocrite, and of the intolerableness of the punishment of damnation. Say, O how inevitable (but by repentance, whereof sorrow is a necessary companion) and how extreme is the peril wherein I stand! If I cast not out this guile out of mine heart, it will certainly keep me out of heaven; if I keep it still in my soul, it will surely cast me down to hell. I must, I must of necessity, (because of the truth of God that hath said it, and his justice that hates this sin) be damned everlastingly, and for ever fry in those unquenchable flames (which none can suffer without being swallowed up of their torment) unless I be changed, and of an Hypocrite as I have bin, become sound at heart. This cannot be without bewailing mine unsoundness: and ah then shall I not bewail it? Tell thy self again, and again, and many times, in what excessive danger thy soul standeth, of being for ever tormented with the intolerable sense of Gods anger (a thousand times more scalding then the worst fire that can be made of any artificial matter) unless by lamenting thou prevail against thy sin; and this will help thee to lament thy sin: Muster up all the threats and menaces of Gods Word against hypocrisy, and against Hypocrites, ⟨p. 51⟩and laying them close to thine own soul, say, Upon me shall all these be fulfilled, if by mourning I free not my self from them. Faith in Gods threats will make the heart ache and prick; and much pressing them upon a mans soul, and considering the author and firmness of them, will cause them to be believed: and so thou hast one way of melting thy self.

The first is,¹ to lay open before his mind in some settled and serious meditation, the infinitenesse of that euill which shall surely come vpon him for his hypocrisie, vnlesse by lamenting it he doe preuent the same. Put thy selfe in minde of the certainty of thy being damned if thou continue an Hypocrite, and of the intolerablenesse of the punishment of damnation. Say, O how ineuitable (but by repentance, whereof sorrow is a necessary companion) and how extreme is the perill wherein I stand! If I cast not out this guile out of mine heart, it will certainly keepe me out of heauen; if I keepe it still in my soule, it will surely cast me downe to hell. I must, I must of necessity, (because of the truth of God that hath said it, and his iustice that hates this sinne) be damned euerlastingly, and for euer fry in those vnquenchable flames (which none can suffer without being swallowed vp of their torment) vnlesse I be changed, and of an Hypocrite as I haue bin, become sound at heart. This cannot bee without bewailing mine vnsoundnesse: and ah then shall I not bewaile it? Tell thy selfe againe, and againe, and many times, in what excessiue danger thy soule standeth, of being for euer tormented with the intolerable sense of Gods anger (a thousand times more scalding then the worst fire that can be made of any artificiall matter) vnlesse by lamenting thou preuaile against thy sinne; and this will helpe thee to lament thy sinne: Muster vp all the threats and menaces of Gods Word against hypocrisie, and against Hypocrites,