Four books on the eleventh of Matthew

5. Take heed of lying in the guilt of any sin, I mean, though in respect of God the guilt is taken away from believers, but of lying so in any sin, as not to clear up all between God and your soul for the discharge of it, of having any thing not cleared up in your own consciences, take heed of lying in any sin unrepented of, that is my meaning, every sin that a man commits, excepting those daily incursions and infirmities of the Saints, which they cannot while they are here in the flesh be altogether without, but every other sin, it is as a thorn, at least a thorn •n the foot, every sin that a man hath committed by strength of temptation, it is a thorn in the foot, and if it be a greater sin it is a gash in his flesh. ⟨p. 761⟩Now a man that hath a thorn in his foot, he cannot go very fast, but especially, if he have a gash in his flesh: when thou hast been overcome with a great sin, thou hast given a great gash unto thy soul, and other sins, the sin of thy passion, and the sin of thy giving liberty to thy thoughts, may be as a thorn to thy foot, to make thy way very hard unto thee. No marvel though thou complainest the way is hard, it is not the hardness of thy path, but the tenderness of thy foot that makes thee to think the way hard; therefore let every Christian, if he would go on with ease in the ways of religion, as soon as ever a thorn is got into the conscience, Oh! get it out presently, do not let it lye and fret in the flesh, Oh! if we would as soon as we had committed sin get it out of the conscience presently, then repentance would not be so difficult, and you would find your heart at a mighty deal of ease. When a man goes with pain, and he looks upon his foot, and pulls the thorn out, he goes with ease then. As the beast, when you go in the way, and your beast halts and shuffles, you will have him searched, if you cannot see it your self, then when you come to the next Smith, you have him searched; so, do you find the ways of God difficult, that you cannot go the pace you were wont to go, search your hearts see whether there be not a stone in your hearts, or some gravel, see if there be any particular sin that you know to be a sin, and particularly repent of that, and that will make the way of God easy to you, the often renewing of repentance will make the way of God easy.

5. Take heed of lying in the guilt of any sin, I meane, though in respect of God the guilt is taken away from beleevers, but of lying so in any sin, as not to cleer up all between God and your soul for the discharge of it, of having any thing not cleered up in your own consciences, take heed of lying in any sin unrepented of, that is my meaning, every sin that a man commits, excepting those daily incursions and infirmities of the Saints, which they cannot while they are here in the flesh be altogether without, but every other sin, it is as a thorne, at least a thorn n the foot, every sin that a man hath committed by strength of temptation, it is a thorn in the foot, and if it be a greater sin it is a gash in his flesh.