A88592:137
The souls cordial in two treatises. I. Teaching how to be eased of the…The souls cordiall in two treatises. I. Teaching how to be eased of the…
The souls cordial in two treatises. I. Teaching how to be eased of the guilt of sin. II. Discovering advantages by Christs ascension. The third volum. / By that faithful labourer in the Lords vineyard Mr. Christopher Love, pastor of Lawrence Jury, London.The souls cordiall in two treatises. I. Teaching how to be eased of the guilt of sin. II. Discovering advantages by Christs ascension. The third volum. / By that faithfull labourer in the Lords vineyard Mr. Christopher Love, pastor of Lawrence Jury, London.
London: printed for Nathaniel Brooke, 1653
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.
This was the fault of Bellarmine, when his Confessor came unto him, Bellarmine did protest unto him, that he did not know one sin that he was guilty of to confess unto the Priest: this was heedlessness in him, for if he had observed his own ways, he would have found sins enough to have confessed: many are heedless that they do not take notice of their own evils. Beloved, ⟨p. 52⟩this is a common and an ordinary Defect; there are many when they come to prayer though they have manifold sins in them, yet they are so confused, so indistinct in the knowledge of their own ways, that they have only general confessions, Lord we have sinned, Lord we have done evil in thy sight, but cannot call to mind any particular sin they have done; Was it never thus with you, that ye did not know what to bewail to God, and what to lament of in his presence? this is a Defect that godly men are often plunged into.
This was the fault of Bellarmine, when his Confessor came unto him, Bellarmine did protest unto him, that he did not know one sin that he was guilty of to confesse unto the Priest: this was heedlesnesse in him, for if he had observed his own wayes, he would have found sins enough to have confest: many are heedlesse that they doe not take notice of their own evils. Beloved, ⟨p. 52⟩this is a common and an ordinary Defect; there are many when they come to prayer though they have manifold sins in them, yet they are so confused, so indistinct in the knowledge of their own wayes, that they have only generall confessions, Lord we have sinned, Lord we have done evill in thy sight, but cannot call to mind any particular sin they have done; Was it never thus with you, that ye did not know what to bewail to God, and what to lament of in his presence? this is a Defect that godly men are often plunged into.
Defect 2 A second Defect in the confession of sin to God is this, when men in prayer do confess many sins to God, yet do leave out their master and predominant sins: many men are large in confession, yet do leave out their master sins. Moses, though a good man, yet was faulty in this regard; God commanded him to go to Egypt to deliver his people, but saith Moses, I am not eloquent, I am of a slow speech; he did complain of a natural defect, but he did not complain of a spiritual defect, but God did answer all his pleas in