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…

Fourth Direction, In case thou expectest to have a high esteem of pardoning grace, labour thou to find out all the aggravated and heinous circumstances in thy sin. Beloved, do not fear that the seeing of the sinfulness of sin will do you hurt: first look on pardon, and then look on the aggravation of thy sin; this is the way to heighten Christs merits, and greaten Gods mercy, and extol Gods pardoning grace. It is notably mentioned ⟨p. 147⟩of two men that were famous this way, It is reported of Eusebius a holy and a tender conscientious man, when he came to confess sin, he used these words, Lord there is none have sinned, as I have sinned, the Devil sinned, Judas sinned grievously, but none sinned as I: The Devil indeed sinned, but Christ never dyed for the Devil as he dyed for me, therefore my sin is a greater sin then the Devils; Judas sinned greatly, but Judas never had the pardon I had; Achan sinned too, but I sinned further then he. O labour to find out what aggravations there are that thy evils are capable of, that so thou mightest come to magnify and greaten the grace of God in thy esteem. A famous story of Austin, ¹when God converted him, and smote his conscience for the vanity of his youth; how doth he aggravate his sin when he was a boy for robing of an Orchard! he doth aggravate that sin with many circumstances. First, I robed an Orchard merely out of vanity, not out of need, to steal for need is more tolerable, though not justifiable; but when he had enough, that was vanity; then it was not for the goodness of the fruit, but merely for the lust of the eye: then I did not rob the Orchard alone, but I got others with me; then, it was an unseasonable time of night; then, he went to rob the Orchard after he had spent all the day in vain sport, ⟨p. 148⟩then, what they could not eat they gave to the hogs; then, saith he, I wronged and injured an honest neighbour that never did me wrong: O see how he clothed that sin with many heinous crimes and circumstances, canst not thou clothe thy uncleanness, thy oppression, thy extortion, thy unjust dealing, with heinous circumstances? Let me direct you a little in this rule.

Fourth Direction, In case thou expectest to have a high esteeme of pardoning grace, labour thou to find out all the aggravated and haynous circumstances in thy sin. Beloved, doe not fear that the seeing of the sinfulnesse of sin will doe you hurt: first look on pardon, and then look on the aggravation of thy sin; this is the way to heighten Christs merits, and greaten Gods mercy, and extoll Gods pardoning grace. It is notably mentioned