Words whereby we may be saved. By Thomas Vincent, sometime minister of Maudlins milk-street,…

and that you might be convinced of the guilt of sin, you must look into the Law, in which as in a glass you may see your natural face, and all the spots thereof; the Law will discover the sin of your natures, as it requireth perfect conformity thereunto in habit, disposition, ⟨p. 38⟩and inclination, and forbiddeth all evil biasses of the will and heart to sin, as well as external transgressions; Moreover the Law will discover to you your actual sins; but then you must look beyond the head Precepts of the Law, which are but ten, for you must take notice of the several branches belonging to every head, which are many; as for instance, If you would find out whether you are guilty of Adultery, you must not only look upon the Precept as forbidding only the gross outward act; Thou shalt not commit Adultery, but as reaching to the inward desires and inclinations, and so our Saviour, Math. 5. 28. interprets this Precept, that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart; and so in the Precept, Thou shalt not kill, it is murder not only to take away the life of another by violence, but also to be angry with our brother without a cause; and so in the other Precepts. And as you must look into the Law for Conviction of sin, so you must also look into your own Consciences, and read what is there registered, and compare your hearts and lives with the Law; and you should call to mind the places you have lived in, the businesses you have been employed about, and the circumstances of your lives may bring to remembrance many sins committed long ago, with their aggravations. You must get thus a conviction of the guilt of your sins, especially if you have fallen into any grosser sin in your life, as adultery, drunkenness, theft, if you have been guilty of swearing, Sabbath-breaking, profaneness, or the like; you must see the heinousness of them, and withal you must see that every sin which you have committed is heinous, as ⟨p. 39⟩it is a dishonour to the highest Majesty, who is infinitely more exalted above the greatest Earthly Kings and Potentates, than they are exalted above the meanest Worm, or Fly; and for such as you to dishonour and affront him by sin, is very heinous. This is the first thing, a Conviction of your sins, which you must endeavour after.