Sin does to the Soul, the same that Sickness does to the Body. There is a lamentable Weakness brought upon the Soul, by that Sickness. By ⟨p. 7⟩reason of Sin, it comes to pass, that a Sinner is, as 'tis Expressed, Rom. 5.6. Without strength. Tis a Sickness that has taken the Sinner quite off his Legs: he is not able to Run the way of Gods Commandments, or, to Walk with God, or, to Come unto the Lord Jesus Christ, though his very Life do lie upon it. Yea, Sin is a Sickness, by which all the Faculties of our Souls, are woefully Disordered, grievously Disabled. Our Understandings are Enfeebled by Sin: they do not now Receive the things of the Spirit of God, which are Spiritually discerned. It is said of a Sinner, 1. Tim. 6.4. He knows nothing. Our Consciences are also Weakened by Sin; and being Weak, they do not aright perform their Offices. It is said of a Sinner, 1 Cor. 8.7. He has a weak Conscience. Above all, Our Wills are Depraved by Sin. We are Sick at Heart. What a desperate sickness is an Heart that is desperately wicked? An Heart that has the Stone in it? A Sinner will not do, ⟨p. 8⟩what God requires: Thus we read of some, Jer. 44.16. They said, We will not Hearken. And he will do what God forbids: Thus 'tis said of some, Joh. 8.44. The Lusts of your Father ye will do. And his Will makes a most perverse and froward Choice: It Chooses that which is Evil, and Refuses that which is Good. All the Affections of his Will are out of order. His Grief is what should be his Joy; his Fear is what should be his Hope; he Hates what he should Love; and his Joy & Hope and Love are all misplaced. And as the Diseases of the Soul use to come under this Distribution, Oblivio Dei, and Angor Conscientiae, so Sin having at this rate Sickned the Soul, at last it brings an horrible Pain upon the Soul: Even that Pain, whereof the wise man says, Prov. 18.14. The Spirit of a man will sustain his Infirmity, but a wounded Spirit who can hear? And that Pain, wherein some have kept Crying out, O Torture! Torture! and wished but for this mitigation of their miserable ⟨p. 9⟩Anguish, To lie in the Fire on the Hearth before them!
Sin does to the Soul, the same that Sickness does to the Body. There is a lamentable Weakness brought upon the Soul, by that Sickness. By ⟨p. 7⟩reason of Sin, it comes to pass, that a Sinner is, as 'tis Expressed, Rom. 5.6. Without strength. Tis a Sickness that has taken the Sinner quite off his Legs: he is not able to Run the way of Gods Commandments, or, to Walk with God, or, to Come unto the Lord Jesus Christ, though his very Life do ly upon it. Yea, Sin is a Sickness, by which all the Faculties of our Souls, are wofully Disordered, grievously Disabled. Our Understandings are Enfeebled by Sin: they do not now Receive the things of the Spirit of God, which are Spiritually discerned. It is said of a Sinner, 1. Tim. 6.4. He knews nothing. Our Consciences are also Weakned by Sin; and being Weak, they do not aright perform their Offices. It is said of a Sinner, 1 Cor. 8.7. He has a weak Conscience. Above all, Our Wills are Depraved by Sin. We are Sick at Heart. What a desperate sickness is an Heart that is desperately wicked? An Heart that has the Stone in it? A Sinner will not do, ⟨p. 8⟩what God requires: Thus we read of some, Jer. 44.16. They said, We will not Hearken. And he will do what God forbids: Thus 'tis said of some, Joh. 8.44. The Lusts of your Father ye will do. And his Will makes a most perverse and froward Choice: It Chooses that which is Evil, and Refuses that which is Good. All the Affections of his Will are out of order. His Grief is what should be his Joy; his Fear is what should be his Hope; he Hates what he should Love; and his Joy & Hope and Love are all misplaced. And as the Diseases of the Soul use to come under this Distribution, Oblivio Dei, and Angor Conscientiae, so Sin having at this rate Sickned the Soul, at last it brings an horrible Pain upon the Soul: Even that Pain, whereof the wise man sayes, Prov. 18.14. The Spirit of a man will sustain his Infirmity, but a wounded Spirit who can hear? And that Pain, wherein some have kept Crying out, O Torture! Torture! and wish'd but for this mitigation of their miserable ⟨p. 9⟩
