THE Ages of Sin, or Sinnes Birth & groweth. With the Stepps, and Degrees of Sin, from thought to finall Impenitencie.
1 Suggestion.
Originall—
Concupiscence Doth make
Our Nature like a foule great—Bellyed
Snake:
For, wer not
Sathan apt to tempt to Sin;
Yett, Lustfull—
Thoughts would breed & brood, Within:
But, happie. Hee, that takes
These Little-
Ones,
To Dash their
Braines (Soone) 'gainst repentant—
Stones.
2. Rumination.
When lust hath (thus) Conceiu'd It brings forth Sin,
And Ruminating-thoughts Its Shape begin.
Like as the Beares oft-licking of her whelps,
That foule deformed Creatures Shape much helps.
Th
[...] danger's great, our Sinfull thoughts to Cherish,
[...] stop thire growth, or thy poore Soule will perish.
DELECTATION. 3
Jf, Sinfull Thoughts (once) nestle in mans heart—,
The Sluce is ope, Delight (then) playes its part:
Then, like the old-Ape hugging in his armes,
His Apish-young-Ones; Sin, the Soule be charmes:
And, when our Apish impious-Thoughts delight us,
Oh, then, (alas) most mortally They bite us.
CONSENT. 4
For, where Sin workes Content, Consent will follow;
And, This, the Soule, into Sins Gulfe, doth swollow.
For, as two rav'ning Wolves (for, tis theire kinde)
To suck Lambs-blood, doe hunt with Equall-minde:
Even so, the Soule & Sin Consent, in One,
Till, Soule & Body be quite overthrowne.
5 Act.
Sin and the
Soule (thus) having stricken Hands,
The Sinner (now) for
Action ready stands;
And
Tyger-like swallowes-up, at One-bitt,
What euer impious Prey his Heart doth fitt:
Committing
Sin, with eager greedyness,
Selling his
Soule to worke All wickedness.
Iteration. 6
From eager—Acting Sin, comes Iteration,
Or, frequent Custome of Sins perpetration;
Which, like great Flesh-Flies liting on raw-Flesh,
Though oft beat-off, (if not kild) come afresh:
Hence,
Be'lzebub is term'd Prince of fflesh-fflies,
'Cause Sin, still, Acts, vntill (by Grace) It Dies.
GLORIATION. 7
Custome in Sin takes Sense of Sin away,
This makes All-Sin seeme but a Sport, a play:
Yea, like a rampant-Lyon, proud and Stout,
Jnsulting▪ o're his Prey, staulking about,
The Saucy-Sinner boasts & braggs of Sinne.
As One (oh woe) that doth a Citty winne.
8 Obduration.
When Sinne brings
Sinners to this fearefull pass,
What followes, but a hard
Heart—▪ Brow of brass▪
A
Heart (I say) more hard then
Tortess-back;
Which, nether
Sworde nor
Axe can hew or hack;
Iudgements nor
Mercies, Treats nor threats can cause
To leave-off
Sin. To love or feare
Gods Lawes.
9 FINALL-IMPENITENCY.
And (now, alas) what is Sins last Extent?
A hard-Heart makes a Heart Jmpenitent.
For, can a Leopard change his Spotted Skin?
No, Nor a Heart accustom'd (thus), his Sin
Then, Conscience, headlong, casts Jmpenitence,
With horrid ffrights of Hellish Recompence.