10

The reprobate has oftentimes fear and terror of conscience: but this is only, because he considers the wrath and vengeance of God, which is most terrible. When Paul preached before Felix, and by the majesty of God's Spirit, did (as it were) thunder from heaven against his sins, doubtless he made his heart to ache, and every joint of him to tremble. Ecebolius a Philosopher of Constantinople, in the days of Constantius, professed Christian religion, and went beyond all other in zeal for the same religion: yet afterward under Julian, he fell from that religion to Gentilism. But after Julian's death making means to be received into the church again, overwhelmed with the horror of his own conscience for his wicked revolting, he cast himself down on the ground before the doors of the church crying aloud, Calcate me salem insipidum: Trample on me unsavory salt. And the devil believes the word of God and at his own damnation he trembles. These servile fears, though they harden the heart of the reprobate, as heat does the iron, after it has been in the furnace: yet these fears in the children of God are very good preparations, to make them fit to receive grace: like as we see the needle which sews not the cloth, yet it makes a passage and entrance for the thread, which serves for this use, to sew cloth together.

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