The Difference Between Shame and a Broken Heart: Duration

             The differ in their continuance, for the longer that a wicked man lives, the harder his heart grows, and the less the sin and shame he has of his sins.  Hazael could not think that ever he should prove so bad and so bold a sinner as was prophesied of him, no man is the worst at first: but grows to it by degrees. Domitius Nero for the first five years of his reign; he was so fair[attractive] and so favorable, as it was called Neronius Quinquennium [five years of Nero].  But after he broke forth into such foul and bloody sin as made him both hateful to God and man. But now, on the other side, the more is his sense and sorrow for sins and the more he is ashamed of them: there ever the burden of them is the more heavy and the memory is more grievous unto him, yea, the sins of his youth: you write bitter things against me and make me to possess the sins of my youth.

            Briefly, that I am end this point, if you can step over those sins, now without remorse or shame that before time would have made you ashamed.  You may well suspect yourselves to be let loose to hardness of your own heart, and given over to reprobate sense; but if on the contrary you feel a stronger distaste of sin, so as is not committed without grief, nor thought upon without blushing, so as it is not committed without grief nor though upon without blushing, if you be thus ashamed of your sins God will not be ashamed of you at the last day.