this blessed Looking-glass plainly discovers to you that your Heart is a very naughty Heart evil only evil and continually evil Gen. 6. 5. your inward parts are very filthiness Psal 5. 9. and as full of falshood as of filthiness Jer. 17. 9. c. Infra 5. There be various Representations indeed both of mans Malady and mans Remedy in this blessed Looking-glass of the Word of God The Looking-glass of the Law doth discover all the spots of fallen Mankinde Rom. 7. 9. both those spots that are the spots of God's Children to wit Infirmities and those that be the spots or rather deep stains or Leopards-spots of the wicked to wit Enormities Deut. 32. 5. But the Looking-glass of the Gospel discovers the Water of the Spirit of Grace and the Blood of the Lamb of God wherewith those spots are to be washed away John 1. 29. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Tit. 3. 5. Until the Law in the hand of a Mediator fall upon mans spirit with full Conviction Man is a jolly jovial Creature with Paul Rom. 7. 9. But when the Commandment comes with a piercing penetrating Power letting blood in the heart-vein as Acts 2.37 Christ speaking to the heart with a strong hand as Isai 8. 11. and the Spots and Freckles of a sinful Soul are discovered to him and discerned by him then and not till then doth he repair to that Fountain that is opened in the sides of a bleeding and blessed Saviour to wash in and to be cleansed from all those spots of Sin and of Vncleanness Zech. 13. 1. to be washed white in the Blood of the Lamb Rev. 7.14 and to be cloathed with the Robe of his Righteousness Phil. 3. 9. 6. The first Duty as to this Looking-glass Be sure you take a view of your self and of the estate and complexion of your heart in this blessed Looking-glass Motives to stir you up hereunto are these 1. This is a Looking-glass of Gods own making and therefore excellent All those Glasses fore-mentioned that give their false Representations are glasses of Mans making and that for Curiosity and Ostentation but this is of Gods making and that for Sanctity and Salvation As 't is said of the two Tables of the Law the Tables were the Workmanship of God and the Writing was the Writing of God Exod. 32. 16. so it may be said of this blessed Looking-glass of the Gospel 't is the Workmanship and Writing of God 'T is the Hebrew Idiome to put the Name of God to many things to shew the superlative excellency of those things as the Hill of God the City of God the House of God and the Sanctuary of God for the most excellent Hill House City and Sanctuary So this Looking-glass may accordingly be called the Looking-glass of God to set off its excellency and its excellency calls loud upon you for the using of it The second Motive is 'T is a Glass that hath been of singular use and in sublime estimation in all fore-going Ages and Generations The Holy Patriarchs dressed themselves both as to Faith and Manners by this Glass in their due and daily walking with God and so have the Prophets Apostles and Martyrs of God dressed themselves all by it ever since God made it Insomuch that all their Godly Examples are become as so many Looking-glasses unto us to dress our selves by and to be followers of them who through Faith and Patience do now inherit the promises Hebr. 6. 12. You must be a follower of them so far as they were followers of God in his Word and Will and of Christ in a Scripture-like Faith and a Scripture-like life and conversation 1 Cor. 11. 1. the frailties of all those Holy Saints are Recorded in the Holy Scriptures as exempla Cavendi non Cadendi fâ—â— your caution as dangerous Rocks and Sands at Sea are marked not for your imitation These Servants of God dressed themselves up in this Glass into Scripture-hearts and into Scripture-lives and so are all safely landed in Mansions of glory they are all got well home to their Fathers house out of this present evil world so called Gal. 1. 4. And if you do as they did in dressing your self by this Glass you shall in time be where they are 8. The third Motive is from the three excellent properties of this Looking-glass to wit 1. It s Truth 2. It s Largeness 3. It s Lastingness 1. 'T is a true Looking-glass and gives no false Representations of persons or things as those fallacious and sophistical Glasses aforementioned do but discovers all truely and in every part neither more or less than it is neither better nor worse than it is neither fairer nor fouler than it is in it self 2. This is a large Looking-glass that discovers the whole complexion of the Heart from top to toe the hidden Man of the heart may be viewed in it both intirely in the whole and truely in every part 3. 'T is a lasting Looking-glass it waxes not old dull and crazy as common Looking-glasses do 't is so Divinely steeled that it will never wear off nor contract any dust or obscurity though the smoak of the bottomless pit hath endeavoured to darken the Sun and the Air of the Holy Scriptures Revel 9. 2. and many a false Gloss hath been cast upon this true Glass yet hath it as much light and transparency in it self as ever To all which may be added a fourth excellent property of this blessed Glass wherein it transcends all other Glasses which discover onely the face and surface barely of the body or outward things but this discovers the inside as well as the outside and the hidden things of the heart as well as that which is bare and open 9. The fourth Motive is from the preciousness of the Soul which is far more precious than the body The Lord Jesus did assuredly best know the worth of Souls because he onely went to the price of Souls and he tells you that it is but a bad bargain to gain the World though 't is impossible for any one to get all and lose the Soul Matth. 16. 26. the Soul of one single person is of more worth than is the whole World then 't is of much more worth than the body of that person It follows hence that seeing you do use the common Glass to trim and dress the body which is the worser part that you may not be unacceptable and uncomely to Men how much more should you use this special and Spiritual Looking-glass for trimming and dressing your Soul the better part that you may not be uncomely and unacceptable to God This latter is of far more consequence and importance than the former How ought you then to look into this Looking-glass of the Word duely and daily yea as often at least as you look into the common Looking-glass 'T was grave and godly counsel that Tertullian gave to young Women Vestite vos Serico pietatis Byssino sanctitatis Purpurâ pudicitiae
taliter pigmentatae Deum ipsum habebitis Amatorem God himself will become a Suitor to such as do according to the Apostles direction 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. The Prophet doth so distinctly and punctually declaim against the Womens varnishing vanities as if he had indeed fully viewed the Ladies Wardrobe in Jerusalem Isa 3. 18 23. and had taken a particular Inventory of them with their turrified heads and stretched-out necks 10. Such persons as spend too much time in dressing their Bodies by the common Looking-glass it may justly be feared they spend too little time in trimming their Souls by this blessed Looking-glass Bernard excellently expresseth this saying Vestium curiositas deformitatis mentium morum indicium est Over-much curiosity in outward adorning is a shrewd sign of the deformity both of Mindes and of Manners or more plainly excessive neatness in outward ornaments is a palpable evidence of too much inward nastiness Mark what the wisdom of God himself saith 1 Pet. 3. 3. Whose adorning let it not be outward c. but let it be the hidden man of the heart Women are not simply or absolutely forbidden there to adorn themselves so it be without Pride and Excess and suitable to their States and Estates in the World otherwise good Rebeccah that immediate Daughter of Sarah would have been blamed for wearing those Bracelets and Ear-rings which the Holy Patriarchs Abraham and Isaac sent unto her for her adorning Gen. 24. 30. and Godly Lydia whose Heart the Lord opened would not have been a Seller of Purple Act. 16. 14. If it were lawful for her to sell it assuredly it was lawful for some to wear it 11. It follows then that what is spoken by the Holy Ghost in 1 Pet. 3. 3. is onely spoken comparatively and not simply or absolutely that they make not their outward adorning their chief Ornament as the Daughters of Jerusalem did Isa 3. 18. onely for pride and wantonness in the mean while altogether neglecting the adorning their Souls but surely those Daughters of Israel in Exod. 38. 8. were better minded who did willingly give up their Looking-glasses which were then made of Brass and whereby they trimm'd themselves to the service of the Lords Sanctuary by which free-will-offering of theirs they did most plainly and openly testifie that they preferred the Worship and Glory of God before their own gracefulness Those were undoubtedly religiously disposed women that assembled by Troops to fast and pray Pethachohel at the door of the Tabernacle and these instruments of the worlds Vanity whereby they had formerly dress'd their Bodies but which now they despised they dedicate to God to make the Laver of Brass an instrument whereby through Faith they might trim and sanctifie their Souls Oh that we had many such Women in this great City and such as Esthers Maidens Esth 4. 16. Zech. 12. 14. 12. The second Duty in order to this Looking-glass is You must not only â—ook into it but love to do so God looks not so much at what you do as at what you love to do God indeed looks that you should look into the Looking-glass that he himself hath made for you to that very end Yet to do so is not enough unless also you love to do so Let it be far from you to do with this Spiritual Looking-glass as History makes mention one Praxyllis did with her common one which when it but truely discovered to her eyes her own real Deformity she quarrels with the Glass and in a rage against it throws it down and breaks it all to pieces You may easily conjecture whether the true Representation of the Glass or the womans own Deformity were more in fault or to be quarrell'd withal Oh do not you quarrel with this blessed Looking-glass of the Word which God hath most graciously given you and hath not suffered it to be muffled up from you in an unknown Tongue as in Popish Times to give no true and due prospect of your sinful self but look into it and love to look into it yea look into it with a God-blessing Spirit saying with the Holy Apostle I had not known sin but by the Law that precious Looking-Glass Rom. 7. 7-9-18 As you were bred and born in sin and have all along lived in sin so you may dye in sin if you discern not by looking into this divine Looking-glass your Souls Deformity 13. The third Duty is You must not only look into it and love to do so but likewise to look wishtly and intently into it not taking a sleight and glancing prospect onely but viewing all the defects and deformities of your Heart with utmost intention of Soul until there be some deep Impression wrought kindly thereby upon your Affections This is the very scope of the Apostle James in Chap. 1. 23-25 He that beholds saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the face of his Nativity that which Nature gave him or that which he was born with into the world straightway he forgetteth what manner of man he was to wit the fashion of his Countenance and the spots represented in the Glass Whereby he most fitly noteth out those weak impressions which the discoveries of the Word leaveth upon a careless hearer of it who is not so deeply touched with those Discoveries as to be duely truely and throughly humbled for them so as to be brought out of self unto Christ 14. The fourth Rule is Labour for such a discovery of your Heart in this Looking-Glass of the Word that it may have an abiding Work upon you that the Word may be planted and engrafted in you Until this be the root of the Matter or of the Word as the word dabar signifies cannot be in you Job 19. 28. Nor the seed of God can be said to remain in you 1 John 3. 9. The seed of the Word must be hid in your heart Psalm 119. 11. Luke 2. 19. And the Law of the Word must be writ in as well as put into your Heart Jerem. 31. 33. Then doth the graft or root draw all your thoughts cares purposes and affections do nourish it and suck the sap of all to it All the motions of your Soul and Spirit will be cast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Mold of Religion Rom. 6. 17. like melted Metal takes the form of that mold which it is cast or poured into then will it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fruit-bearing Word Col. 1. 6. and then will it drive you into your Closet or some by-corner the secret places of the stairs Cant. 2. 14. to bewail the plague of your own heart 1 King 8. 38. A due and true sense whereof is the best Prayer-Book in the world When you are sensible of Sickness you need no Book to teach you what to say to your Physician and when you finde your self defrauded of your Inheritance what to say to your Counsellor at Law though you do your self consult Books about both those Cases 15.
beginning Joh. 8. 44. for Ahab-like he first kills and then takes possession he first Murders Gods Image in Man and then possessing himself he stamps his own fowl Image in the place of Gods glorious Image but particularly he takes possession 1. By original propagation faln Adam begets a Son in his own Image Gen. 5. 3. not onely like him as a Man but also like him as a sinful Man Job 14. 4. all elect as well as reprobate are born Children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. the Apostles we there includes all yea both Jew and Gentile all are lost in Adam till found in Christ Phil. 3. 9. 2. By actual transgression which lets down indeed the draw-bridge to let Satan enter Joh. 13. 27. getting a fuller possession of him than before Satan hath something in us though he had nothing in Christ Joh. 14. 30. that gives him possession of us The manner 3ly of Satans keeping possession of us as his own is by Conquest or rather by Cozenage he pleads prescription for it if it be asked him How long hath thy tenure been he answers Even of a Child Mark 9. 23. hence is he Lord Paramount and plays Rex in the Heart till Christ serve a Writ of Ejectment on him CHAP. IV. Of the Hearts Treachery 1. AFter 1. the Matter and 2. the Manner follows 3. the Measure how much the Heart is corrupted with Treachery and Deceitfulness the Prophet Jeremy tells you gnacob ha leb mi col 't is deceitful above all whether persons or things 1. Let me shew you how the Heart of Man is more deceitful than any deceitful person in Scripture-Record and 2. how 't is more deceitful than any deceitful thing that the Holy Scripture doth mention First of persons and they are two fold 1. Male 2. Female first of the Males and the first instance to exemplifie it by way of Allusion is Jacob and the rather because the Prophet useth the same word gnacob from whence Jacob call'd in Hebrew Jagnacob had his name Jer. 17. 9. whereby is most graphically and aptly deciphered and described that the fleshly Heart doth the same thing to the Spirit in doing of good which Jacob did to his Brother to wit catch it by the heel and supplant it as the word gnacob signifies while it is running the race of Christianity set before us Hebr. 12. 1. 1 Cor. 9. 24. Though David was as wise as an Angel of God 2 Sam. 14. 20. yet it deceived him and tripped up his heels as the word imports Psal 39. 1 2 3. and so it did Peter Joh. 13. 37 38. though he were a pillar of the Church Gal. 2. 9. yet this supplanting heart supplanted and over-turned this very pillar Oh little did those two great and good Men imagine that their own hearts had been so treacherous and deceitful 2. Therefore Jacob or Hebr. Jagnacob is the first and most fit Scriptural Allusion to demonstrate the Hearts deceitfulness as you have the name Jacob many times in Scripture so sometimes the Etymology of the name especially upon three occasions 1. From his strugling with his Brother in his Mothers Womb 2. From his beguiling him of the birth-right and then 3ly of the Blessing First of the first of thos◠The word gnacab signifies Calcaneariu◠or an Heel-Catcher and because he not onely strugled with his Brother in Rebecca's Womb for priority but also catch'd his Brother by the heel or foot-sole there as if he would have turned up his Brothers heels or at least have pull'd him back and so got to the goale of the birth before him Gen. 25. 22 26. Hosea 12. 3. therefore did his Father call him Jacob a strange presage of what he should do in supplanting Esau which signifies perfect because born with a Beard as some say or however with hair so grown as if he had been a Man already rather then a Child he was factus perfectus pilis and yet encountred by this supplanter at his Birth Thus both of them brought their own Names along with them into the World Conveniunt rebus nomina saepe suis Oftimes Names and Natures answer each other 2. Though he could not bring down his Brothers head by tripping up his heels in the Womb yet he supplants him in the World gaining the birth-right by subtilty when he was grown up which he got not by striving and strugling with him before he was born Gen. 25. 29 33. Hebr. 12. 16. 3. And then thirdly in beguiling him of the blessing as well as of the birth-right whereupon Esau himself gives the Interpretation of Jacobs Name Hache Karah Shemo Jagnacob Vajegnekebéni Zeh pagnamaiim is he not rightly called Jacob for he hath Jacobd me these two times he first supplanted me of the birth-right and now of the blessing Gen. 27. 36. yea and the good old Man his Father saith in v. 35. Thy Brother came in subtilty and hath taken away thy Blessing Esau's Gloss or Allusion may be read word for word thus My Brother may well be called an Heeler for he hath heeled me these two times that is he hath come behind me set his foot before me as runners in a race play fowl play to each others and tripped up my heels twice just so and much more than so dealeth your Gnacob or deceitful heart as the Prophet calls it with you As there was a strugling in Rebeckahs Womb so there is a Conflict in the Soul of the Elect what can you see in the Shulamite or one brought into Gods peace by Christ as the word Shulamite signifies but as it were the company of two Armies Cant. 6. 13. the Army of the flesh and the Army of the spirit both strugling for the birth-right and how doth the fleshly Heart take hold of the heel of the Spirit its Brother they are ut fratres simul jacentes in eodem utero as twinns lying both together in the same Soul This Holy David complained of and groaned under Psal 49. 5. gnaven gnakebi the same words with the Prophets Jer. 17. 9. Jesubeni The iniquity of my Heels or Supplanters do surround me with their snares alas the best of Men have some dirt of iniquity cleaving to their heels some deceitfulness of sin Hebr. 3. 13. he that is already washed needeth not save to wash his feet Joh. 13. 10. or his heel of the unrenewed part which will be playing fowl play trip up his heels and cast him down too Psal 18. 23. 4. And that not onely Zeh pagnamaiim two times as Jacob did his elder Brother who was the Priest of the Family by his birth-right but even ten times yea times without number oh how oft hath the iniquity of your heels or this Heeler your supplanting heart catched hold of your heel and pulled you back from duty not onely from the new-birth but also to hinder your growth in Grace and in your passage and progress towards Heaven nay how oft hath it tripped up your heels and brought down
from Pisgah Deut. 34. 1 2. a mere Map of all the Riches and Royalties of the World in lively Colours so 't was but a Picture not it self 3. Thus Judiciary Astrologers that call men off from a due observation of Divine Providence which numbers our very hairs Mat. 10.30 and orders even contingent things Exod. 21. 13. Deut. 19. 5. whose Art doth arise from a natural itch in fallen Mankinde of knowing what God would not have known Deut. 29.20 Acts 1. 6 7. And were there any certainty in that Art no doubt but the Devil himself would have the best knowledge of it both by the subtlety of his Nature and by his long Experience in the world yet hath he been oft deceived in his fallacious Oracles And 't is remarkable that the Caldaeans who were undoubtedly most skilful in that Art could not foretel the ruine of their own Empire Neither can Fortune-tellers foretel their own Scourgings and untimely Death This is such a cheat and deceit that wise Cato though an Heathen did wonder how such kinde of persons could forbear laughter when they met one another seeing they knew so well how they did notoriously gull so many credulous people therefore listen not to them 17. 4. And lastly the Cheats of Wizards or Witches both white and black that have Collusion as well as Delusion in them 1. The white Witches or wise men or wise women as they are ignorantly miscalled that are said to cure Diseases and to help persons to lost Goods alas 't is only done by Collusion one devil for more devilish ends giving way to another The Devil may take off what he himself hath laid on his Cures are only for a time and 't is for some greater mischief he may restore those Goods that he by his Agents hath stollen that he may be worshipped of those to whom they are restored but without all peradventure 't is better to want your Goods or your Health it self than to go to the devil for them they can never come from him with a blessing Your Lord would have nothing of the devils giving Math. 4. 9 10. And as if there were no God in Israel why should you go to the Devil at Ekron 2 Kin. 1. 2 3. the God of your mercies scorns you should seek him in vain Isa 45. 11. 16. 19. 2. the black Witches so called are themselves cheated by Satan and made to believe that they are transformed into Cats Birds c. all which is but a delusion for no such transmutation can be but either by Creation or Generation 't is not by the first for there cannot be two Creators nor by the second for Generation must be in time and not in an instant Thus the Devil deludeth them with conceits which are plain deceits that they are got over sea into forrain Wine-Cellars whereas all that time of those conceits they are so fast asleep that they cannot be awakened and whatever is done if any thing of that nature 't is all done by their Familiars but above all they are cheated at last those witches with a witness who cannot save themselves from the stroke of Justice by all their familiars but are always lurched by them at length when Witches fall into Justices hands then those familiars which had as it were worn out their shooes in the Witches service formerly will not now go bare-foot for their help and then it is that the Circle of the Halter is too strong for all their spells 18. Yet all those cheats and deceits do spring originally from a deceitful deceiving and a deceived heart Isa 44. 20. the pride of the heart deceives those Sorcerers Wizzars and Witches Obad. v. 3. making them think themselves some great matter whereas there is no such matter but their hearts do befool them into a fools paradise and puts such a trick upon them as the serpent did upon Eve Gen. 3. 13. the serpent hath deceived me where the same Hebrew word is used as here a deceived heart that so oft deceives them may well say to them as the heart of Apollodorus the Tyrant seemed to say in the boiling kettle to him as before It is I that have drawn thee to all this evil This is apparent in Simon Magus who bewitched the Samaritans he was bewitched himself with his own bewitching heart which was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity as bitter to God as gall is to man and in such a bond as could not be loosed this made him think himself basely and blasphemously that he was the great power of God who was but a blab or bladder blown up as a bubble by the Devil and of his own heart Act. 8.9 10 11. 21. 23. CHAP. VI. Of the Hearts Treachery 1. THough all those persons and things fore-mentioned be notoriously deceitful as hath been manifested yet the heart of Man is more deceitful than them all the Word of God which is the mouth of wisdom telleth you that it is superlatively deceitful the Scripture of truth Jerem 17.9 saith 't is deceitful above all it exceeds them all not onely in one or two but in many respects as 1. it would put a cheat and deceit upon the highest object even upon God himself so far as it can all those persons and things aforesaid cheats only their fellow-Creatures but this deceitful heart would cheat God himself the great Creator hence Hypocrisie is the grand cheat of the heart wherein there is a covering of our selves with the fig-leaves of an outward profession as if God who hath an all-seeing eye and is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-eye could not see our nakedness through those thin coverings and as if he could not discern betwixt what we be and what we seem to be an Hypocrite would cozen the God of Heaven if he could but tell how yea and where there is sincerity without Hypocrisie the heart will oft falsifie with God and give him the slip in duty starting aside like a deceitful bow Psal 78. 37. 57. 2. It puts a cheat upon the noblest subject to wit the precious and Immortal Soul 't is the Apostles phrase deceiving our own Souls Jam. 22.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 using fallacies or false syllogisms which hath a probable appearance of truth yet are false both in matter and form to deceive as the same word is used Col. 2. 4. since the heart hath lost its uprightness it hath found out many tricks wiles or inventions to deceive the Soul either by false reckoning or by false reasoning Now the Soul is of more worth than the whole world as Christ who alone went to the price of Souls and therefore best knew the worth of Souls telleth you Matth. 16. 26. so 't is better a whole world should be cheated than that a precious Soul should be so 2. 3ly This is a Cheat that concerns the best choicest and chiefest things 't is no less than about life and Salvation all the other
silent never examining comers in or goers out of the heart 't is become naughty and self-deceiving this Candle of the Lord in you as your Spirit is called Prov. 20. 27. should examine as the Sentinel upon the Watch all comers and goers crying ever and anon Who comes there and Who goes there And as Joshuah did to the man Josh 5. 13. Who art thou for Art thou for us or for our Adversaries If your heart be silent herein and say nothing in such Christian Examinations then such a Traveller as came to David's heart 2 Sam. 12. 4. may be welcome to your heart Mariners do say there be more Ships cast away in Calms upon Quick-sands c. than in Storms upon Splitting Rocks If Despair with Saul hath slain its thousands sure I am Presumption with David hath killed its ten thousands If a Spiritual Calm or slumber be upon you then you cannot cry out Who comes there c. The Philistims may be upon you and you know it not 2. A brawny heart that hath lost its Tenderness is a Self-deceiving Heart Josiah 's heart was tender 2 King 22. 19. this pleased God well and so was David's when it smote him for cutting off Saul's lap 1 Sam. 24. 5. But how had he lost his Tenderness when his heart did not smite him for cutting off Uriah 's life c. One of a tender Constitution cannot endure the least cold wind to blow upon him but must have all Windows and Doors close shut to secure his tender body Oh that you were as wise for your Soul as he is for his Body in shutting all close that not the least cold Air of sin may come unto it If your heart be not ever suggesting duty or humbling for neglect it deceives you 15. 3. An untractable heart such as will not be handled nor come to hand in a parley is a self-deceiving heart David bids you commune with your own heart Psal 4. 4. and you should call your faithless heart to a faithful account duely and daily and you should view your works every-day as the Lord your God did his all the six days of the Creation Gen. 1. and happy is that Soul that finds them good though not very good as God did his works in a serious Self-Reflection but if your heart fly from you and will not commune with you saying Oh what have I done Jerem. 8. 6. 't is a self-deceiving heart David pray'd Lord incline and unite my untractable heart your windows should be as those of the Temple 1 Kin. 6. 4. broad inward to give more light inwardly 4. An unstable heart is a self-deceiving heart if it will not stand at the mark till your parley with it be brought to some blessed issue Jam. 1. 8. halting betwixt two and is as much for Baal as for God as much for sin as for Christ so is but with Agrippa almost a Christian this half-parlying in self-tryal undoes thousands whose hearts are unstable in it 't is the work of the Spirit to binde the heart as Psal 118. 27. and to convince throughly of the state either of sin or grace without this your heart will slip you in self-examination which is as the rubbing of your eyes to see better where you are and what you are doing CHAP. VII Of the Hearts Treachery in prosperity 1. NOw come we to a more particular discovery of the hearts treachery and that in two grand respects 1. In respect of your state and condition in this lower World and 2. in respect of your various actions in order both to this and to a better world First of the first to wit your state and condition in this world which is twofold 1. a Temporal 2ly a Spiritual state in both which your heart may deceive you if you do not take heed to it to keep it with all keepings Prov. 4. 23. Now 1. of the Temporal state which is twofold 1. the state of prosperity 2. the state of adversity first of the first of these to wit the state of Prosperity 1. Of the Malady 2. Of the Remedy 1. The Malady wherein the deceit of the heart is discovered in sundry particulars as the first Discovery is Your deceitful heart may carry your soul at some times further off from God thereby just as the Moon which the more Light she receives from the Sun of the firmament goes the further off from him and sometimes when she is in the full the shadow of the Earth doth interpose itself and so eclipses and darkens her even so man is as the Moon in the full having fulness of all things this oftentimes sets his Soul further off from Christ the sun of righteousness Mal. 4. 2. for Fulness and Pride or Haughtiness are coupled together as the Cause and the Effect Ezek. 16. 49 50. Fulness brings forth Haughtiness which is both the hate of Heaven and the gate to Hell yea the very first fire-brand that set Sodome on fire That Pride is the product of Prosperity appeareth from Psal 73. 5 6. Job 15. 25 26 27. and 1 Tim. 6. 17. And proud man made so by Prosperity God beholdeth afar off Psal 138. 6. They are got a great way from God he drives them as the Chaldee Paraphrase there signifies afar off from Heaven as disdaining to come near such loathsome Lepers and thrusts them down as low as to Hell at last How oft also doth the interposition of earthly enjoyments which is but a shadow eclipse and darken the Soul of man God-ward 2. The second Discovery is In Prosperity the Soul of man is very prone to forget both his Mercies and the God of his mercies for Fulness breeds Forgetfulness Deut. 32. 15. and Saturity brings forth Security Luxuriant animi rebus plerunque seoundis Nec facilè est aequâ commoda mente pati Mercy is many times but a nine days wonder and 't is hard for even the choicest Soul to keep the sense of a mercy for any considerable time warm upon the heart whereas we should keep the loving-kindness of God in everlasting remembrance but alas it is with us as it is with children eaten bread is soon forgotten our luxuriant and wanton minds soon forget Divine favours as Psal 106. 13. they hasted they forgot Hebr. which is a great aggravation forgetfulness should indeed be a grave wherein we ought to bury the Injuries done to us by Man but not any of the loving kindnesses done to us by God Psal 103. 2. The best use of a bad Memory is to forget Injuries from man but to forget the Benefits of God is gross Ingratitude David felt some dulness and drowziness in this respect and he therefore rowzeth up his own Soul to this Remembring-work Oh where is the man the woman that hath their hearts as much affected with Mercies and that praises God as fervently for them when they are stale and old Mercies as while they are fresh and new and but lately received 3. The third Discovery
5. 6-9 unto chance 1 Sam. 6. 9. For Chance is a Scripture-word Eccles 9. 11. Luke 10. 31. And 't is said Ruth 2. 3. that her hap hapned Hebr. to light in Boaz's field this was a mere chance in respect of Ruth who being a stranger knew not whose field it was yet was it ordered by a sweet and secret Providence of God in order to her Marriage to Boaz afterwards That which is to us but casual and contingent is yet by God Almighty both fore-appointed and effected That which is Casualty to man is no other than Counsel to God and what is Chance to the ignorant man is no less than the Lord to religious Job chap. 1. 21. The Lord giveth and taketh All Chances and Changes are as much in God's hand as is Time it self Psal 31. 15. Psal 91. 10. No evil shall chance unto thee So this Chance may be understood in a way of subservieney and subordination to Gods Providence Yet to ascribe evil to Fortune is far worse as if she were a Goddess and ordered all things both good and evil We do not finde that the very Philistims in the place before-quoted while they dreamed of a Chance did worship this Fortune as a Goddess Neither was she ever held to be so Hesiod mentions her not in his Theogonia till Homer made her so giving her a Soveraignty over all humane Affairs and the succeeding Poets that are said to lick up his Spewings say Sed te Nos facimus Fortuna Deam coelóque locamus Juvenal Satyr 10. 5. The third Discovery is Your heart will deceive you in making you to look more at the stroak that is given you than at God who strikes it Not much unlike the Dog that runs at the stone which is thrown at him but mindes not the hand that throwes it Oh! how prone is poor man to snarl at and quarrel with that tryal and trouble that is sent to afflict him saying to it Art thou come to torment me before the time as Matth. 8. 29. and many times may curse it whereas he should chiefly curse his Sin which is the procuring cause of his Misery You may pore too much upon the matter of your Affliction and too little upon both the Procuring and the Efficient Cause thereof your own sin is the former that sends for it and God's Justice against your sin is the latter that sends it Hence it is that we cannot say to our affliction as Laban said to Abraham's servant Come in thou blessed of the Lord thou art welcome Gen. 24. 31. Thou art Gods Angel or Messenger wherefore standest thou without I know that when thou hast delivered thy Message and done thy Errand thou wilt be gone and stay no longer and though thou be like a froward Guest at an Inne that is displeasing enough while he stays there yet pays nobly for all at parting may you be but able to do thus then you Accept of the punishment of your Iniquity as God saith Levit. 26. 41. then do you kiss the Rod yea and the Hand too that lays it on As the Scholar on his Death-bed did his Masters hand crying Istae manus me ad Paradisum portant Those very hands that have given me blest correction helps me to Heaven Your heart will deceive you if you look not beyond your Affliction at Gods faithfulness in your Affliction saying with David I know that out of thy very faithfulness O Lord thou hast afflicted me Psal 119.75 as if he had said Lord thou hadst not been faithful to my Soul without afflicting my Body 6. To ascribe any thing whether good or evil to fortune is the grand overthrow of all true Piety as it is an Atheistical debasing of Divine Providence Cicero himself acknowledges that it was ignorance of the Causes of things that brought in the names of Nature Chance and Fortune as if all things were either from themselves which is called Nature or Chance or only so disposed by Fortune this fictitious goddess and not by the true God that orders all from the highest Angels to the lowest worms Augustine argues excellently How can this goddess Fortune be sometimes good and sometimes evil Is it saith he because when she is evil she is no more a Goddess but is turned suddenly into a malignant Devil De Civitat Dei lib. 4. cap. 18. Sir Walter Rawleigh calleth Fortune the God of Fools a Goddess which is most reverenced when good but most reviled when bad of all other Poetical Gods or Goddesses though Hesiod who told the birth and beginning of all those counterfeit Deities hath not a word of Fortune yet after Homer had made her the Daughter of Oceanus or of the Sea as if she had her Ebbings and Flowings like it she grew so great with the blind world as to be accounted Omnipotent insomuch as all the concerns of Men even from the highest Prince down to the lowest Peasant were but Fortunae ludus ludibria the very sport and pastime of Fortune tossing them like a Tennis-ball up and down hither and thither at her pleasure abasing Wisdome by making the possessors of it miserable and advancing Folly for Fortuna favet fatuis Fortune favours fools by making the owners of it prosperous and successful This made the great but ignorant Demetrius cry out Oh Fortune thou hast exalted me and thou the same now goest about to destroy me Aâ—rel Vict. de Pertinace Yet among all the Philosophers I finde Plato most Divine in this point saying Nothing ever came to pass under the Sun whereof there was not a just preceding Cause 7. But Philip Mâ—lancton saith more plainly Quod Poetae Fortunam id nos Deum appellamus that which the Heathen Poets call Fortune we know 't is no other than God and his Providence as Exod. 21. 13. God hath delivered him into his hands that is Divine Providence gives up some men to be slain for some secret sin neither repented of nor punished by the Magistrate by some extraordinary casualty the Hebrews therefore use the name of God where others use Fortune because what men think to be done by Fortune is indeed done by the Providence of God though a man be killed at unawares as Deut. 19. 5. or by an errour or mistake Numb 35. 11. yet it is Gods Providence that it should be so for he is the Lord of our lives and we are guilty of death by sin Rom. 6. 23. whereby we make frequent forfeitures of our lives and 't is therefore the Lords great mercy that we are not ever and anon destroyed Lam. 3.22 Homo proponit Deus disponit man purposeth to knock down a tree but God disposeth of his stroke so that he knocks down a man the very slipping of the Axes head from the helve or handle is the work of God disponit Deus membra pulicis culicis God orders the very bitings of gnats and flyes saith Austin even Lottery is guided by Providence Prov. 16.
for your Body And this Bread of Life comes dish'd up to you in divine Duties Therefore by these things you live and herein is the life of your spirit Isa 38. 16. 8. The fourth Deceit of the Heart herein is 'T will wander from God in duty it cannot watch with Christ one hour Matth. 26. 40. nor attend the Lord without distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 much less can you abide with Christ one whole day as those Disciples did Joh. 1. 41 c. your spirit will not be stedfast with God Psal 78. 8. 37. but your heart will deal unâ—â—ithfully with him and start aside from him â—â—ke a deceitful bow as above vers 57. 't will bâ— like Reuben as Vnstable as water Gen. 49. 4. This is for Lamentation and should be for Lamentation to you that you should bring such a slippery heart before the Lord in Duty that will not serve God so entirely as it has served sin Alas you have served sin with your whole Heart Soul and strength but you could never serve God so your heart hath been divided in his service Hos 10. 2. We are all of us too much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double-soul'd or double-hearted as James phraseth it Jam. 1. 8. hence cometh our unstableness in Duty and our halting and halving 'twixt God and the world and 'twixt Christ and sin This is that corruption which that Apostle calls upon us to cleanse away cleaving so fast to us Jam 4. 8. and then there would be more Constancy and Evenness more Stability and Entireness in our Minds Mouths and Manners before the Lord This is absolutely necessary in all those that draw nigh to God Levit. 10. 3. and the contrary is abominable Isai 29. 13. We may all of us say in this case as Joseph's brethren said in another case We are verily guilty Gen. 42. 11. Therefore you have need to watcâ— your heart Prov. 4. 23. like a thief that will either steal away from you by fraud or â—eak away from you by force ere ever you be aware And to pray with David Lord fix â—nd unite my heart that as thou art God alone so my heart may be to thee alone Psal 86. 10 11. Lord bend it and binde it fast with cords as a Sacrifice or untamed Heifer to the horns of the Altar Psal 118. 27. that you may serve God with singleness 2 Cor. 1. 12. cleaving to him with full purpose of heart Act. 11. 23. Deut. 30. 20. and sitting close to him as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7. 35. signifies as close as Mary did to Christ Luke 10. 40. while Martha was distracted with many things 9. The fifth Deceit of the Heart is 'T will be weary of Duty as well as wander in and from Duty this usâ—ers in that If your heart be divided disjointed and thereby disenabled for Duty for Aninia dispersa fit minor a stream divided into several channels runs the weaker Vis unita fortior if contracted into one the same becomes the stronger 't will soon also grow weary of Duty and cry Oh what a weariness is it Mal. 1. 13. where the Jews come puffing and blowing into the Temple as if they had lost their pant with carrying some Carrion-sheep upon their shoulders for Sacrifice as if God had called them to no other service but servile drudgery but God knowing the language of their hearts detects their Hypocrisie telling them he presseth upon no man neither liketh he that service that is pressed out of people as Verjuice is pressed out of Crabs All his Saints Subjects and Soldiers are Volunteers a willing people that bring their Free-will-offering to him Psal 110. 3. They dare not cry out of weariness as those did nor account the Sabbath a burden as they did in Amos 8.5 who were as it were in the stocks or little-ease all the Sabbath-service though they do themselves perform no better works than dead works all the time either for fashions sake or for fear of the Law Oh let it not be so with you let the Sabbath be a day both of desires and of delights to you Isa 58. 13. and take as much pleasure therein as one walking in the Spring-garden of Spiritual Duties arm in arm and heart in heart with your dear Lord Jesus you must not only Deo servire sed adulari be unsatisfiable unwearied in his service as one that never does enough for him that hath done and suffer'd so much for you 10. The sixth Deceit is You may look more at the Acceptation of the Action performed than at the person performing 'T is true in the Covenant of Works the first Covenant God first accepted of the Action and then of the Person for the tenure of that Covenant runs in those terms Do this and live Ambrose the Father hath an excellent descant upon it to wit Homo priùs probandus quà m approbandus Man must first be proved in this Covenant of Works before he be approved When God the Creator called all his created things good and very good at the end of every days Creation yet when he had created Man he speaks not one word of the goodness of his creature Man and why so 'T was because Man must first be tryed and then if he deserved it commended but alas Man bal Jalin non pernoctavit abode not one night as the Hebrew word signifies in his honourable estate wherein he was created Psal 49. 12. He failed in his action so God accepted not of his person But 't is otherwise in the second Covenant the Covenant of Grace for herein the person is accepted first and then the action from that person As in the case of Abel Gen. 4. 4. and Hebr. 11. 4. his Sacrifice was respected and accepted because by Faith his person was justified The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering God's respect there was first to his person and then to his Action or Offering Whereas the first Covenant was made betwixt an holy man and an Holy God Man then stood upon his own legs and by his own strength and he had then no back-door no surety But this second Covenant is made with us in Christ and 't is now Live and do as the first was Do and live because we live in Christ that therefore we do our actions acceptably in him Ephes 1. 6. 11. The seventh Deceit is You may look that your person may be accepted in Duty more for the Actions sake than for Christs sake If your heart be not lifted up and raised to a due height in Duty 't will be a low creeping heart and then will it pore too much on self and the Duty done and too little on Christ Whereas no Israelite was to offer up his own Offering but he must put it into the hand of the Priest who was a type of Christ our High-Priest and he must both bring it and burn it before the Lord for the Israelite Levit. 1. 15. You should
A Chrystal Mirrour OR Christian Looking-glass WHEREIN The Hearts Treason against God And Treachery against Man Is truely represented and throughly Discoursed on and Discovered WHEREBY The Soul of Man may be Dressed up into a Comeliness for God AND WHEREON A Duely and daily Gazing after a Godly sort may prevent the putting an everlasting Cheat upon your Immortal Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nosce teipsum Solon To know your self is necessary He that beholdeth his natural face in this Spiritual Glass and forgets not is blessed Jam. 1. 23. 25. Published for Publick Good by Christopher Nesse Minister of the Gospel in Fleet-street London LONDON Printed by J. C. for the Author and to be sold by him 1679. To the Right Ronourable THE Lord Wharton My Lord YOUR Lord-ship is the only One of all my narrow Acquaintance amongst persons of your Rank Quality who hath so much Divine Teachings about the hearts Treachery as I can presume your Honour is endowed with You have been an Honorable Owner Honourer of the good ways of God to my knowledge for this many years and wherein you have not been an eminent Doer only but as eminent a Sufferer In all which your Honour cannot but have large Experience of the Wily Workings of your own Deceitful Heart Assuredly Experimental not Notional knowledge is the most expeditious and dexterous Doctress to Disciple aright in this Deep Mystery As that great Mystery of Godliness the new name in the white Stone Rev. 2. 17. no man can read but he that receives it So this grand Mystery of Iniquity or Vngodliness which is call'd the depths of Satan Rev. 2. 24. and which lies lurking in a deep heart Psal 64. 6. is better experienced inwardly than exerted by any outward means whatsoever Docet Experientia vera and Experto crede Roberto I looking upon your Lordship as an old Disciple Acts 21. 16. A Gray-headed Christian and a Father in Israel 1 Joh. 2. 13. could not but be confident that this mystical Mirrour would finde Acceptance and the rather seeing 't is as useful for Lords as it is for Ladies Hereupon I presume to tender it quale quale est unto your Lord-ship's hands for a Blessing to your Heart To the Right Honourable THE Lady Wharton Madam SINCE my small and short Acquaintance with your Ladyship I could not but be one of the Admirers amongst many others of your great Gravity and peculiar Piety in this our loose and debauched Age Whereas other Ladies of Honour doth glory in this that they are Ladies of Pleasure too Alas they do but glory in their own shame Phil. 3. 19. Your Ladyship doth esteem it your greatest Glory not only to be a Lady of Honour but also a Lady of Holiness This is abundantly demonstrated not only by your repairing duely to the publick means of Grace where you may enjoy them in power and purity but also to my knowledge your upholding daily the private worship of God in your Family This this is that which makes you truly Honourable and therefore ought to be honoured as you are of God so of all good men but especially of all good Ministers In pursuance whereof I make hold to present to your Lady-ship the best Homage and Honour I can pay you this Christian Mirror which is a Looking-glass for an elect Lady for a Lady indeed I doubt not but while other Ladies in their Vanitie do as it were nail their very Eyes to their literal Looking-glass and that onely for pluming the body as to man your Ladyship will be improving this mystical Looking-glass for the trimming of your Soul as to God that your inner man may become as amiable acceptable to your Heavenly Husband Isa 54. 5. as your outward man is to your Earthly one But to bring these two Streams into one Channel let me now address my self to both your Honours two distinct persons in one single yet compounded application seeing God hath made you not onely one Flesh by his holy Covenant of Marriage but also one Spirit by his holy Covenant of Grace and Adoption Although I dare not symbolize with those sordid Sycophants of Dionysius who lick'd up his very Spittle that Excrement which the Tyrant slaver'd out of his mouth in his outragious furie as if it had been the noblest Nectar nor with those Parasitical Priests that do palliate their Patrons with the Appellations of Vertuous Pious and Religious when possibly they are no better than Vitious Impious and Irreligius ones Should I use such flattering Titles my Maker would make me afraid Job 33. last yet though Laus sordet in ore proprio non tamen in ore Alieno a mans own mouth may not praise him another mans may Prov. 27.2 Our Lord himself gave John Baptist his due praise 1. For his Constancy in Religion saying He was no Reed shaken with the wind 2ly For his Moderation in his Apparel c. Mat. 11.7 8. And surely the Servants of this Lord ought to own it as their dutie to give due praise to the Praise-worthie to honour those whom the Lord honoureth 1 Sam. 2. 30. and to commend those whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10. 18. Thus Demetrius had a good Report of all good men and of the Truth it self 3 John Epist v. 12. and Ruth hath this Encomium All the City of my people knows that thou art a vertuous woman Ruth 3. 11. her works not her words prais'd her in the gate Prov. 31. 31. So that all true acknowledgements of the Grace of God discerned in your Honours by the Spirit of Discerning not onely may but must be made and yet be without the stinking breath of all base-minded Adulation Give me leave therefore without offending the modesty of your Minds and the humility of your Hearts of both which there is an happie Conjunction in both your bosoms to call you truely Noble not so much with Nobilitie by Parchment which the Favour of a Prince setteth on and his Frown or Fancie wipeth off again nor so much with a Nobilitie by Parentage for the Noblest Bloud upon Earth is stained and tainted with High-Treason against the great King of Heaven None ever was so Nobly-born as to be able with Hercules to kill the two Serpents in the Cradle to wit Original Guilt and natural Corruption Hence we read in Scripture onely of three Great men and those none of the best to wit Pharaoh Jeroboam and Herod who solemniz'd their Birth-days Nobilis non Nascitur sed fit ceu Renascitur Nobles by their first birth are but Terrae-silii ceu filiae Earth-sprung if not born 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again or from above John 3. 3. This this is that which makes you both truely Noble to wit your Second birth tantus quisque est quantus est apud Deum Act. 17.11 Greatness without Goodness is like the big swelling of an Hydropical person 't is his Disease but not his Ornament Great persons have the greatest difficultie
Thus if you be not a forgetful Hearer as James 1. 23 25. to let slip these sacred Truths which the Looking-glass of the Word represents to you Hebr. 2. 1. not feeling the power and efficacy of them but on the other hand if the Word of God sinketh down into your heart as well as ears Luk. 9. 44. And if also it findeth place or room as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in your heart John 8. 37. and so put you into anguish of Soul and bitterness of Spirit for the naughtiness of your heart God-ward having Gods arrows of Conviction sticking fast in you then are you one that with the Angels do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 12. pry into this Looking-Glass with the body bowed down as the word signifies to discover and discern all your spiritual Deformity not only with a Reflect act which Philosophy saith is soon forgotten but also with a Direct Beam which Divinity saith takes deep Impression this holy gaze transforms you into Glory as Moses in the Mount 2 Cor. 3. 18. and brings you to Repentance unto Life never to be repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. Go on and prosper 1 Chron. 22. 11 13. in the Name of the Lord. CHAP. II. Of the Hearts Treason 1. NO sooner have you got a saving look through Grace into this blessed Looking-glass of the Law of Liberty and viewed the hidden man of the Heart from top to toe therein with the spectacles of the Spirit of God but then you will make a discovery that your heart is top-full both of filthiness and falshood both of Treason and Treachery as full of the one as of the other and this is that evil treasure which your Lord tells you of is in every Heart of fallen Mankinde and 't is not an empty or almost so but an abounding treasure there is abundance of this evil treasure in it Matth. 12. 34 35. and Matth. 15.19 The Heart is filled with all unrighteousness Rom. 1. 29. 't is so full that there is no room for more and though it may be indeed fuller of evil practices yet it cannot be fuller of evil principles yea 't is so exceedingly filled with them and there is such abundance of them that the heart of man is ready to break with them and there plainly is a superfluity or overflowing of naughtiness Jam. 1. 21. and an over-spreading abomination Dan. 9. 27. All persons have the running issue of sin in them as that Woman which came to touch Christ Matth. 9. 20. Luk. 8. 45 46. Those evil Principles run out otherwise the Heart would break with them 't is so full of them into many evil Practices as the fore-quoted Scriptures do demonstrate 2. First the Heart is filled with all filthiness and Treason against God the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords Revel 19. 16. there is crimen laesae Majestatis High Treason in it not only intended but abetted and executed in many overt-Acts we are all born with War and Treason in our Hearts against the King of Heaven and this breaks out upon all occasions as soon as we come into the World no sooner do we learn to do any thing but we first learn to rebel against our Maker in our pride and vanity so that we are all of us transgressours from the Womb Isa 48. 8. and we are estranged from the Womb Psal 58. 3. we are old sinners hardned and habituated in evil even from our Mothers bellies it hath daily grown up with us and quite turned away our hearts from God and all goodness This is the birth-blot we bring into the World with us the first Man defiled Nature and ever since Nature hath defiled every Man making him not onely averse from God but also adverse to God both a stranger to him and straying from him yea a Rebel against him standing utterly across with an inâ—ate antipathy waxing worse and worse every day 3. Thus the Looking-glass of the Word represents to you first your Malady and secondly your Remedy the issues of Death come out of the Heart while 't is an evil treasure as well as issues of life when it becomes a good treasure 't is the former by Nature and the latter by Grace and therefore it must be kept above all keepings as well as with all keepings Kol-mismor netzar Prov. 4. 23. In order and tendency unto your more distinct knowledge first of your Malady this Spiritual Mortal and Fatal issue of sin take these following Soul-awakening Considerations First this That every one naturally high and low rich and poor one and other hath an issue of sin a flux of Spiritual filthiness running out of the Mouth Eyes and Hands c. as that Woman in the Gospel Matth. 9. 20. Mark 5. 25 to 35. had this is the epidemical evil the universal disease of all faln Mankind Secondly This Spiritual issue begins betimes in every person you bring it into the World with you so that if it be asked you as once Christ asked How long is it ago since this came to him Mark 9. 21. your answer must be as 't is there answered Even of a child 't is even from the Womb as before young Nettles begin to sting betimes and young Crab-fishes begin to go backwards betimes and young Hedge-hogs begin to be rough betimes so our naughty nature soon appeareth in little ones Vaiezatha the youngest of Hamans Sons Esth 9. 9. hath one Letter in the Hebrew name bigger than all the rest the Rabbins reason is because he that was youngest in years was yet strongest in malice against Mordecai and the Jews and Augustine proves Original Sin with his Vidi Zelantem puerum I saw a little Child rise up in such indignation as if it would have torn in pieces another strange Child that was sucking its Mothers Breast 4. Then thirdly This issue of sin may remain running many years unstaunched The Woman in the Gospel had her running issue twelve years but Man may have this issue unstopped and undryed up twenty thirty forty fifty sixty yea an hundred years That 's a sad word Isa 65. 20. but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed and the more accursed because so long-lived and yet dyeth in his sin going down to the Grave with his bones full of the sins of his youth Job 20. 11. A sinner may do evil an hundred times and have this running issue an hundred years through the long sufferance of God Eccles 8. 12 13. yet it shall not be always well with him Isa 3. 12. for his sin will be sure to find him out at last Numb 32. 23. he that hath guilt in his bosome hath always vengeance at his back where Iniquity breaks its fast there Calamity will be sure to dine and to sup where it dines yea and to lodge where it sups Fourthly consider you may spend your all upon Physicians of no value when you come to a sense of this issue and seek out
of the heart of man extensively were onely evil intensively and continually evil protensively there was a general Ataxy in Church and State in Families and Persons the whole frame was out of frame so this new World may be worst a little before its dissolution by Fire when the Son of Man comes to burn it 2 Thes 1. 8. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Iniquity shall abound Matth. 24. 12. a full Sea of Sin and a low-ebbe of Faith Luk. 18. 8. he will then find no Faith in most true Faith in few a living Faith in fewer and a lively and strong Faith in fewest of all in former Ages there was much heart-filthiness and heart-falshood and in our following Ages there is more oh how are the very banks of Blasphemy broken down in our time and wickedness now more brazen-faced with a witness then ever 't was formerly night-work as ashamed to show it self in the light of the Sun and in the sight of Men 1 Thes 5. 7. Act. 2. 15. but now 't is become more impudent and plainly a Noon-day Devil Men declaring their Sin as Sodome Isa 3. 9. and hanging them out in the very sight of the Sun not unlike that unpardonable and unparalleld Villany of incestuous Absalom 2 Sam. 12. 12. 18. 22. upon the top of the Palace from whence David had looked liked and lusted after Bathshebah Thereby God wrote his very sin upon his punishment 2. As it was in the Prophet Jeremies time so it is in our time Men are apt to speak the best of the worst and of the goodness of the heart under the badness of the life making the heart still as a City of refuge to retire to as if it were good when all else be evil The Prophet therefore opens a casement to make a discovery of the falshood and filthiness of the treason and treachery of the heart saying Jer. 17. 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Which words are a Doctrinal Position or Proposition which consists of a Subject of a Predicate and of a Copula according to the Rules of Logick 1. The Subject is the heart of Man taken comprehensively in Scripture for the Mind Soul Conscience Will and affections of Man yea for the whole Man called the hidden Man of the heart 1 Pet. 3. 4. for if the heart be engaged all the whole Man is engaged Thus Hunters adventures their necks yea their all in leaping over hedge and ditch while they pursue their game why their hearts are engaged in their pleasures and thus it is with all in their pursuit of either good or evil The Heart was the best piece as Created but is the worst piece as corrupted 't is like Jeremy's figs as Created of God nothing better but as corrupted by the Devil nothing worse when Man came first out of Gods Mint he was a curious Silver-piece and shone most gloriously he had then an honest upright and an innocent heart Eccles 7. 29. he had then no dross no tin mingled with his Silver no Metal better than it but Gold no Creature better than him but Angels the image of God was stamp'd upon his his heart and he was crowned with glory and Majesty Psal 8. 5. he had knowledge in his Understanding obedience in his Will and order in his Affections c. 3. But now alas in the faln Estate how is this burnt Temple to be bewailed by us as the Jews did for theirs Ezr. 3. 12. Man that curious Silver-piece formerly is now become the lost groat Luk. 15. 8. that hath lost its sound its weight its lustre and its superscription and Image yea instead of Gods Image Satan hath drawn out his limbs upon it so that Mans heart is now altogether of another make 't is Inversus Decalogus a Diametrical opposition to the holy Law of God the heart of the wicked in the state of degeneration is now of little worth like an old crack'd over-worn groat though the Tongue of the just acted by a new heart in the state of Regeneration be as choice Silver Prov. 10. 20. Thus the Subject to wit the Heart of Man the first particular neither is what it was at first nor what it ought to be according to Gods Law 't is not as it was created of God very good as all other things were that God Created but 't is now very evil as corrupted by Satan yea evil it self And this corruption is remarked in Scripture for three things first the Matter secondly the Manner thirdly the Measure of it first the Matter or Subject that is corrupted is the Heart the principal thing that both God and the Devil strangely striveth for they both cry My Son my Daughter give me thy heart Prov. 23.26 The Devil once strove with Michael about Moses dead body Jude the ninth verse but doubtless it was his purpose to set up an Idol for himself in the hearts of the living Israelites If Satan can but get the heart a strong hold of it and his strong holds in it as before he thinks himself well enough and so Satans eldest Son or Vicar 't was the Watchword of Gregory the Thirteenth in Queen Elizabeths time My Son give me thy heart be in heart a Papist and go where you will do what you will and 't is the heart that God mostly wisheth for Deut. 5. 29. Oh that there were such an heart c. and that God mostly delighteth in Psal 51. 17. as in his bed of Spices Cant. 6. 2. Thus there is a wonderful kind of continual contention not so much of Earthly as of Spiritual powers about the conquest and possession of Mans Heart but alas through Mans transgression Satan mostly carries it till Christ come to divide the spoil with the strong Isa 53. 12. Satan is the strong-man armed that through Mans sin entreth into the heart as into his Palace thus he entred into Judas his heart when he had concluded that cursed Contract of betraying his innocent Master Luk. 22.3 then entred Satan who till then had but stood at the door and when Satan hath entred and taken possession then he filleth it even from corner to corner as he did the heart of Ananias Act. 5. 3. Why hath Satan filled thine heart Alas he fills it top-full of all unrighteousness Rom. 1. 29. as above he fills it with Hells Houshold-stuff and quarters his Legions of unclean Spirits in this Isle of Man and he keeps peaceable possession of his Palace and Kingdom until the stronger man Jesus Christ come in the power of his Word and Spirit with a Writ of Ejectione firmae to dispossess that usurping possessor to conquer plunder and spoil the evil one Luk. 11. 21 22. This is Christs reward for his ignominious death Col. 2. 15. he shall divide with the Devil in his demeans It shall not be all Terra-Diaboli or the Devils-land but there shall be Immanuels land too Isa 8. 8. whose Land is planted with
noble Vines and his house or heart is furnished with graces as the Temple of the Holy Ghost Christ stands at the door of the heart and knocks Revel 3.20 as well as Satan both of them woes and wins it sometimes Satan avails and wins the heart by his insinuating temptations and sometimes our Saviour doth it by his exceeding great and pretious promises let in by his Spirit 5. Having shown the first particular the subject or matter the Heart of Man that it is corrupted by sin and Satan the second thing to be spoke to is the Praedicate or Manner how it is corrupted and the manner of the corruption of this matter the heart is manifold in Scripture As first 't is now a weak heart in the faln estate Ezek. 16. 30. strong enough it is for sin but exceeding weak for duty Oh how weak is thy heart Secondly 't is a wilful heart that is rebellious and obstinate against the will of God Deut. 2. 30. not onely the heart of Sihon King of Heshbon was an obstinate heart but also the heart of Gods own Israel was a rebellious heart Jer. 5. 23. as soft as wax in Satans hand plyable enough and yet as hard as a stone altogether unplyable in Gods hand 3. 't is a stony heart Ezek. 11. 19. 36. 26. 't is a flinty not a fleshy heart by nature 't is refractory untractable and impenetrable resisting the Divine touches of the Word and Spirit the natural heart is wholly a stony heart which none can draw or pull out as the word in the Septuagint signifies or change but the hand of Heaven onely the free-will of Man cannot do it but 't is the free grace of God alone that of these stones raiseth up Children unto Abraham Matth. 3. 9. Garriant illi nos credamus saith Augustin Let Men prate what they please of the free-will of Man to good there is no such thing believe it the heart is naturally insensible of the Word inflexible to the Spirit and impenetrable to the grace of God in it self 't is to every good work Reprobate 't is as hard fourthly as the Adamant Zech. 7. 12. which word signifies Untameable that hardest of stones harder than the flint Ezek. 3. 9. yea than the nether mill-stone Job 41. 24. Pliny saith the hardness of this stone is unspeakable the Hammer cannot break it neither can the fire burn it no nor so much as heat it Hircino tamen rumpitur sanguine yet if it be soaked in Goats-blood 't will then dissolve into pieces and so may the hardest Heart by the blood of Christ the true scape-goat Levit. 16. 21 22. if applyed and improved by Faith 6. Fifthly 'T is a stiff-necked and uncircumcised heart Jer. 9.23 Act. 7. 51. even in their very Circumcision there was an uncircumcision unregenerate Israel was to God as the Ethiopians those black Pagans that could not change their colour Jer. 13. 23. Amos 9. 7. that never did bleed for sin by Divine compunction but the foreskin of filthiness was still remaining and that with so much stiff-neckedness as rendred them incapable of Divine impressions insomuch as neither Ministry nor Misery nor Miracle nor Mercy could Mollifie until the Lord give a new Spirit the same heart in substance but renewed in its qualities the strings or heart-strings are the same but the Tune is changed Psal 51. 12. Eph. 4. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Sixthly 'T is a whorish heart Ezek. 6. 9. that goes a whoring from God and runs after false lovers that lie in wait for the very Soul Psal 73. 27. Hos 4. 12. 9. 1. The Heart of Man is full of Harlotry and the Spirit of Whoredom causeth it to wander not onely from God but also from under God from under the precincts of the Divine Will and so from under the protection of the Divine Power as the Wife that forsaketh her Husband and plays the Whore with strangers is therefore worthily cast off by him for both dissolving the Marriage-knot and for destroying true Humane Society as Matth. 19. 9. This Revolting Heart Jer. 5. 23. Satanico impetu driven by the devil gaddeth after strangers Jer. 2. 25. 36. and casts God away as into a corner 7. Seventhly 'T is a divided Heart Hos 10. 2. a double heart Psal 12. 2. an Heart and an Heart Hebrew one Heart in the Mouth and another in the Body being one thing in profession and another in practice halting between two 'twixt God and Baal 1 King 18. 21. 'twixt Christ and sin being one while for this and another while for that unconstant to both and uncertain of either and constant in nothing but in inconstancy The divided or double-hearted man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the double-souled one is not for Gods service for he will be served truly that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving Hence the Apostle James adviseth the double-minded or cloven-hearted to cleanse their hearts from that corruption that cleaveth to them that their minds mouths and manners might correspond all together Jam. 1. 8. 4. 8. and hence the Prophet David prays that God would unite his heart that was so apt to be double and divided betwixt the things of God and the things of the World Psal 86. 11. that it might be fixed upon God And hence also God hath promised to give oneness of heart Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart opposed to this double and divided Heart being partly for God and partly for the world as Ezek. 33. 31. This boon you should heartily beg with David that you may entirely cleave to God alone Deut. 10. 20. 30. 20. Act. 11. 23. and serve him without distraction in all simplicity and godly sincerity 1 Cor. 7. 35. 2 Cor. 1. 12. Anima dispersa fit minor the heart divided is thereby disabled for duty Therefore the Prophet prays Lord thou art God alone unite my heart so that it may be fixed as Quicksilver is by Pyrotechny on God alone 8. The time would fail me to insist upon all the cursed Characters that the Looking-glass of the Word of God represents to you concerning the Heart of Man as eighthly 'T is a froward and fretting heart Prov. 17. 20. 19. 3. never pleased whether full or fasting Ninthly 'T is an Hypocritical Heart Job 36. 13. hollow-hearted ones heap up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. turning Repentance into a form and converting conversion it self into sin such foul sinners shall be cast into the hottest place of Hell whereof Hypocrites are as the Free-holders and all other sinners but as Tenants to them Matth. 23. 14 15. 33. 24. 51. Tenthly 'T is an haughty heart Prov. 18. 12. the pride of the heart deceives Man Obad. v. 3. So bladder-like is Man that bag of dust that being filled but with the wind of earthly vanities he grows great and swelleth in his own conceit strutting it all along in his goings as if
and the Hammer at the upshot of all 15. The fifth Allusion is Dalilah who dealt deceitfully with Sampson and betrayed him into the hands of the Uncircumcised Judg. 16. 4 6. to 21. no doubt but she allured him with all seeming signs of her love that thereby she might hide from him all suspition of treachery she might magnifie his Heroick exploits and admire the prodigious and extraordinary strength whereby he atchieved them and then desire for her own private satisfaction onely to know wherein his great strength did lie and probably she added many fair promises and possibly not a few fowl Oaths Harlots abound with such Hellish Rhetorick that she would keep his counsel secret to her self then she prevailed 1. To bind him with three green withes v. 7 8. which he yielded to not onely as a put-off but also in a way of sport and wanton dalliance with her but this availed not hereupon 2. after her blaming him for mocking her he yields to be bound with new Ropes this proves unsuccesful also then 3. she continuing her importunate allurements brings him nearer to the mark and mystery than before and yields to have the seven locks of his head weaved with the Web and winded about the beam of the loom v. 13 14. This likewise took not as the other before it he having feigned a false cause of his strength three times to her all along forgetting that Gods children will not lye Isa 63. 8. as their Father is a God that cannot lye Tit. 1. 2. but at the fourth Assault she carries it and conquers him the great Conqueror of Men was at last Conquered by a Woman he was so bewitched with her flatteries that she at last exhausted as the Hebrew word Dalal from whence her Name Dalilah comes signifyeth his very heart v. 16 18. which whoredom had indeed taken away before Hos 4. 11. Thus this strong man discovers great weakness in yielding further and further even till it came to Neck-break and life it self Prov. 6. 26. 7. 21 23. to a treacherous Strumpet that had given just grounds of suspecting her treachery against him both in putting all those three former experiments upon proof and in having so many cut-throat Philistims ready by her yet so besotted was he with his sensual sins that he reveals that secret to her which cost him the loss of his strength of his eyes of his liberty of his life yea of his God too All this will your treacherous heart do to you if God leave you in the hand of your own counsel 't will make you sleep upon the knee of presumption as she did him v. 19. 't will cut off your Locks or seeming graces those seven locks or seven spirits Revel 1. 4. and you may not know that your God is gone from you as he v. 20. and you may stand out for a while as he did against the sollicitations of your fleshly heart which hunts for your life and wars against your Soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. but woe to you if left of God Hos 9. 12. to the lusts thereof you fall you fall and may never rise any more as Dalilah was not alone in the room but had her company of Philistims with her so your treacherous heart will not be alone but will have its company of deceitful lusts Eph. 4. 22. to be with it 16. The sixth Allusion among Scripture-Females is the Witch of Endor that cheated Saul 1 Sam. 28. 11 12. with indeed Satan for Samuel That Spectrum Samuelis or apparition of Samuel whereby she beguiled Saul was no other than Satan the Devil who first personates Samuels form and then his speech Samuel while alive had told Saul that rebellion is as Witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 23. Now he falls from the like to the same and trades with Witches indeed which he had turned out of his Kingdome 1 Sam. 28. 3. but not out of his heart and bids this Witch to bring him up Samuel This is more than the Devil himself can do for it could not be 1. the Soul of the true Samuel that is here brought to Saul 't is not in the Devils power to degrade a glorified Saint and to bring him from glory Satan fell from Heaven and can fetch none out of Heaven neither was it 2. the body of the true Samuel for the Devil hath not the key of the Grave but that key hangs at Christs girdle Revel 1. 18. Neither 3. would the true Samuel have said as v. 15. Why hast thou disquieted me It can therefore be no other but Satan representing Samuel who can transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11. 14. and Samuel himself could not have preach'd more gravely severely divinely then this foul fiend of Hell did v. 16. c. But above all 4. this Apparition appears to be a meer cheat in his appearing in a Mantle for the true Samuel could not well have a Mantle to bring with him from the grave and place of the dead it could be nothing else but onely a garment in shew of Satans making and by him put upon himself that he might the more speciously act the part of Samuel both his person and his habit as well as his words and speeches in his conference with Saul Thus as the Witch of Endor cheated Saul with a representative shew instead of a real and true presence even so your heart may cheat you with seeming instead of saving grace yea the Devil is Gods Ape thus far in mans heart that he beguiles him so far by false representations as to make him believe those to be glorious truths which indeed are no better than Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4. 1. and damnable errours 2 Pet. 2. 1. CHAP. V. Of the Hearts Treachery 1. FRom deceitful persons the first pass we on to deceitful things the second and the Sequel will evidence in the Issue that the heart of man is not onely as deceitful as both but more than so 't is deceitful above all persons and above all things 1. The Serpent was more subtle than all the beasts of the field Gen. 3. 1. and beguiled Eve v. 13. making her to eat forbidden fruit Hanachash Hisheani Vaokel The serpent beguiled me and I did eat Oh how oft have you cause to cry out to Jehovah as she did that your heart hath beguiled you and you did eat the forbidden fruit of Sin The Hebrew word Nasha signifies to surprise one by laying Ambushments as Josh 8. 7 19. Alas every Creature-comfort in the fallen state hath an Ambushment a Serpent lying in ambush in it latet Anguis in Herbâ there is a Snake in the Grass a Snare in every dish You may cry out with the Sons of the Prophets Mors in ollâ there is death in the pot 2 King 4. 40. Had Eve thought there had been death in the Apple she would never have swallowed such a gilded bole or morsel 'T was pleasant to the eyes and fruit to be desired
given up judicially to believe all those lyes because they received not the truth in the love of it 2 Thes 2. 10 11. that is the great Gospel-sin which is punished by the righteous God with strong delusions vile affections and just damnations self-deceit is an Idol that all the world worships as well as it doth the Beast in its three Sons self-conceit self-will and self-love 6. The third thing is false Prophecies Doctrines and teachings the publishers whereof are called deceitful workers 2 Cor. 11. 13. that like Solomons Harlot 1 Kin. 3. 20. would take away the living child to wit the Scriptures of truth from out of our bosomes and lay instead thereof the dead child of their own brain-sick notions and vain traditions These are said by good words and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 18. you have need therefore to look well to your inheritance as Kin. 21. 3. that you be not beguiled of it by fraud as well as by force these have cunning craftiness and by a slight hand can cog a Die the common practice of cheating Gamesters lying in wait to deceive Eph. 4. 14. insomuch that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect Matth. 24. 24. which they cannot do fundamentally and finally because the deceived and the deceiver are both with the Lord Job 12. 13 16. However unstable Souls so called 2 Pet. 3. 10. are blown like Glasses into this or that form at the pleasure of their breath And whence flow all those false divinations the Prophet tells you Jerem. 14. 14. 23. 26. they are all the deceits of those deceivers hearts impudently lying to the Holy Ghost as Act. 5. 3. fathering the falsities of their own hearts upon the Spirit of truth Thus the deceitful heart first deceived those deceivers and then these deceivers did deceive credulous Souls with the deceits of their hearts 7. The fourth thing is the deceitful bow Psal 78. 57. Hos 7. 16. a slack or warping bow Resheth Remjiah Arcus doli vel dolosus seu fallax Hebr. will be sure to deceive the Archer that shoots in it 't will turn back into belly as the Archers phrase is and though he level both his eye and his arrow never so directly to the mark and think confidently with himself to hit it yet in the event the Arrow through the warping of the bow flyes a quite contrary way yea and sometimes reflects upon the Archer himself Non semper feriet quodcunque minabitur Arcus the bow smites not all it threatens and telum ob arcus obliquitatem aliud minatur aliud ferit interdum ctiam retrò in jaculantem reflectit The ill-fashioned or casting-bow will turn in the shooters hand and send the Arrow sometimes one way and sometimes another way yea and sometimes it rebounds into his own sides or if it be a rotten bow though otherwise fair to look upon when an Arrow is drawn to the head it breaks in the hand and deceives the Archer the same thing happeneth when the string of the bow is naughty and breaks when the Arrow is drawn This is no less than a Divine Scripture-Allegory Behold such a fallacious warping and rotten bow is mans deceitful heart his purposes and promises are the arrows that he puts upon the string the mark he aims at is Repentance to the which in affliction especially he looketh with an accurate and intent eye as though he would repent indeed but alas his heart deceives him as being unsound in Gods Statutes Psal 119. 80. and hence it is that his promises and pretences do fall at his foot or vanish in the air as smoke thus a deceiving as well as a deceived heart turns him aside Isa 44. 20. as it did those false Israelites oh then look to the secret warpings of your own heart and seeing you are Gods bow you must be bent by him and stand bent for him Zech. 9. 13. thereby you shall be like Jonathans how that never returned empty 2 Sam. 1. 22. 8. The fifth deceitful thing is Riches Mark 4. 19. they have deceitfulness in them as well as uncertainty 1 Tim. 6. 17. Riches have never been true to those that trusted in them but ever have proved a lye in their right hand Isa 44. 20. hence are they called lying vanities Jon. 2. 8. and compared to a flock of birds sitting upon a mans ground which upon the least fright takes the wings and flyes away Riches have wings saith Solomon and rather than want they will make to themselves wings Prov. 23.5 yea though they have not the wings so much as of a little sparrow wherewith to fly to you yet will they make to themselves the large wings of a great Eagle wherewith to fly from you oh how many have Riches served as Absaloms Mule served her Master whom she lurched and left in his greatest need hanging betwixt Heaven and Earth as if rejected of both a spark of fire may set them on flying a Thief may steal them a wicked servant may embezel and purloin them a Pyrate or shipwrack at sea a Robber or bad debtor at land yea an hundred ways sets them packing they are as the Apples of Sodom that look fair yet crumble away with the least touch golden delusions a meer Mathematical Scheme or fancy of mans brain 1 Cor. 7. 31. Act. 25. 23. The semblances and empty shews of good without any reality or solid consistency nec vera nec vestra as they are slippery upon the account of verity so they are no less in respect of propriety and possession for they are winged birds especially in this that they fly from man to man as the birds do from tree to tree and always from the owner of them this is a sore deceit and cozenage yet your heart is more deceitful inasmuch as it will deceive you with those deceitful Riches à quo aliquid tale est illud est magis tale they are so because the heart is so 9. The time would fail me to speak of all the deceitful things that the holy Scriptures calls so besides those here insisted upon as the sixth deceitful things is favour and beauty Prov. 31. 30. Sheker haken vehebel haiophe gratiositas venustas is deceit and falsity as the Hebr. signifies in the very abstract not onely as it is sometimes but a painted and borrowed beauty but especially as it lasteth not long soon fadeth satisfyeth none brings forth its own disdain and gives occasion to many sins to wit Morosity Wantonness Pride Idleness Imperiousness c. though it be true and genuine without painting if it be not seasoned and sanctified with the fear of God alas the best beauty in the world is but skin-deep an herd of Small-pox wherein God turns the fairest Creature inside outward to let them see that corruption as Jobs phrase is is their Mother or some fore fit of sickness soon and suddenly blasts it And though it doth escape both
those yet old age or death will wither it at last All flesh is grass and the glory thereof as the flower of the field fadeth away Isa 40. 6. not onely as grass but is grass and the flower of the field is more apt to be blasted and troden down than the flower of the Graden how many have foul Souls in fair bodies as Absalom c. 'T is the fear of God that makes one all glorious within though the world discern it not Psal 45. 13. without which beauty is but as a jewel of gold in a swines snout Prov. 11. 22. Such are like an Aegyptian Temple a goodly Fabrick without and nothing but some filthy Ape or base Crocodile adored as a God within or like those painted Sepulchres Matth. 23. 27. that had a beautiful outside but nothing within save stench and rottenness and in a word their very locks looks and lips do lye having fair faces v. 25 28. and foul hearts no one means hath enriched Hell more saith one than this better it is to have the rich Pearl a godly Soul in the ruder shell of an ordinary body than any Auxiliary or Artificial yea or natural beauty without the fear of God which are then but as an ugly toad in a golden Cabinet notoriously deceitful yet not so much as your heart inasmuch as you would not be deceived with beauty if your heart did not first deceive you 10. The seventh deceitful thing in Scripture is deceitful dreams Isa 29. 8. in quibus fieri videntur quae tamen fieri non videntur saith Tertullian those things seem to be done in dreams which yet are never seen to be done at all Augustine writes a Chapter de somniorum ludibrüs shewing such a cheat to be in them that even false things seem to perswade me sleeping of the truth of them even such as cannot be true to me waking I own saith he and at least seeminly act while sleeping such things as I utterly disown when awakeing Thus Lord cryeth he in his Confessions I my self do differ from my self where Lord is my Reason that resists those things when I am waking is it asleep when my senses are asleep 11. And Solomon saith multitudes of dreams as well as of words as there may be some matter in them so they both want not their vanity Eccles 5. 3 7. Dreams are either natural or super-natural first the natural which are exceeding fallacious so not to be much regarded unless in Physick to discover our constitutions and in Divinity our beloved sins Thus the ambitious man dreams of his honours the covetous of his Coffers and the voluptuous of his pleasures non somno sed somnio discernuntur they are all discerned what they be not by their sleep for that is alike to all but by their dreams in their sleep yet are those natural dreams but vanae jactationes negotiosae Animae the idle tossings of a busie mind the Soul of man finding all the senses fast bound up in sleep entreth then into the shop of the fansie and operates there usually according to the affairs and employments of the day past Eccles 5. 3. dreams come through multitudes of business yet variety of vanity is found in them as idleness or unprofitableness troublesomness confusion contradiction absurdity as well as falshood and which is worst of all the vanity of sinfulness 2. Supernatural dreams which be twofold first from God either to comfort Matth. 2. 19. or to chasten Job 7. 13 14. secondly from the Devil which are either meer illusions whereby he gulleth the mind as that of Job 4. 12 16 17. is supposed to be or subtle insinuations wherein he fastneth upon the Saints such sins while they are sleeping which he cannot prevail with them to commit when awaking the evil spirit as he is a spirit negotiates with mans spirit 12. Thus and much worse will your heart deceive you with false dreams which you are commanded not to hearken unto Jerem. 29. 8. 23. 25 32. they are call'd false dreams because they are fallacious in deceiving you and they are call'd your dreams because you have an itch after them you listen to them and at last pays dear for them as in downright dotages thinking all the time you sleep there is truth and reality in all your self-pleasing conceptions but when you awake alas 't is but a dream all vanisheth away and you do find you have been but deceiving your self all the while just so your heart while you are asleep in the state of sin will fill you with many self-flattering conceptions as 1. that your person is not so bad as others Luk. 18. 11. and therefore you have no need to be better alas this at best procures you but a milder Hell 2. That your state is blessed blessing your self in a false peace Deut. 29. 19. Psal 49. 11. Luk. 12. 19. Revel 18. 9. 3. That your actions are good which may be right in your own eyes and yet be no better than ways of death Prov. 16. 25. but if once God awake you by calling you with a strong voice shaking you with a strong hand and pricking you in the heart-vein by his convincing Spirit then you will finde your self grossly gull'd with your dreams if you would not dream sleep not Self-examination is as rubbing of the eyes after sleep 13. The 8th deceitful thing is deceitful Weights to which may be added Measures Mete-yards and Ballances Mic. 6. 11. Amos 8. 5. Hos 12. 7. Prov. 11. 1. and 20. 16. 23. Levit. 19. 36. Deut. 25. 13. 15. All these may be deceitful and defrauding in bargaining with Chapmen yet the original of the wicked use of false Weights c. is from a deceitful heart 'T is said their Mete-yards in those Scripture-times were deceitful in their measuring for one Chapman in wet weather and for another in dry for Leather-lines will be longer in a foul season but Cords of Hair or Hemp will be longer in a fair one Measures may be filled up with froth though otherwise they be large enough And God expresly saith that a man shall not have in his bag divers weights a great and a small neither shall he have in his house divers Measures a great and a small they must not be kept so much as neer him Deut. 25. 13 14. for others may use them though he do not And against the use of false Weights c. this may be said briefly 1. That such as be false and deceitful are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 11. 1. 20. 23. If so then those which are just and true be pleasing to God 2ly Those that are just be said to be the Lords work Prov. 16. 11. If so then such as be unjust are no less than the Devils work 3ly The blessing of a long life is promised to him that is just in those things Deut. 25. 15. and those that deal deceitfully in them are accursed Mich. 6. 11 12 13 14. Wealth
Cheats are but petty-cheats to this Jacob beguiled his Brother Esau of earthly blessings but this Jagnacob heart will beguile of Heavenly Tamar beguiles Judah of external things his signet bracelets and staff but this would cheat you of the white-stone wherein is written the new name that sealing and assuring Spirit of God Rev. 2. 17. and of that blessed bracelet of divine graces fastned all together with the knot of Humility as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5. 5. signifies yea and of the staff of supporting grace which upholds you in your walking in Gods ways Rachel cheated Laban of his false gods but this you of the true one Dalilah betrays Sampson into the hands of his Temporal Enemies that put out his eyes made him work in a Mill c. these were all bodily evils onely but this betrays you into the hands of your Spiritual Enemies would put out the eyes of your understanding and would clap you up close prisoner to sin and Satan the slavery whereof is abundantly worse than Sampsons grinding in the prison-house The Gibeonites deceived Joshuah for their own preservation but the tendency of this deceit is for your own destruction And thus it may be said of the other deceitful persons and things your heart will cheat you in both natural things as in feeding sleeping c. and in civil things as in buying and bargaining but the worst cheat of all is in Religious things in the matters of life and Salvation with a bastard peace when not Marryed to Christ 3. A Woman that is not Marryed may indeed have children but she cannot have credit or comfort of them because they are bastards so the Soul not Married to Christ may have false joy which is not of Christs begetting nor the fruit of his Spirit there be parelii or mock-Suns that appear in the cloud for a while but continue not omnia verisimilia non sunt vera every like is not truly the same there be mock-graces also Satan Gods Ape wraps himself in Samuels Mantle 4. As this cheat is in the best things so it is a cheat for the longest time even for Eternity time can never be recalled or redeemed if once you be lanched out into that endless Ocean that bottomless and boundless deep of Eternity therefore must you fear and tremble to put an everlasting cheat upon an immortal Soul and that in a matter of eternal life and Salvation A man may weather out the point of other temporal cheats and in a little time recover himself and redeem his loss again but this Spiritual cheat is well-nigh irrecoverable 4. 5ly 'T is a cheating of our selves which is a compound of many bad Ingredients a cheat made up of many aggravations as 1. 't is contrary to the Laws of God even his positive Law Let no man deceive himself 1 Cor. 3. 18. Gal. 6. 3. 7. 1 Joh. 1. 8. Jam. 1. 22. 26. 1 Cor. 6. 9. 15. 33. Deut. 11. 16. Job 15. 31. Revel 3. 17. 2ly 't is contrary to the very law of Nature which is always sui conservativa a self-preserver and charitas est semper à seipso charity should always begin at home though it should not at any time end at home man needs not any positive Law or command to love himself and therefore God hath left none upon Record in Scripture saying Man love thy self for 't is supplyed by the Law of nature yet this deceiving our selves cancels out that very Law 3ly When a man flatters himself in his own eyes Psal 36.2 saying they shall find no iniquity in me Hos 12. 8. in so saying and in deceiving himself 1 Joh. 1. 8. Obad. 3. ver Isa 44. 20. thereby that which should be the self-preserver becomes the self-destroyer if the Sentinel that is betrusted with the watch become himself treacherous no wonder if the City or Castle be taken and ransacked by the enemy 4ly There is an odd kind of tameness in this self-delusion wherein the heart deceives our own Souls 't is heinous enough and we can well enough be vexed at it to be cheated by others but oh how tame and patient we can be in this cheating of our selves 't is a self-pleasing evil and a man may sink with much complacency in himself into the bottomless pit herein 5ly To be cheated in Commodities that a man is not much conversant in is not much marvelled at as in strange forraign drugs we may easily be deceived and none can wonder at it but to be cheated in things familiarly known to us oh this is odious and abominable insomuch that we can readily reflect upon our selves herein and cry out oh what a fool am I to suffer my self to be thus easily befooled Yet this is done in self-deception for what is a Man more familiar with than himself and what ought he to be more conversant withal than with his own bosome 6ly To be deceived in trifles is nothing a man can bear it well enough but in matters of moment as Inheritances the whole livelihood c. this is unbearable yet nothing is so weighty as Salvation that eternal Inheritance which men commonly bear too well to be cheated out of 7ly Such as cheat themselves are pittyed of none all men say they should have been wiser so self-deceit in matters of Salvation is a pittiless evil neither God Men nor Devils will pitty us for cheating our own Souls 5. 8ly This self-deceit makes a man worse than the Devil in one respect to wit in being for torment at the last and not expecting it but blessing himself with vain hopes and expectations of better things all which idle dreams shall certainly perish Job 8. 13 14. whereas the Devil is for torment and expects it Matth. 8. 29. Art thou come to torment us before the time this is indeed no free confession of his Will but 't is extorted from him by compulsion and unavoidable necessity the Devil might know that the Son of Man was to be the Judge of the world both of Men and of Devils out of Dan. 7. 13 14. and that himself with his whole Kingdom of Devils were reserved in chains until that dreadful day and that now he is onely respited and as it were reprieved in respect of full torment 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jud. v. 6. and that now he is onely suffered as a prisoner Non in arctâ sed liberâ custodiâ at large to flutter abroad in the air as a Prince of the power of the air Eph. 2. 2. and to course about the earth Job 1. 7. until that great day cometh which he trembleth to think on Jam. 2. 19. therefore such as scoff at this day and make light of it 2 Pet. 3. 3. 5. with their golden dreams of a fools-paradise makes themselves worse than the very Devils 6. 9. This same self-flatterer falls in that day under the greatest judgment and doubtless his own misery for his groundless hope and vain expectation of better
things makes worse things ten-fold worse when they come upon him Alas how will such an one be all woe begone when he meets with the hottest Hell whereas he blessed himself all along that he was fairly going on towards a delightful Heaven 't is better for a King to dream that himself is become a beggar for though that dream while it lasteth doth trouble and torment him yet no sooner is he awakened than his grief and conceited misery is all at an end he findeth himself but deluded with a false dream he is a King still and this doth comfort him 't is otherwise when a miserable beggar dreams that himself is become some happy King for though those self-pleasing thoughts do tickle his fancy for a while yet as soon as he awaketh his sorrow after his false joy returns stronger upon him than it was before the foolish hope and groundless confidence of the Hypocrite shall be cut off Job 8. 14. and that cut is a cutting a killing cut 't is the worst greatest cut in the world every wicked man is this Hypocrite inasmuch as he grounds his vain hope upon the general mercy of his maker without any particular promise brought home and wrought in upon the heart Isa 27. 11. presumendo sperat sperando perit saith the Father he presumptuously hopeth and by hoping perisheth though he cannot tell of one tear he hath shed for his sins nor of one hour he hath spent in the mortification of his sins yet doth he in effect but lay his own shadow for a bridge and so must needs under horrible disappointments fall into the bottomless pit God will reject his confidences and he shall not prosper in them Jer. 2. 37. false delights are always true dangers and brings after real torments In the sixth and last place this is the cheat of cheats the very fountain and original of all other cheats for nothing could deceive us if our own hearts did not first deceive us 't was a good saying of Father Latimer when he was cheated by his Chapman in buying a commodity and was told thereof Alas saith the good old Doctor my cheating chapman hath far the worse of it meaning thus that if his own heart had deceived him in his fond credulity this amounted onely to an outward loss but his chapmans heart had worse deceived him into acts of fraudulency and cozenage which amounted to inward guilt and would prove a sting to his Soul 7. Before we come from the general to a particular discovery of the hearts deceitfulness some general Objections against this great truth doth lie in our way just as Amasa's body did lie in the way of the Armies march 2 Sam. 20. 12 13. which therefore must be removed out of the way as his body was there that we may march forward without any Remora or obstruction 1. Object The first Objection is Methinks I hear some poor ignorant Soul say I know no such thing by my heart that it is such an evil treasure or that it is so full of both treason and treachery 1. Ans Answer the first Come Soul why do you say thus may it not be because you have not beheld the hidden man of the heart in the looking-glass of the law of liberty you know a man may have his face sadly smutched and besmear'd with soot and he not know it without the help of a look-ing-glass or of the eyes of others Alas the spots of Gods children at the least are upon you Deut. 32. 5. 2. Ans Answer the second If at any time you have through grace beheld your self in the glass of Gods word or have been told of it by the Ministers of the Gospel Alas your speech bewrays you that you have forgotten the complexion of your heart so discovered Jam. 1. 23. 25. 3. Ans Answer the third I beseech you take heed you be not of the number of those that yet know not the plague of their own hearts 1 Kin. 8. 38. The Apostle tells you that there be some in the world who are past feeling Eph. 4. 19. in some consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati custom in sinning takes away all sense of sin whereby the heart contracts a kâ—nd of hoof and hardness upon it and the same Apostle tells you of some that have cauterized Consciences 1 Tim. 4.2 that like those Devils Matt. 8. 29. will have nothing to do with Christ and their own hearts as loth to be tormented before the time this is non pax sed stupor not any true peace but a sottish stupefaction a man that is sick unto death yet if insensible of his sickness 't is a sure indication of death's approaching 4. Ans Answer the fourth Take heed likewise that you be not one of Solomons credulous fools to trust too much in the goodness of your own heart Prov. 28. 26. This is not onely to be a fool but also to be a proud fool not unlike Homers Ajax that acknowledged no other God but his own Sword Alas this trusting in your own heart is no better than Autotheism which is as bad as Atheism or Polytheism a becoming no less than a God to your self according to Satans early insinuation Gen. 3. 5. a falling down to worship your self which is no better than if you worshipped many gods or no God at all oh do not thus sacrifice to your own net Hab. 1. 16. Prov. 3. 5. 5. Ans Answer the fifth You must remember that the heart is both a dark and a deep place so not easily discovered in all the disorders of it 't is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 19. an obscure squalid and filthy place for filthiness is mostly found in dark places and 't is call'd a deep heart Psal 64. 6. and therefore not easily sounded as the deep sea by many fathoms look as in your house or chamber though all the furniture thereof be mis-placed and out of order yet during the darkness of the night none of this is discerned but the morning-light springing into the room manifests all even so while you are darkness it self Eph. 5. 8. Act. 26. 18. you know not what is out of order in you but when the blessed day-star Christ Jesus Revel 22. 16. arises in your hearts then the disorders of your heart are discovered 9. The second Objection to be answered and removed thereby out of the way is this Another ignorant Soul may say although it be true that some other mens hearts be thus treacherous and deceitful yet mine is not so but I find by experience that 't is an honest heart that is willing to pay every one their due and is not so bad as is here declared 1. Ans Answer the first You must know that it favours too much of the proud Pharisee Luke 18. 11. to say I am not as other men do not you know that God hath fashioned all mens hearts alike Psal 33. 15. and that as in water
face answereth to face so the heart of man to man Prov. 27. 19. whole evil is in man and whole man is in evil and by nature there is never a better in whole mankind oh consider was it Davids experience and exercise who cryed Lord incline my heart and unite my heart and quicken my heart c. to bewail a naughty heart was it Solomons and Jeremyes and Pauls and whose not to cry out of a wicked and of a wretched heart And shall you plead exemption from such an epidemical evil the pride of your heart deceives you Obad. v. 3. 10. 2. Ans Answer the second It may be you were never yet led into such temptation as to draw out your corruption when those two meet together then is your danger of a fall Hazael had as good an opinion of himself as you can have of your self when he said to the Prophet Am I a dag that I should do so and so 2 King 8. 13. He had a reverend respect to the Lords Prophet and thought also that no Rational creature could possibly commit such barbarous brutish and inhumane Cruelties such as he judged far fitter to be done by some savage and ravenous beast rather than by any reasonable creature much less by himself but what is thy servant a dog so curst and so cruel as to tear out mens entrails and devour them like a dog Hazael could not imagine himself so notoriously bad and base as he after proved to be He professes himself here a Servant to Gods Prophet crying out as it were Oh be it far from me to commit such Villany as the tearing in pieces young Children like a dog and yet in his practice afterwards he became a bloody Butcher to Gods people Alas no man knows the depths of Satan that lurks in the corners of their own deep hearts Little did Bishop Bonner imagine while he was the Lord Cromwel's Favourite in Henry the 8th's time and promised to further the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures as much as his Predecessor had hinder'd it that ever he should prove such a common Cut-throat and General Slaughter-slave as one in a Letter to him stiled him to all the Bishops of England And as little did this Hazael think it of himself until Honours chang'd his Manners which rarely happens for the better and until Satans temptation and his own unthought-of corruption met together to engender all these unparallell'd Villanies when he came to be King 11. There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a common Seed-plot of sin in every man there wants nothing but the warmth and watering of the Devil's Temptations to make it bud Ezek. 7.10 Who would ever have suspected such monsters to lurk in such holy bosomes as Surfeiting and Drunkenness c. which Christ cautions his own Disciples of Luke 21. 34. Corruption in the best will have some out-bursts Hence blessed Paul saw cause enough undoubtedly to admonish such a pure soul and mortified a man as young Timothy was being under many Infirmities 1 Tim. 5. 23. That he might flee youthful Lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. and Exhort the younger women with chastity 1 Tim. 5. 2. Intimating thereby that while he was exhorting them to Chastity some unchast motion might steal upon his own heart at unawares well knowing that the naughty nature in the best of fallen Mankinde will have its flurts and flings out at some time or other through the Devils instigations yea and though there were no Devil to tempt man yet a base heart would supply the place of a busie Devil and act the Tempters part against it self It would have a supply of wickedness as a Serpent hath of poison from it self 12. Answ the third It may be likewise that your corruption is in chains and under restraint as it was with Abimelech Gen. 20. 6. It was not the King there that restrained himself from offering wrong to beautiful Sarah but 't is expresly said that it was God who restrained him vers 3. 17. either by Sickness whereof he should have died as God threatned him had he not restored her to her husband without injuring her or by the restraint of a natural Conscience which is a gift that God gives to men yea to the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them to wit in his Worship and Ordinances Psal 68. 18. without which Restraining Grace Religion would never be suffered by wicked men to be in the world neither could there be upholden any Commonwealth or Society among men without it hence it appears that the corruption of your heart is but like a Wolf in chains your naughty nature may be chained up from evil when it is not changed yet into good notwithstanding this you may be but as a tame Devil or at least but as an unclean Hog onely in a clean place where you cannot with the Swine wallow in the mire of wickedness but if ever God let you loose by giving you the reins of your own unruly corruptions and by yielding you up to your own vile affections as Rom. 1. 24 26. you will not stick at any sin but run into all excess of riot with others in the world as 1 Pet. 4.4 and be as vile as the vilest David felt the transgressions of the wicked working and speaking even in his own heart Psal 36. 1. 13. Answer The 4th Answ And whereas you say that you have an honest heart paying each their own you must know that you may be a good Second-Table-man in Righteousness while you are but a bad First-Table-man in Holiness You may give man his due yet rob God of his due Mal. 3. 8. As you must not break the Commandments against your Creed by professing an holy Faith yet practising an unholy Life so neither may you break one of the Tables of the Decalogue against the other by your resting in a Righteousness to man only and the mean while rejecting all true and due Holiness to God this is not dividing aright for God which is supposed to be Cain's sin in his unrespected Sacrifice An honest and a good heart will give God his due as well as Man his 14. The Third Objection is A third poor ignorant Soul may say thus or one and the same Soul may make all these three Objections I know not the Characters of a self-deceiving heart and therefore do I think mine own heart to be an honest heart that cheats me not In Answer thereunto you must know there be four principal Characters though many more might be named of a self-deceiving heart As 1. a Silent 2. A Brawny 3. An Untractble And 4. an Unstable or Unconstant Heart 1. A Silent Heart is always to be suspected for a self-deceiving Heart the Spirit of Man is an active lively thing and therefore it is called in the Hebrew Ruach which signifies the Wind a thing that is always in motion yea Audible though not Visible Now if this Spirit grow senseless stupid and
is In Prosperity the Soul of man is more prone to be corrupted and to contract the scum of filthiness like the standing pool that will in process of time stink of it self when running waters do retain their own native sweetness 'T was Fulness that bred filthiness in Israel as well as forgetfulness Jen. 5.7 It breeds this latter in good men but the former always in bad men Cores and Bacchus are great friends to Venus c. Those worshippers of Baal-peor first eat and drank and then rose up to play to wit with their Midianitish Mistresses 1 Cor. 10.7 Num. 25. 3. 18. If Moab be not powred from vessel to vessel he will settle upon his lees his taste remaineth in him and his scent is not changed Jerem. 48. 11 12. he hath had no changes therefore he feareth not God Psal 55. 19. and the prosperity of fools destroys them Proverb 1. 32. the Sun-shine thereof doth but ripen them for destruction Bernard calls Prosperity Misericordiam omni indignatione crudellorem Mercy given in wrath hath abundance of wrath in it and he had no minde to any such Mercy David carried it better when he watered his bed with tears in the time of his persecution Psal 6. 6. than he did when he wash'd his steps with butter as Job 29. 6. in the day of his prosperity Israel had strong Espousal-loves to God while they followed him in a land that was not sown Jerem. 2.2 'T was not so well with them when they came to rest in a Land that flowed with Milk and Honey Deut. 32. 15. Prosperity is too strong Wine for some weak Brains and therefore 't is supposed that Elishah must have a double portion to that of Elijah for he must be in favour with Kings and great at Court c. which things are very hard to bear with an holy frame of heart 2 Kin. 2.9 4. The fourth Discovery is The Soul of man is soon overcharged in Prosperity Luke 21. 34. Christ himself gives this caution to his own dear Disciples well knowing that the standing of the best of fallen Mankinde is but a slippery standing and a very little thing will over-charge and overturn them If this might befall those green trees what can dry trees such as we are expect Small Vessels cannot carry great Sails but be in danger of over-whelming neither is every little boat fit to launch out into the wide Ocean of worldly Felicity There is truely danger to be without danger and Christs Lambs mostly thrive best upon short not over-grown Pastures The intoxicating Cup of Pomp and Prosperity did hurt even holy David 2 Sam. 11. 1. 11. and godly Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32. 31. when over-charged with it Alas what are the best when left to themselves and in the counsel of their own hands and hearts good David did that bad act at that time which he would not have done in Sauls time and which Vriah one of his worthyes would not do in his time the best are too apt to furfeit of too much of the world abundance of the things of this life is like fish that is full of bones which while Children eat too greedily they are in danger of choaking with it 5. The fifth Discovery is The Soul of man is more exposed to the temptations of Satan in Prosperity than in Adversity 't is said that Neptune kills more by Calms upon Sands than by Storms upon Rocks And yet Sea-room here is your danger unless with blessed Paul you have learnt to abound as well as to be in want Phil. 4. 12 13. for then is the Soul most secure and least stands upon its watch as at other times yea and is the greatest object of Satan's malice Oh how maliciously did the devil say to God Doth Job serve God for nought hast thou not blest him with all Prosperity Job 1. 9 10. God delighteth in the prosperity of his servants Psal 35. 27. But Satan stomachs it exceedingly and therefore speaks angrily to God that Joh might serve God well enough for such price and pay and that he himself could finde never a gap in the hedge of Divine Protection that was round about him and his he could make never a breach which he would gladly have done But if you neglect your watch never so little in your Prosperity as you will be very prone to do then breaks in your Adversary and comes over the gap to spoil you Ambrose elegantly illustrates this truth by the Oister which while she is tossed and turmoiled by her Enemy the Crab in the salt-waters keeps her shells so close together that she secures her self from all danger of being then devoured but when she lies securely upon the shore without fear of her foe she opens her self then to the warm Sun which while she is in doing then cometh the Crab and puts a stone between the lips of her shells thrusts in her Claws and easily as well as safely draws out the fish even so the Soul that is tossed to and fro by the crabbed adversary upon the brinish waters of affliction shuts up the heart and mouth close for fear of offending Psal 39. 1 2. but in the sun-shine of peace and prosperity the heart opens and is without a covering then the Spiritual adversary finds free passage entrance and entertainment 6. The sixth discovery is the Soul of man is prone in prosperity to grow lazy in its devotion The warmest Prayers are ever in the winter of adversity Hos 5. 15. Isa 26. 16. Summer-prayers are but yawning perfunctory and superficial devotion not powred out with connatural violence The Kingdom of Heaven is not stormed The Jews in their Ceiled houses were regardless of the House of prayer Hagg. 1. 4. as their beds were too soft so their hearts were too hard for any due devotion but Prayer is mostly the Daughter of Calamity as it is the Mother of Comfort Affliction exciteth Devotion as a pair of bellows blows up the fire Christ in his Agony prayed more earnestly Luk. 22. 44. And Martha with her Sister Mary sent Messengers to Jesus when their Brother Lazarus was visited with sickness Joh. 11. 3. Thus also under Gods Visitations we do mostly visit God in sending our Messengers of continued groans and earnest Prayers to him whom we much neglect in our prosperity and therefore how justly may God say to us as Jephthah said to his Countrymen Do ye now come to me in your distress when in your prosperity ye said to me Depart from us Judg. 11. 2. 7. God may say as much to most of us who seldome seek to him before plain need drives us 7. Having first discovered the Malady the second work is a word of the Remedy in some following Rules and Directions as special helps against the hearts treachery in a time of prosperity 1. Direction is in prosperity you must with holy Job greatly fear adversity Job 3. 25. for God saith Solomon hath set the one over against the other
33. as in the finding out of Achan Jonathan Jonah and Matthias and in dividing the land of Canaan to the Tribes of Israel Gen. 49. 13. c. So that you may not attribute to Chance as if things were of themselves or to Fortune as if she ordered your good or evil if it were so then there could be no order in things but all confusion whereas you behold a blessed harmony in all things save onely in the corrupt actions of men which yet the wisdom of God orders to his own glory How can that exact and regular motion of the Sun giving heat and light to and making Summer and Winter so orderly in all parts of the world be ascribed by any sottish heart to blind Fortune the Axel-tree whereof is infinitely too weak for the least motion of the world to be turned upon it As bad as those Assyrians were yet did they ascribe their afflictions not to Fortune but to the god of the Land 2 Kin. 17. 26. 8. The fourth discovery of the Hearts deceitfulness in adversity is your impatiency and weariness under Gods afflicting hand oh how weak are our hearts to endure tribulation Ezekiel 16. 30. Solomon saith If we faint in the day of adversity our strength is small Prov. 24. 10. Man hath no tryal of his strength till he come into trouble faintness then discovers weakness and weakness then causeth weariness and impatiency As is the man so is his strength said they to Gideon rotten or weak boughs do break when weight is layd upon them and so do earthen vessels when set empty to the fire unsound lungs cannot abide the frost-air but a Josephs bow will abide in strength though many Archers shoot at him and both hate and hit him yea and sorely grieve him Gen. 49. 23 24. being strengthened by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob but alas how soon are we crying out of weariness because of our weakness in running a while with the footmen of lesser troubles Jerem. 12.5 although God calls us not for he calls none but his champions to run with the Horsemen of greater Tryals hence affliction is called our infirmity Prov. 18. 14. because of our natural imbecility to bear it as well as to free our selves from it we cannot so much as bear words much less wounds for Christ and if we so startle at a reproach for the Truth surely we should never as one saith fry with a fagot 9. The fifth discovery of the hearts deceitfulness in Adversity is you will be very apt to restrain prayer in it as Job 15. 4. Alas when the body is out of frame by distempers or by external distresses the spirit also sympathizes and will often be out of frame with the body and the weakness of the flesh many times according to that in Matth. 26. 41. over-â—ometh the willingness of the spirit A man at â—uch a time hath work enough to bear the burâ—en of his own affliction therefore death-bed Repentance is said to be very seldome true Repentance sera poenitentia rarò est vera late Repentance is rarely true saith Augustin yet nun-quam serò si seriò 't is never too late so there be but a real and a serious frame of Spirit but alas there is all the danger for penitent words may at such a time be onely squeezed from us by pressing and oppressing pain when such words flow not naturally from a living principle within you may howl upon your bed you may brawl and murmure which is as the howling of a dog and no better unto your God Hos 7. 14. and not pray one prayer in the Holy Ghost Jude v. 20. all that time your Spirit which is the lending part will have then work enough to sustain the infirmities oâ— the flesh which is the borrowing part Prov 18. 14. Hereupon Job is charged by hiâ— friends for casting off fear and for restraininâ— prayer before God Job 15. 4. 't is true Joâ— might possibly omit his stated times of prayer which he observed day by day continually Joâ— 1.5 through the bitterness of his grief anâ— the unreasonableness of his foe-friends whicâ— discomposed his spirit for Prayer but that hâ— should altogether refrain and restrain prayer iâ— his misery was but a meer cavil against thâ— good man who could not be so bad as to foâ—â—ear all prayer himself and discourage otheâ— from it too this would have been a foul faâ—â— indeed for while prayer stands still the whole trade of godliness stands still and to cast off prayer is to cast off God Jer. 10. 25. yet as domestick discords may hinder prayer 1 Pet. 3.7 so may bodily distempers 10. The sixth discovery of the Hearts deceitfulness in afflicton is that the Soul of man many times will choose Iniquity rather than affliction as Elihu layeth to Jobs charge Job 36. 21. take heed be very wary for time to come because of thy natural proneness to it 't is with the hair of corrupt nature and the strong byass thereof may carry you down the hill before you be aware regard not iniquity turn not your face as the Hebrew word signifies towards iniquity by way of approbation as men do usually turn their faces towards that which they like and love or give not so much as a leering look towards sin Psal 66. 18. for this thou host chosen rather than to bear thine affliction or thy poverty patiently that is thou wouldst rather be a sinner than a sufferer and wouldst better be a wicked than a poor man this is a bad choice for there is more evil in the least sinning than in the greatest suffering inasmuch as the latter is a physical or natural evil and comes from an Holy God but the former is a moral evil and ever comes from the cursed devil Therefore should you not do the least evil though it would procure the greatest good Hence the antient Martyrs would not accept of deliveranc upon sinful terms Hebr. 11. 35. and they would not do so much as to cast in one single grain of Frankincense to an Idol although thereby they might have saved their own precious Lives well knowing that God stood in no need of their lye for his glory Rom. 3. 7 8. Sin is the greatest evil as God is the greatest good so it can never be in it self a matter or object of free choice Quas non oportet Mortes praeeligere saith Zuinglius What Deaths ought not a man rather to make choice of what torments not rather undergo yea into what deepest gulf of Hell it self must he not rather enter than wittingly and willingly to sin against God Daniel chus'd rather to be thrown to the Lions than to violate his Conscience and so to have that lion through guilt roaring against him in his own bosome The Armenian Mouse some say will chuse rather to dye than to be defiled with any filth insomuch that if her hole be besmeared with dirt her choice is rather to be taken
or that particular sin but for the trial of his Grace and to evidence unto Satan that he was no Hypocrite yet did he acknowledge to God I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver nf men Job 7. 20. He puts himself into the hands of his Justice in hope of his Mercy he confesses his Malady to wit his sinning to be the just occasion of his suffering and ardently enquires after a due Remedy yet this good man desired further to know not so much to satisfie his Curiosity as his Conscience why he was so afflicted whether for sin or for trial and if for sin he begg'd of God to Make him know his transgression and his sin Job 13. 23. to wit that particular sin which thou chiefly strikes at 15. Afflictions have a voice as above and say to the afflicted as the Lord said to Joshuah Vp and search Israel hath sinned Josh 7. 10 11. And as the Mariners said to Jonah What evil hast thou committed what good hast thou omitted Jon. 1.8 Something surely is amiss that God would have amended It is therefore meet to be said unto God and that with a Surely I have born chastisement I will not offend any more and though yet I be in the dark and know not the right and particular cause wherefore I am afflicted That which I know not teach thou me Job 34.31 32. Alas men are very apt to mistake themselves herein and like the Child Samuel when God calls one way to run another way 1 Sam. 3. 4 5 6 8 9. Yea the Devil also deals with the afflicted just as the wretched Jews did with Christ when they did blind-fold him and bid him prophecy who smote him Luke 22. 64. Thus Satan holds his black hand before the eyes of mens Understanding and then bids them prophecy who smote them and for what Hence it is that in our Afflictions we many times grope like blinde men only guessing at this cause and at that but seldome hitting upon the right and therefore God must be sought unto for direction herein and besought also graciously to point out the sin he strikes at This Job had done once Job 10. 2. and again Job 13. 23 but Elihu would have him to do it yet better as he tutor'd him Job 34. 31 32. Lastly Consider these few following Directions 1. When you have thus sought and besought the Lord for Instruction herein Observe at what door doth your Conscience awakened by the Word lay your Affliction for God keeps his Petty-Sessions in the Court of Conscience and therein you may hear his Voice 2. Labour to have as deep a sense of Spiritual Evil as of Temporal A blind eye may bring you to Christ for Cure and Comfort when a blind Soul will not do so 3. In your Adversity forget not Divine Promises as in your Prosperity you may not be mindful of Divine Threatnings 4. Let your minde be above your means in Adversity as it ought to be below them in Prosperity 5. Let not your custome of being delivered from this or that particular Danger encourage you more than Gods promise of Deliverance from all evil 6. Be not more prone to speak of your Miseries than of your Mercies of your Losses than of your Gains as most men commonly do for if so it plainly shews you would rather have your self pitied for the former than your God praised for the latter 7. 'T will qualifie your Sufferings to take notice how many do suffer more pains for eternal Pains and for Damnation than you have yet done for everlasting Life and for Salvation 8. It may likewise comfort you to know that Christ by his Cross hath taken away the Curse of your Cross though not the cross it self which if he had done then as the Cross indeed would have done you no hurt so neither could it have done you any good whereas how many Saints have blest the Lord for their sanctified Afflictions and they would not have been without them for a world Psal 119.71.75 9. Know that Misery 't is true may be your Condition yet if you be truely godly it shall never be your portion 't is Mercy not Misery that is the portion of all the Vessels of Mercy 10. Know also that your God who chastens you will soon say It is enough c. 2 Sam. 24. 15 16. 'T is an excellent Note that Vatablus makes upon this place understanding by the appointed time the evening of the first day which if so understood doth mightily commend the Mercy and Gentleness of God who for three days of Pestilence threatned sends it but one day onely and then his bowels yern Hos 11. 8. and he cryes even then 't is enough he cannot finde in his heart to go thorough with destroying-work for he is a God and not man yea such a God as None is like him for pitty and pardons He may indeed afflict yea he must do so but he will not do so for ever 1 Kin. 11. 39. No he quickly repents him of the evil and leaves a blessing behinde him Joel 2. 14. Lastly Let God vindicate his own Holiness who though he pardon sin yet will not patronize it no not in his own Children 2 Sam. 7. 14. Psal 89. 30. 32 33. yet Paul may be happier in his chains of Iron than King Agrippa was in his chains of Gold Oh that a bitter life may make you look for a better life CHAP. IX Of the Hearts Treachery as to your Spiritual state 1. HAving made some Discoveries of the Deceitfulness of your Heart in respect of your Temporal state whether Prosperity or Adversity we come now to your Spiritual state which is of mighty importance and upon which your everlasting weal or wo in the other world dependeth Therefore must you keep your heart with all keepings and with your utmost Care and Caution that you put not an everlasting Cheat upon your own Immortal Soul in this matter of such weighty and eternal consequence 1. The Malady 2. The Remedy First The Malady And this cheat may befal you two ways 1. Your own Heart may deceive you in falsly conceiving What you are in Gods thoughts And 2. in falsly conceiving what you are in your own thoughts First of the first You may be deceived in conceiving what you are in God's thoughts to wit that you are predestinated to Life and Salvation whatever you be and however you live in the world Even all people have a natural proneness to bless themselves with a false hope of their Predestination to life Deut. 29. 19. and that they shall have peace Now the thoughts of God are in those two unchangeable Decrees of Election and Non-election which the great Apostle exemplifies by Jacob and Esau Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated before they were yet born or had done either good or evil Rom. 9. 11 12 13. There is no doubt but Esau blest himself in his own heart and came presumptuosly to his
the world a man may be an Hypocrite and not know himself to be so Answer first in general This Hypocrisie is the grandest and greatest Cheat of the cheating heart of fallen Mankinde as it is 1. A Cheat endeavoured to be put upon God himself 2. A Cheat accomplished upon a mans precious and immortal Soul 3. A Cheat for Eternity 4. A Cheat in things of greatest importance and not in trifles c. Therefore you have need to keep your heart with all diligence that you be not cheated thereby in this worst kinde of Cheatery Secondly I answer in particular 1. Zanchy who is called a Magazine of all Divine Literature makes two forts of Hypocrites 1. Such as know not themselves to be Hypocrites but think-themselves sound and good enough and he instanceth it in that proud Pharisee that thought himself as good as the best Luke 18. as I have already shown you in the foregoing pages His second instance is in Paul before his Conversion who thought he did God very good service in persecuring the Church 〈◊〉 22. 7. John 16. 1. and concerning the Righteousness of the Law he was blameless Phil. 3. 6. although his blinde Zeal which is as high metal in a blinde horse or as fire in a Chimney-top all that time transported him to persecute the Saints all this he did ignorantly in unbelief 1 Tim. 1. 13. alas those Seales of Errour and Ignorance were not as yet done away from his eyes Act. 9. 18. 'T was not his purpose but his mistake hence he found mercy and when he had done so he became as mad for Christ as ever he had been against him Acts 26. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 13. and his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. 14. shews he had as much eagerness in preaching and pressing after the prize as he had in persecuting Christs poor Saints and Servants 8. There be others also that bring a third Instance to wit Simon Magus whom not only Philip took for a Beleever and baptized him but he might take himself for one in his Historical Faith while he continued with Philip Acts 8. 13. And when the holy Simon Peter had detected this wicked Simon Magus of Hypocrisie yet was he not so wicked but he begs the prayers not only of Peter but of the other Apostles unto God for him and that for the pardon of his sin that he might not be miraculously slain as Ananias and Sapphira had been Acts 5. 5. 10. Pray ye to the Lord for me Acts 8. 24. The second fort are such as know themselves to be Hypocrites and their hearts are privy that they do but dissemble in all that they either say or do in the service of God those be Hypocrites indeed that know well all along themselves not to be what they seem to be and not to be unto God what they seem to be unto men As concerning the first sort of these whether they may properly and by a genuine Idiome of Speech be called Hypocrites some Learned do doubt saying A man cannot well be an Hypocrite and not know it and their reason is this because the true and proper notion of Hypocrisie is to pretend one thing and to intend another or to intend one thing and act another 9. The second particular Answer is this That notwithstanding what is said above in the first Answer I cannot but affirm in a sound sence A man may be an Hypocrite and not know himself to be one upon these following Grounds and Reasons The first Reason is As Sincerity may be in a man and yet the man may not know it the most sincere Saints are ever most suspicious of their own Sincerity even so according to the Rule of contraries Hypocrisy may be in the Soul and yet the Soul may not know it That the former is true is manifest inasmuch as the soundest hearts are evermore the most self-suspecting hearts No sooner had Christ said to his Disciples One of you shall betray me but immediately all the true-hearted of them were filled with holy jealousie and each of them suspecting himself said Master is it I whereas the false-hearted Judas came lagging all behinde in this self-suspecting work None are more filled with Jealousies about the soundness and unsoundness of their hearts than the soundest and sincerest Souls but the Hypocrite is that fool of Solomon's that trusts in the truth of his own treacherous heart Prov. 22. 26. 10. The second Reason is There is a natural Sincerity and Plain-heartedness that arises from some mens natural Constitution which may beguile the Soul and make them think they are Evangelically sincere when they are in Gods account no better than Hypocrites You may observe some natural men so candid and ingenuous in their common dealings betwixt man and man that they would not for a world deceive their Neighbour in any thing This was the Sincerity of the Heathen King Abimelech Gen. 20. 5 6. who had not any purpose to wrong Abraham or to enjoy Sarah any otherwise than as his Wife what he did otherwise was done out of Ignorance This was indeed a good Second-Table Sincerity This deceives many a Soul although they altogether be strangers to the First-table Sincerity a Sincerity as to man may be in man without a Sincerity as to God This is it must be acknowledged a good Nature but alas 't is no better than a bad Grace 11. The third Reason is There is likewise a Moral Sincerity as well as Natural to wit a good Nature and a sweet natural Disposition notably improved such as was in Socrates and Seneca those two great Luminaries in the Heathen world eminently improved by a strict Education in the Liberal Arts and Sciences How much more may such a sweet candid Disposition from Nature be higher improved by a strict Education under the Administration of the Law of Moses than could be attained unto by any heathen Theology such as Paul had while a Pharisee at the feet of Gamaliel Acts 22. 3. and 26. 5. Moral Vertues which are not infused as Theological Graces be but are acquired by a continued Instruction and highly improved by a strict Education may deceive many Souls and such may conceive themselves sound persons and in a safe Spiritual state and condition yet stand upon a sandy foundation and not upon the sure rock that Rock of Ages Isai 26. 4. Jesus Christ Acts 4. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 11. And hence Augustine calls the best products of this Moral Vertue splendida peccata but shining sins You see some things shine in the night and yet that shining doth but proceed from Rottenness Sordet in ore Judicis quod fulget in conspectu Judicantis that which is highly esteemed amongst men is no better than shining â—otton-wood or abomination unto God Luke 16. 15. There may be malum opus in bona materia Actions materially good yet Aims and Ends formally bad as Jehu's zealous actions which were not wrought in God Joh. 3.21 either
to us should Salvation depend upon her actings Therefore Austin saith well Sub laudibus Naturae latent inimiâ—i Gratiae Cryers up of Nature are always enemies to Grace 11. The third grand Question in order to your undeceiving to be answered is How doth Moral Civility differ from true Gospel-Sanctity To this I answer You may know that your Civility and Moral Honesty and a well-ordered Conversation towards men doth only grow upon and flow from the stock of Nature and not of Grace or from some supernatural Principles infused into your â—eart not from any New-birth or Spirit of â—anctification that sanctifies and renews the whole Man Body Soul and Spirit 1 Thes 5. â—3 and so is no better than a wild Olive Rom. 11. 17. 24. by these following Characters First If you be civil only and not thus sanctified you will be top-ful of spiritual â—lindness Ignorance and vain Imaginations â—bout the things of God and the good of your Soul You will then look upon Faith as an â—asiâ— work 't is only believe and on Salvation â—s a work of no such difficulty as is pretended seeing that God is as you will then think All Mercy and the tender of this Mercy is to â—ll and 't is but crying at the last gasp Lord â—ave mercy upon me and this will be enough to vast you over into Heaven These and such-like â—otten Reasonings will abound in your ignoâ—ant Soul whereas none can read the new Name â—ave only they that receive it Revel 2. 17. And â—hese receivers do read no otherwise than that â—oth Faith and Salvation are matters of very great difficulty their own Experience and â—he truth of Gods Word doth meet exactly â—ogether and they do smartingly finde 1. That it requires as much Almighty Power â—o work Faith in their hearts as to raise Christ from the dead Ephes 1. 19 20. And 2. that the righteous themselves are scarcely faâ—â—â— 1 Pet. 4. 18. that is they have much ado to â—et to Heaven 12. The second Character is Civility wanders in general Duties only but mindes not special Duties such as Self-examination Self-abhorrency c. And it consists more in the Negative than in the Positive part of the Law yea and is more conversant in the Duties of the second Table than of the first Whereas true Sanctity is of a more extensive property and observes special Duties such as Self-trial Self-denial c. as well as general yea and doth make Conscience of both Tables and parts of the Law to wit 't is for the Positive part as well as for the Negative and is as much for Holiness to God as for Righteousness to Man The third Character briefly is Civility or Moral Honesty takes cognizance of those sins only that make a great noise both in the Courts of the world and in the Court of Conscience yet while it scruples at Murder Adultery Drunkenness c. called the Filthiness of the flesh 2 Cor. 7. 1. all along overlooks the filthiness of spirit such as privy Pride secret Hypocrisie Security in an evil state Formality in Duty c. which make but little noise in the world and less noise in the Conscience Small and secret sins which lye not in view upon the borders of the Isle of man but lye up in the heart of the Countrey undiscerned undiscovered those Civility overlooks but true Sanctity in the man whose eyes are opened Numb 24. 3. may not will not cannot do so The fourth Character is Civility will venture no further for its piety than may consist with its peace it likes neither foul way nor foul weather in its passage and progress to its long home 'T is exactly of the Duke of Bourbon's minde who told Beza he would adventure no further into the Sea of Religion than to get safe home to shore at night The fifth Character is Civility can never count all its own Duties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Dogs-meat as Phil. 3. 6. 8. For this is a piece of natural Popery born with us to be Saviours to our selves and to be saved by our own Righteousness and not by the Righteousness of another to wit of Christ 13. The sixth Character is Where Civility is alone without Sanctity there is always retained an Enmity in them against all those that over-run them in the practick part of Godliness and that spend more time for God and the good of their Souls than they do such persons will proclaim war against those zealous ones for being too precise and for being Righteous and Religious over-much Eccles 7. 16. Those Civilians would fain finde a more compendious way of worshipping God saying with wicked Jeroboam 'T is too much for you to do so and so 1 Kin. 12. 28. Religiosum oportet esse non religatum you need not be so very strict and strait-laced in matters of Religion you may provide more for your owâ— ease and better accommodation Thus theâ— do plainly slander the sweet Laws of Christ'â— Kingdom and the pleasant ways of heavenlâ— wisdome Prov. 3. 17. as if too heavy bondâ— and too sharp cords Psal 2. 3. not knowinâ— that Christ's yoke is easie and his burden lighâ— Matth. 11. 29 30. and therefore not to bâ— cast away no more than their own Garterâ— or Girdles Thus also those Devout persons were Opposers of Paul for his out-runninâ— them in his Devotion Acts 17. 17 18. Anâ— 't is very observable that no Church could bâ— founded by the Apostle at Athens the moâ—â— famous City for Wisdome in all Greece foâ— they were too wise to be saved by the foolishnesâ— of Preaching 1 Cor. 1. 23. those wise Greeâ— foolishly jeared at Jesus and the Resurrection 〈◊〉 at a couple of strange gods Acts 17. 18. 2â— their Philosophy and Enmity to the Power 〈◊〉 Godliness consisted together The seventâ— and last Character is Civility can never maâ— Gods Glory its ultimate End as true Sanctiâ— doth but its utmost Aim alas is onely foâ— pacifying but not at all for purifying the Conscience And the very height of its Ambitioâ— is to be pleasing and acceptable to men morâ— than to God Hence Augustine calls mere Civility splendidum Peccatum a shining Sin 14. The fourth great Question to be answered in order to your undeceiving is How may Restraining Grace be distinguished from Renewing Grace Answer 1. Restraining Grace is no more than an awful fear that God puts upon the Conscience of Man which constrains him to forbear that Sin which he doth not yet hate and to leave what he doth not yet loath Such a man is only chained up by his own fears the dread of God is upon him he is not yet changed from his sin As the Dog forbears the Carrion because his chain is too short or his Masters Cudgel is over him Whereas the grand Evangelical Motive is not formidine poenae sed virtutis amore fear of punishment but love to Christ Joh. 14. 15. If â—ye love me keep my Commandments and this Love
from being deceived herein I must refer you for brevities sake here to my Crown and Glory of a Christian pag. 78. to 121. which I may enlarge upon if the Lord lengthen out my tranquillity in due time that this Treatise Of the Treachery of the Heart may not swell into a too bulky and above a pocket book touching your Religious Actions which I therefore shall handle here only in the general referring you to every particular Religious Action or Ordinance in my Walk and Work of a Christian upon Earth till he come to Heaven And these Religious Actions are principally two The first is your performing of Duties and the second is your exercise of Graces 1. Of the first of these to wit Take heed your treacherous heart deceive you not in your performance of Duties In order hereunto you must know That DVTY is your Homage and Fealty which the creature Man owes to his great Creator 't is your poor Pepper-corn you must pay to the Landlord of the world 't is the Souls reciprocation unto God shewing forth the praises of him as your first-fruits to him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. The love of God constrains you 2 Cor. 5. 14. to say What shall I do unto thee O thou Preserver of men Job 7.20 A gracious heart is of a rendering Disposition Psal 116. 12. and can never do enough for God that hath done so much for it you must be ever Praising the glory of his Grace Ephes 1. 6. in due and daily Duty which you may neither neglect nor carelesly perform 1. The Malady 2. The Remedy First Of the Malady 2. The first Deceit of the Heart in respect of performance of Duty to God which Mercy from God always requires is your Heart may be remiss and negligent therein not only before but even after sincere Conversion 1. Before Conversion Your heart will then love a lazy Religion although some Conviction to Duty be upon you and such as costs you nothing or very little whereas holy David would not offer to the Lord his God that which did not cost him something 2 Sam. 24. 24. He would honour God with his substance Prov. 3. 9. and lay out some cost for him as the good Woman did in her Spikenard of great price John 12. 3. Whereas the Duty which the unconverted perform is either none or as good as none there is small difference 'twixt Nequam and Nequicquam as good never a whit as never the better Though the carnal Jews undoubtedly in their seventy years Captivity prayed often as well as fasted often Zech. 7. 5. Yet Daniel excellently accounts for them as if they had performed no duty at all Yet made we not at all our prayer to God Dan. 9. 13. because they did it lazily and more for breaking off their chains than their sins Thus likewise Paul in his carnal and unconverted estate while he was educated in the strictest Order of the Pharisaical Religion Acts 26. 5. and no doubt said his Prayers often yet all that time never made his Prayer as 't is phrased Job 22. 27. unto God at all and therefore he was never reckon'd to pray indeed until after his Conversion Acts 9. 11. Yea and 2ly after Conversion Oh what a secrèt willingness will you finde in your treacherous heart either altogether to omit duty or to be sleight and perfunctory in the performance of it Smarting Experience will suggest to you something of an over-satisfying content sometimes to be disappointed of duty Ask your Heart Hath Morning-occasions and company never hinder'd you of your Morning-duty or at least made you to post it cursorily over But you must know that though God upon some occasional hindering Occurrences may give you a Dispensation for this or that particular hour of Duty yet that Dispensation may not be construed by you as a plenal discharge from Duty 3. Indeed many persons plead their multitude of business to be their hinderance from performing of Duty but I say not only that multitude of works wants not sin no more than multitude of words Prov. 10. 19. Eccles 5. 3. but also the more business and occasions you have in the world the more need you have to perform Duty more strictly for sanctifying those your many Occasions for your Employments as well as your Enjoyments should all be sanctified by Prayer 1 Tim. 4. 5. House-occasions and Field-occasions yea all occasions stand in need to be sanctified Levit. 27. 14. 16. 18. Reverend Mr. Pemble saith excellently that there is no outward Calling so very full of various Employments but that in the space of twenty four hours some time might be spared and redeemed for Religious Duties 'T is true God doth not expect so much Duty from you that live in an outward Calling as he doth from those whose Calling is the Ministry who should dedicate their whole times and their whole talents unto God yet know that God gives to none a license to be lazy and if you neglect your Duty to God you will be in danger of Judgments from God Let us go and sacrifice to our God lest he fall upon us with his plagues Exod. 5. 3. As omission of Diet breeds Diseases in the Body and makes work for Death or for the bodily Physician So omission of Duty breeds Distempers in the Soul and I makes work for Hell or for the Soul-Physicians Alas it was Omission of Duty a Sin of Omission that banished Moab from the Church to the tenth Geveration Deut. 23. 3 4 5. and that Dâ—muld many to the pit of Hell Matth. 25. 42. And if you be lukewarm only in Duty though you omit it not God will spue you out of his mouth Revel 3. 16. into some base place any the worst place is good enough to receive God's spewings 4. The second Deceit is When you are brought from Sin to Duty and from the Omission to the Observation of it then may your heart deceive you in overvaluing Duty in living upon it and resting in it We are not ignorant of Satans devices 2 Cor. 2. 11. that envious one If he cannot keep you too much on the left hand he will throw you too far on the right and make you set up duty in Christs stead and cause you to give it that honour which is due to Christ Just as Darius his Mother did obeisance to Ephestion mistaking him for Alexander himself saluting the Favourite for the Prince When the Devil in conjunction with your own heart can no longer prevail to make you undervalue Duty in neglecting of it then alas he will strongly tempt you to overvalue Duty and to set it up as a Saviour to you well knowing how offensive it is to Christ to justle in any Competitors or Corrivals with him in the matter of Salvation who will be one and all or he will be none at all As Christ trode the Wine-press alone Isa 63. 3. to bring you
into his Wine-cellar Gant 2. 4. So besides him there is no Saviour Isai 43. 11. And though Christ must sit upon the Throne himself alone yet then will he have his Train to wit Holy Duties to fill the Temple Isai 6. 1. So that you must distinguish them and know the one from the other as your Father Abraham knew his Lord Christ from the two created Angels Gen. 18. 2 3. You must give to duty the things that are duty 's and to Christ the things that are Christs The three Wise-men when they saw the Star that was their guide to Christ did not fall down to worship it but Christ himself to whom it led them They did not offer their Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense to the Star but to Christ who is called The bright and Morning Star Revel 22. 16. 5. As the Dyal cannot tell you what is the hour of the day unless the Sun do shine upon it so your best Duties cannot show you any hour or time of Joy any further than while The Sun of Righteousness the Lord Christ Mal. 4. 2. doth shine upon them Alas what doth Elijah's Mantle signifie to Elisha unless he have also the Lord God of that Mantle 2 Kin. 2. 14. Therefore take heed you rest not in bare Duty you must not live upon duty but upon Christ in duty for your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. You must let go your Duties in point of Justification and yet hold them as your life in point of Sanctification for Duty should not dye while you live you must do them but you may not glory in them Let him that gloryeth glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 31. Thus blessed Paul suffered the loss of all his duties Non quoad substantiam sea quoad qualitatem officium justificandi Phil. 3. 7 8. He did not depend upon his Duties for his Justification as before he had done in his Pharisaical state nor laid he now the stress of his Salvation upon them but he cast the great burden of both upon the Lord Psal 55. 22. Alas as your goodness in Duty extends not to God Psal 16. 2. and you cannot be profitale to him Job 22. 2 3. God receives nothing at your hand by all Job 35. 7. So when you have done all you can you are still but an unprofitable Servant Luke 17. 10. Your best Duties are but filthy rags Isa 64. 6. though they be pure in the fountain as flowing from the Holy Spirit yet are they muddy in the stream as they run through the dirty channel of your corrupted heart and therefore those Popish Doctrines of Merit de Congruo and de Condigno and of Supererogation are no better than lying Doctrines 6. The third Deceit of the Heart is After you have been an overvaluer of Duty some time Satan and your own heart may beguile you 2 Cor. 2. 11. to become an undervaluer of Duty again in the days of your Knowledge as before you had been in the days of your Ignorance Thus the Adversary of your Soul will toss you into extremes backward and forward yea and backward again making you to sleight and contemn Duties again but upon another bottom now to wit under a pretence of making Christ your All As if Christ had given you now a license to be lazy But surely you never so learned Christ Ephes 4. 20. As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so should you walk in him Col. 2. 6. and being delivered by him therefore must you serve him in Holiness and Righteousness all your days Luk. 1. 74 75. And seeing you are bought with the price of his blood therefore must you Glorifie him with your body and spirit 1 Cor. 6. 20. for you are not yet come to your rest Deut. 12. 9. and until you be come to your eternal Rest or Sabbath you must not cease from your spiritual work labour or duty Hebr. 4. 10. So that Duties must not dye while you live and as long as you are on this side Heaven so long must you be doing Duty on Earth This is the place of our performing work and that of our receiving wages You may not transfer all your work from your self upon Christ as if nothing were due from you and to be done by you 'T was a good Saying of Austin's Acti agimus servati sumus ut serviamus We are acted by the Spirit of Christ that we our selves may act for Christ and we are saved by our Saviour that we may serve our Saviour Though God made us without our selves he will not saith that Father save us without our selves There is a triple-Homage to wit of Reverence of Obedience and of Thankfulness which is your poor Pepper-corn you must carefully pay to the Lord and Landlord of all your Mercies They that would have healing there is something required to be done by them they must step into the opened Fountain Zech. 13. 1. as the diseased did into the Pool of Bethesda Joh. 5 4. 7. If you compare Revel 1. 6. with 7. 14. together these two Scriptures will shew you that not only Christ doth wash you but that you must also wash your self in the blood of the Lamb and hence is it that the Lord calls upon you to this washing work Isai 1. 15. God will give you Grace just as Boaz gave Ruth corn Ruth 2. 15. He could have given her an Ephah of Barley ready winnowed to her hand without more ado but mark she must gather it up into gleanings and beat it out of the ears c. Though the corn was Boaz's gift yet all this was Ruths duty which was all the price she should pay for it Thus the very Heathen could say Dii laboribus omnia vendunt God sells all his blessings for mans labour 't is all one charge to him yet thus he gives both Grace and Knowledge and God's promise of Mercy is no exemption to man from Duty He promis'd deliverance from the Babylonish Captivity yet for that will he be enquired after Ezek. 36. 12. 37. Ora labora admotâ manu invocanda est Minerva were good Sayings of wise Heathens Duty is the way to Mercy Oh then take heed of being weary of duty which is near of kin to a reprobate minde A Child of God may be weary in it but never of it for he is a serving Son Mal. 3. 17. If once you become too good for duty you 'l assuredly prove too weak for holiness A little Child gathers strength by its due and daily sucking the breast but if it be Tongue-tyed or hindred from sucking by any other impediment 't will sensibly as well as insensibly soon pine away Our Spiritual life is as our Natural life both which Lives are within us yet neither of them do arise and are nourished from our selves but from something that is without us Hence is it that you stand in as much need of daily bread for your Soul as you do
16. and praying Lord quicken me in thy way Psal 119. 37. As endeavours withou God cannot so God without endeavours will not quicken that spiritual principle the flint must be struck upon the steel or there is no fetching of fire out of it You should stir up your self for and interest Christ in all your Duties that the sword of the Lord and of Gideon may go hand in hand together Jud. 7. 18. 20. The 4. Rule is Do Duties for right Ends as well as from a right Principle by a right Strength and with a right Supply Right ends of Duty are 1. That God may be honoured by it 2. That your thankfulness to the God of your Mercy may be expressed 3. That those Duties may be profitable to others Tit. 3. 8. And lastly That your Soul may meet with Christ in them You should cry in every Duty have over Lord for Heaven getting a full tide of Affections and cry with David Oh that I had wings Psal 55. 6. and winde in my wings Zech. 5. 9. Revel 12. 14. even the wings of a dove wherewithal you may flye to the Ark of Mercy as Noah's dove did 15. The fifth Rule is See that your heart rest not short of Christ in any Duty Let go your hold of no Duty until you finde something of Christ in it and until you get not only an handful but an armful with old Simeon Luke 2.28 yea an heartful of the blessed and beautiful Babe of Bethlehem therein Indeed you should have commerce with Heaven and communion with Christ in duty which is therefore called the presence of God or your appearing before him Exod. 23. 17. and Psal 42. 2. Your Duties then must be as a Bridge to give you passage or as a Boat to carry you over into the bosom of Christ Holy Mr. Bradford Martyr said He could not leave Confession till he found his heart touch'd and broken for sin nor Supplication till his Heart was affected with the beauty of the Blessings desired nor Thanksgiving till his Soul was quickned in return of Praises nor any Duty until his heart was brought into a duty-frame and something of Christ was found therein Accordingly Bernard speaks Nunquam abs â—e absque te recedam Domine I will never depart in duty from thee without thee O Lord. Augustine said hâ— loved not Tully's elegant Orations as formerly because he could not finde his Christ in them nor doth a gracious Soul empty Duties Rhetorical flowers and flourishes expressions without impressions in praying or preaching are not true bread but a tinkling Cymbal to it and cannot be put off with the empty spoon of aery Notions or lovely that are not also lively Songs If Christ talk with you in the way of duty your heart will burn within you Luke 24. 16. 32. 6. The sixth Rule is Neglect not the Magnalia or great Duties of Christianity while you do observe it may be oversolicitously even to Superstition the Minutula or lesser Duties as the Pharisees in their straining at gnats and swallowing camels Matth. 23. 23 24. As Saul that scrupled eating flesh with the blood 1 Sam. 14. 33. yet not at all the shedding of the blood of the Lords innocent Priests 1 Samuel 22. 16 17 18. And as those wicked Priests seemed to make Conscience of putting the price of Blood in the Treasury but none at all of imbrewing their hands in the innocent Blood of the Lamb of God Matth. 27. 6 c. the price of that Blood may not lye in their chest yet the Blood it self may lye on their Consciences v. 25. 7. The seventh Rule is You must persevere in Duty all your days as before You may not be a young Saint and an old Devil like the New-moon that gives light for a while in the former part of the night but goes down into darkness long before the Night is gone You may not be a lightsome Professor in your Youth and have your light wrap'd up in darkness in your old Age but your Grace like good liquor should run fresh to the bottom and your last days should be your best CHAP. XII Of the Hearts Treachery in exercising of Graces 1. THe Deceits of the Heart concerning Grace are manifold to be here discovered as 1. You may mistake Gifts for Graces 2. False and seeming Grace for true and saving Grace 3. Common Grace for special Grace which accompanies Salvation and is peculiar to the Elect of God All these are over and above those Deceits aforementioned in mistaking Nature for Grace Civility for Sanctity and Restraining for Renewing Grace You may think that you are exercising the very right and real Grace of God when 't is only some Mock-grace that is exerted and exercised in you In order to the undeceiving of your Soul herein you must 1. know what this Grace of God's Elect is which Spirit of truth the world cannot receive Joh. 14. 17. And 2ly how to distinguish it from those other falsly supposed Graces which the Non-elect world may and do receive First of the 1. to wit What right Grace which the Apostle calls true Holiness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4. 24. the Holiness of Truth Gr. or true Holiness in opposition to that which is falsly and feignedly supposed only to be so This right and real Grace or Holiness is called in Scripture The Riches of his Glory Rom. 9. 23. The Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. and the very life of God himself Ephes 4.17 yea the very Image of the heavenly Adam 1 Cor. 15. 49. wherein we resemble Christ not only as a picture doth a man in outward Lineaments but as a Childe doth his Father in Countenance and Conditions This resemblance consists not in Corporeal Substance so much as in Divine Qualities Grace in truth is the choicest frame and excellency that flesh and blood is capable of 'T is as Reverend Mr. Robert Bolton defines it the most glorious Creature of the Father of Lights flowing immediately from his blessed face As in the hand of Moses the Serpent was turned into a rod Exod. 4. 4. so in the hand of the Messiah our crooked Natures are made streight by Grace the Lion is changed into a Lamb c. Isa 11. 6 7 8. and our rough spirits are made plain thereby Isa 40. 4. 'T is the work of this blessed Carpenter so Christ is called Mark 6. 3. to hew and square many a knotty piece of Timber that it may become fit materials for his holy Temple 2. The second thing you are to know is how to distinguish the right from the wrong and first how Grace is distinguishable from Gifts which may be your first enquiry To which I answer 1. in the general 'T is possible a man that hath Grace may think he has nothing but Gifts and 't is as possible that a man which hath nothing but Gifts may think that his Gifts are Graces He that hath Gifts hath indeed an excellent thing and that
which we are commanded to covet earnestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 zealously affect as 't is the best Ambition 1 Cor. 12. 31. Yet is there a more excellent way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graces are better than Gifts 1 Cor. 13. 1. c. Gifts are indeed excellent things as they are Spiritual things flowing from the Spirit assisting if not indwelling in this respect they are better than all the Gold of Ophir which is but a natural thing and hath only a natural excellency but spiritual Gifts are not only spiritual things but be a part of the purchase of Christs Blood and a blessed fruit of his Ascension into Heaven Ephes 4. 8. And it must needs be an excellent thing to become a Saviour of Souls by Ministerial gifts to save souls and to pluck them out of the fire Jude 23. This is an excellency denied to Angels who are but ministring spirits and the Word of Reconciliation is not committed to them The Office of preaching the Gospel is taken from the Angels who first preached it to the Shepherds Luke 2.10 to 15. and given to the Ministers Though an Angel certified Cornelius that his Prayers were accepted yet doth not the Angel preach the Doctrine of Redemption to him but refers him for that unto Peter Act. 10. 3. 5. Notwithstanding all this a man may save others and not save himself but be a cast away 1 Cor. 9. 29. at last Hence the Apostle exhorts Timothy that he be careful to save himself as well as others 1 Tim. 4. 16. Those Hypocrites Preachers that in Christ's Name had cast out Devils were as unknown to Christ at length cast out to Devils Matth. 7. 22. 3. The second Answer is more particular for distinguishing Gifts from Graces They differ 1. In their original though both come from one and the same Holy Spirit yet 't is in a different respect for Gifts do flow from the Spirit as he is an assisting Spirit only and not an indwelling Spirit also But Grace always flows from the Spirit as both Assisting and Indwelling too 't is thus illustrated As a Carpenter may both build an House and beget a Childe yet one and the same individual man is the original of both these but with this difference the house that he builds partakes of his Art only and the Child he begets doth partake of his very Nature So Gifts though they do come from the same Holy Spirit that works saving Grace yet are they but Opera ad extra external Operations and not the proper and genuine fruits of an Indwelling as well as of an Assisting Spirit A Pilot is said to be in Philosophy the forma assistens to guide the Ship in its Navigation but 't is the Soul that is the forma informans to guide the Body in all its Motions and Operations Oh see that the Spirit be your Soul in Grace as well as your Pilot in Gifts 2. In their Object Gifts are more for Honour than for Holiness but Grace is more for Holiness than for Honour 'T was Saul's cry who had got the Gift of Prophecy when he was among the Prophets 1 Sam. 10. 10. Yet honour me now among the people 1 Sam. 15. 30. Let gifted men have but the Honour and let who will for all them take the Holiness Gifts are all for a Glory that is without but Grace is all for that Glory which is within Psal 45. 13 Reverend Mr. Bridges saith excellently Thaâ— as Gifts are the fruit of Christ's Ascension Eâ—phes 4. 8. so they are all for Ascensions and Glories for the fine-spun Notions for the quaint and quirking Speculations of sounding brass and tinckling Cymbals But true Grace falls in with a crucified Christ saying with the Apostle I determined to know nothing to profess no other skill among you than Chriâ—â— and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. 'T is not aâ— Children are for the gawdy flowers among the Corn but as the Husbandman for the Corn it self 4. Gifts and Grace differ 3ly in their subject Gifts may be given to a wicked man iâ—ordine ad aliud for the good of others as a Nurse may meet with bountiful gifts and good keeping in her Masters house not so much out of respect to her self but for the sake of her Masters Child which she hath in her Nursery But Grace is special favour the Receiving subject whereof is onely those that are Elected and Accepted in Christ 't is a Favour which God shewes only to his people Psal 106. 4. He useth to do so only to those that love his Name Psal 119. 132. Whereas a wicked Judas a Devil may be the subject of receiving Gifts he undoubtedly had as shining Gifts as any of the Disciples insomuch that they were so far from suspecting him for betraying of Christ that each of them rather suspected himself saying Master is it I Yet all his Gifts though shining were but as those Torches and Lanterns which he abused to betray his Master So that a man may perish with Gifts but never any man can perish with Grace Noah's Carpenters were gifted to build an Ark for saving Noah and his Family yet had they not Grace to save themselves from the universal Deluge 4ly They differ in the Effects 1. Gifts are Ministrantia but they are not Sanctificantia They do administer ad lucrum Ecclesiae to the advantage of the Church yet do they neither sanctifie nor save every gifted Administrator such an one may cast out Devils yet at last be cast out to Devils Matthew 7. 22. 2. Gifts fit a man only for a common Profession effecting a form of knowledge Rom. 2. 20. and a form of Godliness 2 Tim. 3. 5. yet cannot renew the heart nor raise it up beyond a common frame 3. Gifts and Sin may consist together for though they be divers yet they are not contrary There is as much room for the Devil as ever yea possibly more For the Gift of Knowledge may make room for the Devil of Pride 1 Cor. 8. 1. 4. As Gifts cannot break off Vnion with Sin so neither can they bring into Vnion with Christ 5. Gifts are only good at doing they are very bad at suffering-work Lastly In Duration Gifts continue not 1 Cor. 13. 8. they dwindle into nothing Heb. 6. 6 7. but Grace is contrary in all these respects 5. The second Deceit which is the second enquiry is your taking and mis-taking seeming Grace for saving grace or false for true grace that you may be undeceived herein learn to distinguish them by these following Characters 1. False grace in an unsound and hypocritical heart hath evermore its actings and exercise from forreign and extrinsick motives as carnal respects by and base ends the applause of men c. Just like Puppits in a daunce that have no principle of life in them but are acted by an external force but true saving grace hath not onely an inward principle but also a propensity to
comply with the Law of God there is a law in the mind Rom. 7. 23. which is writ in the heart Hebr. 8. 10. this is call'd a Law because it carries an authority with it and sways down the Soul into a conformity to the will of God this makes the sound heart to love Gods precepts because they are pure Psal 119. 140. and inclines it as a strong byass stronger then all the external motives to love the Gospel for the Gospels sake Whereas the Hypocrite doth onely uti Deo ut fruatâ—â— Mundo use God to enjoy the world as Austin saith Thus Jehu obey'd Gods will but it was that he might attain to a Crown and Kingdom The 2. Character is such as deceive themselves with false and seeming grace never look for nor labour after true and saving grace such never search nor suspect themselves Judas came lagging in at last saying Master is it I Such never put themselves under a serious and strict scrutiny saying Am I yet got beyond the attainments of an Hypocrite Holy jealousie is a blessed frame of spirit and a solemn suspicion of being deceived is a comfortable sign of a sound sincerity He that never doubted never truely believed and such as go on in an uninterrupted estate blessing themselves all along with bare shows of grace have a dangerous symptome of destruction upon them Until Egypts dough was spent God gave no Mauna and so long as the Bridegrooms wine lasted Christ turned no water into wine The 3. Character is False grace is never comforted with Gods presence such hearts dare never set themselves solemnly in the sight of divine Omnisciency as Job did Job 31. 6. and David Psal 139. 23 24. and Peter Joh. 21. 17. sincere Souls all for they know though they may deceive men they cannot deceive God Gal. 6. 7. whereas true Grace dare appeal to Omnisciency about the general frame of the heart Though it undoubtedly trembles in that Appeal for its frequent frailties as Job 42.5 6. yet is it confident its Integrity will carry weight for though it may depart from God out of weakness yet never out of wickedness Psal 18.21 and though acts yet not ways of wickedness be found in it Psal 139.24 6. The fourth Character is false grace is never attended with humility if the more you profess the prouder you grow you have just cause to suspect your self but with true grace the more Holy you are the more humble you will be as the Centurion Matth. 8. 8. Luk. 7. 7. Notional knowledge puffeth up as above but the divine light of saving knowledge shining into a dark heart 2 Pet. 1. 19. discovers your ignorance that there is more you know not than that you know this humbles the people thought the Centurion worthy yea and Christ himself thought the man worthy yet the man doth think himself unworthy The more experimental knowledge you have the more sense of your own ignorance you will have also and the more faith the more sense of your unbelief Prov. 30. 2 3. 1 Cor. 8. 2. Mark 9. 24. 'T is a blessed frame to be kept hungry and humble under an Enjoyment of grace crying Lord I still want this grace and that grace The fifth and last Character is false grace never grows unless it be worse and worse guilded things loose their lustre and glory by wearing and pretences to grace do ratheâ— wither than thrive or prosper God complaineth that they went backward rather then forward Jerem. 7. 24. False grace like bad salt looseth gradually its own Acrimony and smartness until it be cast to the dunghill whereas true grace as a grain of mustard-seed grows to a tree from a morning glimpse to a perfect day Prov. 4. 18. from smoaking flax to a burning flame Matth. 12. 20. Nicodemus grows from timerousness to boldness Joh. 3. 1 2. 19. 39. when Judas with all his goodly shews of grace did dwindle into nothing if there be never so little meal in the barrel never so little Oil in the Cruise yet it being fed with a supply from heaven multiplies into abundance if you grow from fervency to formality from strictness to looseness if you can loose the sweetness of your spirit without remorse 't is a shrewd sign but if you have received grace in the truth of it then you grow 1. formâ in loveliness to Christ 2. Suavitate bringing sweeter Cane to God Isa 43. 24. 3. Robore better rooted the house of David growing stronger 1 Sam. 3. 1. And fourthly vigore every grace that is feeble will be nourish'd Hebr. 12. 13. you then grow both in kind and degree growing youth oft measure themselves they have better appetites than older people 7. The third deceit which is the third enquiry is your taking and mistaking common grace for special that you may be undeceived know that there is a common grace which is 1. more than civility it being of a more evangelical and heavenly nature than civility is 2. 'T is more than restraining grace which is conversant onely about sins and duties out of a servile awe and fear of God but this seemeth to carry out the Soul with some raised affections and love to Christ 3. 'T is more than meer outward gifts which raise up a man above ordinary onely for an usefulness to others but this seems to renew the man and make him another man than he was before 4. 'T is more than seeming grace or formality which hath onely verisimilia seeming true but not vera really true a meer shew and shadow of godliness but This is a real work upon the Soul as Hebr. 6. 4 5. declareth being not onely an enlightening work and a partaking of gifts but also some Spiritual tast of the sweetness of Christ and of the powers of the world to come yet observe all this amounted not to special grace in three things 1. Their light was not humbling there is mention of their enlightening but not a word of their humbling the more of saving light is let into the Soul the more self-abasement doth that light beget there the more precious that Christ is in our eyes the more vile we are in our own eyes they closed with Christ in a way of pride and presumption onely 2. Their gifts were not renewing and sanctifying they made them useful to the Church but did not change their hearrs they were tinkling cymbals in their lovely expressions but not vessels of gold in any divine and lively impressions their Speech and Spirit did not walk hand in hand together 3. Their tast was neither refreshing nor ravishing it did not draw the Soul after a farther and fuller enlargement and enjoyment of Christ they had but sleight and loose desires after Christ and Salvation bare glances of heavenly glory may stir up an overly wish even in a very Sorcerer causing him to say Oh let me dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. but this falls far short of those serious longings