Ofthe deceJtfolnefe andgu/leDfMa»s het~rt. ~9 fa..yeA:, My heart is good, I repent ofmy linnes, La·m reconciled ro God, whenas God affirms the clean contrary. Thirdly, Thu aggravRtisn uheavy, 6ecaf*[e hereby the lweri ;.' u.m11de incur~ble: There is no poffible way, in refpetl ofhu- And foi~made mane power,to cure thi~ difeafe; Hence it followeth, Andde· therebyme~-: fperately Wiok,sd: fo this c;onfideration fitould be jaculum in rable. corde, a very fuarp arrow darted in the heart: for what is .more miferable, then to. be incurably miferable ? Now in two ~ re.fpetl:s the hearts deceitfulnelfe makes it de.fperatdy wicked: · firfi, Becau(e hereby the initia!l~tnd preparativeWork_to converjion u wholly extinguijhed; for1n this doth the ant,cedent or initiall work of repentance lye ; to diflike and a}Jhor our former finncs, to detefl and loath our felvl!s, to judg~ our felves with a fevere indignation and revenge; now how can thi~ be'while the heart is .poffelfed with deceicfull thoughts of its own goodnelfe ::tnd happineife: Hence the Scri.puue dotli fo frequently exhort-them to fearch a'l1d try their \'Vayes; andfo to turn unto God: Thus the fear ofG~d u the 6eginning of 'Wife-, dom, Prov. 1 7• Oh then wonder not to.fee men fo far from E-. phrah:m holy deportment, bewailing themfelves faying, 'What have they done .? .while they are thus confident of all things to be well within them; TimiJr facit tJDwjiliatio, fear makes men lllrone to ask counfdl, and eo enquire,what is lit to be done. Hence the Pfalmifi praycth, Put them in fear ( 0 Lord). thflt tht] may k1ww them/elves to be 6ut men, Pfal.9.20. Thus mayell: thou pray; Put me, 0 Lord, in an holy fear,and godly trembling, that I may know · ~ow great a finner I have– been,andwherein I h11ve gone afiray. , Secondly, The incurablenelfe of it ~oth appear,becaufe of the difficulty there is for the Minifiery to come at it, and to fearch into all the dark corners of the heart; for although the word of God bea light, yet there are fo many fccret windings and dark filoles in the foul, that the word doth not fo eafily reach it: Hence the Jews in the old Tefiament, and the Pha.– rifes in the new,were not cured,notwithfianding thofe power· f1o1ll and piercing Sermons which they conftantly heard, be· caufe through the deceit and g~1ile of their hearts they re,pel• lc:d all: they would not apply threatning~ to themfelves: I l ~owfqcvcr
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