TheHt4rt without GNllu: Herein did plainly appear their guilefull hearts, that as ~nt crumb of duft blown in the eye, prefently hinders the eye~ fight,<Jr the interpofidon of thecarth,immediately ca~fcthan eclipfe, fo any.worldly or earthly confideration interwoven, ·withopinions in matters ofReligion, doth prefcntly daub up the winciow as it were,where light fuould come in. Therefore its good to confider why Chritl: 2ives N 11thtt.neel fuch aglo· l'ious commendation,which we never read was given byChrift ta any other, rob. 1.41. Beh~td atrue l{raelite in ~~sm uno g11ile ! Wherein did N~~tth"n~eeJ difcovcr fuch an innocent and fincere heart? Even in this particular it was, Philip comes and tells him, The] hadjo11nd the Mej]iah; NowNathanael being prepolfeffed with falfe principles argueth againO: it, CananJ gD•dcome olit •f Na~~ereth?C•meand{ee,faith Phi/ip,and.imme– diately N11thaHael, notwithftanding his prejudices, takes the waf'tO be informed ; doth not defpife or contim,m the offer made, but is glad to finde out the truth,and to know whether he.be in an errour or no; and upon this, our Savioar ginth him that great commendation, A true I[raelite in Whom i:s n.tJ gNile. So that when men though poffelfed with errors,or pre– judiced by ftlf-ends, are yet heartily willing to go out and fee, to enquire after the truth manifdled, this argueth an heart void offraud and guile. Confider then there are many excellent truths in matter of religion, whetller doClrinall or prad:icaU, and thou wilt not fo much as enquire about them~ for they are defiruClive to thy carnall ends, eo thy outward glory,and that makes thee wilfully hoodwink thy felf.Where· as happily we may fay to_thee,as Chrift to the woman, Ifthou hadft k._nown the gift, and 'Aiho it u th.tt JPeak_eth unt~ thee, then. &c. J8h•4• fo if thou hadfl known the truth ofGod and , what places of Scripture do manife!.l: the fame to thee, 'thou wouldft glad'Iy have entert!ined it. As it is -thus for truths, fo alfo for -duties which God may require Qf us, we are not bearcy and wiliing tri many things to know our duties and therefore we fit dpwn in t11e praCtice of many finnes, o: con– !hnt omiffion of many duties, becaufe we are full of guile and are not attentive to feek out what we fail in. That is a~ excellent demonfiration of fincerity,which E'lihuadvifeth job · L 2. unto
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