10o Viretlions for gettiiig and keepin nothingkeeps its own place : T here are filch mul- tiplicity ofcogitations, phantalies and pafsions,and fuch irreguar thronging in of them, and fuch a cdn- fufed rcception,and operation of0bjefti and C6n ceptions , that it is a wonderful difficult thing for the bell Chriftian to difcern clearly the bent and acftions and fo the Bate ofhis own foul. For in fuch a crowd ofcogitations and pafsions -we are like men in a Fair or crowd ofpeople, where a confufed voile may be heard, but you cannot well perceive what any of them fay, except either tome one neer you that freaks much lowder then all the reff, or elfe except you Tingleout fome one from the refl. and go dole to him to confer with him of purpofe. Our In- telleâ and Pafions are Like the lakes of water in the commonroads; where the frequent paff-age of Hot. fes Both fo muddy it, that you can lee nothing in it, efpecially that is neer the bottom, when in pure un- troubled waters youmay fee a final thing. In fuch a confufon and tumult as is ufually in mens fouls,for a poor weak Chrifrian to leek for the difcovery of his fincerity,is according to the proverb, to leek for a needle in a bottle ofhay. 5. Befides all this, the corrupt heart of man is fo exceeding backward to the work of leftexamination, and the ufe ofother means by which the foul fhould be familiarly ac- quainted with it felt, that in a cafe of fuch difficulty it will hardly ever overcome them, if it were a thing that might bedone. In the bell, a great deal of re- folvednefs diligence and unwearied conftancy in fearching into the Elate of the foul, is neceffary to the attainment ofa fetled Affurance and Peace:How much more in them that have fo fmall and almoh tmdifcernable a msafure of Grace to difcover, 6. Yet
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