Spiritual geace and Comfort. 215 will firongly incline them to excufe, or mince, or hide their fins, and to think far lightlier and more fa, vourably of it then they thould do, becaufe it is theirs. Howwas the cafe altered with?uda towards Mawr, whenhe once faw it was his ownaa. How was Davi's zeal for Juliice allaied, as foon as he heard, *Thou art the man ? This is the molt common caufe why God is fain tohold our eyes on ow' tránf greffions by force, becaufewe are fo loth to do it more voluntarily: acid why heopeneth our fin in fuck crimfon and fcar!.et colours to us ; becaufe we are fo ápteither to look on them as nothing, or to (hut our eyes and over-look them : and why God doth hold us fo longon the rack, becaufe we would till cafe our felves byuningenuous excufes ind extenuations and why God doth break the skin fo oft and keep open our wounds ; becaufe weare ftill healing them by fuch carnal íhifts, This proud fin-excufing diftemper needsno other proofor difcovery,then our great tenderness and backwardnefs irfiubmitting to. reproofs : How long do weexcufe fin,and defend our pretended innocency, as longas we can find a word to fay for it. Doth not daily experience ofthis fad diftemper even in molt of the godly, difcoverfay to us, that mofi men (yea naturally all) are far proner to over-look their fins, and deal unfaithfully and negligently in the trial ; then to be too tender, and to charge themfelvestoo deep. Betides, Ifa Chriftian be heartily willing to deal impartially and fearch to the quick, yet the heart is lamentably deceitful, that he fhall over-look inch evil in it, when he bathdone his belt. And the devil will be far mole induftrious to provoke and help.
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