I ( Head-L 'The CorrU'ptjon ofthe Undet]landing. , 47 . )llind ; ·and we !hall ~nd ·uncontefiible ·evidence of thi~ wti· . fu~ -bias to ~vil. Evidence 1. As .when a man, ·by a violent Choke on the head, Jofeth his fight, there arifeth 'o him a kind -of faJfe light, whereby he perceiveth a thoufand airy ,nothings; fo man ·bein-g.Hruck 'blind toail vhat ·is ~ruly good, and for his eternal interefi, has a light of another fOJ.t brought into his rnrnd; -his eyes. a:re opeoed, knowing.evil, and fo are the words of the tempter verified, G-en . iii . 5.·Thewor4s of the prophet are pJain, .. Thq·ar; wift to do evil, h/ut t& do good t hey have no !wow/edge, Jer. iv. 22. The mind of.rnan has a natural dexterity to devife mifchiH: none are fo fimple, . as to want ikiH to contrive ways to gratify theidufl;s, and ,J • tuin their fpuls; tho' the power of every one'~ hand cannot ll'each to put their d~vices in execution. · NoAe n-eeds to be ,. ""aught' this black art; but as ree-ds ·grow up, of their own .accord, in the negletle_d ground, fo doth this wifdom (which is ·earthly, .fenjital, devilijh, (lames iii. I 5.) grow up in ·t he minds of men, by-virtue of the corruption of their na– t-ure. Why fhould we be furpr ifed with the produCt ef corruN wits: their cunning devices to affront heaven, to oppofe and run down ·truth and holinefs, and to gratify .·. ._ their owra and other mens lufi:s. ? .They rowwith the fiream; . no wonder they make great progrefs: their flock 'is with- '· in them, and increafeth by ufing of it: and the works of . darknefs are contrived with greater advantage, that the ,miod is wholly deflitute of fpirituai light, which, if it were in them, in any meafure, would fo far mar thework, 1 John ~ii.9. lJ!hofoeyer is born o(Go,ddflth not commit._jin; he does It not as by an, for his fled remaineth in him. But, on the other hand, it is a .fport to a fool t9 do mifchief: but a man· of underjlanding hath wifdom~ Prov, .x. 23. 'To do witty wickidnefiricely (as the words import, is as a fport or. a play to a fogl : it comes off with him eafily; and why, ~ut becaufe he is a fool, and hath not wifdom; which would mar the contrivances of da-rknefs? The more natural .a thing is, it is done the more eaftly. :Evid. 2, Let the corrupt mind have but the advantage of on-e's being emplop::d in, or prefent at fome piece of fervice to God ; that fo the device, if not in itfelf finfu)~ yet may become fiofuJ) by its unfe!lfonablenefs: it !hall quickly · fall ,,
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