t86 3· of Si11nes r;f Ignor~Jnti:J: !Jlatly things, yet fel(-love puts avail before their eyes in - other particulars: What acloud was upon Jonllhs fpirir,when the Lord l!'xp.ollulating with him for his difobedience and difcontenr. he faith to God himfelf, I do "Well to 6e angry? 1;-Iere Jonah did not fee his froward difpofition, if he had: he would have faid the clean contrary, I do iH to be ang~. I abhorre my fclf, becaufe I have been like a beafl: before thee 0 God: You fee then, the people ofGod through felf.Jove may be fo farre traflfporred, as that they dQ not only not un. dettland their errors, but they jufiifie them, they plead for them; they fay they do well. What need have we ofDavids. , prayer to God, that he would prove him,aad try him,if there were any doubt,or falfe way in him. From negletl: of fearcbing and fiudying himfdf and his wayes. 3• Sinms are many times hidftom thegodly m~ens eye, though_ he commits them, heeaufe he iJ not diligent and accur~tte in ma· kjng a[e~trch ofhim/elf, and in (m impartia/1 ftudfing efhu own -wayes. lf,any finne be hid, as Saut was behinde thefiutf, or as Rah11b had hid the Spies, unleffe a man be very carefull to f.earch, he ilia 11 think no finne i5 there where it is. Hence it is, that the.Scripture doth fo often command that duty of[earch– if!g and trying, ofexamining andcommuning "With our heartJ; . now what need were there oftbisducy, l>ut that its fuppofed many fecrec and fubtle lufrs lye lurkin~ in our bredls, which we take no notice of? If then the godly wou Id finde out tbeir hidden lulls, know the finnes they not yet know, they muff more impaniaUy, judge themfdves; they mufi take time to furvey and examine themfe)~es, they mufi not in an overly and flight mannet, but really and induftriouOy look up and down, as they would fearch for thieves; and they muft again and again look into this ·dark corner and chat dark cor· fler of their hearts, as the woman fought for the loft groat, This felf.fcrutiny and fe)f. judging,this winnowing and fiffing , of our felves, is the only way to fee what is cha.ff, and what is wheat; what is meer refufe)and what Is induring. 4• f h 4• The people of Godfometimes do net underftand their jinnu, :Btecau~ 0 • t e hecaufe of the great deeeitfullnej[e t.hat iJ in jinne, itjleales in. a eat uecett- · · h 1 • fulndfe that is upon u.& rmawares. Hence .IS that p ra1e, Be not de(ewed: and ial Sinne. . its called,- the deC.eitfuinej[e Bj jinne, Heb.3.13. le bath many fccrcc.
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