6 · fJfthe,jeteit{t~lneffe andguile ~1Mans he~~re.· notorious t1ar, branded by God for a lyar,and that is my own heart. o ·hlet me get out of this deceit, let me beleeve Iyes no longer. ·5 • S· Another caufe of the deccicfulnelfc of the hearti,s, tht T he horrible 1/orrifile ignorance 11nd d~r·k,nef{e which covers the whole /out. !{e / I gnorance an~ that walket.h in darkneffe, knoweth not whether he goeth, darkae!fe· of Joh.ra.)S .nowonder if fuch an one be alwayes out ofhis way. the foul. they c·annot but tread 'or f!ll into the ditch who are blinde: .. 6. Se'f.fLtttery and felf-love. Now thus it is with a mans heart, It"s like that deep created at firf1: 1 and darkpejJe W.u over the deep, Gen. I. Thofe depths of thy heart are covered all over with darkneffe, wit,[} igno· ranee and blindenelfe of minde, Eph. ).8. Hence converted men are called light, and unconver-ted darkneffe. How then can it he otlierwife, but that every man fhould deceiv;e his own .. foul, for he hath no light to difcover or to dlfcern all that filth that is in him. Thou art in a dungeon fuH Qf noifome vi– tious tufts that rife upon thee, and fill thee as fo many .£gy– ptian frogs, yet thou knoweft nothing, thou thinkefi all is well. Come out of the dark then if thou woutdfi be na long.; er,deceived. . . ' 6. Self-flattery And[elf-love, this doth in a great manner make the heart deteitfull. An over-weening ofa mans felf, Ever} mtins way h r'ight in hu own eyes, faith JgfomQn, PrQv. 2t.2.Who would think this were poffible !:yet if you fingle out mar:t by man, Every O;De would judge his own waies right. Therefore judging and condemning ofamans felfis that which every ttve convert firft fct upon. He doth no longer jufiifie himfelf,no more flattet and delude himfelf; yea he cryes Qut, Wo b~ to me that I called darkneffe light, and good evil. '11ius the convert b'ewaileth himfelf, but. till this work of grace - come,every man is a Py.gmaleon, he is in love with himfelf,he ~itl never be convinc~d that he is undone, thae· his eftate is damnable, that he is OUt oflChrifi ana fo hopeleffe: Oh l,lO,he is tOO rriuclfin· love With himfelf ever to be thU.Sperfwaded. Thou thoughte{t, faith God,that f'W.u fuch an o~e tU thy[tlJ,Pfa. so.zr. Tfius a man through felf-love being deceived,irnagin– eth frich a mercifull God to lrtmfel'f. as he.would.have, and judges ofGod according to his owndifpo£ition: ~.s t·hat.Ro· . . ~ ~~ ' i \
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