0 f the deteitfulne[Je dndguile of Mans !iMrt. mudi as begin to quefiion any thing, Whether he doth tru-1y repent? whether lH: harl1 a faving faith? whether his life 15e a Scripture-life? fo that herein our deceitfulneffe is very de– thutl:ive, becaufe1t cakes away all fenfe and perceiving of a1-1y danger. Now as thofe Difeafes are mote dangerous which take away.all fenfe and feeling, or which are like health, that the difeafed man promifeth himfelf, he fhall be well for all this; fo the heart, though grolly polluted and obnoxious to Gods wrath, yet taking away any fear or fufpition of it, this dorh the more certainly kill and ddhoy. l; Secondly, ltJ [ad, becaufe this deceitfulneffe doth not only thm le puts a man deprive ofa/l holy fear, 'Which is t ht beginning ofa/l U1i[edom, but im.o a f~lf-flat"' it put! a man into afdf-flatttry, even into a contrary difpofi– my. tion thereunto; fo that infiead of trembling, _its full of felf· jufiification,offelf.excufe; it applieth all comforts,all hopes to it fclf. That as tbe devil ina great lye [aid, all theglory and . the Kingdom! £f the World \Vere hu; fo they fay; All the.glory andPromifcs do belong to them. The Pharifees how firangc– ly were they deceived in -this partifU!ar, thar they were Abra- · hamJ feed.J 9b. 8. and that the Promifes did-belong unto them·; therefore (phn Bapiift, knowing the root of all thei-r defiru • tlion did arife from fuch a deceitfull principle; he layed his axe to it,whcn he faid, Thinlz not to fay Within your[elveJ, We have Abraham to ou.r father, Mat.;-9. Think not_to fay within your felves : Their hearts did ofcen fpeak this : And thus (be– loved) could w.e fee into mens hearts,or hear wha~ they fpeak, this would be the great talk w.ithin :' Tufh, what matter is it for what the.Minifiers ofGod threatfn us w{th ; ·they would trouble us and grie~e us, they.would caft us out of the quiet p.offeffion we have·had a long time: but -we will not be fea– red, we have good heart~, and.we-d.oubt not but to do as well as any of them all. Ob herein is the bloody·aggravation of our deceit full hearts, That they bid.us take oar eafe,eat,drink, and be q1;1iet, when yet every n!ght or day, our fouls may be arrefied for hell. The Church of Laodicca was thus deceived, when Che faid,.foe 'IV&full~ ~tndrich, 11nd lack!d nothh.'[,: Ala~, w.hat a contrary fcntence did God.give? ihe was naked, and ' miferable, 11nd 'o/anted11!1 thing! : Thus it is with thee i Thou fay~tt, .
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