of thedteeitfolmffi andguileo[Mttns heart~ Howfoever it was with others, yer flill they jufiified them~ felvcs: lndeed the Word ofGcd is fa id to be atwo•edged fwcrd, t!lnd to pitrce through the mo{l inward andfecrtt thoughts and in– tcntiomoftheh£art , Heb.4.1J. 'Even as the Sacrifice was open· ed, and all the entrails were made manifefi: Thus fometimes God bleffeth the word,that it difconrs a mans fclf to himfelf, it makes him know all the fecret and hidden wickedneffeof his heart,whi eh he never was convinced of; but for the moll: part, therefore the word doth not profit, becaufe it cannot teach to the heart. As thofc difeafed parts can never be cu· red, which canno~ have the medicine in its virtue come to " them. If you ask them, Why do fo many Sermons mifcarry? why bath the word of God no better effetl? all may be re– foJvcd to this, the hearts deceirfulndfe : If mens confciences were true to them, if their hearts did not delude them with many a lye, the foul could no longer withfland, but cry out: 1am the finner you feek for,I am the tranfgrrffor,I cannot hide my felf any longer. 4~~, 'thisdeceit· fulne!re is ag– gravated in th'at it is of t·he heart. fourthly, This deceitfulneffe is heightened,in that it is the heart, the Whole ()fa man: Howfoever fometimes the word hrart, is put as difiintl from the minde and foule, yet when it is alone, it fignificth all the parts, abilities and powers of the foul: fo that heart here in the text, is as much as the under· fianding is deceitfull, the will is deceitfulJ, the affetlions are dcceitfull, the confcience is deceitful!, a man bath not one faith full friend in his beart. lt was the faying of an Heathen, Re that Wtmld he good, muft have either a faithful/ friend, or a /Jitttr enemy. He will never know his faults,but by one ofthefe two kindcs; now tl1y heart is neither a true friend or a fe– vere enemy, but a crafty flatterer,that fayeth and fpeaketh all . things as thou wouldfi have it. All the hope in a man, might be thought to be his confcience, that that is not dcceitfull, for how often doth that accufe and condemn even againfl: mans will ? How often doth that tell the truth, :and cloth not (pare thee? can this therefore be thougbt to be deceitfull? Yes; To the unclean, even his very confcience is polluted, Tit. I. I)· for many mens confciences are bribed and taken off ftom their duty: Thefe doggs will not bark, thefe fpies are . - - ' corrupted; , ·
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