the deceit fulnefe of Mani heart. ted in the pradife of one finne, by realon Come o- ther fanne diverts them another way, as thofe mef- fengers did Saul from punning David. As thus, a man is covetouF, but yet ambition and vaine- glory , being ftronger, make him leave his bare covetous niggardize. A man is given to incontinency; but his pride and feare ofdifhonour, carrying a greater Cway with him , bridle his Tufts. A man is wickedly angry with his brother, but yet coverou ntlfe bath a greater hand over him than anger; therefore there is a gift in fecret given him, he is pacified. Here Covetoufneffe controules, and checks, and'reforms anger :. Will you cali this a reformation No, this is nothing, when one Tyrant overcon4meth another, but when the lawful] Ring overcomes him ;not when one corruption prevaileth.againft another,but when grace prevaileth againft ir; when though there were no other reftraint, yet ones own fanc&lfied heart would reftraine and carafe one to fay with Iofèpb , Hoar can I doe thin and film agai"af' God ?other wife to defift the outward ac`l, can yeeld but poore com- fort to affure us that we have repented. David had left the finnes of Murther and Adultery for all that fpace of time that was betwixt the murther of Vriab and Nathan" comming to him, which was a yeer.; almoft ; bee did not 1h11 adde one murther to ano- ther; or one adultery to another; he did not all that while fall to it a frech; but yet for all that he repen- ted not until! Nathan came and rouzed him. Etcel- lently Solomon, By thefeare of the Lord wen depart from evil: {hewing, that whereCoever the true feare of God is wanting, there is no true departing from evill, I09 Gen.?9:2; Prov.141.j
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=