The deceit fealneffe of mans heart. `. iq.s centerhooksfor to 5nl out excufes , as it were fig - leaves to cover our nakedneffe, and thickets to lurk in, if is might be,unefpyed by God himfelfe. This is that deceit Davidmeant,when he faid,Bleßd is that wan ira rvhofeheart there is no guile, namely,to minfe or mitigate the grievoufneffe ofhis finne, by the in- vention of witty and colourable excufes and exte- nuations. And this as it may feeme, he fpake out of his own experience , in that his grievous fin in the matter ofvriah. For in this point the Scripture tax- eth him for want of uprightnes of heart, and there- fore alÇo himfelfe at length, in his repentance, ta- king notice ofic in himfelfe, cryeth out,o Lord,ihou loveft the truth in the inwardparts,thereby implying, that in that finne hee had dilcovered much deceit, and want of truth and uprightneffe ; now, in what more than in thiyhat he f ewedcufhions under his el- bowel, that he might fleep fecurely in his finne , and after he had built the gall, hee daubed it with the un- tempered m orter of his own vaine and frivolous ex- cuCes5as that a King had equall authority over all his fubjeas, and therefore, fence force muff needs bee expofed to more perill in the warres than others,he might as well put vriah to that hard lot, as another ; that as long as vriah was not flame with his own hands, but in the warres , hee was not guilty of his death, and divers filch like inventions? And who lhall not in Come meafure dífèerne this deceit ? how bufily will our hearts lay about them to finde force pretence or other for the leffening of our Climes, to make them feemelefl'e odious and ugly than in- deed they are ? So that, though when we come to give Pfal.g:.z. I'fal.gr,6. Ezesher3 r®. 31
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=