The deceit fislnef of Mans heart. 207 the thornes thriving, and encreafing. Were it not abfurd to reafon thus, what though there be many poifonous herbs in the pot ?yet there are Tome good ones, and fo the porridge may be good. Nay, ifa- mong many good herbes, there were but one poy- fonous in the po *, a man might fay truely , death iJ its the pot, yea, that there were no good herb in it ; becaufe the poyfon of the one hath taken away all the goodneffe oft he other. So in truth where there is but any one fin nourifhed and foftered, all other our graces are not onely blemifhed, but abolifhed, they are no graces.But moft ofall is this deceit dan- gerous in the true children ofGod: when they (hall the rather prefume in Come things to finne, becaufe they are the children of God , members ofchrifi, and fo cannot bee fevered from him , and becaufe they are beautified with fo many excellent graces, which they thinke will eafily obtaine pardon for fome (mall defects. Thus were the fervants in the pric,,;t ve Church deceived, when upon occafion of their calling they fhooke off túc yoke, and becaufe they were Gods formes, would no longer be mens Qaver. And thus would the Devil] have deceived Chrift, when he would have had him prefumed up- on his priviledge of being the Conne of God , and thereupon have cart himfelfe downe from the pin- nacle oft he Temple, Matth. 4 6. This deceit is fo much the more lamentable, in that thefe confidera- tions ought rather to be bridles to reftraine us from finniag,and fpurres to prick cis on to further grace, and obedience. For the more honour God hath ¡given us, the greater care fhould we have to main- 1 Caine
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