The deceitfultteffi of wan heart. ryas upright in all things, five nne> in the matter o Vriah.The generali current of his life was free from deceitfulneffe, though not the particular aûion. Contrarily,the heart of the wicked may be upright in form particular anions, as Abirelechs in the ta- king of Sarah ;I know (faith God)thou hafì done this Gen.zo.d. in the uprightneffe of thy heart : yet not in the maine of their lives.This is proper only to the godly,that they are upright in their may, that is the conftant te- prf,I,g.z. nor of their converfation. Now this deceitfulneffe here given tw the heart, is Pet forth ; Firft, by the greatne/ of it; above allthings. Secondly, by the caufeof it , and evill. Thirdly, by the unfearchable- nefe of it, fuck that none can know it;figured with an interrogation, who can know it ? that is, none of himfelfe,by his owne mother wit,without an high- er and clearer light. To begin firft with the deceitfittneg of the heart, The'origina'1 and then to come to the illuftrations of it after- of the hearts ward ; It may be asked, for the better underhand - deccicfu;ate#fe. iag thereof : How comes this deceitfulneffe into the heart ? Is not the heart Gods creature ? and did he not make it limple, plaine and true ? Whence then this fraud ? Lord, thou fowedft in this field; of mans heart the good corne of faith, truth, fince -' rity : whence then thefe tares ? Salomon tels ug, Ecclef-7.31. God made man righteous : but they have fought out many inventions: For howfoever thefe in ventions and deceits (as Mo fesfheweth, Gen3.) were firft forged in the devilsbraine,and came out of his (hop ; yet becaufe they were fo readily apprehen- ded, and as it were bought up fo fah by our firer pa- B 3 rents,
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