lieb. 3.73. The deceit falnej of mans heart. that ill the longer ir . continueth with us,the greater ftrengch, and intereft it getteth in us ; and fo as the Apoftle fhewes it hardens our hearts,and more dif- ables us for good duties than before. Know it then fora truth, that when the deceitfuil heart thus pro- craftinates the praûife of goodneffe , and puts it off to the time to come, by that time thou wilt bee fo rooted and fetled in thy ftnnes, through long cu- ffome and continuance, that thou {halt fcarce be: capable fo much as of the motion of the Cpirit unto repentance.Such a fore - skinne will bee growne es ver thine heart, fo thick and brawny , that hardly will the moft powerful' motions pierce through it. Doe we not fee how eafily the crookedneffe of a young twig may be corre&ed ? Let it alone till it be grown a confirmed tree, it is inflexible. Alas, how many have there been, who deceiving them - felves with an opinion of a repenting hereafter, as thinking the prefent time when God called them unfeafonable;af terward,feeing their error,and how they had let flip the feafon, have howled with Efau, and have then cried out, they could not repent be caufe the feafon was now paft, it was now too late? What a cunning trick ofthíne is this,O chota deceit- ful hart! when thou fhouldft do good,tofay,Ic is too Coon, that time is not yet come,hereafter I will do it:And yet when this thy hereafter is come, then to fay,now it is too late,ehe time is paff ?let us not then be thus deluded,fuffering the time of grace to over - paffe us to our defttuftion. Behold thy fpirituall e- ninties are in a redinefl'e for thee, they have their naked fwords drawn, awl already flab thee,And is
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=