The deceitfulneffe of mans heart. J 273 ther, comming out of the Wombe, as it were fup- plant it, and catch k by the heele, when it is in run- ning of the Chriftian race; for what elfe doe they, when they intrude and obtrude upon us their own carnali and corrupt affeEtions? Look how thofe samaritans would have had their fingers in the building of the Temple with the Jewes; namely, with a purpofe to have deftroied it; and look how ¡ehu offered facrifice toBaal,kil ling his priefts at the fame time; and look how Hufbai went to Abfoloms company to overthrow him:Alike deale our hearts wich us; needs will they intermeddle in our good a &ions, but it is but to rob us of them, by transfor- ming them into finne,through the mixture oftheir corruption : For when there fprings up any Tweet fountaines ofgrace within us, then doe they dole- ly (as once the Philiflims dealt with Ifaacks wells, which he had digged) cart in their filthy dirt and daft, even to flop them up therewith : They drop downe from their impure hands fome filch upon that pure webbe the Spirit weaveth, and fo make it a menftruous cloath : They cunningly put in their leaven into the fpirits dough, and fo fowre it, and make it diftaftefull to the Lord. When fomerime the fpirit of grace is offering to put forth it felfe, as once Zarab in Mortars wombe, yet by reafon of this deceitfulnefl'e of our hearts, it recoyles pre - fently, and goes back, fo as Zarah did, and the fifth like Perez, that ftepps before it and fo as they were deceived when Zaraha hand was firft feen. 1 wee often, when we feele our (elves making forre offers towards God. For as knavifh cony - catch - T ers,t
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