The deceitfìslne fe o f Mans heart. occafion of longer continuance in 'his juif furrow, be (wallowed up of defpair. Fdr we are /sot ignorant, s.Cor.2. I r, Cayes the Afoftle,of Sathans wiles, namely, how he laboureth to bring us from ¡he juft meane , to the ei;ceffe. And as it is Sathans,fo alto it is one of our own hearts deceits ; his deceits, by our contenting being made ours,as I Chewed in the beginning.Thus from the tru.epraftife_of mortification, taming & keeping under our flefhly abftinence, many have brought chemfelves to too great an aufrerity and feverity. Hence the whippings and fuch like e> erci- les of the Papifts.Hente the discipline that hath bin ufed in Monafteries , and the praCtife of force that would never eat but running, left they (Mould feel Tome plealure and delight in eating. Timothy was caught in this error, when under the colour ofabfti- nence, for the reproving of the luxurious Ephe /ions, tTisra..f:z3.. he had fo farre macerated his body,that the Apoffle was faine to prescribe him Phyfick. This may teach us what an eye we had need have over 'our felves even in the praEtife of the belt things, becaufe no- thing more eafie, by reaCon of the deceitfulneflle of ì our hearts,than to mixelfomething of the extreames with the nneane ; fo that we can hardly bee angry without finning,believe without prefuming, repent without defpairing,feare without doubting,be mer- ry without vaine lightnefl-e, be fad without heavie and unprofitable dumpifhneffe. Thefixtb deceit is, when we incroach upon God 'vt.Decett, in thofe things wherein bee bath given us force li croaching in the ufe of berry in his word,going beyond the hounds he bath things lawful!. there fet us.G ©d bath given us liberty; yea indeed bath 283
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