378 The deceitfrrineffe ofMass heart. being flave,but as a Prince, that being ftrongly guar- ded both with armed men , and his Subjeás love and emboldned with the might and right of his own power-,cvalks fecurely,and without feare,0 the no ble fpirits of f ncerity ! And indeed every true Chri ftian,being a fpirítuall Prince, bath the fpirit of the Phil. 4. g, belt Prince, as having that Princely priviledge of a tpviniQtir. double guard,the guard of the Angels without, & of good confcience within,the peace whereof, as the Apoftle fpeaketh, is in Read of a guard againft ad verfarie power.Shal I now filch a Prince,fo guarded, regard the enmity of any d feare threatnings of any, tl, oigh never fo mighty? No. Well may others feare Macke 6.i ®. him, as Herod and said proud tyrants did, the one 1oh4, his poor minifter, knowing faith the Scripture z Sam., 8. L4. he was a jrrfi man, & a holy;the other David his poor 'f'' IL bjeet for the fame caufe : but bee feares none but Z Ti,n.t.7. God; neither yet him flavifhly. God bath not given to the fpirit of feare, but of power and love, and of a found mind, faith theApoft(e; oppofing the Cpiritof feare to the fpírit of foundneffe & finceriryo And in . deed,as there is nothing more boldchan a found con- fcience; fo nothing more bar or (loner abaft ed, than an unfound confcience deflitute of this finceri- tie. Eliah in his rags had the heart to goe meet Ahab Pfal.x,g in his robes,and David in the midft of all his repro- ches, had the face to profelfe the name of God be. fore Kings and`Princes,without ever being balnked at their pretence. For, let a man bee never fo much dejecfted, ibis fincerity will revive e and'refrefb his 1piric, and put new life into him. Contrarily Peter, when he rufhed.in the prefumption ofbis deceirfull heart
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