A Treati fe of Conf cience. 2 9 who know it? That is, Who elfe can know it but a man I Anfiv. himfelf? None under God can know the heart of man but a mans own confcience, the fpirit of man that is in him. I con - feffe a man may be ignorant of fome fecret and particular de- ceit in his heart; but who knoweth not the general ftanding of his own heart ? or may know the chief bent of his own foul. David in a particular deceit was ignorant :1 faid in my prof#- Pfal.3o, 6 rity, I fball never be moved, never dtftruft God more, never be difgaieted in my mind more, He was deceived in that particu. lar; but he knew very well the generai and chief bent of his heart, that it was truly fet upon God and upon hotindle. 2. It is true, many men take it that their hearts are fet upon God when they are not ; but what is the reafon ? Not becaufe they do not or may not know the contrary, that they love the world molt : but becaufe they will not know it, they are un- will ing to believe it, they are loth to have any bad conceit of themfelves . So that when Jeremy faith, The heart is deceit- full above all things: who can know it? his meaning is, What carnali man can abide to know the worft of himfelf? 3. It is not becaufe they know it not, but becaufe they will not heare the teftimony of confcience : but when it telleth them truly how the cafe is with them , they gather all the rotten and broken pieces of arguments together to flop the mouth of confcience, and to perfwade themfelves to think well of themfelves. 4,Men feem not to know their own hearts , not becaufe they do not know what they are, but becaufe they are ignorant of Gods Law whereby they fhould judge of themfelves. They know their hearts are fe t on the world, and that the bent and frame of their affeaions are placed on earthly things : but they hope an underaffedion to God will be accepted,to love God in the fecond place will ferve the turn. They know they are &nail; but they hope fuch carnality may be in a man and yet he be right. Yea, but a mans heart may fay on the contrary fide, that he ObjeEl. a.. loveth the world snore then he loveth God when he doth not: how then doth confcience bear right witnef e ? I anfwer, E This
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