0%íedit4tions. 103 all are exprell'elynamed,and this no doubt was done by the great wifedome of God the , holy Ghoft,whtch by thisbath metwith thecorruptionof ourowne nature. For this cor- ruptionmuch preuaileth and beareth great fway in vs,that we vfing Lomeone meanes di- . e 4sot ligently,doe neglC l all theref}. Some men doe fo rest in their private reading, that they ofne the neglebt hearing,praying,and otherholefome meanes : Lomedo fohighly chrome hearing, meaner, that theywill neuer reade to confirmethe thing that they haueheard, norvfe any other meanes. And foof the refs : for there aremenof all forts. But theholie Ghoft co:mnen- deth all veto vs,andchargedvs withall,and thatfó ftreightly,that we cannotwith hope lookefor any bleffing fromGQd,vnleffe wee becarefulland diligent in all. It is the dune then ofeueryman to be ferioullyexercifedand occupied inall thofe exercifes, chat.God may bleffe all or ifnot,that fometime one,Lometimeanother,accordingto hisgood plea- fure,may profit vs. Thee9.verfes,becaufe they giue vsin charge toWe with diligencethe hearing and other excrcifes ofthe word,muft bee referredveto the fecund commaunde- ment. Vert z;.Keépe thyheart with alldiligence: for thereout proceedethe, ottlions oflife. TN thisverfe heedoth callvs fromall kindeof inward euill,whichfecretly lied: lurking our deede isthe wel-fpring ofall wickedneWe,and becaufe Salomondoth herenote theheart,asthatwhich isthe cau a of all finfull abtions : fo that althoughwe Ihould feeany man doe euill,and althoughwe shouldnot atany time be temptedto doeemit by any :yet our ownehearts would corrupt vsand caufevs to fin. We doe hereby feethat thedo&ine bothof thePapiffsand ofthe Familie of loue ismolt s moreof vntrue: for theydoe teach that a man is not naturallyinclined vnto euill,that hisnature this argument is not wholy corrupted with finne :but that hee is corrupted and infeáfedeither by the in the¡¡wend allurement,orexample and temptation ofothers, True itis, that the occafion of euill Part,chaP.;s. maybe offered by tome other man : but Salomondothhere teach vs, thatthe caufeof our an134. euül is in ourfelues,and for this caufe he commandeth vs aboneall things to be watch - fullouer our hearts ;forfrom them doeproceede the aetions of life or of death. Nowthecaufes why weare charged tokeepe fuck ftreite watch ouer our hearts,are in numbertwo. The first is,becaufetheheart doth Carriewith it entry way all our fenfes : fo r that as the Heathen faid,It is not theeye that feeth,but the heart; it is not thehand that rroa cmrferof roatchìugsuer toucheih,but the heart : and fo of the other fenfes. So fromhence itcommeth that there owheart,. be oftentimes great founds and much noyfe : yet becaufe our cares doe attend vponour hearts,whichare earneftiy occupiedabout forceother matter, wee heare notthe founds, we doenothften vnto the noyfe. Fromhence it cotnmecis,thsatwee fee not goodly fights and thrives when they befomecimes offered vnto our eyes,becaufe our eyes are let vpon thatthing,about whichthe heart is occupied. Yea from hence it commetb,that we fome- times stumble in the plaineground,andourfeete doe fairevs even in faire piaces,becaufe our forte arecarried with our heart, which is earneftly occupied on forceother matter. Therefore although weought tokeepe with greatcare our eyes,our hands,our cares, and other partsof our body : yetdoth it moft Rand vsin handtokeepe all watchand ward o- tter our hearts, feeingthey rule allthe reh. The fecondcaufewhywe fhould watch ouer our hearts,is,becanfe itmaketh ormarred' z all our ablions : for if our heart be pure, then all our a lionsbe pure.and acceptedof Thefeeend through Chrift, though fomewantbe inthem : and contrariwife, if our heartes be not faufeofwatch. found, butcorrupted thethin esthat in their owne nature and kinde ire F vnpure; g hearts. good, yetdo become outiland finfull throughvs. This maybepercesued iii ahitite parts of our life:letvs thenalittle fee howour corruptiondeceiuethanddefileth vs inmany things. FtrR this is without all controuerfie, thatit is onely the corruption of ourowne hearts, whichcaufeth vs to beMacke indoing good,or to leaue it altogether vndone,or elfè todo that which is euill andodious in the fight of God. Foralbeit manycaufes may beprecen- ded,which fometimes mayhate a Phewofgoodneffe: yetthole caufesare but corruptions, there is nogoodnetfè inthem. Some men arckeptbacke from doinggood to their famihe K
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