Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

I04. éJ`Vletlitqtions. by catechizingthem, becaufe they would not haueaI1meito tálkeofthan,andb'ecaùfe they wouldnothazard the credit of theirname. Spine are kept backe from being zealous ingodlineffe,becaufethey might thUvie their Jibertic,inbuying and bargaining,wbcreby they might prouide for theirfelues and families. Andfor eucry thing theydoes they will lianea colourable excufe, they willdoe nothing without a reafon. But their excufes are butcolours, theirreafons are very raw, not fealoned with the word. Theyaredeceived through thedeceitftilnes of finnytheir corruption deceiueth'them,thcyarebeguiled be- caufe theymake no triall oftheirhearts. The fame thingcotmneth topafle eùen in thofé thingswhich in their kinde aregood. To ¡cane finne is a verygood thing : yetif wee dot notherein takeheedevnto ourhearts,we may beforedeceiued : for whenwee be minded and doepurpofeto ¡cane finne,let vs confider the caufe why wee purpofe and goe about filch a thing,andwe ¡hall oftenfinde thatit is not the confcience of fiink, but the feare of punifhment,or thethank ofthe world,whichmotiethvs fodoe. Theadulterer clothmany times abftaine from his filthie adulterie, not becaufe that Gene is odious in the fight of God,butbecaufe it will bring himtoopen fhame among men. The theefewithout any hatred of theftdoth fometimeskeepe hunfelfefromthe outward aft,that hemay auoyde hanging and the outward dangerof the law. And that the fhameof the worldand feare iswhat re- ofmen Bothmore preuaile with manythen thefeare ofGod,it'Mayappeare by this that (peûs the theywill abftainefrom fueh risings whereunto there belongeth fliame, orfor which Tome worldling grieuouspuni¡hmentamongftmen is appoynted, as fortheft, murtlser,adulterie,&c.yet (camefnone theywill paffebygreat finnes for which there is nopenallftawte,asfwearing;&c. Forif therewereany true confcienceof finnein them,theywould makea confcienceof allfins : butefpeciallyofthefe finneswhich in Gods eyesaremolt abominable. Againe,we muft not reftwhen wehaueleft any finne,as though that were fuficient : butwe muftnarrow- ly ¡earth intoourhearts,to feewhat caufebath movedvs fo todoe : for ifwedoe not with farrow repent vs of ourwickedneille, and ¡cane it for thefeare ofGod; but forfake it,éi ther becaufe it will bee no longer profitablevnto vs,orbecaufe wee be fickly,or olde or weake,and takeno longerplealure iii it; themour labouris but loft,ourhearts panedecei- ued vs. And many nodoubt are thusdeceiued , yeathey Phew that they be deceiued by this,tliattheycan 1h111peake of their finnes without forrow, and laugh atothers which commit the lame finnes. Verely ifxlieyliad repented of theirfinnes, theremembtance of themwould haue been grieuous vntodiem, yea theywouldbe very forie when they Paw othersfall into thelikefinne.. But Peeing they can laughandmake a fport at it whenany manBoth it,as they banedone,moft fireand certaine it is that theirhearts banedeceiued them,they areyet in theirfinnes,thoughtheyhaue leftthan outwardly. Let vsproceede a littlefurther,that wee may feeinto the corruptionof ourhearts. We purpofetodealefaithfully,we purpofe tohharethe word,to reade tt.Thefe things in them- felues are very good : yet ifwe benot carefull over our hearts, their corruptionwill pol- metriallof lute anddefile them.Forifwebemoued hereunto not withany zealeof Godsglorie, but ourbarts,mhe- witha careofour owne credit,notbecaufe in truethweewould countenancetheGofpell, Cherin finerei-,but becaufewee would get Tome countenanceby it, thething good in it ovinenature is tie we lase the madeeuill vntovs,and finfull,becaufeour hearts are notright in thething. Andhowma- :rutáfakerore nybe thus deceiued,mayToone appeare bythe finall frùite, which molt men doeget by bemireweget the word.Forwhen,wee fee many very diligent inhearing oftheword, yet profitingno- finer gainand thing,aor defiringto profit,it is vndoubtedly true, that tholemenare deceiuedby their gloriebyit. ownehearts,whicharenot rightwith God. Ifthere wereany confcience,iftherewereany heart or fpiritin men,they wouldprofit fomething,or at leaft theywould be greatlygrie- ued for theirnot profiting. Moreouer, when wee haue brought our purpofet? praftife, andhave doneany good thing indeede,even then Ilaymay wee be beguiled, ifwee take not good heede. The corruption ofour heart is readieto make vs proudeofwerdoing, whereas indeedwe fhould be humbled : it is readie tomake vs gloriemthat,for winchwe fhouldgiue glorieto God :it is readie to make that anoccafion of Ilothfull carelefnelfe, which Mould be asa fpurre to makevs more careful.Therefore when the thing is done, when the workeiswrought,and when all ourpurpofe isbrought to paffe,we muftRill be carefull

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