106 e` V/editations. wickedmen,our owne corruptionsand all may tempt vs,yetthey fhallnot bunvs. They may letvs fee fomecorruption that is in vs, fame Gnnewhereof wee hauenot throughly repented of,orfomethingthat is not rightwithinvs : yetifwee yeeldnot vnto them, they fhall doe vs goodand noteuill,they fhalldriue vs toChril+.,beforewhom wemolt lay o- pen our wounds,thatheof hisgoodneffe may binde them vp. This do brine then as wee feedoth teachvs reuerent and Chriftian humilitie,withall itdoth minifter molt worthie matter of Gngular comfort. Nowthat wee be not deceiued herein, it is requifite that wee makefometrialtofour heares,whereby wemaybe truly humbledifwefinde them corrupted:orwe maybe coin- forted,if through thebloodofChrif} wee doe feeleour finnes wafhed away. Ourhearts perhearts are triedtwowaies,either byaf liétions and temptations,or elfe bythemotions and affe- triedtwowaies dtions thereof. Foriftherebeany corruptionin ourhares,it willappeareby one of thefe. Sure itis,that as amandoth thewhimfelfe in troublesand temptations, fuck aone bee is indeede :iftroubles doenot ouerturne him,iffeare tauf himnot tofall away,iftempta- Ybe firjl byaft tions cannot mouehim toforfake thetruth,orto denie hisprofefl'ron;then verelyhe bath jttíbons. agood argument that hisheanisvpright;he bath great calk ofcomfort and retoycing. But contrariwifé,if forfeare hisheart faint,if fortroubles he turne away, if in temptation heforgethis triall,andbetraythetruth; his heartis not vpright withGod,he is in taegall of bitterns,he ought inhis heart tobe greatlyhumbled. Before this time of trial' come, he may thiukewell ofhimfelfe,he may perfwade hisheart that there is great godlinellein ¡din : but if heexamine nothimfelfe,ifhe doenot ftreightly lookevnto hisheart,his ver- tuewill prouevanitie,and loch godlinelfewill worke hisgriefe. Therebe many menwhichnow in thistimeofthe Gofpell,doeaccount themfelues ve- rie religious,andtheywill beare a countenance with thebelt,andwill outwardly appeare very forward : but becaufethey selling in their profeffion, doe not examine their heart, their hope failed: them, and they fall away. For when the Rate of the Common-wealth !hall bechanged,when religion that/ bealtered,when thetruth (hall beperfecuted ,when theLord(hall takefrom themdielight of hisword, and fhall fullerSatan totempt them with heretic ; then their corruptionwill overcome them, and caufethem to beleeuelyes. Likewife menthat haue been brought vp by godly parents,and men that hale thecoin- panic ofgoodmen,may feeme tobe lure feltedin foundreligion : but whileft they ref& in thefe outward meanes,and labournot afterfome inward trueth, theirheartsdoe deceive them,and in time theythew themfeluesto bebut hollowheartedhypocrites : for whenthe benefitof good companieis taken from them, andwhen they light uponwicked compa- nie, their formergodiineffe isforgotten, they will frame themfeluesvnto that coinpama .Therefore ifthey be tempted veto theft,theywill prone theeues:if occafion of&!thins . or othervices be offered, theywill take the occafion, andRain themfelues with many finnes. Tlms doe temptationstriewhat isinthe heartofman. Thusdoe afi&ionsfinde out thehypocrifie ofthe heart, fothat bee maywell be counted a found hearted manin- deede,whicl is notouerturned by temptations, and which falleth not awayby the vehe- rnencte ofaffliétions : foreuen Gods children for want ofexaminingtheir hearta,doeof- tentimes take the foyle in temptations. Lot nodoubt was no common drunkard,andyet theforcibletemptations of hisdaughters caufed him twicetocommit that fin : his daugh- ters wereno commonharlots,forthen theymight banehad great pleafure in Sodome.But thedwell deceiuedthem witha fhewofgodlincffe, and broughtthem tothat filthieGnne of incelt : forwhen they tawthere wasnone to continuetheir fathers nameupon earth, they thought it good to lyewith theirfather, thatfohis nameand feedemightbee conti. nned.Yery needfull it is therfore to examine our hearts,andoftento take a trial!ofthem, leaf} the couertnes ofour corruption deceivevs, and make vs hypocrites : and thiswee Method muttbe carefull todoe,before affii$tionsand temptations do come,that when they coin triall oftbe we mayglorifieGodby keepingour ftanding. kartbyour ioy The fecond rule to examineour hearts is,to takeheedvntoour ioy and ourgriefe,our andgrïefein hopeand our tease : for whatfoeuerour hearts are mot} fetupon, wee will bemolt glad goadand emil. when wehauegottenit, wee willbe moltfearefull of lootingit, and:not} greatlygrieved when.
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