468 \ T'he great lmpojlor. flthorned; Were they as darke as hell it felfe, and never fo full ofwindings, and blind A wJyes,and obfcure turnings,doe buttakethe lamhorne of Gods law in your hand,and you !hall eafily find all the talfe and toule corners of ~hem; as David faith of theSun; PDthing i4 hidfrom tht light thmof;Pro-.Jt your ftl'llts,faiCh. the Apo!ll_e1 It is hard iffalfhood be fo conftant to it felfe that by many <JUefhons 11 be not mpped; Where this duty isOackned,it is no wonderif the heart be over-run with fpirituall fraud; Often privy fearches fcarre away vagrant and diforderly perfons1 w~ere no in<Juiry is made, is a fit harbour for them; Ifyee would not have your heans,therefore,become the lawlelfe Ordinaries ofuncleane fpirits, fearch them ofr1Leave not a !\raw unfl1aken eo find out thefe Labanifh lj:raphims that are frolne, and hid w irhin us: And, when wee have fearched our belt, ii:"we feare there are yet fome unknowne evills lurking within us,(as the man after Gods owne bean prayes againft fccr<t finnes )l<t us call him in tharcannot be deceived1and fay to God with the Pfalmift,Search thou mtt, 0 Lord, B apd try mtt; Oh let us yeeld ourfelves over to be ranfackt bythat all-feeingeye and effettuall hand of the Almighty. All our daubing, and cogging,and packing:and fhuflling lies open before him,and he ondy canmake the heart afhamed ofit felfe. And when our hearts are once ftript naked, and carefully fearchd, let our eyes be ever fixedly bent upon their conveiances, and inclinations, Ifwe fearch and watch not, we may be fafe for the prefem,long weconnot; for our eye is no fooner off, then the heart is bufie in fome pratHfe offalfhood1 Iriswell if it forbeare whiles we look on,for,Thtthoughtsofm•mhtartartMtly wilt cominually;and many a heart is like fome bold andcunningtheefe,rhat !ookes a man in the face, and cuts his purfe: Bur foreiy, ifthere be any guardianoflhe foule, it is the eye; ThtJIIifomans tyt([ai.th Sa!omon) is in his heail; doubtlelfe, on purpofeto look into his heart: Myfo»nt,abovt all kupings kttptthyhmt,!aith he; Ifwe doe nor dogge our hearts then in all our wayes, burfuf~ C fer our felves to lofethe fight ofthem, they run wild, and we !hall not recover them till after many Oipperycricks on their parts, and much repentance on ours. Alas, how little is this regarded in the world~ wherein themo!hake no keepe oftheir foules,buc fuffcr themfelves to run after the wayes oftheir owne hearts, without obfervation, without controlement; What fhould I lay ofthefemen, but that they would faine be deceived, and perifh? For after this Ioofe licentioufnelfe ( wirhoutthe great mercy of God)rhey never (et eye more upon their hearrs,till they fee them either fearfully imoyled in the prefenr judgements of Gocf, or faft chained in the pit ofhe!l, in the torments of final! condemnation. Thirdly, if our fearches and watches fhould faile us,weare fure our diftruft cannot; It is nor poflible our heart fl10uld deceive us,ifwe truft it not; We carriea remedy within us ofothers fraud; and why nor of our owne~ The Italians nor unwifely pray God ( in their knowne Proverbe) to deliver rhe'l' from whom they truft1 for we are obnoxious to thofe we relie upon, bur nothing can leefe that which it had not1 Dif- D truft rhereforecan never be difappoinred:lf our hearts then !hall promife us ought (as it hach learned eo proffer large! y ,of him that fayd,A/1 thtft willI givt thtt )although with vow<s and oathes,ask for his alfurances1if hecannot leech them from the evidences ofGod,truft himnor: Ifhe !hall report ought to us,aske for his wicnclfes;ifhe cannot produce them from the records ofGod, rruft himnot: Ifhe !hall advife us oughr, "k for his warrant; if he cannorfecch,it from the Oracles of God,cruft him not; And in all things !o beare our felvesro our hearrs, as thole that thinke they live among theeves and cozeners1 eve.r jeloufly and fufpiciouOy; taking nothing oftheir word, fcarce daring comlf\ our owne fenfes; making fure wo1k in all matters oftheir tranf. atlions. I know I fpeake 10 wifemen, whofe counfell is wont to beasked,aud follow· ed,in morrer ofthe alfurances ofcftates; whofe wifdome is fre<Jutndy imploied in the triall,evitlion,dooming of malefaCtors: Alas,what fl•all it availeyou that you can ad- E vife for the prevention ofothers fraud, if in the ·meane time you fulfer your felves ro be cozened at home~ What comfort can you find in publike fervice 10 the ftareagainft offenders,if you fhould carry a fraudulent and wicked heart in your owne bofomcs~ There is one above whmn.wemay uuft,whofe word is more firme rhen heaven;when heaven !hall palfe, that !hall ftand1 It is no trufting ought befides,any further the~ he g1ves
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