Of INDWELLING SIN. 397 two properties of the heart that exceedingly contribute thereunto. It is like an enemy in war, whofe ftrength and power, lye not only in his numbers, and force of men or arms, but alfo in the unconquerable forts that he doth poffefs. And fuch is the heart to this enemy of God and our fouls, as will appear from the properties of it, whereof one or two (hall be mentioned. (t.) It is unfearchable. Jar. svii. q, to. Who can know the heart ? I the Lord fearch it. The heart of man is pervious to God only hence he takes the honour of fearching the heart to be as peculiar to himfelfi and as fully declaring him to be God, as any other glorious attributeof his nature. We know not the hearts of one another, we know not our own hearts as we ought. Many there are that know not their hearts as to their general bent and difpofition, whether it be good or bad, fiincare and found, or corrupt and naught i but no one knoweth all the fecret intrigues, the windings and turnings, the adings and averfations of his own heart. Hath any one the perfef meafure of his own light and darknefs ? Can any one know what adings of chufing or averfations his will will bring forth, upon the propofal of that endlefs variety ofobjedds that it is to be exercifed with ? Can any one traverfe the various mutability of his affe&ions ? Do the ferret fprings of ailing and tefu- fing in foul, lye before the eyes of any man ? Doth any one know what will be tite motions of the mind or will, in fuels and fuck conjun&ions of things ? Such a fairing of objeds, filch a pretenfion of reafonings, fuch an appearance of things defirable ? All in heaven and earth but the infinite allfeeing God, are utterly ignorant of thefe things. In this un- fearchable heart, dwells the law of fin, and much of its fecurity, and confequently of its ftrength lies in this, that it is paft our finding Out. We fight with an enemy whofe fecret ftrength we cannot difcover, whom we cannot follow into its. retirements. Hence oftentimes, when we are ready to think fin quite ruined, after a while we find it was but out of fight. It bath coverts and retreats in an 'unfearchable heart, whi- ther we cannot purfue in The foul may perfuade itfelf all is well, when fin may be fafe in the hidden darknefs of the mind, which'ris impoffible that he íhould look into i for what ever makes manifeft is light, It may fuppofe the will of finning is utterly taken away, when yet there is an unfearchable referve for a inure fuitable obje&, a more vigorous temptati- on than at prefent it is tried withal. Hath a man had á conteft with any luft, and a blelfed vidory. over it by the Holy Ghoft, as to that prefent trial i when he thinks it is utterly expelled, he ere long finds that it was but retired out of fight. It can lie fo clofe in the mind's-darknefs, in the wills insigpofion,. in the diforder and carnality of the affe&ions, that no eye can difcover ir. The belt of out wifdom is but to watch its fink appearances, to catch its firft under earth heavings and workings, and to fet our felves in oppofition to them g for to follow it into the ferret corn- ers of the heart, that we cannot do. It is true, there is yet a relief in this cafe, namely that he to whom the work of deflroying the law of fin, and body of death in ias is principally committed, namely the Holy Ghoft, comes with his ax to the very root, neither is there any tiring in an un= fearchable heart that is not open 'and naked unto him, Heb. iv. a a But we in a way of duty may hence fee what an enemy v-e have to deal withal. (ai) As it is unfearchable, fo it is deceitful, as in the place above mentioned g it is deceitful above all things, incomparably fo. 'Fiacre is great deceit in the dealings of men in the world, great in their'counfels Hhhhh
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