I I ~Mans natwatllmaginations. thought. And ycrafrcr iull rriall it will ap· pc~fc, that generally this thought ts rife a– mongvs:(or rhough we hearerhcword, and rCCCIUC the S~crarnenrs the pledge! of OUr (aluarion, and "ill be counted rho members of ChriLl, yet tvhar is the caufe that there is Co lirle knowledge of God, and obediencoro his word? And1vhydoe man in their callings lhcw forrh fo fmallloue,fo lirle mercy,iuUice, &good confcience?The truth is,thar thollgh Come haue the(e thing• in rhem in fome meafure, yetthe bodie ofourpeople i• gene– rally voyd of rhcfegood venue• ,: and fruits ofthe fpirtt: · hee rhat hath but halfe an eye may fee it:for where is that religious keepinS of rhe Sabbath that !hould be 1 where is rhat ferious performing of wor!hippevntoGod which ought robe? Allwhichargue,thatthe heart is corrupt and decciuable, and faith in– deed to God, I fl1illnot obe]th}'•urd; Lurdde· p.rtfrom""· What m 'an almoll is there rhar fairbwirhhimfelfc, ob ..i(cr•blem•n, wh•t hAM~ !dont! A •11 times,but onely arfuch time,when occafi– on rs offered, as namely when aman is called ontorhe(eruiceofGo&, which vpon fame occar.otllteis defirous to omit:Then will his minde range about for libertie from Gods feruice, and Co will hee bethinke himfelfe of d1c wicked mans cllare who neuer ferued God, and yet is in better cafe outwardly then rhegodly man is: And hereupon he begins to f~y in h1s hcarr, doubdes it Uavain(th:ng f(J{cru~ God. For the examination ofour hearrc tm). Exo.m:n:tu·. chingchisrhought, afreriull~triaJiit will b"(IC ~~~::~l~~u found among vs,as the llate ofall forts of fa- ~ · milie• will declare: Among the poorer fort you !hall (ee men labour from morningm B euening,and rake great paincs toprouide tOrj rheworld,but 10 the mcane time where is the 1 worfhipand fcruiceofGodl where is prayei'. and thankfgiuing, morning, and eucning? l Surely iris negledcd, and rhc rcafon is, be: caufcr rhey'rhinkerJ~us in theirhearr,S4 th~tt I ma7 h4u~pr~ui/ionfo'"r theworld , it Mnomat.trr I whethn-J{er1uGDdornor. Cornc to thC fich ~~ The P/e. By this wicked ima€ination wee may fee how hard athing it is truly &found– ly to cmiuert a finnervnroGod,& hGw eafily aman may deceiue his owne (oule, & beguile the world by hypocrifie: for a man by long excrcifeinthe word may hauea greatmcamans houfc,& rhcte you !hallfee them fpcryd , rhe1r tune mcarmg, drmkm~, gan~ing, 'an& fuchdclight~, buttheworflupof God is not 1 regardcd,forthusthey \hinkc witli thefclue., ' . { · If the; mayh•uerheir ple~fu"ailiJ wolf. C6n1e r I I, furc ofknowledge,and w1thall good w1t, and memoric,and with them vtterance.and bya common g1ft ofthe fpirit, bee able to reach the word truly, and to conceiuc prayerco good purpofe, and withall haue a cankred heart towards God,poyfoned with this dam– r\ablcthouglu, h•illnotobq rh< w•rd of Code for cuery rn~n that hath inwardly in him a purpofe toliue, though but in onefinne,his heart i• not vpright with God, neither bee Gods graces, as faith, and repentancefound mhis heart: for truerepentance iu purpofe, and refolurion to leaue all finne,ond topleafe God in all things. SeCt 4· ... and reafon with ordinary men·, and'~~hiih rhem tov(e the mcanesii't"faluation , &n,e1v forth loue vnro religion_Jincerely: rhcir anC ("·er Is,They will doeasthcy haue done, and · as their forefathers did before them, they rru(l their (oulesare as good toGod·w~rdas the bell: And for ought they fee, nonearc wor(er then rhofe thar haue fa much prcac ching, and therefore theyhope to befaued, though they doe not follow ic fa much: And thisalfo commeth from d1iseuill rhouo[lt /( idi11VIIi11e'to ftrue Cod. ·.Markc: alfo in°th~fe place• where the Gofpell is'flreached: Ifanx manfeemetomakemore ccinfci.!lice M fin and offeruingGocJrhe!)'otbcr;theyareifiad~ • by-word'an"d amocking·lfqi:ke~'an;d•r'lfdr Ofthis thought ;It Uavai.,uthingl'o worfbip Go~. - _ The third wicked imagination cf>mano 0 heart cO:erning God is'this:(Jtt·:.vaine thing toworP,ip God. This lob Cl1cweth to bee true: bringingin thewicked man (aying ,(•) Whdt profit {hall/ haueifI pr.Jvnto God: vie mull not profeflibh is'turnea torh'eir reprocn :' 'wtfiCI1 argues plainely thatnJatls,tliotioht'i'S'~~!!"il il a fhfiHtth'ihg t#(ertle Goa:m)r, 0 iakea ·vfcw 1 Iob.lt,rr thinke that he (aid thus with his mouth, but in his heart:. And the Prophrt MAI<cbie o~lll.j. r4. bringerh in the I~wes faying; (h) It Mv,.ine thing to(erue God, . '~h4t profo is it thAt wee hauekfpt hUcomm~tundem(nt, ~tndthAt JPe t~~11l· ~dhumbly beforiihe Lordofhof/s? Yea righte– ous Dar~id,a man a(ter Gods ownc heart,was e Pf:tl.73· ') .. ouerraken with thiseuill thought, when hee faid, (c) Ccrr~indJ I h••• cle.nfodrn;he.rt in vain(,.wdw•fheJmJhandJ in Itmocencie: where. hy it i• plaine, that this i5 a natural! euill thoughtmcueryman. : Yet here we muCl remember,that this cui! \thought cotne'J not inro the minde ofman a't . ofthe wbole'ivorld' and you !hall fee cue\-Y. where, men~me themfe~~~· to will-:vorfl'JP.· No nauoh I! fo barbarous as to denie vrito God all wor!hip, butdoe tf)ey giuevmo'n! rli that which hecommarlde.th i1,1 hi• word?~othing le.lfe:Itiseitherthemeere inuenrion of men,oraltogether fiayoed therewith: This i• moll~mdentwith theTurkc, t!icIew, apq the Pap1ll: yea our comnion fort of Prote– llants haue·thcirwill-wor!hip: for generally they contentthemfelues with the mumbling ouer the words of the Creede, the LorM Prayer~the tc~ Commaundements, perfwa) dmg thcm(elues that by the bare reherfall Of rhe words,ihey hauefufficiently ferued God. Now would we know thecaufe hereof,asalfo why men arcfa Oackeaod cold in prayer, (o care· ; '! ,.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=