Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9339.S5 B6 1641

.--- Iha""Pepu.toffm!eoat,&c, 111 I backward, and have fhifr' upon fhi fi:. !his is SER . V~I. added for the further explication of it, becaufe of~he neceffity of the point: For, except our heart~ be difcovered to us, weflu] 1never know what Religion meanes, fave w kttow fo much as may through the winding, turning, fhifdng, and faHhood of our owne Nature, bring us to hell : Wherein we are worfe enemies to our felves then the Devlll is, who c0uld not hurt us, 'unldfe we did betray our felves. But hee bath fattors in· us to deale for him, our owne carnall wit and affeCl:ion, they holdcorrefpondencie with him, whence all the mifchief~ that he doth us, is by that intercourfe that our nature hath with Satan : That is the Dali/ah which berrayethall theSampfons (found worthy Chrifiians in the world) to their fpirituall enemies. Therefore~ we can never be fufficiemly infiruded, what avile nature.we have fo oppofite to Religion, as far as it is faving. Corrupt nlture doth not oppofe it fo far as it is flubbored over, but fo far as·may briflgus to that ltate we fhould _ be in, we have no worfe enemies then our owne · hearts. Therefore let us watch over our felves continually,and ufe all blelfed means appointed of God, whereby wr: may efcape out of this dangerous flcepy difpofition .of foul e, whicb cofl: the Church fo deare, as we !hall heare(God willing)hereafter. p 2 THE

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