Ten Sermons Upon Matthew 6:1-4, Sermon 7
THE VII. SERMON.
PRO. 6.14.
He imagineth euill continually: Fabricatur malum, saith Tremelius, that is, he forgeth or frameth euill.
IN this part of Belials Anatomie, the holy Ghost alludeth to Carpenters or Smiths, which do by art and skill contriue their worke, and of rude stuffe shape out what they list: shewing hereby that the man of Belial in like sort, like an artificer doth of the rude stuffe of his heart, frame and forge vntounto himselfe in the shop of his owne braine what he listeth: but yet this difference is betweene this artificer & other artificers: they, of that which was bad, do make something that will be good: he of that which is good, doth forge out matter that is naught: they of that which was deformed, and without shape, do frame something of good forme and fashion: he of that which was of forme good inough, doth by his art and skill make a deformed thing: they do somtime through ignorance or want of experience faile in their workmanship: he of malice and peeuishnesse, rather then of ignorance, doth alwayes faile in his imaginations; for, he imagineth euill continually.
Now then we are come to the ripping vp of Belials imaginations, which are described vntounto vsus: First, by their qualitie, which is bad, for he imagineth euill: Secondly by their quantitie: which is great and vniuersall, for he imagineth euill continually.
The euill qualitie and badde nature of Belials imaginations, will the better appeare, if we consider: first, the materiall cause of them, which is, leud things in his heart: secondly, the formall cause, and that is artificiall forging and framing of them: for of matter and forme doth eueryevery thing consist: and first, of the material cause of his images. Immediatly before, he saith, leud things are in his heart: now he sheweth what he doth with them; surely nothing, but of that abundance of leudnesse which is in his heart, forge and frame out euill imaginations, wrong iudgements, crooked conceits, pestilent perswasions, and false resemblances, according to that which is said of man in the 6. of Genesis, when he had vniuersally corrupted his wayes: The Lord saw that the wickednesse of man was exceeding great vponupon earth, Gen. 6.and that the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onelyonly euill continually: Imaginations come of thoghts.to shew that imaginations proceede of thoughts: and if the thoughts of the heart be euill, the imaginations which come of them cannot but be euill also. And further, as the stuffe is bad, so is the forme and fashion also of his imaginations naught: for, as of leud thoughts in the heart he imagineth, so he imagineth nothing but that which is euill and leud. And therfore these crooked conceits of his are called imaginations,Of Belials mētal images, & why they are so called. as if he were an image maker, and they his images or idols: and indeed they are the images of his mind, and so they may well be tearmed in two respects: first, because like images they hauehave shew or shape put vponupon them, both to credit a bad matter, and also the more strongly to delude the beholder: for if one should take a block of wood and set it vp, and say, that is to be worshipped for a god, no bodie would beleeue that saying. And therefore idolaters and idoll makers,Esa. 46. do not go so to worke: but (as the Prophet Esai sheweth) they hew it, and frame it, and make it in shape like a man, or some other creature, and then couer it with gold; a thing which draweth louelove and delight vntounto it, and then it is of more credit and estimation then it was before: for though it be but a blocke as it was before in regard of the substance, yet do not foolish idolaters so call it: but they call it either a god, as the Israelites did their golden calfe, which they erected in the wildernesse when Moses was absent:Dan. 3. and as the Babilonians did call that image which Nebuchadnezzar set vp: or else a Saint as the Papists call their images, S. Peter, S. Paul, their Ladie, &c. Euen as one in base apparell & of beggerly education is called a clown, & one of no credit: but afterward being in braue aparel, & wearing rings of gold, & hauing a litle wealth about him, is called a gentleman, a wise man, & a substantial man of the parish, thogh indeed he be as base & rude in conditions as he was before, and hath no more wit thē before. So the bad & wretched cōceits of Belial, must hauehave some color or shape put vponupon thē, or els they wil be of no credit. Secōdly they are called images, because as images be false and vaine, and nothing like the things they are made for, (I speake now of idolatrous and popish images) so are Belials imaginations: for, shall we thinke that the Saints wēt as they are painted in Popety! And therfore we truly say of the one: it is as it pleased the painter: & as truly of the other, as it pleaseth the forget. Now that which hath so bad stuffe for the matter, and so ill fauoured a fashion for the forme, must needes be of a bad qualitie: but such are the imaginations of Belial for they are made of the leud thoughts of his hart, and forged after a false, fond, and strong deluding fashion: therefore for the qualitie thereof they cannot be good: howsoeuer many times the wicked are so shamelesse, that when they hauehave vttered most vile conceits of others without cause too, yet will not sticke to say, that they iudge charitably of them, and thinke the best, and will not make the worst of things.
Of Belials maisters workhouse warehouse, and ware.And now a little (by the way) of Belials master, for whom he worketh: of these mens ware-houses where they lay their stuffe, of which they make these images, and of their worke-houses where these false and vaine mentall images be forged. Surely the Lord created the wicked at the first, though not wicked: he preserueth them, and prouideth for them, though not to be wicked: therefore they should both in bodie and soule serue and glorifie him, but they do not. The diuell hath bewitched them, and taught them to bewitch others: with his faire promises he hath inueigled them, and taught them to inueigle and deceiue others. And therefore (God withdrawing his grace, and turning Sathan loose vponupon them, and so iustly hardning their hearts, and giuing them ouer to themselues) Sathan they beleeue, and not God: him they obey and not the Lord. Their heart is Sathans store-house, their head is his worke-house, they are his apprentises and bond-slaues, and do worke for the Diuell all kind of workes, sauing good workes.
And for eueryevery one of his apprentises and iourneymen, Sathan hath a ware-house and a shoppe, after the manner of Merchaunts and great occupiers: for the Diuell is as great a dealer as any in the world,The greatnesse of Sathan. and therefore hath neede of many shops, and of many ware-houses, of many factours, and many seruants, and of a legion of diuels. He hath the greatest but not the godliest Monarkes of the world to rule for him: the learnedst, but not the holiest doctours of the world to teach for him: he hath the craftiest but not the conscionablest lawyers of the world to plead for him: he hath the vainest, not the valiantest captaines of the world to fight for him: he hath the most rich, not the most religious Merchants of the world to trafficke for him: he hath the cunningest and the cruellest vsurers and extortioners to exact for him: he hath a legion, yea a million of brokers to hunt for him, to buy and sell for him, to play the baudes for him, to cousin and deceiue for him, & of bloudy mur…herers to kill & slay for him: in eueryevery market and shop: he hath some to lie and to sweare, & to deceiue for him: some setting false colors vponupon their clothes by false lights, some learning the trick with the finger: some pinching others and enriching themselues by false waightes and measures, and some by extreme prises, exacting vponupon the buyers, and some purloyning from their maisters, to purchase the gallowes here, and hell hereafter if they repent not. In a word, Sathan hath more offices and officers, and greater reuenewes, and takings, and dealings, and pleasures in his k…nde and kingdome, then euer Salomon had in his. He is the greatest Monarke in the world. Monarch (said I?) nay tyrant: for he ruleth with great wrath and crueltie. Wo to the inhabitants of the earth that be his subiects.Reue. 12. And besides all this outward trading, he hath many shops and shop-keepers, ware-houses and factors in secret, that all men know not of. Yea, in many he occupieth freely, that spit at his name: and manie crie out, that they defie the diuell and all his workes, when they doe nothing else poore slaues, but serue him, and do his workes. In eueryevery wicked man there is a shoppe, and a ware-house: the heart is his ware-house, wherein is store of leud things: his braine is his shoppe, and in that doth he worke and forge out euill images, or imaginations.
So much in generall, of Belials maister, his storehouse, and his ware-house, and his ware. Now in particular (as it were in a bill of parcels) let vsus see what wares are stored vp in his hart, and what workes he frameth thereof in the shop of his braine. There is in his heart store of malice: and of that he forgeth slaunderous reports, impudent lyes, and vniust reuenge. There is in his heart store of obstinate wilfulnesse, and wilfull obstinacie: and of that he forgeth out peruerse disputations, and crosse languages. There is in his heart store of enuie: and of that he forgeth false suggestions, and impatient murmurings against the prosperitie of his neighbours and brethren: as Esau did against Iacob because of his blessing, and Achab against Naboth for his vineyard. There is in his heart store of hatred against the truth: and of that he forgeth cruell deuises against those that professe the truth. There is in his heart store of disdaine: and of that he forgeth reprochfull speeches, high lookes, and straunge countenaunces against poore simple men. There is in his hart store of arrogancie and pride: and of that he imagineth himselfe to be the only man in the world, when he beholdeth his wealth and brauery, like Nebuchadnezzar when he beheld his pallace. There is in his hart store of lightnes & inconstancy: and of that he forgeth strange fashiōs & new fangled deuises. There is in his hart store of vncleanenes, and of that he frameth filthie conueiances for his beastlines, adulteries, and fornications. There is in his heart store of grosse ignorance in the Scriptures: and thereof he forgeth grosse errors, superstitious worshippings, & base conceits of the Almighty, thinking him to be like them selues, Psal. 50. There is in his heart store of disloyaltie: and of that he forgeth trecherous practises against his Prince and Countrey, and slie conueiances to carrie them out with all,2. Sam. 15.7 like Iudas with his kisse, and Absalom with his vow at Hebron. There is in his heart store of hypocrisie: and of that he frameth counterfeit holinesse to couer his wickednesse,1. Kim. 21.9. Pro. 7.14. like Iezabel with her fast, and the harlot talking deuoutly of her vows and peace-offrings. There is in his heart store of couetousnes, and of that he forgeth deceit, and wrong, & a thousand deuises to get the world into his hands. There is in his heart store of prophanenesse and vngodlinesse, and of that he frameth iests against the Preachers of the word, like the scoffing auditours of Ezechiel. Ezec. 33.31.There is in his heart louelove of sinne, and thereof he forgeth arguments to maintaine sinne withal, and deuises how to smite him with the tongue that shall tell him of it. And as of the leud stuffe that is in their hearts, the wicked frame and forge out euill imaginations both against God and man: so do they also misconstrue, and interprete in the worst part, euen the most holy things of God: and of the best intended actions of the godly, do they frame wrong iudgements, & euill surmises, like spiders who make poison of honie.1. Sa. 25.10 If Dauid in his distresse shall send to churlish Nabal for releefe, the foolish churle will imagine euill against Dauid, and not sticke to say that he is runne away from his Master, and al to saue his purse.2. Sam. 10.3 If kind Dauid send to visit the wicked King of Ammon, Hanun will imagine that his messengers come as spies. If Iohn Baptist will not eate and drinke with men, but be strange and austere, then they will imagine and say,Mat. 11.18. that he hath a diuell. If Christ come eating and drinking, they wil imagine him to be a glutton, a drinker of wine, & a friend of Publicans & sinners: so that do what one can, he cānot please the wicked man of Belial. If Paul be troubled with a viper, then he is a murtherer, if he shake off the viper without any harme,Act. 28.4.6. then he is a God: so are men commonly in their extremities, whose hearts are either ignorant or vnsanctified. If any cost be bestowed vponupon Christ in his mēbers, such as Iudas will imagine it to be bestowed in waste.Ioh. 12.5. In like maner is it now in the light of the Gospell: Aske thy due, thou art couetous: crauest thou helpe? then looke for a churlish answer. Doest thou offer kindnesse? thou shalt be suspected and ill rewarded for thy good will. Wilt thou be familiar with men? they wil imagine that thou seekest to burden them. Wilt thou be merie? thou shalt be taken for a scoffer, and without grauity. Wilt thou be strange? then art thou lordly, proud, stout, and high minded. Dost thou intreat for peace? then thou art afraid of them: so they will imagine. Wilt thou eate and drinke with men? they wil imagine that thou art beholding to them, as some thinke that we are beholding to them for hearing the Sermon. Dost thou talk in priuate with a woman? they that are leud will imagine that thou art leud with her. Art thou troubled with a generation of vipers as Iohn was? then thou art a bad mā. If thou escape their malice by the goodnesse of God, then it was more by thy friendes then by the goodnes of thy cause. If thou dost any strange and vnwonted thing, they will imagine thou workest by the diuell. If the wicked man prosper, he imagineth that he hath serued God wel. If any mā be familiar with them whō they louelove not, they imagine him to be their enemy also. If any common calamitie happen, they imagine that the Gospell is the cause of it. If any speed better then they, then they imagine themselues to hauehave wrong. And thus we see al their ciuill affaires to be ful of euil imaginations. Now from home let vsus follow him to church (as they say) and see if his iudgement in matters religious be any better: and first of Belials imaginations or forgeries, as touching the man of God that teacheth, and then of the matter that is taught. If the Minister speake scholastically, then he seeketh himselfe: if plainly, then he is no scholler: if he please their humor, he is the onelyonly man, and no man may come neare him. If he vse to repeat his doctrine, then he is tedious and wanteth matter: if his deliuerie be mild, then he is afraid to displease: if it be bold and seuere, then he is peremptorie and proud. If a man vrge the law, then he driueth men to desperation: if mortification, he driueth men into melancholy dumpes, and frayeth them out of their wits. If we vrge iustification before God by faith in Christ onelyonly, then they imagine that we denie good workes. If we preach good workes, then we are Popish: if we teach that men must not pray to Saints, nor for the dead, then they imagine we deny prayer: if we say that the salutation of the Angell to Mary is no prayer, then we deny part of the new Testament: if we say the Creede is no prayer, then we deny the Creede: if we preach against common, vaine, and needlesse swearing, then they imagine vsus to be Anabaptistes, and deny both the vse of an oath and magistracie: if we speak against gaming, dancing, & other prophanations of the Lords day, then they imagine that we allow Christians no manner of recreation. If we preach against any sin that they vse, then we preach of malice and against them: if we teach doctrine which they conceiue not, then there is no edifying in our sermons: if they like it not, then they imagine that no body else doth regard it: if they come to heare vsus, then we are beholding to them for their presence: if they wil not heare vsus, yet they imagine that we must speake though it be to the wals. If they let their children or seruants be catechized by the Minister, then they imagine that they do their Minister a great part of friendship in gracing of him: if they say ouer their stint of prayers, then God is beholding to them, and heauen they must hauehave of merit. If they heare sermons, then they imagine all is well, as though God were pleased with eare-seruice onelyonly:Ioh. 3. and alwayes they imagine grossely of spirituall things, like Nicodemus, who (when Christ spake of being borne againe) imagined that he must go againe into his mothers belly. And as these Belials are themselues, such do they imagine all others to be, for as to him that hath an ague, all things seeme vnsauourie: so to him that hath an euill heart of his owne, all mens doings seeme to be euill: to verifie the saying of the Apostle in Titus 2.5.Tit. 2.5. To the pure all things are pure: but to the vncleane and impure nothing is pure, but euen their minds and consciences are defiled: and that is the cause why all things seeme euill vntounto them, because their minds and consciences are defiled.
Obiection Answer.But who are pure? (wil some say) are not all men sinners? and doth not sinne defile eueryevery mans minde? It is true, that all men naturally are defiled with euill imaginations, Gen. 6.5. but by faith (which is through the grace of God) in Christ, the hearts of the elect are regenerated, and purified,Act. 15.9. because it apprehendeth the bloud and spirit of Christ to cleanse vsus from sinne past, and to preserue vsus afterward from the dominion (at the least) of sinne to come, like physicke restoratiue and preseruatiue. For, where a iustifying faith is, there is a fanctifying grace. And where faith is Mistresse, there is charity handmaid, which is of that excellent nature and disposition (through the education and instruction of Gods Spirit who begate her) that she iudgeth the best of eueryevery thing that may be well interpreted, 1. Cor. 13. And so much for the qualitie of Belials imaginations, which is euill: for so saith my Text, and experience confirmeth no lesse, but that he imagineth euill. Now let vsus consider of the other adiunct of Belials imaginations,2Of the quā titie of Belials euill imaginatiōs and that is, adiunctum quantitatis, an adiunct or circumstance of quantitie: the euill of his imaginations is of an exceeding great quantitie: for he doth not onelyonly imagine euill, and make the worst or eueryevery thing, but he imagineth euill continually.
Continually] saith the holy Ghost, to shew that the man of Belial is alwayes at worke. This word noteth in the wicked man two things. First diligence. Secondly perseuerance in euill. Great is the diligence of wicked men in sinne: for they lose no time: They cannot sleepe (saith Salomon) except they hauehave done some euill. Pro. 4.16.No, Sleepe departeth from their eyes vntill they hauehave caused some to fall. Like gamesters, who cannot find the way to bed vntill either they hauehave lost all their money, or caused others to lose all. They continue day and night: they are as diligent in the seruice of the diuell, as the diuell himselfe is is hunting after mens soules: for he goeth about continually like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may deuoure: and so do his men of Belial seeke whome to deface and deuoure.
This note of continuance cometh in like a barre in the armes of the wicked to put a difference betweene them and the godly. For though the godly or regenerate do sometime fall into euill surmises, and bad imaginations, through naturall weakenesse and corruption of heart, yet they continue not in it.Rom. 6.1. Shall we continue still in sinnes, (saith the Apostle) that grace may abound? God forbid. No: they dare not continue in a sinne, they are euer checking and controlling their wayes, and confessing their sinnes, and condemning themselues, and forsaking their euill imaginations. And if they fall againe into the same sinne (as oftentimes they do,) it is with a greater detestation and lothing of the same sinne, and with a greater and more earnest striuing against it afterward.
And yet the godly are not so simple, and foolishly credulous, as to beleeue eueryevery faire tale, or to be in league with eueryevery flattering face, or to shake hands presently with eueryevery new acquaintance, nor to trust eueryevery promise and protestation without any maner of trial nor to make the best of that which is of it selfe naught, and apparantly euill: nor to be free from all suspition, where there is iust cause to suspect; and in so doing they are not to be condemned, but rather to be commended: for as charitie is not suspitious without cause, so is it not foolish and blockish when there is cause.
And seeing as our Sauior Christ himself hath ioyned the innocency of the Doue,The wisedome of a Christian. and the prudency of the Serpent together; simplicitie and discretion as a most fit match, and well beseeming a Christian soule, let no man separate them asunder, but be simple & wise too. And hereof we hauehave diuers examples in the Scriptures.Gen. 20.11. Abraham imagined that in Gerar his wife might be abused, and he slaine for his wifes sake: and not without iust cause, for he saw that the feare of God was not in that place, to shew that when good men hauehave to deale with those that feare not God, they may very iustly imagine that they shall not be well dealt withall. Iacob suspected that al was not wel towards him: and not without iust cause,Gen 31.2. for he saw that his vnkle Labans countenance was not towards him as in times past; and againe he marked how Labans sons murmured against him.Gen. 38.15. Iudah imagined Thamar his daughter to be a whoore (though he knew not then who she was:) and not without iust cause, for she sate by the waies side with her face couered, after the maner of whores in those daies, & in that country. The watch-men of the tower in▪ Israel imagined rightly that it was Iehu who came towardes that place,2. Kin. 9.20 because his marching was furious, like the marching of Iehu, who belike was knowne to be a hote man. All which examples do teach vsus, that when there is iust cause of suspition, and likely tokens of danger and euill, we should not be secure & simple, but wise to see danger, and prouident to auoide it: for that is the part of a wise man (saith the Wise man) to see the plague a farre off, and to flie from it, as Eliah saw (by a cloud that arose) raine comming a farre off, and caused the King to prouide for it before it came. And someime the godly hauehave imagined (in good pollicie) of a thing otherwise then they hauehave known the thing to be: as Ioseph did when he made his brethren beleeue that he tooke them for spies, when he knew them to be no spies. And somtime by the outward likelihoods, as they coniecture of a thing, and are deceiued, as Isaac by feeling of Iacob in rough skins, imagined it had bene Esau: and Samuel by the countenance and stature of Eliah, imagined that he was the man that should be the Lords annointed, but he was deceiued.1. Sam. 5.16 So Elijah seeing none to stand for the glory of the God of Israel but himselfe, imagined that he in that case was left alone, but he was deceiued.
In the imaginations also which commonly men hauehave of themselues, there is great difference betweene the wicked and the godly:What imaginatiōs the godly hauehave of thēselues for the godly being (in some measure) through the grace of God, priuy to their owne corruptions and infirmities, do still imagine (and that truly) that they come short of doing their dutie to God, suspecting and fearing their owne ignorance and negligence: as that godly, zealous, and couragious reformer of religion Nehemiah did, who when he had most exactly and stoutly reformed the Saboth day,Nehe. 13.22 he desired God to be mercifull vntounto him, euen in that point. And though S. Paul that worthy Apostle of Christ, knew nothing but wel by himselfe in his ministerie, yet did he imagine (and that rightly) that something might be amisse, and therefore said,1. Cor. 4.4. Though I know nothing by my selfe, yet am I not thereby iustified. And sometime the godly do imagine that they are forsaken of God, when they are not forsaken, which fearefull coniectures and desperat imaginations do arise, somtime by the slie suggestions of Sathan, through want of faith to resist him sometime of melancholy impressions in the godly, and those are to be helped by phisick, and good company keeping: and sometime from the affliction and wound of conscience, groning vnderunder the hand of God, especialy after some relapse into some old sinne againe. Which kind of imaginations are to be altered into more comfortable and wholesomer perswasions by spirituall phisicke, that is, by the wise handling, and discreete applying of the promised mercies of God in the Gospell, tempering therewithall the threatnings of the law, either more or lesse, according as the spirituall phisition shal see the partie more or lesse humbled, or not at all, if he be too much humbled and cast downe alreadie.
But the wicked being blinded with selfe-louelove,What the wicked do being blinded, bewitched and benūmed. and bewitched with the vanities of this world, and benummed with the long custome of sin, go on still, drinking in sinne as the horse drinketh in water, and imagineth that he is well, when he is gotten into the fooles paradise, and goeth after his filthy pleasures, as a bird to the snare, and like an oxe to the slaughter. Pro. 5.Pro. 5.
Nebuchadnezzar the King of pride strouting himselfe in his pallace, imagined that he was admired of all the world, but was deluded as it were by his owne shadow, and derided of God and man. In like maner vaine men and women (ietting vp and downe in the world like hobby horses in all brauerie,Hobby horses. with their traines after them, and pedlers packes about them, with a companie of circumstances in strange and wild fashions) imagine that they are honored and admired of all men, whereas indeede they are wondred at of the wise, and almost of all men for their vanitie and excesse. Againe, where there is no feare, they imagine feare to be, and where there is both feare and shame, and deadly danger too, they promise vntounto themselues al peace and security, suspecting nothing, like the mother of Sisera, & the Ladies of King Iabins Court, who imagined (and could imagine no otherwise) that the cause of Sisera his long staying was for no other end but to deuide the spoile,Iudg. 5.30. when indeede he was spoiled himselfe, and that by a woman too. So the rich man in the Gospell, hauing gotten much wealth about him, imagined that he should liue many yeares at ease, but he was deceiued for euen that very night following was his soule fetched away.Luke 12.19. Psal. 55. Wherein is verified the prophecie of the Psalmist, The wicked (whatsoeuer they imagine vntounto themselues) shall not liue out halfe their dayes: namely, that themselues dreame of.
Therefore (to shut vp this point) as before we hauehave bene taught by the names of Belial, which signifie lawlesnesse and prophanenesse, to looke to our selues, that we be not lawlesse and prophane: by the mouth of Belial, to looke to our speeches, that we walke not with a froward mouth: by the gestures of Belial, to looke to our outward behauiour, that it be in sobrietie and simplicitie: and by the heart of Belial, to watch ouer our owne hearts, that leud things hauehave no residence in them: so now by the imaginations or mentall images of Belial, framed in the shop of his braine, of the leud stuffe in the store-house of his heart,An exhortation vpō the premises. let vsus be admonished to looke carefully vntounto our imaginations, that they be not euill, false, vncharitable, vaine, wrong, & crooked. Let vsus take heed that we make not our hearts (which should be the temples of God) Sathans ware-houses or store-houses, nor our heads his shops and worke-houses: let vsus learne to iudge the best, and alwayes charitably of other mens persons, and actions, where it is possible to affoord a good construction. And where there is iust cause of feare and suspition, there let vsus learne to be wise, and not too simple and carelesse. Let vsus take heed that we be not deceiued with the enchantments and bewitching vanities of the world, nor yet blinded with the false louelove of our selues. In a word, seeing as the imaginations of Belial are for their qualitie euill, and for their quantitie vncessantly euill: and seeing that continuance, or dwelling in euill imaginations, and vncharitable surmises, is here put downe for an infallible marke of the man of Belial, and of a vaine man, who is to be destroyed if he repent not, both speedily, suddenly, and without recouerie: let vsus all (that tender the glorie of God, the quiet of our brethren, and the peace of our own soules) look to our hearts and minds, to our thoughts, and imaginations, and learne by the word of God, (striuing by continuall prayer) to amend, correct, controll, and examine all our surmises, our opinions, and our conceiued imaginations, or sinister conceipts, which commonly we frame of our selues, and of others, of our maker, and of our neighbor: happy is he (not that is free from euill imaginations, for then none could be happie) but he that hauing found out his euill imaginations, doth forsake them. And wo be to him (not that hath had a false imagining head, or may perhaps be ouertaken with an vncharitable surmise by occasion, for thē wo be to all,) but wo be to him that heareth what I say, and knoweth himselfe to be guiltie, and yet wil continue in his euil imaginations, for such a one hath Gods markes vponupon him, (as we say of him that hath the plague) euen the markes of a man of Belial, which is the plague of the soule to vtter destruction: for he imagineth euill continually.
Now let vsus pray.