A Crystal Mirror, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Of the Hearts Treachery.
1. THough all thoſe perſons and things (fore-mentioned) be notoriouſly deceitful, as hath been manifeſted; yet the heart of Man is more deceitful than them all: the Word of God, (which is the mouth of wiſdom) telleth you, that it is ſuperlatively deceitful; the Scripture of truth, Jerem 17.9. ſaith, 'tis deceitful above all; it exceeds them all, not onelyonly in one or two, but in many reſpects, as (1.) it would put a cheat and deceit upon the higheſt object, even upon God himſelf, ſo far as it can: all thoſe perſons and things (aforeſaid) cheats only their fellow-Creatures, but this deceitful heart would cheat God (himſelf) the great Creator: hence Hypocriſie is the grand cheat of the heart; wherein there is a covering of our ſelves with the fig-leaves of an outward profeſſion, as if God (who hath an all-ſeeing eye, and is indeed [foreign] all-eye) could not ſee our nakedneſs through thoſe thin coverings, and as if he could not diſcern betwixt what we be, and what we ſeem to be: an Hypocrite would cozen the God of Heaven, if he could but tell how: yea, and where there is ſincerity without Hypocriſie, the heart will oft falſifie with God, and give him the ſlip in duty, ſtarting aſide like a deceitful bow, Pſal. 78. 37. 57. (2.) It puts a cheat upon the nobleſt ſubject, to wit, the precious and Immortal Soul; 'tis the Apoſtles phraſe, [deceiving our own Souls] Jam. 22.26. [foreign] uſing fallacies or falſe ſyllogiſms, (which hath a probable appearance of truth, yet are falſe both in matter and form) to deceive, as the ſame word is uſed, Col. 2. 4. ſince the heart hath loſt its uprightneſs, it hath found out many (tricks, wiles, or) inventions to deceive the Soul, either by falſe reckoning, or by falſe reaſoning. Now the Soul is of more worth than the whole world; as Chriſt (who alone) went to the price of Souls, (and therefore beſt knew the worth of Souls) telleth you, Matth. 16. 26. ſo 'tis better a whole world ſhould be cheated, than that a precious Soul ſhould be ſo.
2. (3ly,) This is a Cheat that concerns the beſt, choiceſt, and chiefeſt things; 'tis no leſs than about life and Salvation; all the other Cheats are but petty-cheats to this. Jacob beguiled his Brother Eſau of earthly bleſſings, but this [Jagnacob] heart, will beguile of Heavenly: Tamar beguiles Judah of external things, [his ſignet, bracelets, and ſtaff,] but this would cheat you of the white-ſtone, wherein is written the new name, that ſealing and aſſuring Spirit of God, Rev. 2. 17. and of that bleſſed bracelet of divine graces, faſtned all together with the knot of Humility, as the word [foreign] 1 Pet. 5. 5. ſignifies: yea, and of the ſtaff of ſupporting grace, which upholds you in your walking in Gods ways. Rachel cheated Laban of his falſe gods, but this you of the true one. Dalilah betrays Sampſon into the hands of his Temporal Enemies, that put out his eyes, made him work in a Mill, &c. theſe were all bodily evils onelyonly; but this betrays you into the hands of your Spiritual Enemies, would put out the eyes of your underſtanding, and would clap you up cloſe priſoner to ſin and Satan, the ſlavery whereof is abundantly worſe than Sampſons grinding in the priſon-houſe. The Gibeonites deceived Joſhuah for their own preſervation, but the tendency of this deceit is for your own deſtruction: And thus it may be ſaid of the other deceitful perſons and things: your heart will cheat you in (both) natural things, (as in feeding, ſleeping, &c.) and in civil things, (as in buying and bargaining) but the worſt cheat of all is, in Religious things, in the matters of life and Salvation, with a baſtard peace when not Marryed to Chriſt.
3. A Woman that is not Marryed, may (indeed) have children, but ſhe cannot have credit or comfort of them, becauſe they are baſtards: ſo the Soul (not Married to Chriſt) may have falſe joy, which is not of Chriſts begetting, nor the fruit of his Spirit; there be [parelii, or] mock-Suns, that appear in the cloud for a while, but continue not, [omnia veriſimilia non ſunt vera] every like is not truly the ſame: there be mock-graces alſo; Satan (Gods Ape) wraps himſelf in Samuels Mantle. (4.) As this cheat is in the beſt things, ſo it is a cheat for the longeſt time, even for Eternity: time can never be recalled or redeemed, if once you be lanched out into that endleſs Ocean, that bottomleſs and boundleſs deep of Eternity: therefore muſt you fear and tremble to put an everlaſting cheat upon an immortal Soul, and that in a matter of eternal life and Salvation. A man may weather out the point of other temporal cheats, and in a little time recover himſelf, and redeem his loſs again; but this Spiritual cheat is (well-nigh) irrecoverable.
4. (5ly) 'Tis a cheating of our ſelves, which is a compound of many bad Ingredients, a cheat made up of many aggravations: as (1.) 'tis contrary to the Laws of God, even his poſitive Law: Let no man deceive himſelf, 1 Cor. 3. 18. Gal. 6. 3. 7. 1 Joh. 1. 8. Jam. 1. 22. 26. 1 Cor. 6. 9. & 15. 33. Deut. 11. 16. Job 15. 31. & Revel. 3. 17. (2ly) 'tis contrary to the very law of Nature, which is always [ſui conſervativa] a ſelf-preſerver, and [charitas eſt ſemper à ſeipſo] charity ſhould always begin at home, though it ſhould not (at any time) end at home; man needs not any poſitive Law or command [to love himſelf] and therefore God hath left none upon Record in Scripture, ſaying, [Man, love thy ſelf] for 'tis ſupplyed by the Law of nature; yet this deceiving our ſelves, cancels out that very Law. (3ly.) When a man flatters himſelf in his own eyes, Pſal. 36.2. ſaying, they ſhall find no iniquity in me, Hoſ. 12. 8. in ſo ſaying, and in deceiving himſelf, 1 Joh. 1. 8. Obad. 3. ver. Iſa. 44. 20. thereby, that which ſhould be the ſelf-preſerver, becomes the ſelf-deſtroyer; if the Sentinel (that is betruſted with the watch) become (himſelf) treacherous, no wonder if the City or Caſtle be taken and ranſacked by the enemy. (4ly) There is an odd kind of tameneſs in this ſelf-deluſion, wherein the heart deceives our own Souls; 'tis heinous enough (and we can well enough be vexed at it) to be cheated by others; but oh, how tame and patient we can be in this cheating of our ſelves! 'tis a ſelf-pleaſing evil, and a man may ſink with much complacency (in himſelf) into the bottomleſs pit herein. (5ly) To be cheated in Commodities that a man is not much converſant in, is not much marvelled at; as in ſtrange forraign drugs we may eaſily be deceived, and none can wonder at it; but to be cheated in things familiarly known to us, oh this is odious and abominable; inſomuch, that we can readily reflect upon our ſelves herein, and cry out, [oh what a fool am I to ſuffer my ſelf to be thus eaſily befooled!] Yet this is done in ſelf-deception, for what is a Man more familiar with, than himſelf? and what ought he to be more converſant withal, than with his own boſome? (6ly) To be deceived in trifles, is nothing, a man can bear it well enough; but in matters of moment (as Inheritances, the whole livelihood, &c.) this is unbearable: yet nothing is ſo weighty as Salvation, (that eternal Inheritance) which men commonly bear too well to be cheated out of. (7ly) Such as cheat themſelves are pittyed of none; all men ſay, they ſhould have been wiſer: ſo ſelf-deceit (in matters of Salvation) is a pittileſs evil; neither God, Men, nor Devils, will pitty us for cheating our own Souls.
5. (8ly) This ſelf-deceit makes a man worſe than the Devil in one reſpect, to wit, in being for torment at the laſt, and not expecting it, but bleſſing himſelf with vain hopes and expectations of better things; all which idle dreams ſhall certainly periſh, Job 8. 13, 14. whereas the Devil is for torment, and expects it, Matth. 8. 29. [Art thou come to torment us before the time?] this is (indeed) no free confeſſion of his Will, but 'tis extorted from him by compulſion and unavoidable neceſſity; the Devil might know that the Son of Man was to be the Judge of the world, (both of Men and of Devils) out of Dan. 7. 13, 14. and that himſelf (with his whole Kingdom of Devils) were reſerved in chains until that dreadful day; and that now he is onelyonly reſpited, and (as it were) reprieved in reſpect of full torment, 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jud. v. 6. and that now he is onelyonly ſuffered, as a priſoner, [Non in arctâ, ſed liberâ cuſtodiâ] at large, to flutter abroad in the air, (as a Prince of the power of the air, Eph. 2. 2.) and to courſe about the earth, Job 1. 7. until that great day cometh, which he trembleth to think on, Jam. 2. 19. therefore ſuch as ſcoff at this day, and make light of it, 2 Pet. 3. 3. 5. (with their golden dreams of a fools-paradiſe) makes themſelves worſe than the very Devils.
6. (9.) This ſame ſelf-flatterer falls, in that day, under the greateſt judgment, and doubtleſs his own miſery, (for his groundleſs hope and vain expectation of better things) makes worſe things ten-fold worſe when they come upon him. Alas, how will ſuch an one be all woe begone, when he meets with the hotteſt Hell, whereas he bleſſed himſelf all along, that he was fairly going on towards a delightful Heaven! 'tis better for a King to dream that himſelf is become a beggar; for though that dream (while it laſteth) doth trouble and torment him, yet no ſooner is he awakened, than his grief and conceited miſery is all at an end; he findeth himſelf but deluded with a falſe dream, he is a King ſtill, and this doth comfort him: 'tis otherwiſe when a miſerable beggar dreams that himſelf is become ſome happy King; for though thoſe ſelf-pleaſing thoughts do tickle his fancy for a while, yet as ſoon as he awaketh, his ſorrow (after his falſe joy) returns ſtronger upon him than it was before: the fooliſh hope, and groundleſs confidence of the Hypocrite ſhall be cut off, Job. 8. 14. and that cut is a cutting & a killing cut, 'tis the worſt & greateſt cut in the world: every wicked man is this Hypocrite, inaſmuch as he grounds his vain hope upon the general mercy of his maker, without any particular promiſe brought home and wrought in upon the heart, Iſa. 27. 11. preſumendo ſperat, & ſperando perit, (ſaith the Father) he preſumptuouſly hopeth, and by hoping periſheth: though he cannot tell of one tear he hath ſhed for his ſins, nor of one hour he hath ſpent in the mortification of his ſins, yet doth he (in effect) but lay his own ſhadow for a bridge, and ſo muſt needs (under horrible diſappointments) fall into the bottomleſs pit: God will reject his confidences, and he ſhall not proſper in them, Jer. 2. 37. falſe delights are always true dangers, and brings (after) real torments. (In the ſixth and laſt place) this is the cheat of cheats, the very fountain and original of all other cheats; for nothing could deceive us, if our own hearts did not firſt deceive us: 'twas a good ſaying of Father Latimer, when he was cheated by his Chapman in buying a commodity, and was told thereof; Alas, (ſaith the good old Doctor) my cheating chapman hath far the worſe of it; meaning thus, that if his own heart had deceived him in his fond credulity, this amounted onelyonly to an outward loſs: but his chapmans heart had worſe deceived him into acts of fraudulency and cozenage, which amounted to inward guilt, and would prove a ſting to his Soul.
7. Before we come from the general to a particular diſcovery of the hearts deceitfulneſs, ſome general Objections againſt this great truth doth lie in our way; (juſt as Amaſa's body did lie in the way of the Armies march, 2 Sam. 20. 12, 13.) which therefore muſt be removed out of the way, (as his body was there) that we may march forward without any Remora or obſtruction.
1. Object. The firſt Objection is: Methinks I hear ſome poor ignorant Soul ſay, I know no ſuch thing by my heart, that it is ſuch an evil treaſure, or that it is ſo full of (both) treaſon and treachery.
1. Anſ. Anſwer the firſt. Come, Soul, why do you ſay thus? may it not be becauſe you have not beheld the hidden man of the heart in the looking-glaſs of the law of liberty? you know, a man may have his face ſadly ſmutched and beſmear'd with ſoot, and he not know it without the help of a look-ing-glaſs, or of the eyes of others. Alas, the ſpots of Gods children (at the leaſt) are upon you, Deut. 32. 5.
2. Anſ. Anſwer the ſecond. If at any time you have (through grace) beheld your ſelf in the glaſs of Gods word, or have been told of it by the Miniſters of the Goſpel; Alas, your ſpeech bewrays you, that you have forgotten the complexion of your heart ſo diſcovered, Jam. 1. 23. 25.
3. Anſ. Anſwer the third. I beſeech you take heed you be not of the number of thoſe that yet know not the plague of their own hearts, 1 Kin. 8. 38. The Apoſtle tells you, that there be ſome in the world who are [paſt feeling] Eph. 4. 19. in ſome, [conſuetudo peccandi tollit ſenſum peccati] cuſtom in ſinning takes away all ſenſe of ſin, whereby the heart contracts a k…nd of hoof and hardneſs upon it; and the ſame Apoſtle tells you of ſome that have cauterized Conſciences, 1 Tim. 4.2. that, like thoſe Devils, (Matt. 8. 29.) will have nothing to do with Chriſt, (and their own hearts) as loth to be tormented before the time: this is [non pax, ſed ſtupor] not any true peace, but a ſottiſh ſtupefaction; a man that is ſick unto death, yet if inſenſible of his ſickneſs, 'tis a ſure indication of death's approaching.
4. Anſ. Anſwer the fourth. Take heed (likewiſe) that you be not one of Solomons credulous fools, to truſt too much in the goodneſs of your own heart, Prov. 28. 26. This is, not onelyonly to be a fool, but alſo to be a proud fool, not unlike Homers Ajax, that acknowledged no other God but his own Sword. Alas, this truſting in your own heart, is no better than [Autotheiſm, which is as bad as Atheiſm, or Polytheiſm] a becoming no leſs than a God to your ſelf, (according to Satans early inſinuation, Gen. 3. 5.) a falling down to worſhip your ſelf, which is no better than if you worſhipped many gods, or no God at all: oh do not thus ſacrifice to your own net, Hab. 1. 16. Prov. 3. 5.
5. Anſ. Anſwer the fifth. You muſt remember, that the heart is both a dark and a deep place, ſo not eaſily diſcovered in all the diſorders of it: 'tis call'd [foreign] 2 Pet. 1. 19. an obſcure, ſqualid, and filthy place, (for filthineſs is moſtly found in dark places) and 'tis call'd a deep heart, Pſal. 64. 6. and therefore not eaſily ſounded (as the deep ſea) by many fathoms: look as in your houſe (or chamber) though all the furniture thereof be miſ-placed and out of order, yet during the darkneſs of the night none of this is diſcerned, but the morning-light (ſpringing into the room) manifeſts all: even ſo while you are darkneſs (it ſelf) Eph. 5. 8. Act. 26. 18. you know not what is out of order in you; but when the bleſſed day-ſtar (Chriſt Jeſus, Revel. 22. 16.) ariſes in your hearts, then the diſorders of your heart are diſcovered.
9. The ſecond Objection to be anſwered and removed (thereby) out of the way, is this: Another ignorant Soul may ſay, although it be true that ſome other mens hearts be thus treacherous and deceitful, yet mine is not ſo, but I find by experience, that 'tis an honeſt heart that is willing to pay every one their due, and is not ſo bad as is here declared.
1. Anſ. Anſwer the firſt. You muſt know that it favours too much of the proud Phariſee, Luke 18. 11. to ſay, I am not as other men; do not you know that God hath faſhioned all mens hearts alike, Pſal. 33. 15. and that as in water face anſwereth to face, ſo the heart of man to man, Prov. 27. 19. whole evil is in man, and whole man is in evil, and by nature there is never a better in whole mankind: oh conſider, was it Davids experience and exerciſe, (who cryed, Lord, incline my heart, and unite my heart, and quicken my heart, &c.) to bewail a naughty heart? was it Solomons, and Jeremyes, and Pauls, and whoſe not, to cry out of a wicked and of a wretched heart? And ſhall you plead exemption from ſuch an epidemical evil? the pride of your heart deceives you, Obad. v. 3.
10. 2. Anſ. Anſwer the ſecond. It may be you were never yet led into ſuch temptation, as to draw out your corruption; when thoſe two meet together, then is your danger of a fall: Hazael had as good an opinion of himſelf (as you can have of your ſelf) when he ſaid to the Prophet, [Am I a dag, that I ſhould do ſo and ſo?] 2 King 8. 13. He had a reverend reſpect to the Lords Prophet, and thought alſo that no Rational creature could poſſibly commit ſuch barbarous, brutiſh, and inhumane Cruelties, ſuch as he judged far fitter to be done by ſome ſavage and ravenous beaſt, rather than by any reaſonable creature, much leſs by himſelf; [but what, is thy ſervant a dog?] ſo curſt and ſo cruel, as to tear out mens entrails, and devour them, like a dog? Hazael could not imagine himſelf ſo notoriouſly bad and baſe, as he after proved to be: He profeſſes himſelf here a Servant to Gods Prophet (crying out, as it were, Oh, be it far from me to commit ſuch Villany, as the tearing in pieces young Children like a dog) and yet in his practice afterwards, he became a bloody Butcher to Gods people. Alas, no man knows the depths of Satan, that lurks in the corners of their own deep hearts: Little did Biſhop Bonner imagine (while he was the Lord Cromwel's Favourite (in Henry the 8th's time) and promiſed to further the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, as much as his Predeceſſor had hinder'd it) that ever he ſhould prove ſuch a common Cut-throat and General Slaughter-ſlave, (as one, in a Letter to him, ſtiled him) to all the Biſhops of England: And as little did this Hazael think it of himſelf, until Honours chang'd his Manners (which rarely happens for the better) and until Satans temptation and his own (unthought-of) corruption met together to engender all theſe unparallell'd Villanies, when he came to be King.
11. There is a [foreign] or a common Seed-plot of ſin in every man: there wants nothing but the warmth and watering of the Devil's Temptations to make it bud, Ezek. 7.10. Who would ever have ſuſpected ſuch monſters to lurk in ſuch holy boſomes, as Surfeiting and Drunkenneſs, &c. which Chriſt cautions his own Diſciples of, Luke 21. 34. Corruption in the beſt will have ſome out-burſts. Hence bleſſed Paul ſaw cauſe enough (undoubtedly) to admoniſh ſuch a pure ſoul and mortified a man as young Timothy was (being under many Infirmities, 1 Tim. 5. 23.) That he might flee youthful Luſts, 2 Tim. 2. 22. and Exhort the younger women with chaſtity, 1 Tim. 5. 2. Intimating thereby, that while he was exhorting them to Chaſtity, ſome unchaſt motion might ſteal upon his own heart at unawares; well knowing, that the naughty nature in the beſt of fallen Mankinde, will have its flurts and flings out at ſome time or other, through the Devils inſtigations; yea and though there were no Devil to tempt man, yet a baſe heart would ſupply the place of a buſie Devil, and act the Tempters part againſt it ſelf; It would have a ſupply of wickedneſs (as a Serpent hath of poiſon) from it ſelf.
12. Anſw. the third. It may be (likewiſe) that your corruption is in chains, and under reſtraint, as it was with Abimelech, Gen. 20. 6. It was not the King (there) that reſtrained himſelf from offering wrong to beautiful Sarah, but 'tis expreſly ſaid, that it was God who reſtrained him, verſ. 3. 17. either by Sickneſs, whereof he ſhould have died (as God threatned him) had he not reſtored her to her husband without injuring her, or by the reſtraint of a natural Conſcience, which is a gift that God gives to men, yea to the rebellious alſo, that the Lord God might dwell among them, (to wit, in his Worſhip and Ordinances) Pſal. 68. 18. without which Reſtraining Grace, Religion would never be ſuffered (by wicked men) to be in the world, neither could there be upholden any Commonwealth or Society among men without it: hence it appears that the corruption of your heart is but like a Wolf in chains; your naughty nature may be chained up from evil, when it is not changed (yet) into good; notwithſtanding this, you may be but as a tame Devil, or (at leaſt) but as an unclean Hog (onelyonly) in a clean place, where you cannot (with the Swine) wallow in the mire of wickedneſs: but if ever God let you looſe (by giving you the reins of your own unruly corruptions, and by yielding you up to your own vile affections, as Rom. 1. 24, 26.) you will not ſtick at any ſin, but run into all exceſs of riot with others in the world, (as 1 Pet. 4.4.) and be as vile as the vileſt: David felt the tranſgreſſions of the wicked working and ſpeaking (even) in his own heart, Pſal. 36. 1.
13. Anſwer. The 4th Anſw. And whereas you ſay, that you have an honeſt heart, paying each their own; you muſt know, that you may be a good Second-Table-man in Righteouſneſs, while you are but a bad Firſt-Table-man in Holineſs: You may give man his due, yet rob God of his due, Mal. 3. 8. As you muſt not break the Commandments againſt your Creed, (by profeſſing an holy Faith, yet practiſing an unholy Life;) ſo neither may you break one of the Tables (of the Decalogue) againſt the other, by your reſting in a Righteouſneſs to duplicate page duplicate page man only, and (the mean while) rejecting all true and due Holineſs to God; this is not dividing aright for God, which is ſuppoſed to be Cain's ſin in his unreſpected Sacrifice. An honeſt and a good heart will give God his due, as well as Man his.
14. The Third Objection is, A third poor ignorant Soul may ſay thus, (or one and the ſame Soul may make all theſe three Objections) I know not the Characters of a ſelf-deceiving heart, and therefore do I think mine own heart to be an honeſt heart, that cheats me not.
In Anſwer thereunto you muſt know, there be four principal Characters (though many more might be named) of a ſelf-deceiving heart; As 1. a Silent. 2. A Brawny. 3. An Untractble. And 4. an Unſtable or Unconſtant Heart.
(1.) A Silent Heart is always to be ſuſpected for a ſelf-deceiving Heart; the Spirit of Man is an active lively thing, and therefore it is called (in the Hebrew) Ruach, which ſignifies the Wind, (a thing that is always in motion, yea Audible, though not Viſible). Now if this Spirit grow ſenſeleſs, ſtupid, and ſilent (never examining comers in, or goers out of the heart) 'tis become naughty and ſelf-deceiving; this Candle of the Lord in you (as your Spirit is called, Prov. 20. 27.) ſhould examine (as the Sentinel upon the Watch) all comers and goers, crying, (ever and anon) Who comes there? and Who goes there? And as Joſhuah did to the man, Joſh. 5. 13. Who art thou for? Art thou for us, or for our Adverſaries? If your heart be ſilent herein, and ſay nothing in ſuch Chriſtian Examinations, then ſuch a [Traveller] as came to David's heart, 2 Sam. 12. 4. may be welcome to your heart. Mariners do ſay, there be more Ships caſt away in Calms upon Quick-ſands, &c. than in Storms upon Splitting Rocks. If Deſpair (with Saul) hath ſlain its thouſands, ſure I am, Preſumption (with David) hath killed its ten thouſands. If a Spiritual Calm or ſlumber be upon you, then you cannot cry out, Who comes there, &c. The Philiſtims may be upon you, and you know it not.
▪2.) A brawny heart (that hath loſt its Tenderneſs) is a Self-deceiving Heart: Joſiah's heart was tender, 2 King. 22. 19. this pleaſed God well; and ſo was David's, when it ſmote him for cutting off Saul's lap, 1 Sam. 24. 5. But how had he loſt his Tenderneſs, when his heart did not ſmite him for cutting off Uriah's life, &c. One of a tender Conſtitution cannot endure the leaſt cold wind to blow upon him, but muſt have all Windows and Doors cloſe ſhut, to ſecure his tender body: Oh that you were as wiſe for your Soul (as he is for his Body) in ſhutting all cloſe, that not the leaſt cold Air of ſin may come unto it: If your heart be not ever ſuggeſting duty, or humbling for neglect, it deceives you.
15. (3.) An untractable heart, (ſuch as will not be handled, nor come to hand in a parley) is a ſelf-deceiving heart: David bids you commune with your own heart, Pſal. 4. 4. and you ſhould call your faithleſs heart to a faithful account duely and daily, and you ſhould view your works every-day, (as the Lord your God did his, all the ſix days of the Creation, Gen. 1.) and happy is that Soul that finds them good, (though not (very) good, as God did his works) in a ſerious Self-Reflection; but if your heart fly from you, and will not commune with you, ſaying, Oh what have I done? Jerem. 8. 6. 'tis a ſelf-deceiving heart. David pray'd, Lord incline and unite my untractable heart; your windows ſhould be as thoſe of the Temple, 1 Kin. 6. 4. broad inward, to give more light inwardly. (4.) An unſtable heart is a ſelf-deceiving heart, if it will not ſtand at the mark till your parley (with it) be brought to ſome bleſſed iſſue, Jam. 1. 8. halting betwixt two; and is as much for Baal as for God, as much for ſin as for Chriſt, ſo is but (with Agrippa) almoſt a Chriſtian: this half-parlying (in ſelf-tryal) undoes thouſands, whoſe hearts are unſtable in it; 'tis the work of the Spirit to binde the heart, (as Pſal. 118. 27.) and to convince throughly of the ſtate either of ſin or grace: without this, your heart will ſlip you in ſelf-examination, which is as the rubbing of your eyes to ſee better where you are, and what you are doing.