Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

What man is there who will not in profession be ready to spit at the name of Satan, and to defy him and the works of his Kingdom: and yet what man is there in whose bosom Satan hath not a Council-table, a troupe of statists, by whom he worketh effectually the designs of his own Kingdom? The more time any man will spend to make himself acquainted with himself, the more light of Gods Law he will set up in his heart, the more he will beg of God to reveal the secrets of his evil nature unto him, to make him see that abundance of the hart, That treasure of the hart, that Hell of the heart, that panoply and magazine of sin and temptation which is there; the more with the prodigal he comes unto himself, and views that evil heart, that bitter root which is in him: Certainly the more confusion and silence, and abhorrency, & condemnation will there be of himself, the more adoration of that boundless mercy, of that bottomless purity, which is able to pierce into every corner of so unsearchable a thing, able to cleanse every hole and dungeon, and to enlarge it into a fit receptacle for the Prince of glory. Notable to this purpose is that place of S. Paul; If all prophesy, and there come in an unbeliever ¹or unlearned man, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his hart made manifest, and so falling down on his face he will worship God. As soon as a man is convinced and Judged out of the word, and hath the secret filthiness of his heart laid open before ⟨p. 163⟩him, hath his Conscience cut open, and unridg'd by that sacrificing sword, which is a discerner of the very intents of ²the heart; he presently falls down upon his face in the acknowledgement of his own unworthiness, and acknowledgeth all worship to be due to that most patient and merciful God, that had all the former days of his ignorance endured such an unclean vessel, which was from the very womb fitted for wrath, and now at last revealed his Gospel of salvation, opened the bowels of Christ for a sanctuary and refuge against all that vengeance that attendeth, and against all those spiritual enemies which did hunt his soul.

What man is there who will not in profession be ready to spit at the name of Satan, and to defie him and the workes of his Kingdome: and yet what man is there in whose bosome Satan hath not a Counsell-table, a troupe of statists, by whom hee worketh effectually the designes of his owne Kingdome? The more time any man will spend to make himselfe acquainted with himselfe, the more light of Gods Law hee will set up in his heart, the more he will begge of God to reveale the secrets of his evill nature unto him, to make him see that abundance of the hart, That treasure of the hart, that Hell of the heart, that panoplie and magasin of sinne and temptation which is there; the more with the prodigall hee comes unto himselfe, and views that evill heart, that bitter roote which is in him: Certainely the more confusion and silence, and abhorrencie, & condemnation will there be of himself, the more adoration of that boundlesse mercie, of that bottomles puritie, which is able to pierce into every corner of so unsearchable a thing, able to clense every hole and dungeon, and to enlarge it into a fit receptacle for the Prince of glory. Notable to this purpose is that place of S. Paul; If all prophesie, and there come in an unbeleever