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…

The understanding, or Dianoeticall faculty is the seat of Conclusions, and that is unable to deduce from spiritual principles (if there were any in their minds) such sound and divine conclusions as they are apt to beget: so though they know God (which is a Principle) yet this Principle was vain in them, for they conceived of his glory basely, by the similitude of four footed beasts, and creeping things, they conceived him an idle God as the Epicures, or a God subject to fate and necessity as the Stoics, or a sinful impu•e God, that by his example made uncleannesses religious, as Saint Cyprian speaks; one way or other they became vain in their imaginations of him; but secondly though they ⟨p. 183⟩knew him, yet the conclusions which they deduced from that Principle, That he was to be worshipped, &c. were utterly unworthy his majesty, They worshipped him ignorantly, ¹superstitiously, not as became God, they changed ²his truth into a lye. Thirdly, suppose their principles to be found, their Conclusions from those principles to be natural and proper, yet all this is but speculation, they still are without the end of all this, spiritual prudence, their hearts were blinded, the heart is the Seat of knowledge practical, that by the Principles of the mind and the Conclusions of the understanding doth regulate and measure the Conversation, but that was unable, yea averse from any such knowledge, for they held the truth ³of God in unrighteousness, they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, they served the lusts of their own hearts, were given up to vile affections, were filled with all unrighteousness, and had pleasure in evil workers, even when they did things which they knew deserved death, and provoked judgement. This is that universal defect which is in us by nature; and very much of this remains in the best of us. Here then when we are not able to conceive the Lords purpose in his word, though of it self it be all light, when we find with David that it is too excellent for us, let us learn to bewail that evil concupiscence of our nature, which still fills our understandings with mists, and puts a veil before our faces. The whole Book of God is a precious Mine full of unsearchable