Consolation to faithful men, though not void of infirmities, against Use. 1 the temptations of Satan, the calumniations of wicked men & the fears of their own harts. None are so much accused of con tempt ⟨p. 81⟩against God, as they which are most religious, in his service: none are so much burdened with imputations of hypocrisy, as they which are most upright in their harts. The devil in his malice, because he seeth their tender consciences easily affrighted doth labour to persuade them that there is nothing in them but fraud, & falsehood. Sinful men when they can charge them with no misdemeanours not lewdness of life, take upon them Gods office to be come judges of the heart, exclaiming that they are hypocrites, and dissemblers, yet proceed contrary to Gods justice, condemning those of hypocrisy and dissimulation: whom he doth commend for truth and sincerity. And many doubts arise in their own souls by reason of the manifold imperfections of their lives. They feel want of knowledge in their minds, and disorder in their affections: they are privy to them selves of duties neglected, or negligently performed: they find a guiltiness in regard of sundry sins committed, and of divers not soundly avoided: they see still in their nature a proneness to pride, and many vanities, but no aptness to that which is good and needful to be exercised. All these things trouble their harts, & make them very suspicious of themselves, least all their piety be nothing but an outward profession, and all their former comforts but merely illusions. But are they desirous unpartialie to keep every commandment, if there power were answerable to their will? Do they endeavour truly to please God, although they cannot do it perfectly? Are they of the mending hand, to yield more obedience to the commandments of God, though they cannot fulfil them Then there is no cause of discomfort: then they are upright in their ways, and walk in the law of the Lord: then God testifieth of them here that they are of the number of those that fear him: and else where he testifieth of all those which fear him that they are blessed. True happiness is appropriated to them, that none but they can be partakers of it, and none of them but have a portion in it.
Consolation to faithfull men, though not void of infirmities, against Vse. 1 the temptations of Sathā, the calumniations of wicked mē & the feares of their own harts. None are so much accused of cō tempt ⟨p. 81⟩against God, as they which are most religious, in his seruice: none are so much burdened with imputations of hypocrisie, as they which are most vpright in their harts. The deuil in his malice, because he seeth their tēder cōsciēces easily affrighted doth labour to perswade thē that there is nothing in thē but fraud, & falshood. Sinfull men when they can charge them with no misdemeanors not lewdnes of life, take vpon them Gods office to be come iudges of the heart, exclayming that they are hypocrites, and dissemblers, yet proceede contrary to Gods iustice, condemning those of hypocrisie and dissimulation: whome he doth commend for truth and sincerity. And many doubts arise in theire owne soules by reason of the manifold imperfections of theire liues. They feele want of knowledge in their minds, and disorder in their affections: they are priuy to them selues of duties neglected, or negligently performed: they finde a guiltines in regard of sundry sinnes committed, and of diuers not soundly auoided: they see still in their nature a pronenes to pride, and many vanities, but no aptnes to that which is good and needefull to be exercised. All these things trouble their harts, & make them very suspicious of themselues, least all their piety bee nothing but an outward profession, and all their former comforts but meerly illusions. But are they desirous vnpartialie to keepe euery commaundement, if there power were answerable to their will? Doe they indeauour truely to please God, although they cannot do it perfectly? Are they of the mending hand, to yeeld more obediēce to the commandements of God, though they cannot fulfill them Then there is no cause of discomfort: then they are vpright in their waies, and walke in the law of the Lord: then God testifieth of them here that they are of the number of those that feare him: and else where he testifieth of all those which feare him that they are blessed. True happinesse is appropriated to them, that none but they can be pertakers of it, and none of them but haue a portion in it.
