A plain and familiar exposition of the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of the Proverbs…A plaine and familiar exposition of the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of the Prouerbs…

Thirdly God himself doth judge & reward every one according to his works, and therefore the works are correspondent to §3the heart, and the heart to the regenerate, or unregenerate estate of the man, I the Lord, saith he by the prophet, search the heart, & ¹try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his works.

Thirdly God himselfe doth iudge & reward euery one according to his works, and therfore the works are correspondent to §3the heart, and the heart to the regenerate, or vnregenerate estate of the man, I the Lord, saith he by the prophet, search the heart, & ¹try the raines, euen to giue euery man according to his waies, and according to the fruite of his workes.

1. 1Jere, 17, 10.Iere, 17, 10.

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.