An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

First, Herein the heart of a good man doth deceive him, in that he is ready to ¹give such advise to others sometimes, which he may apprehend is of God, and yet it ariseth from humane persuasion only. Those that are godly are constantly and judiciously to examine, what is humane, and what is divine in them; what cometh from God, and what from their own spirits. Sad and miserable have the deceits of many been in this case. No wonder it may be so with a godly man. For it hath sometimes fared thus with those, who besides the spirit of sanctification, have also been endowed with prophetical illumination. Nathan, 1 Chron. 17. 2. bid David do all that was in his heart, when he purposed to ⟨p. 294⟩build an house to God; but we see afterwards God did forbid it. It is true, there were in the Old Testament false prophets, who did wittingly and willingly sin, pretending they had a word from God, when it was only a lying spirit in them; but of such we speak not. Yea we read of a true Prophet of the Lord, yet pretending a word from God, when he did wilfully dissemble all that while, 1 King. 13. 18. For when a Prophet had command from God not to eat or drink in his journey; This other Prophet persuadeth him to eat, saying, An Angel of God spake to him for that purpose. Here was a great temptation to the former Prophet to eat; it could not but work some scruples in him. So that from this instance Divines do argue, That it is lawful for a man to go against scruples. But because the Prophet did not, but was persuaded against Gods former command, therefore he was severely punished. But this instance is not fully to my purpose; only from that example we may see, That the corruption in man inclineth him to make pretences from God to get the more credit. Even as in Paul's time, some pretended the Spirit and Revelations about the day of judgement. But the example of Nathan is wholly to our purpose; and therefore all that fear God, are to pray for an exact judgement, to discern between things that differ, and that more in our selves than others. For such is our self-love that we are difficultly brought to know the truth: As a sensible object put immediately upon the sense, hindereth it in its operations. We see Paul very imitable in this thing,