A30242:958
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…
The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgess ...The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole third chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is annexed The godly and the natural mans choice, upon Psal. 4, vers. 6, 7, 8 / by Anthony Burgesse ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for T.U., 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First, All the secret and hidden thoughts, affections and purposes of the heart, God will one day make manifest to the whole world. The heart of a man that is the womb, wherein all those serpentine and venomous lusts of mens hearts are begotten ⟨p. 166⟩and bedded, and for want of a Summers warm day, these snakes many times do not creep out. Men do not accomplish the wickedness of their hearts, because they want opportunities, for shame, or fear of men: but God hath a time, when all that heart-malice, heart-adultery, heart-murder, shall no longer be kept close. So in that place mentioned, He will make manifest the counsels of the hearts, 2 Cor 5.10. That as there are a world of flies and motes in the air, which we never see, till the Sun-beams arise; so there are thousands and thousands of proud, unclean, covetous and malicious thoughts and purposes lodging in mens hearts, which the world never knows, but God will one day have Heaven and Earth take notice of them. Oh then, what a curb should this be to thy heart, to thy thoughts? Thou thinkest they are free, you may think what you will: No, God will manifest and judge thee for these things. Good Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, 2 Chron. 22.23. It's the property of a godly man, though he commit no outward wickedness, yet to mourn and humble himself for his secret thoughts. Oh what a beast, what a Devil was I for thinking so? What if God should discover those imaginations to all the world? When Gehez• had taken gifts of Naaman, Elisha discovering it, rebukes him sharply, saying, Is this a time to buy fields and orchards? 2 King 5.26. Why saith he thus to Gehezi? Because it was in Gehezi's thought and purpose to enrich himself. And Christ doth often reprove the Pharisees for their wicked thoughts they had, when yet they did not manifest them. Oh then, remember your thoughts are the first-born of your soul, and your soul is much as they are, they shall no• always be hid! Every mans breast shall be according to that mans wish, to have a glass there that all may see and read what is therein.
First, All the secret and hidden thoughts, affections and purposes of the heart, God will one day make manifest to the whole world. The heart of a man that is the womb, wherein all those serpentine and venemous lusts of mens hearts are begotten ⟨p. 166⟩