Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Again, consider the great mercy of God in concealing the secret sins of your thoughts: there are none, let them be never so innocent in the world, yet there is so much filth and baseness within the heart, that if God should but turn the inside outward, and discover all to the world, certainly it would make them ashamed of the society of men, make them ashamed to come into the Congregation; what confusion, and what matter of reproach would there be then? Now, seeing God in his goodness favours his people so far, as he keeps in much secret evil that he could discover before the world: if he should withdraw himself a little from you, he could let you fall into such sins, as your secret sins should be discovered; but God favours your names, so as that he hath kept ⟨p. 383⟩in that secret evil that you have had secret inclinations unto; now the consideration of Gods goodness in tendering you so far, may very well quiet your hearts when you begin to be troubled for every reproach that is cast upon you: Now I see my adversaries are fain to watch and search, and pry for occasion of reproach, God might have given them matter enough, and therefore its mercy they have such little matter as they have. It is a great work of nature to keep the filth of the body when it is in a man from being unsavoury unto others; so the filth of the soul, though it be unsavoury to God, yet it is Gods mercy that keeps it from that unsavouriness that it might be to men.

Again, consider the great mercy of God in concealing the secret sins of your thoughts: there are none, let them be never so innocent in the world, yet there is so much filth and baseness within the heart, that if God should but turn the inside outward, and discover all to the world, certainly it would make them ashamed of the society of men, make them ashamed to come into the Congregation; what confusion, and what matter of reproach would there be then? Now, seeing God in his goodness favors his people so far, as he keeps in much secret evil that he could discover before the world: if he should withdraw himself a little from you, he could let you fall into such sins, as your secret sins should be discovered; but God favors your names, so as that he hath kept ⟨p. 383⟩in that secret evil that you have had secret inclinations unto; now the consideration of Gods goodness in tendring you so far, may very well quiet your hearts when you begin to be troubled for every reproach that is cast upon you: Now I see my adversaries are fain to watch and search, and pry for occasion of reproach, God might have given them matter enough, and therefore its mercy they have such little matter as they have. It is a great work of nature to keep the filth of the body when it is in a man from being unsavory unto others; so the filth of the soul, though it be unsavory to God, yet it is Gods mercy that keeps it from that unsavoriness that it might be to men.