Gods husbandry

This is the first and hardest piece of this business, of which it may be said, that he hath half ended which hath well begun, and without which it shall be impossible ever to make any good and ⟨p. 41⟩fruitful end in this matter. For though the gross Hypocrite knows himself but to dissemble, yet (such is the winding deceit of this vice, and so true is it that Solomon hath said, The counsels of the wicked are deceit,) that he will not be known to himself, of that which he doth know. For when I say, he must confess it, I mean not that he must in a fit bare lye say so, or being forced by the power of his conscience cry out, that so it is; but he must be willing, though against the hair, and the heart too, to mind himself of it, to consider it seriously, to set the point down certainly within himself, and to affirm against himself freely in his own soul, in secret, at the bar of his own conscience: Ah, I am an Hypocrite, a Pharisee, a dissembler, a dry branch. An inward, hearty, secret, plain, free acknowledgement of ones guile, grounded upon diligent enquiry, sound search, due conviction, & plain evidence, is the first thing that must be done for the reforming of hypocrisy, without which it is not possible to get the better of it. A man must set himself with all seriousness, as in a matter of the greatest importance in the world, even that whereupon his eternal estate doth depend, to find out his own falsehood; and having with some pains of seeking, perceived such and such notes of over-ruling deceitfulness within him, must set down and cast out all self-loving, and self-flattering fancies of former times, (whereby he was better persuaded of himself, or at least did put off the thought & remembrance of this ⟨p. 42⟩matter) and say unto himself, Ah, now I have met with this cozening deceiver Hypocrisy, which hath all this while beguiled me, and tyrannized over me, unseen and undiscerned. Now I see by my carelessness of pondering on Gods Word, which I hear and speak of, and yet not condemning my self for such negligence: Now I see by mine uncontrolled censuring of others, now I see, by my letting evil thoughts and secret sins pass away without lamenting;

This is the first and hardest piece of this businesse, of which it may be said, that hee hath halfe ended which hath well begun, and without which it shall be impossible euer to make any good and ⟨p. 41⟩