§. 18. Others think it rather taken from the usual practice of Chapmen in the view and choice of their wares. A wise and wary Chapman that hath to do with a deceitful Merchant, Draper, or other, one that keepeth his wares in obscure places where the defects of them cannot so easily be discerned, or hath false lights that may help to give a counterfeit gloss to them, he will take no ware of him upon his word, but he will first diligently view it, toss it and turn it to and fro over and over, try how it is in the middest as well as at both ends, bring it forth into the light, hold up his cloth against the sun, see if he can espy any defect or default in it; he knoweth well he may easily else be over-reached. The like should be our practice, because our case is alike. We have to deal daily with divers crafty Merchants,r by whom we are sure to be oft cozened, be we never so careful, and can never therefore take heed enough how we deal with them. There is first the Devil, for his slyness and subtlety termeds a Serpent, for his experience and antiquity styled an told Serpent: one that,u like a deceitful Draper (saith one,) to draw men on unto sin, showeth them the present pleasure or profit of sin as the one end of the cloth, but concealeth and keepeth out of sight the middle and the other end of it in the internal remorse here, and the eternal punishment hereafter. Then there is the world, which our selves are wont to say is wholly set upon deceit, and the Spirit of God saithx is wholly set upon sin: of whom we may well say as one sometime of an Historian,y Both the words and the shows of it are all full of fraud. Yea there is lastly our own Heart as fraudulent and deceitful as any of them. For,z The heart of man, saith Jeremiah, is wicked and deceitful above all things: who can know it? So deceitful, that oft-timesa it deceiveth a mans own self, and so consequentlyb it self. Having to deal then with such crafty ones, we had need to be exceeding wary, that they take nothing up from them, that they shall offer to obtrude on us, either by outward persuasion, or inward suggestion, or otherwise, especially where there shall be some good ground and just cause of suspicion, until we have turned it every way, and tried it by the light of Gods Law,c examined both ends, weighed well every circumstance, and searched every corner of it;
§. 18. Others thinke it rather taken from the usuall practice of Chapmen in the view and choice of their wares. A wise and wary Chapman that hath to doe with a deceitfull Merchant, Draper, or other, one that keepeth his wares in obscure places where the defects of them cannot so easily be discerned, or hath false lights that may helpe to give a counterfeit glosse to them, hee will take no ware of him upon his word, but hee will first diligently view it, tosse it and turne it to and fro over and over, try how it is in the middest as well as at both ends, bring it forth into the light, hold up his cloth against the sunne, see if hee can espie any defect or default in it; hee knoweth well he may easily else be over-reached. The like should be our practice, because our case is alike. We have to deale dayly with divers craftie Merchants,r by whom we are sure to be oft cozened, be wee never so carefull, and can never therefore take heed enough how wee deale with them. There is first the Devill, for his slinesse and subtiltie tearmeds a Serpent, for his experience and antiquity stiled an told Serpent: one that,u like a deceitfull Draper (saith one,) to draw men on unto sinne, sheweth them the present pleasure or profit of sinne as the one end of the cloth, but concealeth and keepeth out of sight the middle and the other end of it in the internall remorse here, and the eternall punishment hereafter. Then there is the world, which our selves are wont to say is wholly set upon deceit, and the Spirit of God saithx is wholly set upon sinne: of whom wee may well say as one sometime of an Historian,y Both the words and the shewes of it are all full of fraud. Yea there is lastly our owne Heart as fraudulent and deceitfull as any of them. For,z The heart of man, saith Ieremie, is wicked and deceitfull above all things: who can know it? So deceitfull, that oft-timesa it deceiveth a mans owne selfe, and so consequentlyb it selfe. Having to deale then with such crafty ones, wee had need to be exceeding warie, that they take nothing up from them, that they shall offer to obtrude on us, either by outward perswasion, or inward suggestion, or otherwise, especially where there shall be some good ground and just cause of suspition, untill wee have turned it every way, and tryed it by the light of Gods Law,
- rQui cavet ne decipiatur, vix cavet, quum etiam cavet: Etiam quum cavisse ratus est, saepe is cautor captus est. Plaut. Capt. 2. 2.
- sGenes. 3.1. 2 Cor. 11.3.
- tApoc. 12.9.
- uSicut Mercator de falso panno non ostendit emptori medium neque finem, sed caput tantum: sic Diabolus qui est mercator peccati, ostendit fatuo peccatori solum caput panni, i. delectationem culpae, non medium, i, remorsum conscientiae, vel finem, i. poenam gehennae. Bonavent. diaeta salut. c. 2.
- x1 Joh. 5.19. [Greek or Hebrew].1 Ioh. 5.19. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- y[Greek or Hebrew]. Plutarch. de Herodote.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plutarch. de Herodote.
- zJerem. 17.9.Ierem. 17.9.
- aGalat. 6.3.
- bJam. 1.26. Read Dike of Self-deceit.Iam. 1.26. Read Dike of Self-deceit.
- cGalat. 6.4. [Greek or Hebrew].
