The saints delight. To which is annexed a treatise of meditation

Use. Use. Do not content your selves with the Negative part of Religion; ^*many build their hopes for heaven upon this cracked foundation, they are given to no vice, none can charge them with any foul miscarriages, and these are their letters of credence to show; to such persons I say three things.

Use. Use. Do not content your selves with the Negative part of Religion; ^*many build their hopes for heaven upon this crack'd foundation, they are given to no vice, none can charge them with any foule miscarriages, and these are their letters of credence to shew; to such persons I say three things.

1. *Virtutis est magis hovesta agere quàm non turpia.Virtutis est magis houesta agere quàm non turpia.

1. You may not be outwardly bad, and yet not inwardly good. You may be as far from grace as from vice; though none can say, black is your eye, yet, our soul may be dyed black. Though your hands be not working iniquity, your heads may be plotting it. Though you do not hang out your bush, yet you may secretly vent your commodity: a tree may be full of vermin, yet the fair leaves may cover them that they ⟨p. 7⟩are not seen; so the fair leaves of civility may hide you from the eye of man, but God sees the vermin of pride, unbelief, covetousness in your heart: Ye are they (saith Christ) that justify your selves before men, but God knows your hearts, Luke 16.15. a man may not be morally evil, yet not spiritually good. He may be free from gross enormity, yet full of secret enmity against God; like the snake, which though it be of a fine colour, yet hath its sting.