triall of this thought in our selues Whosoeuer denieth the presence of God denieth God Now let the conscience answer whether we be not afraid to sinne in the presence of many mortall men and yet in the presence of God doe make no bones thereof so the eies of men be turned from vs. Now what is this but either flatly to denie the presence of God or at least to yeeld more feare and reuerence to men then we doe vnto God Againe what is the cause why men vse oppression and iniustice deceit and lying in their wordly affaires Is it not because this thought of Atheisme doth possesse their hearts that God regardeth not these outward things Durst men directly sinne against God in seeking these outward blessings for naturall life if they did rightly relie vpon Gods prouidence knowing euery good gift to come from his bountifull hand Lastly let the conscience speake doth not thy heart while thou goest on in sinne say thus vnto thee God is mercifull I will heareafter repent and so shall I escape punishment If a man doe well obserue his owne heart he shall finde therin this vile thought which directly ouerturns the infinite iustice of God making him a God all of mercie when as indeede he is as well a God of Iustice as of mercie By all which it is more then euident that naturally this vile thought runnes in mans heart There is no God Vse Hereby then we must learne to see what vile miserable and wretched sinners we are in our selues though we had no actuall outward sinnes yet this damnable thought maketh vs accursed If a man curse the king in his heart the sinne is so great and heinous that the foules of heauen shall disclose it How horrible then is this sinn for a man in his thought to curse God the king of kings and Lord of Lords This therefore must humble vs in our selues before the Lord. Againe hereby we must be admonished to vse all good meanes whereby wee may come to see and know not onely the grosse actuall sinnes of our liues but especially this damnable thought of our hearts few there be that doe see it and therefore we must be earnest with our selues in searching our owne hearts to find out this and such like abhominations that bee in vs. And thus much for the first euill thought Sect. 2. Of this thought The word of God is foolishnes The second damnable thought of mans naturall heart concerning God is this The word of God is foolishnesse This thought must principally be vnderstood of the Gospel as S. Paul declareth saying It hath pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue where hee calleth the Gospell of Christ foolishnes not that it was so indeede but because the vnconuerted Corinthians and other Grecians iudged the preaching of Christ crucified the most foolish thing in all the world And in the next chapter he saith The naturall man that is he that is not effectually called perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God to wit that a man must repent of his sinnes and beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them if he would be saued they are foolishnes vnto him Nicodemus answer to Christ maketh this plaine Ioh. 3. 4. esteeming regeneration without which Christ said no man could enter into the kingdome of heauen to be a mans returne into his mothers wombe and a birth from thence againe This wicked thought must be vnderstood of the lawe of God also the heart of man by nature iudgeth the threatnings of the lawe to be vntruthes and so foolishnesse hence the Lord by Moses forbad the people when they heard the threatnings and curses of the law denounced against them To blesse themselues in their hearts saying Wee shall haue peace herevpon he denounceth a woe to them that deride his iudgements threatned and say Let him make speede let him hasten his worke that wee may see it c. As if they should say wee doe not beleeue that any such things shall come to passe like to the mockers of whome Peter prophecieth who walk after their lusts and say Where i◠the promise of his comming Now that this is a most damnable thought may appeare by the cursed fruits therof for first hence ariseth that deuilish and carnall opinion of sundrie men that thinke and hold religion to be but humane policie to keepe men in awe and so vse it as a politicke devise to exercise mens braines to keepe them from sedition trecherie and rebellion Secondly hence springs all Apostacie and departing from the faith The Galathians were a worthie Church planted by the apostle Paul yet euen in his time they began to fall away to another Gospell which made him to maruel and the reason was this they were not contented with that simplicitie which is in Christ but would ioyne with him the obseruation of legall ceremonies The like we may say of those famous Easterne Churches as those seauen Churches of Asia planted by the apostles wherin the truth flourished for a while but not long after the Apostles times they fell into many damnable heresies as Arrianisme such like Yea about six hundred yeares after Christ they embraced the damnable religion of Mahomet In the West partes also were worthie and famous Churches planted by the Apostles and their successors as in Italie France Germanie Spaine England who about the same time of 6. hūdred yeares after Christ fell to Papisme which spread it selfe ouer all Europe and further some few Churches of Greece excepted In which religion men abandon the Gospel of Christ and betake themselues to another Gospell by adioyning to the truth of Christ their owne deuises And this Papisme hath raigned euer since till now of late so hath Apostacie taken place in those Churches which the Apostles planted The cause whereof was in the wicked and sinnefull heart of man iudging the gospell foolishnes whereupon men were contented to yeilde themselues to any other religion rather then to that simplicitie of truth which is in Christ Iesus We now in England by Gods speciall mercie hold and teach the word of God but if God should alter our religion with the times the greatest part of men among vs would forsake the truth and cleaue to any other religion and that only vpon this ground because they iudge the Gospell foolishnes Let any man among vs broach an error or heresie it shall haue patrones at the first be it neuer so vile and absurd protectors afterward When that brutish heresie of the familie of loue tooke shipping in Germanie and ariued in England though it bee an opinion voyde of common sense yet it had applause amongst vs and was receiued of many and would haue spredde it selfe further if the preaching of the word with the care of the Magistrate had not suppressed it And the reason heereof is this mans minde by nature is full of
darknes he cannot without Gods speciall grace perceiue the things of God and so he iudgeth the gospell foolishnes and embraceth error rather then the truth yea loueth darknesse rather then the light because his deedes are euill Ioh. 3. 19. For the examination of our hearts touching this badde thought After due triall wee shall finde that the mindes of most among vs are possessed herewith for we are indeede content to come into the assemblies where God is worshipped and we doe submit our selues to the ministerie of the worde to bee taught and instructed Therein wee haue our owne personal sinnes displaid and reprooued and withall very fearefull and terrible curses of the lawe denounced against vs for the same both iudgmentes in this life iudgements in death and also iudgements eternall after this life Nowe let the conscience answere what is the cause when wee heare these things that wee be not mooued why are not our hearts touched with greefe and sadnesse when wee heare Gods iudgments due vnto vs for our sins daylie denounced against vs Some indeed there bee whose hearts tremble at the worde but small is that number If a man runne thorough the streets and crie fire fire our hearts are suddenly stroken with great feare but the minister of god may stand and crie fire fire the fyre of hell which is kindled by the breath of the Lord like a riuer of Brimstone as the Prophet speaketh and yet mens hearts are nothing mooued what is the cause that we should bee so affected with the burning of an old house by temporall fyre and be not affraid at the voyce of God which proclameth vnto vs eternall burning with the fire of Gods wrath Surely the cause is this our hearts are forestalled with this false imagination that the curses of the lawe are foolishnes and that there bee no such torments as the world denounceth It will not sinke into the heart of a naturall man that his sinnes are so heinous and Gods iudgements so terrible against them as the worde maketh them And till such time as this damnable thought be taken away mens hearts will neuer bee touched with the threatnings of the law this is a barre to stoppe the way to all such passions as the lavve would worke Againe when the minister of God speaketh of the pardon of sinne and of eternall life by Christ who hath his heart melting for ioy in regard of this saluation Though men be daily taught the doctrine of saluation yet who learneth the same Though men bee called vpon to come into the kingdome of heauen yet fewe striue to enter in though wee bee daily exhorted to repent yet fewe turne to the Lord all which bee branches of the Gospell but men beleeue them not because their hearts bee filled with this damnable thought The Gospell of Christ is foolishnes When the Israelites were restored from captiuitie in Babilon it was as a dreame vnto them nowe if that temporall deliuerance seemed a dreame what a dreame will this spiritual deliuerance from the captiuitie of hell death to the libertie of the sonnes of GOD in grace and glorie seeme to be And indeede to a naturall man it seemes foolishnes that God should become man and that Christ by death should free men from death and by suffering the curse of the lawe should take away the same from vs and by his righteousnesse should iustifie vs vnto life all which notwithstanding be points of the Gospell This also is the cause why after long teaching there is little turning or faithfull obedience yeelded vnto the Gospel neither will it be better with men while this euill thought abideth in them Vse 1. If this bee a truth that euery naturall man thinketh the word of God to be foolishnes then wee must learne this lesson of the Apostle Hee that seemes to bee wise in this world must become a foole that he may be wise that is he must reiect his owne naturall reason and stoppe vp the eyes of his naturall minde like a blinde man and suffer himselfe wholly to bee guided by Gods spirite in the thinges of God that thereby he may bee made wise vnto saluation Secondly we must heereby learne to make earnest praier vnto God for the opening of our eyes that we may bee able to vnderstand the Gospell of Christ and know the right meaning of that word of saluation for of our selues wee can neuer vnderstand it vnlesse the Lord instruct vs by his spirit No man commeth vnto me saith Christ that is beleeueth except it bee giuen him of my father But euery one that hath heard and learned of the father commeth vnto mee Thus much of this second euill thought Sect. 3. Of this thought I will not obey Gods word From the former ariseth an other most vile thought in the heart of euery naturall man as a branch of the same namely because the word of God is foolishnes therefore I will not performe obedience thereunto That this is the naturall thought of man Iob teacheth plainely for he bringeth in the wicked that is euery sinner saying thus to God Depart from vs wee will not the knowledge of thy waies This the wicked man saith not with his mouth for none is so farre past all shame that dares thus blasphemously speake against God but thus hee saith in his heart his affections speake it when he purposed with himselfe to cast off the yoake of God and to liue after his owne lusts and therefore they say further Who is the Almightie that wee should serue him as if one should say It is a disgrace to mee to abase my selfe to serue God I will not doe it The Prophet Ieremie bringeth in the Lord saying thus to his people Stand in the waies and behold and aske for the Old way which is the good way and walke therein and yee shall find rest for your soules but in the same place the Iewes answer We will not walke in thy waies Shall wee thinke that they durst thus impudently answer the Lord with open mouthes No surely But the Prophet in these wordes setteth downe the purpose of their hearts who hardned the same obstinately against the word when they were exhorted to repentance and obedience before the Lord. Our Sauiour Christ compareth himselfe to a noble man that goeth into a farre countrey now when he is gone the citizens of his countrey send messengers after him to tell him that they will not haue him to raigne ouer them Which though it be properly to be vnderstood of the nation of the Iewes who did indeede say so to our Sauiour Christ yet it may also be extended to all impenitent sinners who say in their hearts Christ shall not raigne over vs for so long as a man is vncalled he carrieth a purpose to liue in sinne some in this sinne and some in that and so doing saith in his heart God shall not bee my God I will not
submit my selfe vnto his lawes Christ shall not raigne ouer me This is plaine and manifest by mens behauiour when they are reprooued for their sinnes Tell the couetous man of his auarice the swearer of his blasphemy the druÌ„kard of his drunkennes c. will he humble himselfe in conscience of his sinn Nothing lesse but his heart will swell against thee as his furie and impatience will soone be wray and the reason is because he neuer thinketh of his owne estate how by creatioÌ„ he oweth homage vnto God as to his creator for his purpose is to goe on in sinne and when he is reprooued for the same his desire is crossed which he can not abide and therefore rageth shewing thereby manifestly that in his heart hee saith he will not obey Gods commandements For the examination of our hearts touching this thought whether did we euer thinke thus with our selues I will not obey Gods commandements Doubtles euery man wil answer for himselfe that he abhors this thought And yet after iust triall it will appeare that generally this thought is rife among vs for though we heare the word and receiue the Sacraments the pledges of our saluation and will be counted the meÌ„bers of Christ yet what 's the cause that there is so little knowledge of God and obedience to his word And why doe men in their callings shew forth so small loue so little mercie iustice and good conscience The truth is that though some haue these things in them in some measute yet the bodie of our people is generally void of these good vertues and fruits of the spirit he that hath but halfe an eye may see it for where is that religious keeping of the Sabboth that should be where is that serious performing of worship vnto God which ought to be All which argue that the heart is corrupt and deceiueable and saith indeed to God I will not obey thy word Lord depart from me What man almost is there that saith with himselfe Oh miserable man what haue I done The Vse By this wicked imagination we may see how hard a thing it is truly and soundly to conuert a sinner vnto God and how easily a man may deceiue his owne soule and beguile the world by hypocrisie for a man by long exercise in the word may haue a great measure of knowledge and withall good wit and memorie and with them vtterance and by a common gift of the spirit be ableâ—e we mustâ— word truly and to conceiue prayer to good purpose and withall haue a cankred heart towards God poisoned with this damnable thought I will not obey the word of God for euery man that hath inwardly in him a purpose to liue though but in one sinne his heart is not vpright with God neither be Gods graces as faith and repentance sound in his heart for true repentance is a purpose and resolution to leaue all sinne and to please God in all things Sect. 4. Of this thought It is a vaine thing to worship God The third wicked imagination of maâ—â— heart concerning 〈…〉 thing to worship God This Iob sheweth to be true bringing in the wicked man saying what profit shall I haue if I pray vnto God we must not thinke that hee said thus with his mouth but in his heart And the prophet Malachie bringeth in the Iewes saying It is a vaine thing to serue God and what profit is it that wee haue kept his commandement that we walked humbly before the Lord of hostes Yea righteous Dauid a man after Gods owne heart was ouertaken with this euill thought when he said certenly I haue cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in Innocencie whereby it is plaine that this is a naturall evill thought in every man Yet here we must remember that this evill thought comes not into the mind of man at all times but onely at such time when occasioÌ„ is offered as namely when a man is called on to the seruice of God which vpon some occasion he is desirous to omitte Then will his mind range about for libertie from Gods seruice and so will he bethink himselfe of the wicked mans estate who neuer serued god and yet is in better case outwardly then the godly man is And herevpon hee begins to say in his heart doutbles It is a vaine thing to serue God For the examination of our hearts touching this thought after iust triall it will be found among vs as the state of all sorts of families will declare Among the poorer sort you shall see men labour from morning to Evening and take great paines to prouide for the world but in the meane time where is the worship and seruice of God where is prayer and thanksgiuing morning and euenning Surely it is neglected the reason is because they thinke thus in their heart so that I may haue prouision for the world it is no matter whether I serue God or not Come to the rich mans house there you shal see them spend their time in eating drinking gaming and such delightes but the worship of God is not regarded for thus they thinke with themselues If they may haue their pleasure all is well Come reason with ordinary men and exhort them to vse the meanes of saluation and shew forth loue vnto religion sincerely Their answer is they will doe as they haue done and as their forefathers did before them they trust their soules are as good to God-ward as the best And for ought they see none are worser then those that haue so much preaching and therfore they hope to bee saued though they doe not follow it so much And this also coÌ„meth froÌ„ this euill thought It is in vaine to serue God Marke also in those places wher the Gospel is preached If any seeme to make more conscience of sinne and of seruing God then others they are made a by-word and a mocking stock and their profession is turned to their reproach which argues plainely that mans thought is this It is a vaine thing to serue God Nay take a vew of the whole world and you shall see euery wher men giue themselues to will-worship No nation is so barbarous as to denie vnto God all worship but doe they giue vnto him that which he commanded in his word Nothing lesse It is either the meere invention of men or altogether stayned therewith This is most euident with the Turke the Iew and the Papist yea our common sort of protestants haue their will-worship for generally they content themselues with the mumbling ouer the words of the Creede the Lords Prayer and tenne Commandements perswading themselues that by the bare rehearsall of the words they haue sufficiently serued God Now would wee know the cause hereof as also why men are so slack and cold in praier so carelesse and vnreuerent in hearing Gods word Surely it is nothing but this vile Imagination bewitching our soules that it Is a vaine
heere when the minister of God out of Gods worde saith to any man beleeue thou and repent thou and Gods mercie belongs vnto thee it is as much as if the Lord should call him by name particularly and say vnto him beleeue thou and repent and my mercie belongs vnto thee yea it is all one as if God himselfe should say I am thy father and thou art my childe if thou wilt repent and beleeue The second meanes which is also very effectuall to cut off this thought of distrust is Baptisme If an earthly prince giue a pardon to any man put the mans name in the pardon and his owne broade seale vnto it the man will neuer doubt of his pardon but beleeue it Beholde in Baptisme God entreth couenant with miserable wretched man and heerein makes promise of life vnto him yea hee puts the mans name in the couenant sealing the same with his owne seale therefore the party baptized must beleeue against this thought The thirde meanes is the Lords supper rightly administred and receiued for therin the breade and wine giuen to the hand of euery communicant by the minister are particular pledges and tokens vnto them of speciall mercie in Christ. These are the meanes which wee must vse with all good conscience in the daies of peace that when troubles come this thought of distrust may not preuaile against vs. And thus much of mans naturall euill thoughts against God Many other might bee added herevnto but these beeing the principall I omit the rest CHAP. IV. Of mans naturall thoughts against his neighbour NOw wee come to the euill thoughtes of mans naturall heart against his neighbour And to find them out wee must haue recourse to the second Table of the morall lawe which was penned with respect to the corrupt estate of man forbidding that which mans corrupt heart thinketh naturally against his neighbour for euery commandement thereof is spirituall forbidding not onely the wicked actions euill wordes and gestures but all corrupt affections yea all euill Imaginations of man against man These thoughts of man against his neighbour be of two sorts either without consent or with consent Thoughts without consent are the very first euill motions of the minde which a man conceiueth against his neighbour to which the will neuer giueth consent and these are forbidden in the 10. commandement Thou shalt not lust Thoughts with consent of will are such as a man conceiuing in his minde doth withall desire or purpose in his heart to practise and these are forbidden in the fift sixt seauenth eight and ninth commandements by reason whereof they may fittely be reduced to fiue heads They are either thoughts of dishonour against the fift commandement or thoughts of murther against the sixt or thoughts of aduletrie against the seuenth or thoughts of theft against the eight or thoughts of disgrace against the ninth commandement Sect. 1. Of thoughts of dishonour First a thought of dishonour is any thought that tendeth to the contempt and abasing of the person of our neighbour in respect of our selues And it is then conceiued in our mindes when we thinke thus of all other men beside our selues such and such a man is farre inferiour vnto me a base and contemptible fellow in regard of me Example hereof we haue in the Pharisie a man strict in profession and zealous in his religion who commeth to the Temple to pray with the Publican now marke what he saith Oh God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are or as this Publican Which wordes proceede from such a proud thought as this Lord I thanke thee all other men are farre inferiour vnto me I doe farre surpasse the common sort this Publican is a base fellowe and no body to me If any shall imagine that this thought is not in euery mnn but in some few proud persons I answer it is by nature in euery person liuing without grace and therefore S. Paul giueth this commandement That euery man in meekenesse should esteeme others better then himselfe giuing vs to vnderstand that by nature all men thinke best of themselues and esteeme others farre worse then themselues The Vse If this thought of dishonour be in all mens hearts then behold what a pallace of all Satanicall and damnable pride the heart of man is naturally it is like vnto the table of Adoni-bezek at which he sate in a chaire of estate and made others euen kings to eate meate like dogs vnder his feete with their thumbs cutte off such an one is euery man by nature hee lifteth vp himselfe saying I am the man and treadeth his brother vnder his feete as no body vnto him And this is the cause of much strife and hurt in all humane societies this causeth many iarres much skorning and great contempt among men in word and deede Now that we may reforme this thought in vs wee must learne to say as Iob did after he had beene afflicted and came to see his sinnes behold I am vile and with Abraham I am but dust and ashes and with Dauid I am a worme and no man Psalm 22. 6. yea with Paul we must labour to see our miserie by reason of sinne and that will helpe to pull downe the pride of our hearts Sect. 2. Of murthering thoughts The second euill thought of man against his neighbour with consent is a thought of Murther or of any thing that tendeth thereto Of this wee haue particular examples in Scripture Deut. 15. 9. The Lord forbiddeth the Iewes to haue this murthering thought in their hearts I will not releeue the poore I will not doe good vnto them giuing vs to vnderstand that this was the common thought of the Iewes or els he would not haue forbidden it yea the Lord doth there set out this thought by two signes first an euill eye when a man turnes his countenance from the poore or looketh on them without compassion secondly vnmercifull dealing when a man will not helpe the poore by gift according to his abilitie And because all actions proceede from thoughts the heart beeing the fountaine of our deedes hence it appeareth that this murthering thought against the poore is rife in this age for where is the man that doth pitie the poore and doth good to them according to his abilitie nay the Lords complaint against the Iewes may be fitly applied to our times in regard of crueltie and oppression The spoile of the poore is in your houses what haue ye to doe that ye beate my people to peeces and grinde the faces of the poore Isa. 3. 14. 15. The second example of a murthering thought is cōcerning Gods Church and it is this I will doe some spite or hurt to them that worship God For proofe hereof read Psal. 74. 8. Dauid bringeth in the Babilonians Edomites c. saying thus one to another against gods people the Iewes Let vs destroy them all together Psal. 83. 4 Let vs cut
when they thinke they haue power of themselues whereby they are able to match or counteruaile the power of God so thought Nabuchad-nezar whē he said who is that god that can deliuer you out of my hand such a thought had proud Pharao in his heart when he said to Moses Aaron who is the Lord that I should heare his voice let Israel goe Secondly when they take to themselues the honour of God and thinke it to be due to them Thus did Herod when by silence he approued the blasphemous voice of the people who cried vnto him the voice of God and not of man And thus Antichrist sitting in the temple of God exalts himselfe aboue all that is called God or worshipped Now that man of sinne is the Pope of Rome for howsoeuer in word he humble himselfe call himselfe the seruant of seruants yet indeede through the pride of his heart he sitteth as God taking vnto himself that honour which is proper to God for he claimeth power to prescribe new rules of Gods worship to forgiue sinnes to make lawes to bind the conscience properly yea to open and shut heauen and to dispose at his pleasure of earthly kingdomes he taketh vpon him to dispence with the morall lawe and with Apostolicall constitutions all which belong to God alone and none dare claime them to belong vnto him but he that matcheth himselfe with God and this is the highest decree of pride The Vse By this euery man may see what he is of himselfe what a cursed and proud nature he carrieth about with him for euery man naturally when occasion is offered thinks highly of himselfe and basely of others in regard of himselfe Let vs therefore take notice of this Satanicall pride that is in our nature and striue against it for who would not be ashamed to say with the proud Pharasie I thanke thee Lord I am not as other men c. or with the arrogant Iewes stand apart touch me not I am holier then thou Isay. 65. 5. Sect. 2. Mans thought of his owne righteousnes The second euill thought concerning a mans selfe is this I am sufficiently righteous and I need no repentance That this is the thought of euerie man naturally appeareth by the Lords commandement to the people of Israell forbidding them to say in their hearts when they were placed in the promised land that for their owne righteousnes the Lord brought them in to possesse it Wherby he giueth vs to vnderstand two things First that as the Iewes did there so euerie man thinks himself to be righteous And secondly he thinks that God doth giue his blessings vnto him for his owne righteousnes for the Lord vseth not to forbidde such a thought as men naturally haue not in them so in like manner when Ieremie rebuked the people for their sinnes they said they were Innocent and guiltles they had not sinned And the Church of Laodicea saith thus of her selfe I am rich and neede nothing that is I abound in spirituall graces This is the thought of the proud Pharisie who trusts in himselfe that he is iust and therfore braggeth vnto God that he is not such and such but he doth this and that he fasteth he giueth Almes paieth tithes c. and in plaine tearmes his heart saith this I am righteous I neede no repentance for of such Christ spake when he said he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And againe I say vnto you that ioy shall be in heauen for one sinner that conuerteth more then for ninetie and nine iust men which need none amendment of life where we must obserue that Christ meaneth not that there are in deede some so righteous that they neede no amendment but he speaketh according to the opinion which some haue of themselues to witte that they are righteous and neede no repentance by all which it is more then manifest that this is a naturall thought of a man concerning himselfe This euill thought raigneth in our age and time as all the former doe for come to an ignorant man that hath not beene instructed in religion reason with him touching his estate and aske him whether he can keepe the law of God or not he will answer he can he loueth the lord his God with all his heart and his neighbour as himselfe Aske him how hee lookes to be saued his answer is by his owne righteousnes and for his owne goodnesse If due examination were made this would be found to be the thought of many that liue in the Church among vs and there is none by nature free from this thought Hereby then we may see that the thoughts of euery man be he what he will are plaine papistry for Poperie is naturall One chiefe pillar and ground thereof is Iustification and saluation by workes which opinion euery man brings with him from his mothers wombe And so it is in the point of merit men naturally thinke they receiue the good things which they haue from God for their own righteousnes Secondly hence it appeareth that it is a matter of great difficultie to bring a man throughly to renounce his owne righteousnes and soundly and heartily to imbrace true religion and the righteousnes of Christ by faith This is no lesse then the change of Nature and yet this must euery man doe that will be saued he must be come nothing in himselfe that he may be all in Christ Iesus which is as impossible to nature as to change water into fire and therfore men had need to beware how they put off the time neglect the meanes in which God shewes his power in working this change in the hearts of his elect Thirdly hence we see the euident cause of that preposterous course of the world which most men take in spending their witte and strength some for riches others for honours and pleasures and in the meane while they can spare no time for religion to seeke Gods fauour in Christ and the graces of the spirit It may bee they will afford a good worde vnto Religion but yet they regarde it not in respect of other things And this is the behauiour not of some few but of all sorts and degrees of men naturally Now the cause heereof is this cursed euill thought whereby men perswade themselues they be righteous and need no repentance and till this thought be rooted out of mans heart he will neuer value the word and religion of God according to the worth thereof so as with the good Marchant he wil part with al that he hath rather then he wiil be frustrate of this pearle Math. 13. 45 46. Indeede men vse to pleade thus for themselues wee confesse our selues to be sinners and therefore wee cannot thinke such a wicked thought that we need no repentance But we must knowe that both these may well stand together in the wicked heart of man he may confesse