Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	evil_n	sin_n	4,011	5	5.5536	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09977	Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1631 (1631)	STC 20231; ESTC S115069	220,964	434

Consider that although a lust left at liberty when God hath taken off the chaine and suffers it to doe what it will doth contract more guilt and doth indeede more hurt to mankind yet he that hath a heart as full of lust and filthinesse is no lesse abominable and odious in Gods sight Take a wolfe that runnes up and downe and kills the sheepe that wolfe is abominable and every one cries out against him but a wise man that sees a wolfe tyed up in a chaine hates that as much as he did the other for he knowes that he hath the same nature and would doe as much hurt if he were let loose So we may say of men whose hearts are full of lusts God it may be hath tyed them up so that they breake not forth yet these lusts are abominable and hatefull in his sight though they doe not so much hurt nor breake so many commandements Therfore let them consider this that live under good families good Tutours or in good company cōmonly they are as wolves tied up they cannot break forth so into outward acts it may be they are restrained by reason of some bodies favour that they would not lose or the like but yet they give way to the spirit within that rangeth and lusteth up and downe and this is therefore defiled in Gods sight Consider that these lusts of the Spirit are full of the spawne and egges of sinne that is they are the mother sinne it is pregnant with actuall sinne Iam. 4.1 From whence come warres and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that warre in your members Concupiscence is but as the lust of the Spirit which concupiscence is full of actuall sinnes and brings them forth when occasion is given Iam. 1.15 And therfore it is more hated than an act is which is but one which hath not so much spawne in it and therefore you ought to cleanse your spirit from this pollution Quest. But how shall we doe this to get our spirits thus cleansed Answ. 1 You must search out the pollution of the spirit For the spirit of a man is a deepe thing and hidden full of corners and cranne a lust and pollution will easily hide it selfe in 〈◊〉 therefore thou must finde it out and confesse it Doe as David ●●d goe to God and say Lord search and try me see if there be any wickednesse in me as if he should say if I could I would search my owne heart but I cannot doe it enough therefore doe thou come and doe it I will open the doores as a man useth to say to the officers that come to looke for a traytour Doe you come in and search if there be any here I will set open my doores so faith David here So when a man would cleanse his heart from the pollutions of his spirit let him doe on that manner remember that to hide a traytour is to be a traytour himselfe therefore labour to finde it and when it is found confesse it to the Lord and lay a just weight upon it What though it never breakes forth into outward actions say to the Lord O Lord I know that thou lookest to the spirit and art conversant about it to have a polluted spirit is an abomination to thee This is a thing that we would doe and wee are oftentimes to blame in this in our prayers for we confesse our actuall sinnes and doe not confesse the pollution of our spirits to the Lord. Quest. But you will say We would faine have some directions to finde out this uncleanesse of our spirits Answ. Consider what ariseth in thy spirit when it is stirred at any time and there thou shalt finde what the pollution of the spirit is Set a pot on the fire and put flesh into it while it is colde there is nothing but water and meat but set it a boyling and then the scumme ariseth It is a similitude used in Ezek. 24.11 12. I say observe what ariseth in thy spirit at any time whē there is some commotion when thy spirit is stirred more than ordinary now every temptation is as it were a fire to make the pot boyle any injurie that is offered to us this makes the scumme to arise now see what ariseth out there and when any object comes to allure thee to sinne see what thoughts arise in thy heart as the thoughts of profit or preferment so that when such an opportunity comes it stirres the spirit and sets it on boyling consider what then ariseth in thy heart and thou shalt see what thy spirit is And that which thou art to doe when thou findest it is to confesse it to the Lord and suffer it not to come into outward act cast it out suffer it not to boyle in Ezek. 24.13 When thou hast done this thou must not stay here but thou must labour to loathe and hate that pollution of spirit There are two things to be hated by us the sinne that we looke upon as a pleasant thing but there is besides thy inclination to that thing and that is the pollution of thy spirit and that thou must hate and loathe thou must not onely hate the object that is offered to thee but thy selfe also and the uncleanesse of thy spirit Thus it is with every one whose heart is right Ezek. 36.21 that is when a man begins to looke upon his sinne and see the pollution of the spirit in it he begins to grow to an indignation against it as that is the fruite of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. he findes his heart so disposed that he begins to quarrell with his heart and to fall out with it and to say What have I such a heart that will carry me to sinne that will not onely carry me to sinne but to hell Hee begins to loathe himselfe hee would not owne his owne selfe if hee could hee would goe out of himselfe he is weary of his owne heart such a hatred and loathing thou must have of this pollution of spirit that is in thee And this thou shalt doe if thou wilt but consider what evill this pollution doth bring thee and what hurt filthinesse hath done to thee a man can hate the disease of the body and cry out of it and why should not men doe so of the soule It is our sinne that is the cause of all evill it is not poverty or disgrace or sicknesse but it is sinne in thy poverty sinne in thy disgrace sinne in thy sicknesse so that if a man could looke upon sinne as the greatest evill and that doth him the greatest mischiefe he would hate that above all things And here remember not onely to doe it in generall but to pitch thy hatred chiefly upon thy beloved sinne Be ready to say in this case as Haman of Mordecai what availeth it me if Mordecai yet live If we could do so with our beloved lusts and come to such a hatred of

he cannot change it suddenly But it is not so with God hee can alter a thing as easily to the left hand as to the right and that in an instant Object But what dependance is there between things doe we not see strange things come to passe that we can see no reason for as the Churches overthrowne the godly afflicted the wicked exalted Answ. Well saith the Lord this is to bee considered further that one wheele is within another and the wings of the Angels are one within another there is a sutablenesse and an agreeablenesse betweene them so that take the changes of a thousand yeares and if you summe them up you shall finde them as wheeles one within another Therefore I would summe up the answer thus this deceives us we look upon Gods providence in some few particulars only that we looke upon a wheele or two and not as they are one within another for then indeed we should see things that might cause us to wonder as we see Ioseph an innocent man lying in disgrace and imprisonment and David though innocent yet a long time disgraced in the Court of Saul and afterwards Shimei cursing him yea wee see Iesus Christ himselfe delivered and condemned for an impostor and that by witnesses and in a legall manner so we see Paul one that was a man full of zeale yet accounted one of the worst men that lived in his time and Naboth an innocent man condemned to death by witnesses stoned and who shall rise againe to shew his innocencie If you looke but upon a wheele or two you shall finde the Church ready to bee swallowed up in Esters time but if you looke upon them all at once then you will see that these passages have eyes in them and that they have Angels and the Spirit to guide them As for example looke on all the wheeles of Iosephs life you shall see the envie of his brethren selling him to the steward of Pharaohs house and there his falling out with his mistresse his casting into prison and there meeting with Pharaohs officers he was thereby made knowne to Pharaoh and so he became great in Pharaohs Court and then you see it is a goodly worke So in David take all the wheeles together and you shall see a glorious work how God brought him along to the Kingdome God was with him and wrought his works for him when he did sit still and when his hand was not upon Saul then he sent the Philistines to vex him and to end his dayes and first hee gave David the Kingdome of Iudah and then afterwards Abner and Isobosheth fell out about a word and one of them was slaine and then also came two wicked men and tooke off the others head and so came home the whole Kingdome of Israel into his hand So also in Esthers time take all the wheeles together and you shall see an excellent act of Gods providence when the Church was ready to be destroyed when the neck was upon the block and the sword drawne out ready to strike and that that night the King should not sleepe but that a booke must be brought and rather that than another and that the place should be opened where he should finde Mordecai his revealing of the treason against him and thereupon the decree was revoked and the Church delivered I say take all these together and we shall plainly see that in this strange administration of things there is still a providence and that there are eyes in the wheeles and a spirit to guide them Object 3 If there be such a God that made the Heaven and the Earth what is the reason then that wee see things are brought to passe by naturall causes If there be a cause for such a thing the effect doth follow when there is no cause then the effect doth not as a wise man doth bring a thing to passe but the foolish miscarry in them we see the diligent hand maketh rich and hee that labours not hath nothing and things that are strong prevaile against those that are weake and so God is forgotten in the world and his wisdome and power is not seene Answ. 1 It is not so God doth carry it often another way as it is Eccles. 9.11 Alway the battell is not to the strong but chance and accident befall them all that is the LORD of purpose doth often change them that his power and might may be seene We see often that Princes walke on foot like servants and servants ride like Princes as in Chap. 10. that is things doe not alwayes come to passe according to their causes for when the cause is exceeding faire to bring forth such an effect yet we see it is an abortive birth and such things come to passe that we looked not for as he that was diligent many times comes to povertie the wise doe often miscarry in bringing their enterprises to passe Answ. 2 Though the immediate cause produceth the effect yet who is the first cause As for example though folly be the cause that such a businesse doth miscarry yet who is the cause of that folly It is sin that bringeth destruction and doth precipitate a man thereunto but who is it that leaveth men to their sins and lusts You see what was the immediate cause of the losse of Rehoboams Kingdome the ill counsell that was given him by the young men but who was it that fitted the cause thereunto was it not the Lord So on the contrary wee see that godlinesse is the cause of good successe and makes men to prosper but who is the cause of that cause is it not the Lord himselfe Object 4 But oftentimes it is ill with those that are good and well with those that are wicked the wicked prosper many times when it goes ill with those that feare the LORD oftentimes it commeth to the wicked according to the worke of the righteous and contrarily If there be a God what is the reason that this comes to passe Answ. It is certaine that whensoever any wicked man doth an evill act and a good man doth well and serveth the Lord with a perfect heart that there is a sentence of good and evill goes with it but God doth often suspend the reward to the godly and of punishment to the wicked the execution of them is deferred Besides we are often mistaken for that which we thinke to be ill to us is many times for our good and that which we thinke is very happie and prosperous may be hurtfull to us As for example when Iacob came from Laban GOD said to him Be not afraid I am with thee and I will doe thee good You see Iacob was no sooner gone but Laban follows him and would have done him much hurt had not the Lord taken him off No sooner was Laban gone from him but Esau comes against him and when the Lord had rescued him from him when he was come neerer home when he might have

expected some rest after his weary journey yet then his daughter was ravished and his two sonnes were rebellious and committed murther after that Rachel died and Deborah who was Rebeccah's nurse who was a good woman and therfore a great losse to his family after all this a famine fell upon him yet for all this God said that he would doe him good and doubtlesse God was as good as his word and hee did him good for that medicine is good that doth us good though it be bitter and so was it with these afflictions So Paul he prayed that he might have an happie journey to Rome and no doubt the LORD heard his prayer as appeareth by the Lords appearing to him yet see what a kinde of prosperous journey he had what a deale of trouble did he meet with Being in great afflictions he went to Ierusalem thinking there to be comforted by the Saints and when he came thither hee went into the Temple thinking he had well provided for himselfe but then he was hardly entertained put into prison and sent bound to Caesarea and afterwards was in many perils upon the sea And this was the prosperous journey that Paul had and surely it was happie and did much good to his owne soule whereby he did good to others a journey that led him into many experiments of Gods providence and goodnesse towards him therefore wee must not judge according to the outside or that which the world accounts of and appeares to be evill for they may be causes of much good to us therefore Saint Iames wils us Iames 1.2 3. to rejoyce when wee fall into divers temptations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is but a triall of your faith These varieties of afflictions are as fire to cleanse your faith and make it shine more and grow more therefore saith he rejoyce when you fall into variety of them for the variety of them will cure that variety of evils and diseases in us as poverty may do that which sicknesse cannot do and imprisonment may heale that which povertie or disgrace cannot doe c. So on the contrary those good things are not alwayes good which we account good as when a man goes on from one good blessing to another and is carried with a prosperous wind and findes no change in any thing this may also tend to his hurt and destruction as the other to his salvation these slay the foolish even as the other save the godly for these often-times doe make the soule fouler and fouler and make it to be more rustie This want of changes makes men to depart from God and fall into evill whereas the other makes us the more carefully to cleanse our wayes and to cleave more firmely to him Therefore let us take heed that we be not deceived about these evils Object 5 What is the reason then that as dies the beast so doth man die to our appearance there are none that rise from the dead indeed if one should come from heaven or hell and bring us word what is done there wee should beleeve it but when did any ever heare of such a thing Answ. You have more than if a man should come from the dead from either of these two places for you have Christ come into the world from the bosome of the Father and he hath brought us newes what is done there Besides we have God himselfe who is as it were come from heaven and hath revealed many things unto us and hath declared his will what he would have us to doe as to Moses upon Mount Sinai and hee would have done it to this day but that our weaknesse cannot endure the mightinesse and greatnesse of his Majestie but would say as the people did Let not the Lord speake to us any more lest we die but let MOSES let him send his messengers let him speake no more Againe the Spirit whereby the Prophets and Apostles spake to us was it not sent from heaven Againe suppose one should come from either of those two places would you beleeve him It might be a false relation would you beleeve him without further ground But it is a direct answer which our Saviour giveth to this question Luke 16. the two last verses it was the objection of Dives if there came one from the dead againe they would beleeve it Abraham answers They have Moses and the Prophets and if they will not beleeve them they will not beleeve though one should come from the dead as if he should say these carry greater evidence in them they have more power to confirme the truth that they delivered that it came from the great God of heaven and earth than if a man should arise from the dead if we consider the many miracles which they did and holy life which they led Object But if you will say that indeed for the declaring of things and for the confirmring of truths there is more evidence in these than if one did arise from the dead but if one should come from the dead this would be much to shew the eternitie of things and the immortality of the soule Answ. If this be so you see that men have risen from the dead as when Christ did arise then many arose from the dead THE THIRD SERMON HEBREWES 11.6 He that commeth to God must beleeve that God is c. NOw we proceed to that which remaines we will shew you how this point is made manifest to you by faith that GOD made the Heavens and the Earth It is done after this manner When you beleeve the Scriptures to be true and finde this set downe in the Scripture that God made Heaven and Earth then you beleeve that there is an eternall Deity that is the Author and Maker of all these things and thus faith gathers the conclusion Object If you aske me how faith differs from reason and how this second proofe differs from the former Answ. 1 I answer after this manner There is a double assent One is a doubtfull assent which we call Opinion that is when we assent to the one part so as we feare the contrary to be true The other is a firme assent and this is two-fold Either it is grounded upon reason which we call Knowledge or else is grounded upon the authoritie of him that reveales it and this wee call Faith And the difference of them stands in this The objects of the first which wee call Knowledge are naturall things such as God did not reveale himselfe but they lye before us and reason can finde them out but Faith beleeveth things that are revealed by God yet so as that there is no reason for them as well as for the other For if one come and tell you any thing and if you beleeve it you can give a reason of it and why you beleeve it aswell as of any other naturall conclusion as that he is a wise man and one that I know will tell the truth

then God is pleased to communicate the same to it Therefore to goe to him to whom unchangeablenesse belongs for as mutable as they be yet if he will make thy freinds to be stable or thy wealth it shall be so Therefore the only way is to goe to him to make those things firme which otherwise are unconstant The love of a freind is unconstant for hee may dye the breath is in his nostrils and if he doe live yet his thoughts may perish and his affections alter So that they shall faile thee as a land floud doth in summer as Iob saith It dries up in summer time and yet that is the time of thirst and so will they faile thee in time of neede and the like may be said of all things else so that he whose comfort doth depend upon them hath but a dependent felicity which is like the motion of mills and ships which cease when the water or wind failes them But yet as mutable as they are God can put a constancy unto them Apply this therefore to thy selfe Thou livest now and art in health and wealth in such and such a place and such circumstances as may continue it the onely way to establish thee in all this is to goe to God and to beseech him to put a stabilitie into thy condition For the creature as it is made of nothing and is built upon a foundation of nothing So it is apt to returne to nothing And remember this that the more retired and weaned and fearefull thy affections are about any thing so that thou canst say in good earnest If God will I shall injoy them to day and next day but his will I know not I know not how long I shall injoy them if thou canst say thus thou shalt hold them the longer and the faster for that is a signe that thou dependest upon God and not not on the creature that thou trustest him and art not fastened to it Vse 5 If this be so then unchangeablenesse is an excellency in him for all his Attributes are exceeding excellent Then if thou wouldest judge of any thing in the world thou must take this as a measure by which thou maist prize and esteeme it looke how changeable it is so much the worse it is if it be good the more immutable the better it is for all changeablenesse commeth from weakenesse Therefore learne to value it so and you shall finde this of much use As we may see in the heavens it is said that they are vaine because they waxe olde as doth a garment but thou art the same Psal. 102.26 27. Go through every thing glorious in the world glorious Churches they are subject to change as Ierusalem the glory of all the earth it is ruinated and brought nothing Take men that are most eminent yet because they are subject to change by death or by passions there is an unevennesse in them though they live here like Gods in their glory Therefore magnifie no man but labour to be perswaded of thy selfe as a man I need not speake to you of riches they take to themselves wings and fly away nor of credit and honour they are in the power of them that give them whatsoever is changeable according to the mutability of it so value it But I presse the contrary Looke upon the things that are not changeable and labour to prize them Thou shalt find saving grace to be unchangeable though it may be impared in degree and may recoyle to the root and may not bud forth as at other times yet it is unchangeable it shall never be taken away So spir●●uall life is unchangeable when that begins then the other shakes off even as old nailes doe when new grow under them therefore this should teach us to value it much So the word of GOD is an unchangeable thing Isay 40.8 The grasse withereth the flower fadeth but the word of the Lord shall stand for ever So Matth. 5. Heaven and earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe Now what use should we make of this Then study the word more than any thing in the world besides There is much learning in the world and there are many creatures now all other knowledge is of the creature and that vanisheth away with them but the word of God shall not passe the word indures for ever Therefore looke what truthes thou canst get out of the word which may build up the inward man looke what profit thou canst get from it that shall remaine for ever therefore thou shouldest prize it much get it plenteously in thy heart in the wisedome and power of it We have many imployments in this life but that which is bestowed upon unchangeable things which shall shall never alter that is the best time spent Lastly all the good workes thou doest and all the evill workes of unregenerate men unrepented of shall remaine for ever Looke what good workes thou doest in the world they shall remaine with thee for ever they shall be had in continuall remembrance Therefore thou shouldest labour to be abundant in good workes that is to be sure to serve GOD whatsoever thou doest If thou be servant or a labouring man when thou doest thy workes out of obedience to him even those workes shall remaine So looke in any thing that thou hast done for Christ all these things shall remaine for ever what faithfull prayers soever thou hast made or whatsoever thou hast suffered for Christ what paines thou hast taken in preaching or in repenting or in advancing the cause of CHRIST these shall be had in everlasting remembrance So looke what sinnes unrepented of thou hast committed The sinnes of unregenerate men shall also remaine All the praise that comes from any action and the pleasure of it that passeth away and comes to nothing but looke what sinfulnesse there is in any worke that remaines and if thou repent not of it that sinne shall be reckoned upon thy score and what uprightnesse soever there is in any worke that shall remaine Therefore learne from hence to prize and value onely those good things that are immutable and proportionably to feare and shunne the evill FINIS THE FIFTEENTH SERMON EXOD. 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. AS wee are to judge of other things by the mutability of them so learne to judge of thy selfe of thine owne spirit by that constancy that thou findest in well-doing or that mutability and unconstancy that thou art subject to If a man would make a censure of himselfe let him consider that the nearer hee comes to unchangeablenesse in well-doing the better he is and the stronger he is againe the more mutable the weaker Thou art to

judge of thy selfe as we use to esteeme of one another Now let a man be unconstant one that we can have no holde of that is as fickle as the weather that will resolve upon such a thing to day and change his minde to morrow what ever learning or excellency or what kindnesse soever there is in this man we regard him not because he is an unconstant man Now learne thou to doe so with thy selfe to aske thy selfe that question Hast thou not had many resolutions that never came to any endeavours Hast thou not begun many good workes and never finished them Hast thou not found that property of folly in thee To begin stil to live Stultitia semper incipit vivere If this be thy case learne to abhorre thy selfe for it and to be ashamed for all is nothing till we come to a constant and unchangeble resolution So that we come to set it downe with our selves as an inviolable law this is a duty and I will doe it whatsoever it cost me this is a sinne and I will avoid it whatsoever come of it This is a resolution that Daniel takes up Dan. 1.8 He determined in his heart that he would not be defiled with the Kings meate and such a resolution they were exhorted to in Acts 11.23 With full purpose of heart to cleave unto God It is translated full purpose but the words are with a decree and full resolution of heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is when a man doth not lightly put himselfe upon an holy course but takes up a strong resolution to goe through with it such a resolution as Pauls was Acts 20.22 he knew what bands did waite for him as for theeves it was no matter he was bound in the spirit All is nothng I care not sayes he so that I may fulfill the Ministery committed to me Such a resolution we should have And according as thou findest thy selfe able to doe this so thou shouldest judge of thy selfe A man that is on and off in his wayes Salomon compares him to a City whose walls are broken downe that is if a temptation come and set upon him it hath free entrance and the temptation comes in because his soule was without guard and ward But on the other side a man that doth not stand trifling with the Lord to say I wish I could and I am sorry that I cannot but he will goe through a good course such a man is like to a City which hath walls round about it that if a temptation come there is something to keepe it out I say as thou art to judge of other things by the mutability of them so of thy selfe There is nothing better than to have a peremptory resolution in well-doing to be constant therein and there is nothing worse than to bee peremptory in evill Vse 6 If God be immutable then thou knowest whither to goe to get this constancy to make thy selfe unchangeable and immutable and constant in well-doing For for what end hath he revealed to us that he is unchangeable is it not for our use Sure it is even to teach us that when we finde our selves subject to mutability wee should goe to God and beseech him to establish our hearts No creature is able to doe it Every creature is mutable onely so farre unchangeable as he maketh it to be so he onely is originally unchangeable all friends and all other things in the world are no further unchangeable than he communicates it to them as was said before and the same is true of thine owne heart and of thy purposes Therefore thou must thinke with thy selfe and make this use of the unchangeablenesse of God that hee onely can make thee unchangeable Therefore when a man wants direction hee must goe to GOD Iam. 1.5 he is onely wise and can shew a man what to doe when he is in a strait And upon the same ground when thou seest that thou art unconstant goe to him that is unchangeable that can make thee constant and desire him to fixe thy quicke-silver to ballance thy lightnesse and that he would settle and fill that vaine and empty heart of thine with something that may stay and establish it There is no other way all the meanes that can be used all the motives that can be put upon a man all the reasons that can be brought are not able to make us constant till GOD worke it in us and for us Therefore the onely way is to give GOD the glory of his immutability to goe to him in a sense of thine owne unconstancy and say so Lord thou hast revealed thy selfe to be unchangeable that wee may seeke it of thee and finde it in thee thou alone art originally and essentially so no creature is any further than thou doest communicate it to it Therefore doe thou LORD make mee stable and constant in well-doing Grace it selfe of it selfe is not immutable for it is subject to ebbing and flowing and the reason why we doe not quite lose it is not from the nature of grace as if it were immutable but because it comes from and stickes close to Christ. Therefore goe to him he is the roote that communicates sappe and life to thee because thou abidest ingrafted in him Object But the Lord doth this by meanes it is not enough to pray and to seeke to him to make me unchangeable so much as humane infirmity can reach but I must use the meanes also Answ. It is true he doth it by meanes and if you say what are those meanes I will shew it you briefly You shall finde that there two causes of unconstancy or mutability or ficklenesse and if you finde out what the causes are you will easily see the way to helpe it First Strength of lust that causeth men to be unconstant Iames 4.8 Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purge your heart you wavering-minded what is the reason that the Apostle bids them to purge their hearts that were wavering-minded but because that corruption and those unruly affections that are within cause us to be unconstant to waver even as an arrow shot with a strong hand that the winde makes to fly unconstantly so a man that resolves upon a good course and takes to himselfe good purposes and desires he having some lust in him these thrust in and make him unstable therefore purge your hearts you wavering-minded As if he should say the reason why you are not stable is because you are not cleansed from these corruptions which are the cause of this unconstancy So Psal. 5.9 There is no faithfulnesse in their mouth their inward part is very filthinesse c. The reason why there is no constancie in their speech life and actions is because within they are very corruption that is the sinne that is within is the cause of all the wavering that is in the life of man were it not for it there would be no such unevennesse in our lives