The remedy of prophanenesse. Or, Of the true sight and feare of the Almighty A needful tractate. In two bookes. By Ios. Exon.

SECT. XVII.

THere cannot bee a more sure remedy for presum∣tion of abilities, than to take an exact survay of our graces, both of their truth, and degrees. Satan is a great imposter, hee that was once an Angell of light, knowes how to seeme so still; when hee left to bee an Angell, hee began to bee a Serpent; and his conti∣nuall experience cannot but have added to his Art, so

as he knowes how to coun∣terfeit graces, both in him∣selfe and his, in so exquisite a fashion, that it is not for every eye to discerne them from true. We see to what perfection Mechanicall imi∣tation hath attayned; what precious stone hath Nature yeelded, which is not so ar∣tificially counterfeited, both in the colour and lustre, that only the skilfull Lapidary can descry it; Pearles so re∣sembled, that for whitenesse, cleernesse, smoothnesse, they dare contend with the true; Gold so cunningly multiply∣ed and tinctured, that nei∣ther the eye can distinguish

it, nor the touch, scarce the crucible: So as Art would seeme to bee an Havilah, whose Gold is good; whiles Nature is an Ophir, whose Gold is exceeding good: What marvell is it then, if crafty Spirits can make so faire representations of spiri∣tuall excellencies, as may well deceive ordinary judge∣ments? The Pythonesse's Samuel was so like the true, that Saul adored him for such; And Iannes and Iambres made their wooden Serpent to crawle so nimbly, and hisse so fiercely, that till Moses his Serpent devoured theirs, the beholders knew not whe∣ther

were more formidable; Some false things seeme more probable than many truths; there must be there∣fore much serious and accu∣rate disquisition, ere we can passe a true judgement, be∣twixt apparent and reall gra∣ces; Neither would it aske lesse than a volume to state the differences whereby we may discriminate counterfeit vertues from true, in all their severall specialties; they are faced alike, they are clad alike; the markes are in∣ward, and scarce discernable by any but the owners eyes. In a generality, we shall thus descry them in our owne

hearts. True grace is right-bred, of a divine originall, and comes down from a∣bove, even from the fa∣ther of lights; Gods spirit working with, and by his own ordinances, produceth it in the soule, and feeds it by the same holy meanes it is wrought: The coun∣terfeit is earth-bred, ari∣sing from mere nature, out of the grounds of sensuali∣alitie. True grace drives at no other end than the glory of the giver, and scornes to look lower than heaven: The counterfeit aimes at no∣thing but vaine applause, or carnall advantage, not

caring to reach an inch above his own head.

True grace is apt to crosse the plausiblest inclinations of corrupt nature, and chears up the heart to a delihgtfull performance of all good du∣ties, as the best pastime. The counterfeit is a meere parasite of fleshly appetite, and findes no harshnesse, but in holy devotions. True grace is undantedly constant in all opposition; and like a well wrought vault, is so much the stronger by how much more weight it un∣dergoes; This metall is pu∣rer for the fire, this Eagle can look upon the hottest

Sunne: The counterfeit showes most gloriously in prospe∣rity; but when the evill day commeth, it looks like the skinne of a dead Camelion, nasty and de∣formed. Lastly, true grace is best alone: the coun∣terfeit is all for witnesses. In briefe, if in a holy jea∣lousie of our own deceit∣fulnesse, wee shall put dayly interrogatories to our hearts, and passe them under severe examinations, we shall not bee in dan∣ger to presume upon our mistaken graces; but the more we search, the more cause we shall find of our

humiliation, and of an aw∣full recognition of Gods mercy, and our own unwor∣thinesse.