The anatomie of a Christian man VVherein is plainelie shewed out of the VVord of God, what manner of man a true Christian is in all his conuersation, both inward, and outward. ... By M. William Covvper, minister of Gods Word.

THE OBSERVATIONS.

IT is not possible to keepe the heart in a good* 1.1 estate without diligent obseruation of the sen∣ses, no more then a besieged Citie can be de∣fended, where the ports thereof are neglected, and left open to euery one that likes to enter into it.

There are two sorts of euils within vs which* 1.2 trouble vs; first, malum innatum; secondly, malum seminatum: the first is euill bred in vs of our owne nature; the other is euill sowne in vs by that Wicked one: yet is there no man of so quick a sense, that he is alwayes able to distin∣guish betweene these two.

Both of these euils haue their passage by the* 1.3 senses: for the one, malum innatum, home-bred corruption, cannot lurke within, but seeketh to burst out at the senses, to the infection of others, according to that of our Sauiour; Out of the heart comes murthers, adulteries, &c. the prin∣cipall passages of this infecting euill are the eye, and the mouth.

The other againe, Malum seminatum, is con∣uaied* 1.4 to the heart by the subtiltie of Sathan, from exterior obiects, vnto which he laboureth to allure the heart, that hee may diuide it from God. And this euill is conuaied to the heart specially by the eye and eare: whereof it is eui∣dent with what continuall care the senses are to be obserued, that from without, euill come not to make the heart worse then it is, and from within, euill come not to infect others that are without.

For as that Citie is in great danger, which* 1.5 hath not onely without it strong enemies assaul∣ting it, but hath also within it false traitors to be∣tray it: so is it with our soules, who without vs haue Sathan with his inuisible legions of spiri∣tuall wickednesse, and visible armies of worldly allurements ready to impugne vs: and within haue our owne traiterous affections confede∣rate with him ready to betray vs.

And therefore (as I said) great need haue we* 1.6 to watch ouer our selues, that these two corrup∣tions which are as seuerall armies against vs, meete not together: for if Malum seminatum come in to strengthen Malum innatum, they shall breed a very dangerous and hard battaile vnto vs.

Whereas if wee take paines to fortifie our selues against the enemie that is without and

to slay the corruption that is bred within vs, so* 1.7 soone as it is conceiued, wee shall possesse our selues in peace. It is great wisedome to fight with our enemie when hee is weakest, the best time to slay a Cockatrice is while it is in the shell, before it come to be a Serpent: if we dash* 1.8 not the heads of the infants of Babell, they will breed vs more trouble, when they come to be stronger men. Sinne is a strong enemie when it is in the Cogitation, stronger when it is in the affection, strongest when it breakes out in∣to action, confirmed in strength if wee conti∣nue in it. Therefore euen the beginnings of it are to be resisted.

This as I said cannot be done without a di∣ligent* 1.9 custodie of the Senses, specially of the Eare, and the Eye; these are the first ports at which Sathan carryed in death to the soule of our mother Euah: for by hearing the seducer her heart was infected, and by looking out of her corruption to the forbidden Tree, shee was entangled in the actuall transgression of Gods commandement.

Besides this, many wayes in Nature hath God* 1.10 warned vs that the eye hath need with continu∣all care to be obserued: for albeit it be a liuely Organe of sight, yet it sees not the owne selfe, and therefore hath neede to be helped with the counsell and custodie of another.

Againe, God in Nature hath prouided a* 1.11 couering for the eye, which with a meruailous volubilitie openeth and closeth at the pleasure of man; wherein the Lord who hath done all his workes in great wisedome, hath warned vs that it is expedient sometime the eye be closed, and not holden open to euery obiect.

There are two rules good to be obserued for* 1.12 the gouernment of our eyes: first, that before we open the bodily eye to looke to the creature, wee first open the eye of our minde, and looke* 1.13 to the Creator, otherwise if wee looke to the creature before wee looke vnto God, wee shall assuredly be snared.

As God hath giuen vs an eye to see his* 1.14 workes, so hath hee giuen vs an eye whereby we may see himselfe: shall wee thinke hee will haue vs to looke to the Sunne, and not to him that made the Sunne? Let the eye that lookes to God, direct the eye that lookes to the crea∣ture, and we shall looke out without danger.

It is said of Adam after his fall, that his eyes* 1.15 were opened; which is not so to be vnderstood as if they had beene closed before, but because where before all that hee saw was good: now his eyes were opened to see his euill which before he had not, and therefore could not see it.

And no better are the eyes wherein his mise∣rable posteritie foolishly reioyceth; they haue

eyes in some part to see their misery, the fruit* 1.16 of their sinne: they haue eyes to looke to the baites of pleasure and profit, wherewith they are snared vnawares, but haue not eyes to looke vnto the Lord.

As the beasts in looking to other creatures* 1.17 regard nothing but the commoditie of their belly: where they see any thing that may serue vnto it, they lay downe their heads; where not, they goe by it: so naturall men looke vnto the the creatures, seeking, vt addant aliquid ventri, non menti.

Thus Euah looked to the apple, and thinking* 1.18 it good for meate, plucked it, but considered no more: so her children when they looke to the fowles that flie, to the fishes that swimme, to eue∣ry good and pleasant creature in the kinde, of all they gather no other collection but they wish for their bellies sake it were in their hand.

Thus where the sight of Gods creatures* 1.19 should work in the heart of man a reuerence & loue of God, a meditation of his goodnesse with thanksgiuing, it produceth onely an inordinate and sensuall couetousnesse of the creature.

Others againe, looking to the creature more* 1.20 negligently then they should, are snared before they consider of it; so Sichem in looking to Di∣nah, and Dauid in looking to Bathsheba: for it is come to passe by a most iust recompence,

vt qui exteriori negligenter vtitur oculo, interiori* 1.21 non iniustè caecetur; that hee who negligently v∣seth the exterior eye, should iustly be blinded in the interior.

The necessitie of this rule shall yet better ap∣peare* 1.22 to vs, if we consider that it is not the eye which seeth, there is one within that lookes out at the window of the eye, to wit, the soule: if the soule be spiritually disposed, there is nothing wee looke to shall offend vs; if otherwise, then euery thing we looke vnto becomes a snare vn∣to vs. M•…•…lta enim retia tenduntur nobis à diabolo;* 1.23 for many nets are spread out by Sathan, where∣in to trap vs; yea, if our hearts be not kept in a good estate, ipsi nobis oculi retia sunt.

The second rule for gouernment of our eyes* 1.24 is, to acquaint them with pouring out of teares for the miseries which our sinnes haue brought vpon vs. The same eyes which God hath giuen vs for organes of our sight, hee hath also giuen vs for conduits of our teares▪ therefore we see that in Nature children first mourne with their eyes, before they looke on any thing to delight in it.

Thus if the sight of the creature moued vs to* 1.25 mourne, as there is no creature which hath not in it a witnesse of that vanitie whereunto for our sinne it is subiect, it should not so readily be a snare vnto vs to entrap vs in sinne as it is.

For as the Children of Noble men looking* 1.26 to pleasant buildings and lands, which some∣time belonged to their Fathers, but now are possessed by others, are rather moued to mourn then to laugh: so we, when we see the heauens altered, the earth accursed, the soueraigntie o∣uer the creatures taken from vs; and in euery creature a foot-step of that misery which is the punishment of our Apostacie, haue more need to mourne for those miserable effects of our sin, then vainly to be delighted with an apparent beautie of the creature.

The Censure.

But now the great number of them who looke with wandring eyes, Esay. 3. 16. with eyes full of adultery, 2 Pet. 2. 14. with hauty eyes, and eye-lids lifted vp, Prou. 30. 13. proueth that all are not Christians indeed, who now vsurpe the Christian name.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 The heart cannot be kept, vnlesse the senses be kept.
• * 1.2

  2 Two sorts of euill in man, 1. innatum, 2 seminatum.
• * 1.3

  3 Both of these haue their course by the senses, for euill bred within vs breakes out by the senses.
• * 1.4

  4 And euill without vs is conuayed in by the senses, speci∣ally by the eye and eare.
• * 1.5

  5 A Christian like a besieged citie that hath traitors with∣in.
• * 1.6

  6 We haue need ther∣fore to watch that these two armies of euils doe not meet within vs.
• * 1.7

  7 We must fortifie our selues against both.
• * 1.8

  8 It is best to sight a∣gainst the begin∣nings of euils with in vs.
• * 1.9

  9 The soule cannot be kept if Sathan possesse the ports of the Bare and the Eye.
• * 1.10

  10 The Eye sees not it selfe, and therefore hath need of the help of another.
• * 1.11

  11 The couering made by God for the eye warnes vs it should not be open to eue∣ry obiect.
• * 1.12

  12 Two rules good for gouernment of the eye:
• * 1.13

  The first rule is, that wee looke to God before wee looke to the crea∣ture.
• * 1.14

  13 For as God hath giuen vs an eye to see his works, so an eye to see himselfe.
• * 1.15

  14 How Adams eyes were opened after the fall.
• * 1.16

  15 So are the eyes of his miserable poste∣ritie.
• * 1.17

  16 Man by nature loo∣keth as the beast, regarding nothing but the belly.
• * 1.18

  17 As Euah conside∣red no more in the apple but that it was good for meat.
• * 1.19

  18 Creatures far abu∣sed by naturall men to couetousnesse.
• * 1.20

  19 Creatures also to an euill gouerned eye are the snares of concupiscence.
• * 1.21

  Gregor. Moral. lib. 21.
• * 1.22

  20 As the heart is, so i•…•… the eye.
• * 1.23

  Ambr. de poenit. lib. 1. cap. 14.
• * 1.24

  21 The second rule is that wee acquaint our eyes with tears, so shall they not be carryed away easily with vanitie.
• * 1.25

  22 Euery creature pre∣senteth to vs some matter of mourn∣ing.
• * 1.26

  23 Why the apparent beautie of the crea∣ture should not de∣light vs.