§. Sect. 1 Of a pure heart, what it is; and whence it ariseth.
BEsides those mayne grounds of a godly life before spoken of, sauing knowledge, and a liuely faith, there are two other which arise and spring from them, a pure heart, and a good conscience. By a pure heart, I doe not vnderstand such an one as is free from all sinne and corruption: for who can say, I haue made my heart cleane, I am pure from my sinne? But such an heart as being rege∣nerate by Gods Spirit, is in part purified and sanctified, hating sinne, and louing vertue and holinesse in the inner man; feeling the waight of cor∣ruption, and desiring to be clensed from it, and the want of grace, and resoluing to vse all good meanes, whereby it may be supplyed. And this is a fruit of sauing knowledge, which discouereth vnto vs how vgly sinne is in it selfe; and pernicious vnto vs, and the beauty and excellencie of grace and godlinesse in it owne nature, with the profit which redoundeth vnto vs by it; and also of a iustifying faith, which applying the vertue of Christs death and resurrection, doth mortifie our carnall corruptions, and quicken vs in the life of grace, making vs to hate that sinne which we for∣merly loued, and to loue and imbrace that grace and vertue which in time past wee loathed; and answerably to resolue, that wee will vse all good meanes to be freed from the one, and furnished with the other. All which proceedeth out of our assurance of Gods loue, which being shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost, doth worke in them vnfained loue towards God againe, whereby we desire, resolue, and indeuour, to leaue and for∣sake what he hateth and forbiddeth, and to imbrace and practise whatso∣euer he loueth and commandeth.