He means sins not onely secret and hidden from others, but from our selves. Psal. 139.12. Thou Lord knowest my thoughts afar off, they are ever before thee. 2 Kings 8.11, 12, 13.
Reas. 1. From Gods omnisciency, his all-sufficient knowledge, Heb. 4.13. They are anatomized before him, as if every vein and sinew were laid open, he divides between the marrow and the bone, John 21.12. Rom. 15.11. Job 26.6. Though hell and destruction be both covered, yet before the Lord they be both open. Whether Hell be in the waters, or on the earth, they cover not from God. Hell and destruction are before the Lord, how much more the hearts of the children of men?
2. From the creation. God made our hearts, gave us power to affect, think, purpose. He knoweth what is in us, Job 38.36 If God give understanding to the heart, he knows much more what is in the heart, Psal 33.13. God hath fashioned our hearts, therefore he knows them, Psal. 99 10.
3. From the providence of God We have our motion in God. A Mill moves from the Miller, because he hath caused it so to doe, but the motion of the Mill is not in the Miller, it can move without him. We move in God, as a supportant conservant cause, as a Mill moved by the breath of the winde, so we by the breath of the Lord; as there is not a turning in the Mill, but from the winde, so not a turning of our hearts without him. Our hearts are in the hands of the Lord, Prov. 21.1.
4. From the unsearchable depth of the deceitfulnesse of mans heart, Jer. 17.9, 10. Prov. 3.17. Our hearts make us believe we are rich, and have need of nothing, when indeed we are wretched, and miserable, poor, blinde, and naked. Prov. 30.2, 3. Sometimes that we are more foolish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man; while we walk in a sinfull way, they make us believe we are in Gods favour, Luke 18.9. When we are in a good estate, and God would have us walk chearfully in him, our hearts will cast a thousand discouragements upon us, we cannot pray or profit by the Word of God, or doe any good duty; our hearts will few pillows under our elbowes, that so we may sleep quietly, but when we go to try our hearts by the Word of God, then they will fall out with us indeed, 2 Sam. 15. the beginning.
Ʋse 1. Take heed of all secret sins. Not onely such as may be hid from men, but of such roots of sin as are hid from thy selfe, yet cannot be hid from God. Take heed of such sins as are so subtle, that thou knowest not whe∣ther they be sins or no, sins which our own soules know not of. If a man would be kept from presumptuous sins, he must cleanse the inward and hidden frame of his heart.
Q. How shall we cleanse our hearts?
A. 1. Pray to God with David, Psal. 19. to cleanse us from such sins which we know not. We have confessed such sins as we know by our selves, and those which the world knows by us, but we must make a new reckoning for such sins as we know not.
2. Not to trust our own hearts, but the Word of God, Psal. 119.9. The Word of God saith, there are such sins in every age, therefore we must pray to God to help us against them.
3. Keep our hearts with all diligence, observe every winding and tur∣ning, and take heed of occasions that provoke our hearts any way to sin, Prov. 4.23.