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2. If thou wouldest get, and keep a right and due knowledge of the sinfulnesse of thy nature: Then be often, diligent, and humble too, in comparing thy heart and its tendencies with the Law of God. Let not thy selfe-ex∣amination be onely taken up with the out∣ward, visible part of thy life: she may ap∣peare neat and cleanly abroad who may possible be found a very slut at home, within
doores: follow thy selfe into thine heart and search well the secrets of thy soule, neither be thou seldome in this worke, doe it often, for there is danger in little inter∣missions of our watch, the waters which silently glide from this fountaine will rise to an undiscerned depth in a little time. He that seldome searcheth, hardly ever comes to a just discovery of his heart: It is an often repeated search that is likelyest to dis∣cover a notorious cheate: and when thou tryest be not negligent, and carelesse in it, do it diligently, make it thy businesse, and then thou wilt find what now lies hidden out of sight, a dangerous Fistulating tumour, must be searched with much diligence, or the chirurgion will never know either it's depth, or danger: This spirituall corrup∣tion of our natures hath many, and very deep pipes: and all our skill is little enough to find out its secret conveyance, and there∣fore in thy search be not slothfull, and sleight. And remember to take humility along with thee in the tryall, for pride will never be content to let the heart appeare as it is, a proud man is never an upright judge of himselfe, he ever accounteth himselfe bet∣ter in the scales, then he is: whereas the
humble man either judgeth exactly, or wise∣ly suspects himselfe to be defective, and wan∣ting of weight. Whoso hath gotten such knowledg of the nature of God's Law, and doth thus search, may hope, that, he shall in due time discover this sinfulnesse, which ap∣peare's in it's fruits, not all at once, but some time more, sometime lesse, as provocations, and opportunities set it on worke. Now thy frequent search will discover it in this part of it: The enemy that makes his ex∣cursions often must be as often observed & watched: and if thou would'st know him throughly thou must not sleep securely and let him make inroades upon thee at his plea∣sure. This sinfulnesse is wise and politique it doth not allwaies appeare in the same garbe in the same method, it varies it's man∣ner of working, and thou must enter the search after it with wifedome and diligence both, or it will be too crafty, and subtile for thee: The more various it is, the more dili∣gent thou ought'st to be, and deave with this as men doe with cunning cheaters, that shift their lodgings, change their habits, alter their carriage and Proteus like appeare to you in a thousand shapes, keep your eyes on them, follow them to their very lodgings,
& retiring roomes, so do you keep your eye diligent in the watch of your sinfull nature, that you may see it in it's retiring roome where it prepares to change it's shape.
Men, that stand without, see not what base fellow act's the part of a King on the stage, or how uncleane a villaine act's Jo∣seph's part, but he that goe's off' the stage and see's them behind the courtaine in their retiring place discover's all this, so may we by a diligent observance of this.