Page 133
Vers. 6. For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night, in the morning it burn∣eth as a flaming fire.
A sixth challenge, is, for their fraudulent carrying on of wick∣ednesse to a maturity. He maketh use of the former similitude, shewimg, that as a Baker heats his Oven by putting in fire and fuel enough, and then sleeps on till it be ready, at which time it will burne up in a flame, though he had been sleeping; so they did subtilly, with leasure and length of time, premeditate and plot their wickednesse, and did dissemble it, as if they were sleep∣ing, till they had an opportunity, and then they were all on fire to execute that which they had been so hot and serious in contri∣ving. Whence learn, 1. Raging and lustful sinnes are nothing the lesse discerned by God, nor the lesse odious that they are ma∣naged with policy, and subtilly conveighed; Therefore, saith he, for (or, certainly, as the word will also import,) they have made (or applied, and fitted) their heart like an oven, violent, hot, and raging, and that whiles they lie in wait. 2. Men who are wicked and subtile, may seem to be lying by and doing nothing, when yet, 1. Their hearts are very bent on their course; their Oven is heating while they sleep. 2. Their designes are still going on, the heat is tending to burning as a flaming fire, while the baker sleeps. Doct. 3. Iniquity that is hatched through abund∣ance of lust, is most violently executed, when an opportunity offers, and the more violently that it hath been long delayed; For, this Oven, it burneth as a flaming fire, and the more vio∣lently, that their baker sleepeth all the night.