Chapter 1

The text opened; a preparation to the treatise following, showing the original of the heart's deceitfulness, the difficulty, and yet the means of knowing it.

The prophet having grievously menaced the Jews in the beginning of this chapter; because he saw, how much they bore themselves out against these threatenings, upon hope of the Egyptian's help; therefore in the fifth verse he curses all such, as rely upon man, and make flesh their arm, contrarily blessing such, as in their dangers shroud and shelter themselves under the wing of the Almighty.

But here the Jews having made a covenant with hell and death, would be ready to object against the prophet; what then is all this threatening to us? We are none of those that withdraw their hearts from God. Use of means does not prejudice trust in God. Trust in God as it cannot stand with trust in means; so neither without use of means when they may be had. We repose ourselves on God as much as yourself, or any else: and we repair to the second causes, only as serviceable, and subordinate to the first. Therefore as the sparrow by wandering, and the swallow by fleeing escape, so this your causeless curse shall not come: neither are we such children to be scared with empty words.

The prophet therefore in this verse prevents this objection, and keeps them from this refuge, saying, The heart is deceitful, as if he should say: Flatter not yourselves in a vain conceit, that you withdraw not your heart from God, and so God will not withdraw his from you. Nothing more easy than for a man to deceive himself: for the heart by reason of the great wickedness thereof, is a bottomless and unsearchable gulf of guile; in so much as none can know, not only another's, but not his own heart. The Lord only has reserved this as a royal prerogative to himself, exactly to know the depth of our hearts: that so, though men conceiving well of themselves, may conceive amiss of God, as one that by his doings will not justify the prophet's sayings; yet he judging of men according to the secret disposition and constitution of their hearts, may deal with them accordingly, blessing those that in truth do trust in him, but cursing such as withdraw from him, though not their tongues, yet their hearts. This is the order and general purpose of the words.

They contain in them a proposition concerning the heart's deceitfulness. Here two things are to be considered: what is meant by heart, what by deceitful.

By heart, man's heart is meant, as appears by the context. And now because man's heart is one of the principal seats of the soul of man, therefore by a metonymy of the subject, it is usually in the Scripture put sometimes for the whole soul, sometimes (and that more frequently) for such special faculties in the soul, as more specially belong to the heart, as the will and affections. But here it is to be taken for the whole soul and all the parts thereof, the understanding, the will, the affections: for all are deceitful.

The word deceitful is significant in the Hebrew, coming of a verb which signifies to supplant, as runners in the race use to do; and from this word had Jacob his name, because he caught Esau by the heel when he was coming forth of the womb: so do our hearts cunningly, as it were, trip our heel, when we are to run the race which is set before us. Though here also that reason of the name which Esau falsely gave to Jacob, may truly agree to our hearts, well may they be called Jacobs, because they cozen many, and do their endeavor to cozen all of God's blessing and the heavenly inheritance. But it may be asked, Is this deceitfulness given to all men indifferently, or only to some? Answer: To all, save Christ, in whose mouth (and so heart) was found no guile. By nature all our hearts are alike, and the change that grace makes in this life is not such, but that in some sort, the heart of the best may still be said to be deceitful. Christ indeed gives Nathanael this praise, that there was no guile in his heart, and David says the like of every justified man: but this is true only of the spirit, of the new, or young man that is created by God in the regenerate, and not of the flesh, that old man, an old fox indeed, that by reason of his age is often too hard for the young man: for youth is but simple in regard of old age. However, as young men grow still to further perfection, and are on the increasing hand, whereas old men decrease, till at length age brings dotage: so here the craft of this old man is daily weakened, the rather for those many wounds which the stronger young man's arm gives him in the brain, whereas the spiritual wisdom of the young man increases daily. Thus then we interpret these words of the prophet, The heart of man is deceitful, even the whole heart of the wicked, because it is wholly flesh, and part of the heart of the godly, namely the unregenerate and fleshly part. The heart of the wicked is deceitful with a full, strong, and reigning deceitfulness, the deceitfulness that is in the heart of the godly is weaker, as being discerned of them, and striven against by them. The heart of the wicked shows its deceitfulness in the whole course of their lives, the godly only in some particular actions. As it is said of David he was upright in all things, save only in the matter of Uriah, the general current of his life was free from deceitfulness, though not the particular action. Contrarily the heart of the wicked may be upright in some particular actions, as Abimelech's in the taking of Sarah. "I know," says God, "you have done this in the uprightness of your heart": yet not in the main of their lives. This is proper only to the godly that they are upright in their way, that is the constant tenor of their conversation. Now this deceitfulness here given to the heart, is set forth, first, by the greatness of it: above all things. Secondly, by the cause of it: and evil. Thirdly, by the unsearchableness of it, such that none can know it, figured with an interrogation who can know it? — that is none of himself by his own natural wit, without a higher and clearer light.

To begin first with the deceitfulness of the heart, and then to come to the illustrations of it afterward; it may be asked for the better understanding thereof, how comes this deceitfulness into the heart? Is not the heart God's creature? And did he not make it simple, plain, and true? From where then this fraud? Lord, you sowed in this field of man's heart the good grain of faith, truth, sincerity — from where then these tares? Solomon tells us (Ecclesiastes 7:31), God made man righteous: but they have sought out many inventions: for however these inventions and deceits (as Moses shows in Genesis 3) were first forged in the Devil's brain, and came out of his shop; yet because they were so readily apprehended, and as it were bought up so fast by our first parents, therefore Solomon ascribes them to man. So that however here also the question concerning these tares, indeed thistles of treachery, and a perfidiousness in our hearts may truly be answered with that in the Gospel — the envious man has sown them; yet with all it may justly be said, because the ground did so open its mouth for them, that the field itself did bring them forth. If at the first, when as this field was as the pleasant Eden of God; how much more now, when, having the salt as it were of God's curse sown upon it, it is become as a barren wilderness? If Adam and Eve might be charged as the first fathers, and founders of those deceitful inventions suggested by Satan, because of their ready, how much more we, because of our greedy apprehension of them, whereby we drink them in as the fish does water? If they for [reconstructed: willingly consenting] to, how much more we, for willful conspiring with the devil? So that, whatever the Scriptures shall tell us concerning the tempter's wiles, we may safely draw it here, and apply it to ourselves, partners, and practitioners with Satan in his stratagems against our own souls.

We see then the rock from which this deceitfulness was hewn. A pig it is of our own sow, a flower (weed rather) of our own garden. It remains, that, more particularly, we should see what it is, wherein it consists, and shows itself. A labor surely full of difficulty. For as the woman of Samaria said of her well to Christ, the well is deep, and you have no pitcher, the same may we say to ourselves of this pit, this puddle, this den, this dungeon. It is very both dark, and deep. Who can see it? Who can sound it? And alas where are our buckets to empty it? Who has not cause to complain with Saint Augustine, just cause have I to bewail that darkness, in which that power that is within me, is hid from me; so that my soul asking itself concerning its own strength, cannot safely believe itself; because even that which indeed is in us, is kept secret from us, till experience manifest it? O you many blind corners, the secret turnings and windings, the perplexed labyrinths, the close lurking-holes that are here! Who would think that within the compass of so small a piece of flesh, there should be room enough to harbor such swarms of vain and vile thoughts, desires, affections; and that far more secretly from being espied by us, than the largest and vastest cities can do any scouting naughty pack? Man is a great deep, whose very hairs are numbered before you O Lord. And yet easier it is to know the number of his hairs, than of the motions and affections of his heart, as excellently Saint Augustine. For as in Hercules' monster still fresh heads, one springing up after the cutting off of the other, and as in Ezekiel's temple, after the sight of some abominations still more: so here in this so infinite a receptacle of deceitful thoughts, one deceit succeeding, and pressing hard at the heels of another. Many inventions said Solomon speaking of those at the first, in the heart only of Adam and Eve. How then is the number (think we) increased since, there being none, whose brain or breast has not cast in his widow's mite at least into the common treasury? If this stinking river were so great where first it rose, how then think we has it enlarged itself, being run thus far? No marvel then if the prophet, as it were amazed to see such litters, indeed legions of deceitful devils couching close in this their stinking sty, cry out, as here we hear him; the heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it? So mystical are these hearts of ours. So deep and abstruse are its mysteries of deceit. Why then will some say, do you trouble yourself in vain? For if none can know this mystery of iniquity, how then can you know it? How can you make us know it?

I answer, though no man know it as of himself, yet I the Lord know; and if we plow with his heifer, we shall know the darkest riddles. There is a mystery of sin (says one) lying in the folds of our hearts, which we shall never see unless the spirit of God enter in, and give us light: for this spirit searches the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2), much more can it search the deepness of Satan, and of man's deceitful heart. If then we consult with the Lord's spirit, we may learn of him, what these deceits are, so far forth, as he has revealed them, in his word; which is a light, whereby we may see in this, even more than Egyptian darkness. Therefore our Savior counsels us to take the benefit of this light, and not to let it stand under the bed, and that upon this ground, for there is nothing hid [namely in our hearts, though never so closely] but it shall be opened, namely by the power of the word, most plainly (Mark 4:21-22). And this Paul exemplifies in his idiot, coming into the church assemblies, and in hearing the word opened, seeing himself and his own heart opened, and the secrets thereof discovered (1 Corinthians 14). Counsel [understand it of crafty counsel] is in the heart of man: but a man of understanding (understand it specially of spiritual understanding out of the word) will fetch it out, says Solomon (Proverbs 20:5). Here the Holy Ghost makes the wisdom of the word to be a bucket, able to bring up the filthy mire out of the deepest pits of deceitful hearts. And if the wise man has skill to let down this bucket into other men's hearts, and draw it up full again, much more then into his own. Though then naturally we are all blind, walking in the dark cloisters of our hearts; yet, if the Lord go before us with his torch, if he take us, as once Ezekiel, into this corrupt temple (stable rather) and lead us along by his word and spirit, we shall then clearly see the several ranks, and orders of the abominable deceits therein: for in the word of God there are many wonders to be seen, as David confesses, in that his prayer, [reconstructed: Open mine eyes] O Lord, that I may see wonders out of your law (Psalm 119:18). Among the which this of our own hearts unboweled and anatomized, is not the least. Indeed when our dead bodies are whole, we cannot see what is within. They will cast forth an evil savor, and we may see some filthiness and deformity in them. The which yet is but sweetness, and beauty to that we see, when the body is cut, opened, and entrails taken out. Surely the noses and eyes, even of some natural men, have discerned in man's heart unopened, unsavory nastiness, odious ugliness. But alas all that was not enough to humble them, neither was it anything to that they might have seen in the heart broke up by God, the only skillful anatomizer thereof. Who, as he sees all things therein, lying naked as in an anatomy, as the Apostle speaks (Hebrews 4:13), so also has he laid it open in his word to us; as in the verse before, the same Apostle shows, The word of God is lively, sharper than the two edged sword, a discerner of the thoughts, and secret intents of the heart, neither is there any creature, which is not manifest in its sight, namely of the word before spoken of: for so I think, without any violence offered to the words, may that text be interpreted. And the word [creature] I take for the creature of the heart, namely the thoughts and intents thereof before mentioned. That the sense should be this. The word discerns the thoughts of our heart; not some, but all. Nothing is there, that the heart forges, frames, and as it were creates within itself, which this word takes not notice of. But of this let the learned judge.

Well then, since the word is that light which shines in this darkness, having it with us, venture we to descend down into this deep dungeon, and to launch out into this vast ocean, having this plummet to sound the bottom thereof. They that go down into the deeps, says the prophet, they see the works and wonders of the Lord (Psalm 107:23). But they that go down into this deep are not now likely to see anything, but the deepness of Satan, the works and wonders of the Devil, the Leviathan that sports himself in these waters, or rather a Neptune triumphing here, as in his kingdom: which sight, though perhaps not so pleasing, yet profitable it will be, for to shame and humble us: for here in the word are those clear waters, which if we trouble them not, with the mud of our own affections, like the Elephant; clearly we may see our own deformity (Psalm 104:26). Here is a glass, wherein we may behold the faces of our hearts, and spy even the smallest wrinkle of deceit whatever. And that not so, as our natural faces in common glasses, where we forget, as soon as our eye is out of the glass, what was the fashion of our face; but so that still the sight seen shall stick by us, presenting itself to the eye of our understanding (James 1). When some cunning deceitful thief has stolen anything from you, you run immediately to the cunning wizard, a worse thief, a worse deceiver, to see in his deceivable glass, I know not what fancy, the thief it should be, that has robbed you. Look, your heart, the most crafty and cozening thief that can be, has robbed you, and does daily filch from you your richest treasure. And can you in your little loss run to the Devil's lying glass, to find out a little thief, and will you not in your greater loss come to God's true glass, to find out the great thief? If you think there is no such thief that steals anything from you, do but come here to this glass and you shall see him, and all the tricks and mysteries of his cony-catching trade. Come I say, and see him acting of them.