Chapter 20

Of the deceit of the heart in that which it promises to God.

Thus we have seen how deceitful our hearts are in the promises they make to ourselves: it remains to see the like deceitfulness in the promises they make to God.

Now the heart is deceitful in promising to God, either the duties of repentance, and reformation in general, or any special duty in special.

1. For particular duties, how often do we purpose, and secretly, indeed sometimes more solemnly, promise to God the performance of this or that, when yet, in the end we do nothing less, by reason of the unsoundness, and unsettledness of our deceivable hearts. Solomon insinuates, that in his time there were some, that after, by vow they had bound themselves to the Lord for the performance of service, did yet afterward go about to inquire for reasons, how to be discharged of their vow (Proverbs 20:25; Ecclesiastes 5:5). Jacob promised and solemnly vowed to the Lord that, being blessed in his journey, and safely returned home again, he would build an altar in Bethel, and pay tithes (Genesis 35:1). Nevertheless, for all this, Jacob after his return could sit still, and find no leisure to pay his vow, till God came, and plucked him by the ear, both by the afflictions sent upon him in himself and his children, and also by his own voice, as it were showing him the reason of his danger before by Esau, and now by the people of that country, of Dinah's ravishment, and his sons' barbarous murder: Arise, go up to Bethel, and build there an altar, according to your vow. How often do the best purpose with themselves to show some proof of their spiritual grace, in performance of this or that duty: when yet, when it comes to the trial, we are altogether disabled, and show nothing but weakness and corruption? Because we have by our negligence and security grieved the Spirit of God. Wherein it fares with us, as with Samson, who said with himself, I will go out now as at other times, and shake myself, but he knew not, says the prophet, that the Spirit of the Lord was departed from him (Judges 16:20). And so his heart deceived him. Thus was it with David: I said I will look to my ways that I sin not with my tongue, I will keep my mouth bridled while the wicked is in sight (Psalm 39:1-3); but presently after he shows how soon he broke his word. My heart was hot, the fire kindled, and I spoke with my tongue, etc. Peter's example is very memorable; how confident was he in protesting and promising concerning his sticking to Christ, to the very death? But yet quickly plucked in his snail's horns, even at the slight touching of a silly wench. How soon, says Augustine, did you deny him as a dead man, whom before you confessed as the living Son of God?

To this place belongs that usual deceit, whereby we secretly promise to the Lord the doing of this or that, when our present estate shall be changed. Oh if I were thus, and thus, I would do so and so. If I were King, says Absalom, I would see justice done to every man. Think we, he would have been as good as his word, if ever he had been King? Assuredly none would have been more tyrannical. If I were a rich man, says one, O how liberal, how free-hearted should I be? God happily lets him have his wish, but he lets not God have his promise. God gives riches to him, but he no liberality to God. In fact, when he is become rich, he is more unjust, niggardly, scraping, than those of whom he complained before, when he was poor. Thus young men think with themselves, when they come to be old, they will not offend in those faults wherein they see age so much overtaken, as stubbornness, moroseness, impatience, contempt of youth, etc. Unmarried persons think, when they are once married, they shall live so lovingly, and comfortably, and be quite free from all those faults which they see married folk to offend in. Men without children, if once they might come to have children, O the duties they would perform, the care of godly education they would have. Private men, if they were in places of government, O the wonders that they then would do. And in every state and condition, whatever want we see in others, we dare promise touching ourselves a freedom from it, if we were in it. But we know not, at least remember not, that every state has several temptations, and burdens, annexed to it. And how can we know, either how we shall withstand the one, or stand under the other, till it comes to the trial. Or rather, we should fear the worse of ourselves. Behold now, being poor, I am covetous, when I lack that bait of feeling the sweet of gain, which rich men have. What then should I be, if I were rich, when the danger is greater, to have our hearts stolen away by riches increasing? Behold now I am a single man, and have no body to look to but myself, and yet I find I have enough to do this well: how then shall I do, when besides myself, I have a family to oversee? Behold now I am a private man, and have no body, but my own family to govern: and yet I find my hands full with this. Alas! if I were in public place of government, how should I be overcharged? Behold being but a mean obscure person, I yet find it hard to humble and keep under my proud heart. What should I do then, if I flourished in worldly glory, and were a great one in princes' courts? Lo, I can hardly stand fast in firm ground. How then can I secure my feet in slippery ground?

2. In promising to God repentance, and reformation in general, the case is alike. Men in their afflictions, and sickness, looking for death, how liberal are they in their promises? But afterward how basely niggardly are they in their performances? They play children's play with God, they take away a thing, as soon as they have given it. When Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, then the Jews made a solemn covenant with the Lord, to set free their servants: but no sooner had the King removed his siege, but they retracted, and repealed their vow, and brought back again their servants into their former bondage. So fares it with these kind of men. When God lays siege to them by sickness or some other pinching affliction, then covenants, and promises are made concerning the putting away of our sins: but no sooner does God begin to depart, and slake his wrath, but we return with the dog to the vomit, and with the sow to our wallowing in the mire. Like Pharaoh that dismissed the Israelites, when death entered within his palaces, but presently after, in all haste, makes after them to fetch them back again. Thus was it in that great sweat in the time of king Edward. As long (says one) as the fervency of the plague lasted, there was crying peccani, peccavi, mercy good Lord, mercy, mercy. The ministers of God's word were sought for in every corner, they could not rest, they might not sleep: you must come to my Lord, you must come to my Lady, come if you love God, and if you love their salvation tarry not. For God's sake, Mister Minister (say the sick folks) tell us what we shall do to avoid God's wrath. Take these bags. Pay so much to such a man; for I deceived him: give him so much, for I got it of him by usury. I made a crafty bargain with such a one, restore him so much and desire him to forgive me. Divide this bag among the poor, carry this to the hospital, pray for me for God's sake, Good Lord forgive me, etc. This was the dissimulation of the people for three or four days while the execution was, but after when the rage was somewhat assuaged, then returned they to their vomit worse than ever they were. Then that they had before caused to be restored, and given in alms they seek to recover by more evil-favored means. This deceitfulness God noted in the Israelites, who being humbled with the terrors of the law, promised very largely, All these things will we do. But what said God: O that there were such a heart, namely as, in this so liberal, and frank a promise of obedience, they make show of, and at this time think indeed they have. For now we speak of such a kind of deceitfulness, whereby we deceive ourselves as well as others. We are not to think these Israelites did grossly dissemble with God: but at that time, being in some distress, they spoke as they thought, and meant to do. But by reason their hearts were not thoroughly purged, and renewed, it was only a sudden fit for the time, afterwards their hearts returning to their old bias, they were not able to perform that which they promised. This the Scripture would teach, when it says their hearts started aside like a deceitful bow. When a man shoots with a deceitful bow, though he level his arrow, and his eye directly to the mark, and think with himself to hit it, yet indeed the arrow, by reason of his deceitful bow, goes a clean contrary way. Answerable to this bow is our heart, to the arrow the desires, purposes, and promises we conceive, and make in our afflictions. The mark we aim at is repentance. To which we then look with so accurate, and attentive an eye; as though we should repent indeed. And that indeed is our purpose, and meaning then: but our own hearts deceive us. For, because they are not truly renewed, but there is much unsoundness still in them, hence it comes to pass, that these arrows of our purposes, and promises of repentance never hit the mark, never sort to any good effect, but vanish in the air as smoke. Ahab did not grossly dissemble in that his humiliation wrought by the Prophet's reprehension, but he meant in good earnest, when he clothed himself in sackcloth. Only his heart still remained unregenerate, and so deceived him. So was it with Pharaoh also. One would think that water heated in the fire were indeed as truly hot as fire itself. But because it is not a natural heat, but only external from the heat of the fire, remove it but a while from the fire, and it returns again to its own nature, and as the Philosopher observes, becomes colder after the heating, than it was before. So is it with these flashings of devotion and holiness, which were in Ahab, Pharaoh, and others in like case. They are not kindly, but violent, they are not from the inward fire of God's spirit, but from the outward fire of his judgments. And therefore when that is out, these are gone.

And this is the third part of the heart's deceitfulness, namely its deceitfulness in promising. The use of that which has been spoken hereof, is

1 To teach us patience, when we are crossed in use of those things we desired, and wherein we promised great felicity to ourselves. For God saw the deceitfulness of our hearts in such promises, and that indeed these things would in the event have proved serpents, and stones, which we thought would have been fishes, and bread, that they would have been very bitter, and burdensome to us, which we fancied as matters of comfort, and delight.

2 To rest contented in that estate in which we are. For however we promise much of ourselves, if our estate should change for the better, as from poverty to riches, from obscurity to glory and greatness in the world, and presume of our own strength not to be touched with those infirmities that usually attend such estates, yet we have learned how deceitful our hearts be herein. Have we then a liberal and merciful affection in our poverty? Let us not be over desirous of a richer condition. For we know not whether then we shall be of the same mind, yes or no. And that affection we have to liberality, while we are poor, is accepted of God for liberality itself. Take heed then of this deceit. You desire to be rich, that you might be liberal. So much your heart promises you, that you should be very liberal, if you were once rich. Lo, you are liberal before you are rich, in regard of the affection and disposition of your heart, and when you are rich, you are not so much as liberal in affection. You do not only not get that liberality in action which you promised yourself in riches, but also you lose, together with your poverty, that liberality in affection which then you had. O deceitful heart, who by promising us more, makes us to have less. Desire then rather to keep your poverty, that you may keep your liberality; remembering that of Solomon, that though that which a man should specially desire is his goodness, that is, to do good in works of liberality, yet a poor man, that, having nothing to give, has yet a giving affection, is better than a liar; that is, as I take it, better than such a rich man, who before he was rich, would brag much what he would do, if he were rich, and yet, being rich, is poorer in liberality than ever he was: who is therefore, in regard of this deceitfulness of heart, worthily called a liar by the Holy Ghost (Proverbs 19:22). Be not then, through this deceitfulness, moved to the desire of a higher and greater estate. If there be a willing mind, God accepts a man according to that he has, and not according to that he has not (2 Corinthians 8:12). Then again consider with yourself, what likelihood there is, that you should do a greater good (which belongs to a higher place) being therein, who cannot do the lesser good (which belongs to a meaner place) in which now you are. You are a bad poor man: you would be a worse rich man. You are an ill gentleman: and is there any hope that you would be a better nobleman? In poverty and meanness you cannot be free from those infirmities to which that estate is subject: and yet do you think to escape those to which riches and honor lie open?

3 Never to be over bold or lavish in promising much of ourselves. Do we with the most: but speak we with the least. For our hearts will deceive us. We would hardly give our words for a false knave that had often deceived us. Why then do we not learn the like wisdom here, not to promise any great matters of ourselves, since we have such deceiving hearts as will shame us in the end, if we presume anything far of them. It is a shame to us, when others, of whom we have promised much to our friends, shall deceive us. Therefore the Apostle, having promised Titus no small things concerning the Corinthians, says he was not ashamed in that of which he had boasted of them to Titus, because their doings had abundantly justified his sayings (2 Corinthians 7:14, 16). Thereby insinuating, what a shame it would have been to him, if the Corinthians had deceived that hope and confidence which he had of them. O then what a foul shame must it needs be, when our own hearts shall deceive us in that which we have promised of them to God? Suffer we not then our tongues to run over in this kind, lest it fare with us, as with that same young man in the Gospel, who came running in all the haste to our Savior, crying out, Good master, what good thing must I do to get eternal life; therein secretly promising that he would be willing to do anything Christ should command him (Mark 10:17, 22). For it is, as if he should have said: O let me but know what is to be done, and be it what it will be, lo here I am ready, pressed to do it. But when Christ told him what was to be done, Go sell all, and give to the poor, etc., then he slunk and shrank back. For how many are there that, through this kind of deceitfulness, deal with God, as [reconstructed: Orpah] did with Naomi, making her believe that nothing should be able to separate them, there was no hesitation, but she must needs follow Naomi into Judea: but she was soon entreated to stay behind, and take her leave (Ruth 1:10, 14). The Prophet Hosea brings in the Israelites, renewing their covenant with the Lord, in very serious manner; Come let us return to the Lord, etc. One would think here were an excellent spirit of sincerity. But God, discerning guile in this their so hot and hasty zeal, passes this sentence upon it, What shall I do to you, O Ephraim, etc.: All your righteousness is as the morning dew (Hosea 6:1). And therefore when our hearts promise anything to God, whether openly or secretly, we must desire God's strength to enable us for performance, as David having promised, I will keep your statutes, prays, do not forsake me for too long (Psalm 119:8). Indeed we must in this case deal with our hearts, as Joshua did with the Israelites, promising their service to the Lord: O, says Joshua, you cannot serve the Lord, he is a jealous God, etc. (Joshua 24:16-19): so we in like manner must propose to ourselves the difficulty of doing any good thing, both in regard of our weakness and Satan's wiliness. And, as in being surety to man for our brother, the scripture exhorts us to be well advised what we do: so much more ought we to be heedful and considerate in this suretyship to God for such false hearts as these are, that weighing well our own inability to do so much as the least good, we may never presume to undertake any such matter, otherwise than in the denial of ourselves, and in the earnest seeking of the presence of the Spirit, without whom we can neither promise nor perform as we ought (Proverbs 6:1).