ch we desire, or sending that which crosseth our humour, whether
sickness, or want, or reproach, or disrespect, whatsoever it be that the
heart is naturally carried to pursue or eschew. What more abominable and
ugly visage, than the countenance of an angry and furious person? But when
this is against God, it adds infinitely to the deformity and vileness of
it. "I do well to be angry," is the motto of a discontented soul. It
elects an imaginary sovereignty against true Sovereignty, it sets up an
anti providence, it establisheth another divine power and wisdom, and
brings the majesty, highness, and holiness of God down to be tread upon by
the creature. And then it is its own tormentor, a sin that needs no
punishment but itself the insurrection and mutiny of the heart against
God's will, sets all the powers of the soul out of course, vexes pains,
and disquiets all. There is no peace and tranquillity but in the
complacency of the heart with God's heart, as Ephraim was like a bullock
unaccustomed with the yoke, (Jer. xxxi. 18 ) the more he fretted and
spurned at his yoke, the more it galled him, and grieved him, till he was
instructed, and then he was eased. This fills the soul with hideous
tormenting thoughts, and cares; this feeds upon its own marrow, and
consumes it--as some have made the emblem of envy,--which is a particular
kind of this enmity, as if you would imagine a creature that did waste and
consume all its moisture, and marrow, and feed upon the destruction of
itself. Now this is but the prelude of what follows, this self-punishment
is a messenger to tell what is coming, that the most high God is engaged
in his power against such a person, and shall vent his displeasure to
their eternal displeasure. That is the fruit of this enmity.

Sermon XXI.

Verses 7, 8.--"The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God."

It is not the least of man's evils, that he knows not how evil he is,
therefore the Searcher of the heart of man gives the most perfect account
of it, Jer. xvii. 12. "The heart is deceitful above all things," as well
as "desperately wicked," two things superlative and excessive in it,
bordering upon an infiniteness, such as sin is capable of, wickedness and
deceitfulness! And indeed, that which makes the wicked heart desperately
and hopelessly so, is the deceitfulness of it.