he way of error, though not as the way of error.

_Fourthly._ It presupposeth also an inclinableness in us by nature to
wander out of the way; for being nothing but a mass of error, made up of
darkness, ignorance, and mistakes, we have a strong bias to error, which
agreeth best with our natural, corrupted temper. Hence it is, that we
have such a strong propension to errors and mistakes: Whether,

1. Concerning God, and his way of dealing with his church, or with
ourselves. O how ready are our hearts by nature, to hatch and foment
wrong, unseemly, untrue, yea, unchristian, if not blasphemous thoughts
and conceptions of his nature, attributes, word, and works? And how
ready and prone are we to receive and entertain wrong apprehensions of
all his ways and dealings with his church and people? And as for his
works in and about ourselves, O! what unsuitable, erroneous, false,
ungodly, absurd, and abominable opinions do we with greediness drink in
and foster; yea, feed upon with delight? Who is able to recount all the
errors and mistakes which our heart by nature is ready to admit and
foster with complacency? Are we not by nature ready to say, that there
is not a God,--as the fool, Psal. xiv. 1. Or, that he is not such a God
as his word and works declare him to be--a holy, just, righteous,
omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God, &c. Or that he is a changeable
God, and actually changed, not being the same now which sometime he was.
That he hath forgotten to be gracious, and remembereth not his people in
adversity; and so is not tender and merciful. That he hath forgotten his
promises, and so is not faithful and true. That he approveth of sin,
because he suffereth the way of the wicked to prosper, and so is not a
holy God, &c. Yea, do not ofttimes such thoughts as these lodge within
the heart of the truly godly? All which sheweth how prone we are to
receive and entertain erroneous and false thoughts of God.

2. Concerning ourselves. Supposing ourselves to be born again and
reconciled to God, when yet we are living in black nature: And who so
bold and confident that they are right, as they that are furthest out of
the way? Or, on the other hand, supposing ourselves to be in a bad
state, and in nature and darkness, when the day-star from on high hath
visited us, and brought our souls from death unto life. And who more
ready to complain than such as have least cause? Or supposing ourselves
in a good condition; lively, active, dil