The Ninth of August.

THE HEART IS DECEITFUL --- Jeremiah 17:9.

"Take heed to your spirit." --- Malachi 2:15.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it." --- Jeremiah 17:9.

Private loop-holes, sinful lusts, can hide themselves at times so well as to seem quite dead; but if we grow careless, they spring up again on a favourable occasion, and sometimes appear in a spiritual shape, and take a fine spiritual name.

Thus, though the flesh exceedingly likes sensual indulgenges, yet to flatter its lust of pride, and the vanity of being thought a perfect man, it will sometimes endure great mortification.

Therefore, we ought always to be jealous of ourselves, and guard as much against self-righteousness as licentiousness; for the flesh is never more fleshly and dangerous than when it has the most spiritual appearance, and covers its lusts with the holiness and spirituality of angels.

Sin has a thousand treach'rous arts
To practice on the mind;
With flattering looks she tempts our hearts,
But leaves a sting behind.

With names of virtue she deceives
The aged and the young;
And while the heedless wretch believes,
She makes his fetters strong.

She pleads for all the joys she brings,
And gives a fair pretence;
But cheats the soul of heavenly things,
And chains it down to sense.

So on a tree divinely fair
Grew the forbidden food;
Our mother took the poison there,
And tainted all her blood.