[1] It is with the children of men as with the housewife, that
having diligently swept the house, and cast the dust out of
doors, can see nothing amiss, not so much as a speck of
dust in it; whereas if the sun do but a little shine in,
through some cranny in the wall or some broken quarry in
the window, she may soon see the whole house swim and swarm
with innumerable atoms of dust, floating to and fro in the
air, which, for dimness of light or sight, she was not able
to discern. Even so is it with many that were careful of
their ways, so that little may be seen that is amiss; yet,
when they shall come to look more attentively into God's
law, a little beam of light, reflecting upon their souls
for it, will discover unto them such an innumerable
company, as well as corruptions in their heart as of error
and oversight in their lives, that it shall make them, as
men amazed, cry out, "Lord, what earthly man doth know the
errors of his life?"--_Spencer,_ 1658.
[2] As the Lord led Ezekiel from one place to another, and the
further he went the greater abominations he discerned
(Ezek. viii.), from the door of the court to the door of
the gate of the Lord's house, and from thence to the inner
court; so the Spirit of the Lord leads the sinner from one
part of his house to another, from one room--one faculty of
his soul to another, and still discovers greater, more and
more abominations,--leads from the profaneness of his
ordinary conversation to the sins of his religious duties,
from the sins of his life to the sins of his heart, from
the streams of sin in his actions to the spring of sin
which bubbles up continually in every part of his soul. He
brings to mind the sins that he has forgotten, makes him
"possess the sins of his youth;" and now the "bag" (Job.
xiv. 17) is opened, and the sinner sees what he is to
reckon for, he cries out as the prophet's servant, "How
shall we do?" and as David (Ps. xxxviii. 4). He comes not
to the assizes as formerly, to see others tried and
condemned; he sees himself now at the bar, himself
arraigned and indicted; he cannot but plead guilty. He is
clearly cast in law, and bears the sentence of condemnation
as though the Lord did by name pronounce sentence of
condemnation against him.--_Clarkson,_ 1621-1686.