but from gracious acceptation of them in that blood by dipping wherein the spots of them are done away For there is I thinke none of vs which denyeth but that God accepting our workes as perfect in Christ doth reward vs for them as if they were perfect but seeing the reward becomes due in Christ and not by the workes themselues wee thinke it a foolish pride to maintaine the stately name of merit of workes when wee are faine to beg the reward for anothers sake and cannot chalenge it simply for the workes sake Thus this truth inforceth them after much turning and winding in effect to confesse it though the truth is they would not haue it seeme so for feare of a sore losse that might follow thence vnto their Clergies kitchin and manger I meane their liuing and pompe But let them passe There is a second errour of heretickes 2. Of perfection of holinesse in this life dreamed of by the ancient Puritans so they may well be called no lesse dangerous yea verily I suppose much more dangerous then the former of old condemned vnder the name of Puritans from a conceited and imaginary purity or absolute freedome from all sinne whereof they boasted and now as the speech goes reuiued in some parts of this Land This is that the Saints of God in this life may attaine to such perfection as not at all to commit any sinne with such gay fancies they please to seed themselues and their seduced followers Now it is most certaine that these men are the most abominable and dissembling hypocrites in all the world or else the most besotted and benummed spirits for their owne whole carriage and continuall experience doth confute them euen to themselues and yet they will not see themselues confuted If euer any of you meet with any foolish Hypocrite offering to tel you a tale of such perfection that he hopes to get or that he hath gottē or that may be gotten by any in this life as neuer to sinne any more neuer any more to need repentance doe no more but turne him to Saint Iohns Epistle and tell him that he that saith he hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him Bid him consult with Salomon againe who propoundeth the question as of a thing impossible Who can say his heart is pure and tell him againe that the same Salomon knew what he said when he said that there is a generation which is pure in their owne eyes but are not cleansed from their filthinesse and tell him that those branches in Christ which need no pruning are sure like a branch ouerladen with Grapes through the conceit of their much fruitfulnesse broken off from him for he saith that euery one remaining in him needeth and receiueth pruning which were not needfull if he were faultlesse And so leaue the fond deceiued and selfe-conceited Hypocrite vnto himselfe and haue no more to doe with him For either he speaketh altogether against his owne heart or else his heart is nought worth as Salomon saith of the wicked yea more hope is there of the saluation of the most desperate sinner aliue then of such an one For Christ alwayes 〈◊〉 the full empty away and pronounceth a 〈◊〉 vpon these spiritually rich persons Seest thou a man wise in his owne eyes saith Salomon there is more hope of a foole then of him Surely he is wise in his owne eyes that thinketh he hath no sinne wherefore we can haue little hope of him This errour is so contrary to all the feeling and sense of all Gods Saints who are faine still to say with Dauid Lord who can know his errors as that a man would maruel how any man in whom there was euer any knowledge of the Word and any shew and beginning of goodnesse should bee so farre seduced and drawne away as to entertaine such an opinion But the cause is manifest hypocrisie is alwayes accompanied with pride and the growth of hypocrisie breeds also a growth of pride and pride swels out the eyes that a man cannot see the cleerest truthes And thus haue we briefly discouered vnto you these errours to rectifie your iudgements For if the words of Christ be true these opinions that are directly opposite vnto the truth contained in them must needs be false Now heare some other vses to rectifie your practice also CHAP. VIII Containing a second vse of the poynt stirring vp the seruants of God to an holy longing for death Vse 2 SEE heere 〈◊〉 how great cause wee haue to follow the Apostle Paul We should long for the time of our dissolution when we shall be perfectly freed from sinne and to long that wee were once dissolned and perfectly vnited vnto Christ that as hee prayes for vs being where he is and seeing his glory we might be perfectly like him in a spotlesse purity and holinesse Impatient folkes are many times so tormented with worldly crosses made so troublesome vnto them alone by their owne folly and pride whereby they neglect to see God and to stoope vnto him in crosses that they are euen altogether weary of their liues because of them and our of a kind of stomackfull sullennesse against God as once Ionas or else a feeble sinking vnder the burthen of misery as once Eliah they euen thinke with themselues I would I were dead and are bold to trouble God with that vnsauoury petition of making an end of their daies that they may be rid of their crosses which they haue neither patience enough to beare for the present nor hope enough to looke for a good issue out of for the time to come But my brethren consider Haue you not other and worse things to be weary of then crosses and for which if for any thing to be weary of life also as of a burthen which you long to be remoued from off your shoulders Hast thou not pride passion worldlinesse ambition lust enuie vaine-glory blindnesse hollownesse deadnesse of heart and a thousand more besides these corruptions within thee which giue thee farre iuster cause of panting for the period of thy dayes and wishing that thy life heere might bee but short then the frowardnesse of a yoke fellow the stubbornnesse of a child the meannesse of thine estate the falsenesse of thy friends the power and fury of thine enemies or any other crosse if any be worse then these Ah wee haue not sufficiently informed our selues of the loathsomnesse of sin neither are we sufficiently heauie laden with the sense thereof if the cumbersomnesse of this doe not cause vs euen in the time of our greatest immunity from other miseries to couet our departure hence If sicknesses make men cry for death because they be terrible to the body how should not the sicknesses of the soule make vs much rather to seeke for it seeing wee shall not cease to suffer the fits of this disease till death be sent to seuer our soules from our bodies and both from our
that liueth in the Church out of these naturall desires that are inseparably vnited to his reasonablenesse doth incline himselfe in some things to yeeld to the Doctrine of Religion that so he may serue his owne turne in fulfilling his owne desires this is false goodnesse goodnesse alone to the eye it is called goodnesse as a false shilling is called a shilling because it looketh like a shilling hauing the same stampe and a little filuer at top though in ths middest it be nothing but brasse or some such base and vnworthy matter If a man I say be moued for his owne credit or ease sake yea or for his owne faluation sake to be willing to do some good that God in his word commandeth and to forbeare some euill in the same Word condemned and not to be willing to doe all good commanded and auoyde all euill forbidden this is but guilefull hollow imperfect dissembled goodnesse so esteemed by men and so appearing to them that can looke alone vpon the bark and outer rinde of things not so appearing to the pure eyes of God nor so accounted in his true iudgement that searcheth into the marrow and pith and depth of all things For God himselfe is the chiefe good and in a manner the onely good neither is any thing good but by participation from him and so that goodnesse which is not as it were deriued from him as from the originall of it nor directed to him as to the scope and end of it because it hath nothing to doe with him therefore indeede is not goodnesse whatsoeuer shew it may carrie to the world So that as true goodnesse is will to bee good in all things for Gods sake so is false goodnesse a will to seeme good in some things for ones owne sake Ease may moue a man to doe some good and auoyde some euill so may credit so may profit Now if any of these things doe chiefly and principally worke vpon our wills as the motiues and ends of our actions then is that goodnesse but hypocrisie and seeming goodnesse and that man who liuing in the visible Church suffers this vice of being induced but to some good things not all and withdrawne but from some euill not all for his owne credite profit ease or the like cause not Gods sake onely or principally to sway and beare rule in him he is an hypocrite Hypocrisie ruleth where it is not seene and lamented But when and in whom doth this vice preuaile may some man say I answere euen then and in that man where and in whom it is not seene opposed resisted by the spirituall weapons of frequent confessions hearty petitions earnest lamentations and diligent application of the word of God against it for to beate it downe for all vices must be distinguished into two kindes some are more fleshly and grosse as I may terme them that doe follow the temperature of the body and their strength and weakenesse doth much what depend vpon the constitution thereof such are wrath and choller gluttony and filthinesse and diuers other like Now it is not of necessitie that these vices bee actually in all the corrupt generation of Adam alone they are in euerie one as I may terme it virtually so that if the same soule were put into another body whose temperature would fit the turne of those vices it would be as plentifull in them as any other man is or as it selfe is in any other vice Now there are other vices of a more spirituall nature as I may terme it I meane more immediatly and principally flowing from the corruption of reason and of will and from the natiue defilement of the soule in its chiefe faculties such as are pride vnbeliefe forgetfulnesse of GOD vnconscionablenesse and by name this hypocrisie And these last kind of vices are in all men indifferently since the first sinne of Adam by whom all became dead in sinnes and trespasses though it must not bee denyed that in some they grow more head-strong than in others and doe more manifestly and violently shew themselues according as they are more or lesse nourished with meanes and occasions and as it were soyled with helpes and opportunities fit for them And as for all these vices there doe they preuayle and there they must be called predominant where they are not obserued bewailed acknowledged oppugned and that by spirituall weapons and that constantly For it is most vndeniable that whersoeuer any vice is there it ruleth vnlesse it be mortified and crucified by the spirit that is by spirituall means and ordinances faithfully vsed wherewith Gods Spirit faileth not to worke and it is as certaine that this grand member or lim rather of the body of death which we all bring into the world with vs I mean hypocrisie is in euery man wherefore it hath dominion in him vnlesse it be as was formerly spokē discerned and oppugned And therefore also it is great reason that such one should receiue his name from hypocrisie be intituled an hypocrite And so I would think An hypocrite is a professor of Christianitie that doth not see and resist his hypocrisie an hypocrite maybe fitly called a professor of religion that doth not see bewaile and fight against his owne hypocrisie that is his aptnes to make a shew of goodnes by doing onely some things that are commanded and auoyding onely some things that are forbidden for his owne sake not indeuouring to doe and auoyd all such things for Gods sake Not the hauing but the not oppugning of hypocrisy makes an hypocrite And this thing is worthy to be diligently marked that I spake of the predominancie of vice because it is of maruellous great vse for the true triall of our felues according to those things that afterwards shall be set downe for that purpose For not euery one that feeleth in himselfe some of these signes and effects of hypocrisie that shall be named is by and by an hypocrite but he that hath them in him and takes no care to find them out or if hee must needes find them out continueth not to make warre against them by prayers and teares the sword of the spirit and the like weapons of our Christian warfare And of the description of an hypocrite hitherto I goe forwards to shew you the sorts or kinds of hypocrites for well may wee say that a notable difference in degrees may giue iust occasion of distributing the things so differing into diuers kinds as the Scripture diuideth the heauenly Bodies into the greater light for the day and the lesser light to rule the night CHAP. IIII. Of the diuers sorts of Hypocrites AND of hypocrites within the Church Of hypocrites there are two kinds the grosse hypocrite and the close hypocrite we shal find two kinds the greater hypocrite the lesser hypocrite the grosse hypocrite the close hypocrite both well called hypocrites because in both that vice preuayleth and yet the one distinguished from
busie in labouring to obey and a man that liues with him may euen perceiue in him and he in himselfe a strift this way For in truth as there is a great difference betwixt lusting to be rich and labouring for wealth so betwixt a bare lusting to be good and endeauouring after goodnesse The sluggard would bee content to take wealth if he could find it vnder his foote or if with little adoe hee could entreat it to fall into his lap yea sometimes when hee wants money or cloathes or foode and is pinched with neede hee hath a kind of angry eagernesse after it and hee would as leife as his life haue so good a liuing as his neighbour hath but hee cannot shake off sleepe in a cold morning hee can endure no sweates hee can endure no sweate he loues not to rise betimes and set to worke he cannot trauell he cannot take paines Not so the good husband for he thinkes of his businesse whither he may goe what he may doe what times he must obserue for the getting of a shilling and accordingly takes those times dispatcheth those businesses and goes to such places and neyther heate nor cold nor wet nor dry nor night nor darkenesse shall hinder him but he will goe forward with those things which are requisite for his thriuing Euen so the foolish man sometimes could find in his heart to leaue such a sinne and to doe such good duties O it were very well if he had such vertues and were rid of such vices and what a good turne had hee if he could doe as such and such and in a twinge of his conscience or in a fit when he is told of heauen hee could bee content to leape out of his skin to get heauen and to get out of hell but after his fit is ouer he cannot away with this confessing of his sinnes in secret with this rending of his soule with this earnest contending with God and with this crossing of his owne nature and fighting against the lusts of his flesh euen with this labouring for the righteousnesse of God aboue all things But the Christian stands otherwise affected he museth of the way and meanes of getting grace he thinketh seriously what is to be done for the beating downe of such a vice and building vp of such a vertue hee beateth vpon his owne heart all such reasons as hee can bring to fix his will in a resolution of doing good leauing euill hee taketh paines with calling hard vpon God takes paines in checking and controling in prouoking and stirring vp himselfe in labouring to lament and bewayle to hate and detest his sinne and to worke in himselfe earnest sorrow and sound griefe for sinne and thinkes not much euen to weary and toyle himselfe in these spirituall labours Hee plowes his heart hee sowes in the Word be seekes for showres of grace hee weedes his heart hee breakes the clods of his heart Thus he sets himselfe to taske and is a right husbandman in his owne soule Further the thing about which his desires and endeauours are conuersant About the will of God is the will of God reuealed in his Word not the will of men not the secret and hidden will of GOD nor a supposed imaginary will of God but that selfe-same will of God which is deliuered vnto him in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles for so saith Dauid His delight is in the Law of God Psal 1.2 Psal 119.105 And againe Thy word is a Lanthorne to my feet and a light to my paths He lookes to that which is reuealed and desires to be wise according to that which is written and not aboue it his desires and labours are limited by the manifestation of Gods will In things tendred to the thoughts of his mind hee demaundeth how it is written Reuealed in Scriptures and how doe I reade so farre and no further stooping and yeelding as he findeth diuine authority with Propheticall and Apostolicall testimony to call for yeeldance I haue walked in thy truth Psal 26.3 saith Dauid He knowes that what the Lord hath commended to his Church by those principall Pastours of his Church the Prophets and Apostles that is Gods truth and therefore he subdues his reason and affections vnto it But if any man will bring any thing to him and presse it as necessary to saluation which hath not the stampe of diuine inspiration he knowes not how to submit his conscience to such basenesse as to yeeld it selfe to any other than the royall soueraignty of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings like a right good subiect and withall noble and ingenuous that as he cannot be induced to with-draw his necke from his Princes yoke so can he by no meanes indure the burden of an vsurpers Scepter and therefore he had rather die with the honorable liberty of a subiect of the Lord than liue a slaue inthralled to the tyranny of an vsurping creature Now this will of God he striueth both to know Both to know and doe the same and also to doe Not to know alone nor to doe alone but to know and doe both euen to doe out of know ledge is the marke that his indeuours aime at An hypocrite separates these two things hee would know but regardeth not to practise he admits GODS Word into his head willingly and with applause in most things but into his heart and into his life hee doth not admit it Neyther doth he therefore study to vnderstand that he may bee ruled by the light hee hath gotten but alone that he may make himselfe a teacher of others or a carper at others and a well applauded discourser before others He hath lame feete though hee haue a seeing eye and neuer cares to goe where hee sees his duety leadeth him Thus the forward dissembler and quite contrarily the ordinary formall man he seemeth to be all for doing and doing little caring to know or vnderstand as if a man should talke of dispatching his worke in the darke without a candle doubtlesse this worke would be but bunglingly performed but the Christian desireth to rectifie his life by knowledge to guide his feete by his eye and his eye by the lanthorne of the Word that so hee may neither haue a fruitlesse knowledge nor a blinde practise but may attaine the blessing that our Sauiour pronounceth saying Now you know these things Iohn 13.17 happy are ye if you do them And this is the matter of a good life a setled will and endeauour to know and doe the will of God set downe in Scriptures Let vs acquaint you with the moouing cause thereof The motiue of fruitfulnesse is loue to God Iohn 14.15 which must bee the loue of God in Christ according as our Sauiour himselfe assureth vs saying If yee loue me keepe my commandements In like maner the Apostle telling vs that faith must worke by loue 2. Cor. 5.14 15 and saying of himselfe that the
errours but many more then they can possibly come to the vnderstanding of Rom. 7.21 in this life Paul also tels vs that when he would doe good euill was present with him And who can boast of freedome from this cumbersome presence of euill if the Apostle himselfe could not Some would elude the euidence of this text but to no purpose for the matter wee are in hand to proue because if this place should faile vs yet the other places alleaged and to be alleaged doe by their plainnesse refuse to bee eluded but this text they would elude by saying that the Apostle doth not here speake of himselfe as he was after his regeneration but as he was before regeneration so describing a meere naturall man brought as farre as the Law without grace could bring him But this fancy the Apostle himselfe doth plainly enough cut off saying in the conclusion of his discourse So then I my selfe in my minde doe serue the Law of God but in my flesh the law of sinne This I my selfe ioyned with the present tense can denote none other but Paul himselfe as hee then was when he wrote these words and according to the condition in which hee then remained And doth he not to his complaint O miserable man subioyne his triumph of Thanks be vnto God through Iesus Christ Can the meere naturall man come to such a sight of his miserable seruitude to sinne as withall to giue thankes vnto God in Christ for his deliuerance It is manifest then that the Apostle affirmeth thus much of himselfe as he then was after his beleeuing in Christ and many yeeres spent in his Apostleship And if it were thus with Paul at that time shall any man in all the world expect to finde it otherwise Saint Iohn also writeth most plainly saying If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. The poynt then is fully proued needing indeed none other confirmation then the continuall experience of all Gods Saints agreeable to the Word of God But for your better satisfaction in the matter wee will shew you both the cause why it is so and the reason why it standeth better with the wisedome of God to appoynt it so to be rather then otherwise For without all doubt the Lord could giue vs perfection of sanctification in this life if so it seemed good vnto his wisedome And the cause of it is The cause of our not being perfect here is our not being fully vnited to Christ our not being fully and perfectly vnited vnto Christ Iesus our Head from whom all graces are deriued as water from the fountaine If we were conioyned to Christ in the highest degree of vnion wee should also be voyd of sinne For as in our vniting vnto the first Adam wee did so wholly receiue his corrupt image that there remained no good thing in vs so in our vniting to the second Adam we should so wholly be filled with his holy Image as to haue none euill abiding in vs. But whilest we remaine in this world wee haue not a full possession of him wee are not so neerly vnited vnto him Wee are like a maid contracted espoused made sure to a man which hath an infallible right into him and hath receiued diuers tokens euen rich tokens of loue to assure her of the marriage in due time but is not yet married vnto him nor is put into the possession of his person and estate wholly and fully as at the consummatiō of matrimony And this also ariseth hence that hee is a glorious incorruptible immortall and spirituall Man we are mortall corruptible meane and naturall men and so weak feeble and imperfect a thing as a mortall vnnaturall man though it may in some degree be ioyned vnto so glorious a nature and person as that of Christs namely in respect of a certaine right and interest into him and of the receiuing of some first-fruits and benefits from him yet cannot be admitted into a full and whole perfect coniunction with him namely so far as to see him as it is seene and know him as it is known and to be all in all with him Now so exceeding deeply doth the staine of sinne cleaue vnto vs which we haue receiued from our first parent Adam that an vnion of lesse closenesse then this euen of wholly possessing Christ and being wholly possessed by Christ will not serue the turne wholly and altogether to expell the corruptions of our hearts You see now whence it comes that in this life we remaine obnoxious to diuers imperfections Next Reasons why God will not giue vs a totall freedome from sinne heere let vs consider why the Lord of heauen will haue it to be so rather thē otherwise In truth it should be an intolerable presumption and sawcinesse in vs to demand a reason of Gods actions if himselfe did not vouchsafe to stoope so low as to render vs a reason thereof himselfe But in this matter the Scripture saith plainly that God hath shut all vnder sinne that hee might haue mercy vpon all Doubtlesse this is principally to be vnderstood of giuing ouer man to bee sinfull in his first corruption shewing the reason why God did permit and appoynt it so to be but withall it may very fitly serue to informe vs in the present matter shewing why the Lord doth please to leaue euen his owne seruants after their ingraffing into Christ vnto the sinfulnesse of their nature so farre that they shall not be wholly free from it namely 1. That it may most manifestly appeare we are saued of grace that it might most manifestly appeare that they be saued of grace and not of merit and that he may fully and vnquestionably inioy the praise of hauing giuen it them of free will and bounty not paid it them as a thing earned by the worthinesse of their workes although in another respect the Lord pleaseth to call it a wages viz. not in regard that it is giuen for the dignity of the workes but because of the certainty of such an ouer-abundant requitall For as an honest man will surely pay his labourer his hire according to the Law so the Lord will surely giue eternall life vnto his seruants that by continuance in well doing doe labour for the same Now seeing the Lord did principally aime at his owne glory in giuing saluation vnto men it is most agreeable to reason that he should in such sort bring them vnto saluation as may most manifest the riches of his mercy the glory whereof he doth most affect and seeke in that worke and it is a more cleere demonstration of mercy to giue them saluation through the iustification which is by faith in Christ notwithstanding that themselues remaine very weake feeble imperfect sinfull and vnable to performe exact obedience to his Law then if he should at the first moment of their regeneration free them wholly from all weaknesse and after a life
how would euery one feare lest the lot of death might fall vpon himselfe and how carefull would each one bee if it were possible to come vnto the knowledge of the matter whether himselfe should be amongst the liuing or the dead Brethren it is certaine that in the Church of God there be diuers hypocrites which must be damned this our Sauiour teacheth here and we haue deliuered you in his name Can it therefore but be needefull for euery one amongst you to make a diligent enquirie into his owne estate and that so much the rather because this very willingnesse to search into ones selfe Willingnes to search a signe of truth the the contrary of falsehood is a good signe of truth and the contrarie of false-hood The hypocrite of the closer sort is onely therefore an hypocrite because he will not endure the paines of discouering his owne hypocrisie An hypocrite in the hearing of such a point as this can soone see cause enough in his conceit to thinke hardly of another man Sure if this be so saith he within himselfe such a man must needes be in hard case for he can be no better than an hypocrite but for himselfe hee letteth passe all such thoughts concerning himselfe and feedes himselfe still with his former strong and long continued conceit of being a good Christian what euer men thinke of him But the true Christian vpon hearing of such things because hee hath had some acquaintance with the guilefulnesse of his owne spirit is therefore apt to be timorous of himselfe and thinkes to this effect within himselfe Alas what is mine estate these things come hard vpon mee I feare I feare much lest all be not well within me And so searching he findeth hollownesse finding bewaileth it bewailing confesseth it confessing reformeth it and reforming is not ouercome by it Wherefore againe and againe I beseech you let euery man and woman consider diligently of himselfe let him trie and prooue his estate by the notes which I haue formerly set downe in as much plainenesse and perspicuitie as I could Say thou that hearest the Word of God this day in which thou art taught that the true Vine hath branches on it that be not true as well as those that be true what dost thou deeme of thy selfe Art thou an vpright-hearted man or a dissembler Againe I demand of thee what a kinde of Christian thou accountest thy selfe In name and shew and profession thou art one of Christs members but art thou so indeed and truth or art thou not Thine answer will like enough be this That thou hopest thou art a true Christian I say vnto thee therfore that it may fall out thou couldst not so much as say thou didst hope so if thou didst not answere rashly and without all deliberation because thou art an errand grosse hypocrite that dost know thy selfe if thou wouldest confesse it but meerely to counterfeit some outward shew of goodnesse whereas in thy secret conuersation and the vnobserued parts of thy life thou followest and likest wickednesse well euough And if it be so suffer not thine heart to beguile thee any longer and lay no clayme to the name of a true Christian which thy selfe dost well enough perceiue to be altogether vnbecomming one of thy carriage Come now and grow to take notice of that monstrous grosse guile which thou canst not but feele within thy selfe Some doe thinke themselues vpright yet at end proue false if thou wilt but lay thine hand vpon it But if thou boast not so grossely and so palpably hypocriticall but that it may bee possible for thee to say deliberately that thou hopest thou art a true Christian yet I wish thee to take great heed that thine hopes be not ill grounded for many a man thinketh and hopeth that he is vpright which in the end proueth himselfe otherwise and looseth all his faire hopes and so is fulfilled vpon him that the Scripture affirmeth the expectation of the wicked shall perish But willt thou know indeed what to say of thy selfe then lay the line to thine owne soule and apply thy selfe to the rules formerly set downe Say then Where findest thou most faults at home or abroad in thine owne heart Where dost thou find most faults or in the wayes of other men And what faults doe most disquiet and trouble thee and make thee most inward worke and heauinesse thine owne or those of other men If thine owne in all likelihood all is well with thee if other mens loe here the carping vaine of an hypocrite lay thine hand vpon it and feele it with shame and sorrow and say to thy selfe O now the pulse of my soule beates hollow and hereafter till thou haue turned thine edge another way take not thy selfe for other than thou art an hypocrite If thou feelest this busie medling humour and lamentest it thou art not ouercome of hypocrisie but if it carry thee away and thou satisfiest thy selfe in it and thinkest thou hast cause so to doe and resistest it not I condemne thee for a ranke dissembler But tell me yet further Art thou confidene or feareful of thy selfe how standest thou affected towards thy selfe art thou bold confident aduentrous dreaming that thou trowest all the world shall not draw thee to commit such a sinne and bragging that thou art one of these dissemblers Or art thou fearefull of thy selfe scarce daring to trust thy selfe and often almost ready to tremble for feare lest thou shouldest bee beguiled in thy selfe If it be with thee in this latter fashion I say vnto thee blessed is hee that feareth alwayes with such a feare as makes him examine and pray and seek for strength from heauen against his corruptions but if otherwise it is certaine this foole-hardinesse comes from nothing but thy not knowing of thine owne weakenesse therefore I can pronounce thee no better than an hypocrite And tell mee yet againe doe times company places make such a change in thee that what euill thou wilt not doe in one place or company that thou wilt do in another and what good thou dost in some places and times Doth company place c. change thee yea or no that thou carest not to performe in others I say then thou hast cause to esteeme thy selfe a double minded man but if thy resolution be to be stil the same and thy strife not to alter and so in conclusion thou art thy selfe though Satan may trouble thee by such disaduantages I say then thou mayest iustly repute thy selfe true hearted Yea if perceiuing such inclinations to change and vary with time and place thou see and bewaile this folly and striue against it thou mayest be true for all that but if thou extenuate and excuse this varying and thinke with thy selfe that no man can chuse so casting the blame vpon others and not thy selfe I assure thee againe that thou art but hollow But proceed wee in this examination Is all or thy chiefe care
of ceremony and could scarce abide them that could abide those petty things which I haue disliked and yet I neuer lamented but rather applauded my selfe in this bitternesse and I my selfe haue beene very carelesse of greater things when profit pleaded for them that haue seemed so very strict in formes and shaddowes and externall rites and yet I pleased my selfe well enough in this largenesse of conscience O Lord thy Word hath found me out thy Word hath discouered vnto mee the secrets of mine heart it hath iudged me it hath condemned me I desire to giue glory to thee and no longer to hide my sinnes this sinne this vpholder of all sinnes this damnable hypocrisie I see it hath ruled in me and I for want of care haue neuer yet perceiued it but now I perceiue it and now I confesse it O Lord to thee that knowest it already to thee from whom it cannot be hidden I humbly acknowledge I haue all this while beene but an hypocrite Brethren will yee thus pleade guilty A man shall be loath thus to confesse his hypocrisie if you bee guilty before the Lord I know it is maruellous hard to bring the guilty soule to plaine confession selfe-loue raigneth in our hearts naturally and that can hardly endure to speake any euill against it selfe though vpon neuer so iust cause Hee that hath long fed himselfe and made himselfe if not peaceable yet secure with telling himselfe he was a good Christian will be very loath now perhaps after many yeares abiding in this false opinion to acknowledge himselfe to haue been deceiued We see it is very hard to draw men out of those errours wherin they haue been long trained vp Euery man hath been euen trained vp in a conceit that he was a good Christian It is conceit hath long possessed him and this errour hath become a very preiudice within him he hath euer taken it for granted and beene angry that it should be once called into question It is therefore no wonder if men finde themselues loath to recant their owne good conceits of themselues and to goe from all that they haue formerly esteemed vndenyable But for all this But he must for all that confesse I pray you be perswaded to see your selues to haue been dissemblers if you haue been such for all your vnnaturall vnwillingnesse The theefe indeed hath cause as he thinketh to be impudent in denying himselfe to haue committed felony though he know full well that he hath committed it because confession is required of him as an helpe to his conuiction and so to his condemning But the Lord of heauen doth not desire thee to confesse thy selfe to haue been but an hypocrite because he wanteth other meanes to conuict thee or because hee may the more easily proceede to condemne thee For that is the onely way to get it pardoned nay therefore onely he would haue thee confesse that thou mayest be capable of pardon because it is an ouer-ruled case in heauen and a thing peremptorily concluded of by the Diuine iustice that no sinner shall euer be pardoned till he deale plainely and freely confesse that he is such a sinner as he is Thy confession is called for onely to sit thee for pardon not to vrge against thee to any worse purpose Wherefore forbeare no longer winke no longer be ignorant of thy selfe no longer hide thy guile no longer but in thy very soule now in the thoughts of it and heereafter in more words twixt God and thy selfe in secret say vnto the Lord and deny not but acknowledge O Lord I see plainely that yet I haue been but an bypocrite Brethren And if he doe it not he is no whit safer ignorance of ones ill estate cannot helpe it Is a man one iot the better if he be an hypocrite because hee refuseth to acknowledge it Shall he scape better because he can make himselfe blinde and not see it Doubtlesse the Lord will discouer the secrets of euery soule at the last day and at the day of death to euery mans soule first and after to all the world and then a man shall be discouered to himselfe fearefully and horribly without all hope without all possibilitie of being pardoned Suffer the Word of God wherein hee comes to exercise iudgement in a mercifull manner to draw you to a plaine and sauing acknowledgement that you may not be forced by the last sentence to see and feele your hypocrisie when there will be neither leasure nor meanes to redresse it Now thou mayest be helped now thou mayest be changed from an hypocrite to a true Christian from a dissembler to soundnesse of spirit Now therefore whilest vpon confession mercy and healing may be procured bring thy soule to it and suffer the Word of God to ouer-rule all thine vnwillingnesse and fall to a free confession and as I haue often said tell the God of heauen O Lord It is true too true too plaine I cannot deny it vnlesse I will deny it wilfully and against my conscience I am but an hypocrite as yet Brethren wee therefore labour about this point so much because we doe well know the necessitie of it If we cannot attaine thus much from you But shall for euer remain so you will alwayes remaine hypocrites and the Word of God through your opposing it will prooue but a meanes of hardening you in your hypocrisie but if we draw you to acknowledgement it will not be impossible to direct you to amendment I know that your hearts may possibly hold off from confession by thinking to this effect That if you haue beene but hypocrites all this while it will neuer bee better with you and you shall neuer attaine to be vpright But this is a false suggestion of Satan If you will not see your selues to haue but dissembled you shall in very deede neuer be better but rather worse and worse and more and more sold vnder the power of hypocrisie Only by confessing and lamenting hee may be made true but if you will see it and lament it before God and oppose it by striuing to cast out the beloued sinne and to step that one step which hitherto you haue not stepped of falling out with that one sinne whatsoeuer which hitherto you haue harboured and constant praying against that one fault which hitherto you haue been content to winke at and let passe with a priuiledge of Seene and allowed you shall bee true you shall bee vpright you shal be sincere and of fruitlesse barren become fruitfull and profitable branches A man may weep out hypocrisie aswel as other vices confessing and lamenting guile will surely free a man from the power of guile and hee shall cease to be an hypocrite that will now begin hereafter daily continue to see acknowledge and bewayle his hypocrisie before the Lord who sees and hates it where it is not cōfessed sees pities it where it is CHAP. XII Containing a third vse for them that
sincere Christians Whosoeuer amongst you findeth that in his soule the consideration of Gods infinit goodnes through his onely Son hath had such a powerfull working that it hath euen knit his heart sast vnto the author of so great kindnesse and made him euen say and sweare within himself that he would surely keep his righteous iudgements made him constant in taking all pains to mortifie his corruptions to doe his duty in euery thing according to the diuine direction so that there is no one thing so comfortable to him as when he can carry himselfe in some good maner as beseems the Gospel of Christ nothing doth more humble abase him than when he fails of this holy walking if it were demaunded of his very soule what in all the world he most hartily desires and would fainest attaine in all his life his hart would make this answer for him that it is to please God to get acquaintance with his duty and to accomplish it accordingly this he wisheth this hee longeth for this he coueteth more than all wealth or greatnesse or other gailded toy that the world hath to giue him I say now in Gods name to euery such person and require him in Gods name to giue credit vnto my words because they are infallibly grounded on Gods Word that he ought to be of good comfort that he is a true Christian and no dissembler that for such an one he ought to take himfelfe notwithstanding all the blemishes errors ignorances imperfections and it may be also sometimes grosse out-strayings of his life Brethren the true-hearted had neede to bee made to vnderstand their trueth as well as the false-hearted their falsehood For as the latter out of his selfe-liking disposition is ready to flatter himselfe with sweet words so the former out of his acquaintance with his own guilesulnes and the sight of his owne badnesse and vnworthinesse is ready to threaten himselfe ouer-sharpely and to charge himselfe eagerly though wrongfully that he is but an hypocrite But now ye seruants of God consider that it is a fault to molest your selues with causelesse accusations of your selues or to be ignorant of the vnspeakeable fauour that God hath shewed you or to deny the blessed work of his good Spirit in you Yea you are bound in conscience to acknowledge your own true-heartednes and with hearty thanks vnto God much chearefulnes in your selues to approue your selues to him and to your owne consciences I confesse that it is far more dangerous to hope then to feare without a cause but yet the inconueniences of these false seares are also very many very great When a man that is vpright doth not account himselfe so to be he is vnable to thinke comfortably of dying and leauing this World he is backward to prayer he can hardly giue thanks for any thing he cannot long for the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ he cannot so much delight himselfe in the contemplation of heauen he cannot be so patient in affliction he cannot be so abundant in godly speeches to the edification of others as else hee might be These feares therefore though by God they be made profitable for the beating downe of pride and for the ferretting out of the reliques of guile that remaine in vs are yet vnlesse they be seasonably opposed remoued very noysome and hurtful like an East wind cold and dry do bite nip the branches and cause the grapes to grow but few and little vpon them Wherfore you must be giuen to vnderstand that fruitfulnesse may well stand with the hauing many weakenesses sins and corruptions though not with the allowing excusing maintaining extenuating denying and wilfull winking at any Thou hast manifold corruptions in thee much pride vaine-glory worldlinesse lust passion reuengefulnesse twenty other like But tel me Dost thou see and feele these corruptions Dost thou constantly obserue the motions risings of them with griefe dislike detestation iudging of thy selfe for them Dost thou make opposition to them by pressing on thine heart the promises threates and precepts of the Word by consideration of the death and sufferings of Christ by groanes in thy selfe and by supplications vnto God and so keepest them from vsuall breaking forth in extremitie and grossenesse or if they do at any time breake forth dost thou arraigue thy selfe for them in Gods presence not ceassing to wound and pierce thine owne heart till thou findest it wrought to a renewed loathing of them not ceassing to confesse them to the Lord and cry for his helpe till thou hast renewed in thy selfe a firme purpose of no more returning vnto them Dost thou these things I say in all thy faults weaknesses and wandrings then I affirme that thou mayest be and art fruitfull notwithstanding all these faults and I tell thee for the comforting of thine heart that these things cannot bereaue thee of the title and priuiledgeof a fruitfull branch and an vpright person Againe thou art very defectiue in vertues of all kindes in faith in meekenesse in patience in thankefulnesse in heauenly-mindednesse and the rest But dost thou take notice of these thy defects Art thou grieued and ashamed of them Dost thou call vpon God to make a supply and call on thy selfe to labour for an encrease of them Dost thou stirre vp thy selfe to grow in these graces not excuse please and content thy selfe in thy wants pretending that euery man must haue his faults and so hast thou thus sleightly passing them ouer then I assure thee againe that for all thy wants thou art yet fruitfull in Christ and so vndoubtedly a true Christian For to fruitfulnes is not required an actuall knowing and doing of all Gods will but a labouring and striuing to know and do the same and that constantly out of loue vnto him for his glory Wherefore if the loue of the Lord do so inflame thy soule that thou resistest earnestly to all thy corruptions and if the intention and purpose of pleasing and honouring him doe so constantly stand before thine eies as to make thee take continuall paines to reforme and amend thy selfe I dare pronounce thee a fruitfull branch a sound-hearted Christian and I doe now require and enioyne thee to fall downe before the Lord with heartie praises for this so vnspeakeable goodnes of his in ingraffing thee into the right Oliue and making thee a liuing member of his Sonne the Head and Prince in whom all fulnesse dwelleth Yea I wish thee to reioyce to delight thy selfe in abundance of peace through the certaine acknowledgement of thine happy estate that thou art not alone in but also of the Church and truely partaker of the fatnesse and verdure of the right Oliue tree To know a mans selfe fruitfull in some degree will make him fruitfull in an higher The man that suspecteth himselfe to be worse than nothin goes fearefully faintly about his businesse but he that is certaine hee hath something
of his owne though not so much as he would is chearefull and forward in following his calling It doth likewise euen dampe the courage of a good Christian in following the trade of godlinesse when hee is still causelesly accusing himselfe to haue no truth no sinceritie no vprightnesse but to know that hee hath truth indeed and yet is farre short of perfection this encourageth him to goe forward in striuing after perfection The consolation that pietie affordeth is a principall furtherer of our good proceedings in it and therefore thou must take comfort in the truth of thy beginnings that thou mayest goe forward with a liuelier pace and greater diligence Consider heere how that our Sauiour doth not name the bringing forth of as much and as faire fruit as others for the note of a good and pleasing branch but simply the bringing forth of fruit and therefore if thou beest in any degree fruitfull though neyther so much as thou wouldest or shouldest or seest others to bee yet there is iust cause of receiuing comfort Indeed the littlenesse of our fruit should humble vs but not discourage vs. It should stand before our eyes to keepe vs from pride not from peace to stop vs from conceitednesse not to hinder our comfort in God Satan that desireth to make all things harmefull vnto vs labours also to turne the reliques of sinne which remaine in vs to the ouer-much disquieting and terrifying of our consciences and to the shaking of our faith and interrupting the consolations we might enioy in God but let vs not yeeld to the subtiltie and malice of Satan in this behalfe When thou seest thy selfe failing in the measure of fruit obserue this fayling well but turne it not the worst way Let it make thee charge thy selfe with too much negligence not with vtter hollownesse conclude from it that thou art but weake and feeble not that thou art but an hypocrite and dlssembler And now let all Gods people chiefly those that are full of doubts and feares depart away confirmed and established in comfort let their spirits be at peace within them and let them feede of the fat and sweete portion which the Lord hath allowed them The ioy of the Lord will bee their strength these comforts will ripen their fruites as the Sunne-beames doe the fruites of the earth and they shall with most east and assurance grow better and better when they find the comfort and benefit of being truly good already So then conclude thou thus for thy selfe euery fruitfull branch is a true Christian I am fruitfull though not of so large faire ripe clusters as others yet of Grapes my life is truly holy and good though not approching so neare to perfection as it should and therefore I will not doubt to esteeme my selfe a true Christian and to giue the Lord the glory praise and take to my selfe the comfort and peace of my sinceritie And so we haue spoken of the obiect of Gods Husbandrie the parts of which we will hereafter entreat of at some conuenient time if God afford vs life and opportunity Deo Solà gloria FINIS GODS HVSBANDRY THE SECOND PART TENDING CHIEFLY TO THE REFORMING OF AN HYPOcrite and making him true hearted AS IT WAS DELIVERED IN CERtaine Sermons and is now published By WILLIAM WHATELY Preacher of the Word of God in Banbury in Oxfordshire 1. Cor. 4.5 The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsels of the hearts AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man dwelling in Pater-noster-row at the signe of the Talbot 1622. TO THE COVRTEOVS READER I Make bold good Reader to present vnto thy view this second part of Gods Husbandry containing a few Sermons which I preached vpon the words of Christ in the fifteenth of Saint Iohns Gospell My maine intention herein was to helpe the people of God against that miserable sinne of Hypocrisie which in the former Treatise I sought to discouer Doubtlesse all our paines and all our preaching is little enough and too little to make men see and reforme so perillous and withall so subtill a vice This is a disease of so darke a working as will hardly be discerned vntill it be past cure And though a man bee not so totally possessed and ouercome by it as that he deserue to bee called an Hypocrite yet are the remainders of it which abide in the most sanctified hearts as the Canaanites amongst the sonnes of Abraham exceeding troublesome and exceeding noysome calling for all diligence and labour to expell them It is the daughter of ignorance and selfe-loue the mother of pride and selfe-conceitednesse the sister of vaine-glory and contention It is of all sinnes one of the most hideous because it damneth those that seeme to themselues little lesse then free from all other sinnes When the whole army of vices is fled before the face of vertue and seemes to haue yeelded a full victory then doth this vice as it were by stratagems and deuices vndermine victorious vertue and rob it of the victory which it seemed to haue gotten It is the refuge and hiding place of all other faults neither can wee further preuaile against any corruption then we preuaile against this neither can any corruption further foyle vs then this doth lend it aide and succour This vice maketh those things abominable in Gods sight which to menward seeme praiseable and causeth that heauen doth detest what earth applauds It comes to Church with men and poysons preaching praying hearing reading receiuing the Communion and all the parts of Gods seruice It is bold to creepe into the clozet also with some men and doth many times corrupt their most retired deuotions It maketh that the Lord accounts himselfe but mocked when men account themselues to haue well worshipped him It turnes mercy iustice chastity into vices after a sort and causeth that they be in true iudgement but faire and guilded sins It marreth in one word all good things and changeth the not committing of sinne into a sinne and the performing of the most commendable duties into very loathsome euill A deuout Hypocrite is little better then a profane Epicure and a painted Sepulohre is little different from a very dunghill Happy shall that man be that is carefull to spy out the working of this crooked and deceitfull vice in himselfe and that with earnestnesse diligence warinesse and constancy doth striue to chase it out of his owne heart When the Ziphites wretched claw-backes as they were came to waken Sauls sleeping malice by offering him their seruice to deliuer vp Dauid the Story tels vs that he sent them backe with this instruction Goe and prepare yet and know and see his place and where his haunt is and who hath seene him there for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly See therefore and take knowledge of all his lurking places where hee hideth himselfe and come yee againe to me with the certainty and I will
deserued punishment which his grieuous wickednesse doth challenge at the hands of his righteousnesse If it be obiected that God might conuert the hypocrite if he would The answere is By his omnipotent power he might and so he migt the diuels too and the very prince of the diuels Beelzebub himselfe But wee must vnderstand that the Lord hath set downe a certaine way and order of conuerting men vnto him agreeable to the rules of his owne vnsearchable wisedome euen such a way as is in it selfe most plaine sure and infallible if the negligence and obstinacy of men doe not hinder and such a way as is most conuenient to procure the greatest honour that may be vnto him in their saluation and that is that man himselfe should become a working instrument with God to his owne conuersion and saluation Which seeing the hypocrite will not doe the Lord will neuer bee so ouer-gracious vnto him as to bring him to heauen by another way but will euen magnify himselfe in destroying him because he neglected to take the right course that was shewed him to doe himselfe good So you see reasons enow on Gods part why such branches should be separated from the Vine Consider we of themselues and see if there be not more then cause of handling them with such seuerity First they thrust away saluation from themselues Reason 2 as it is sayd of the Iewes in another case From themselues whom 1. They thrust away saluation from them Because they will not entertaine and yeeld vnto the good motions of Gods Word and Spirit that doe vrge and presse them to turne vnto the Lord and therefore what can be expected in reason but that they should procure vnto themselues euen sharpe and swift damnation For is it not most equall that he which will not receiue saluation when it is proffered vnto him by God should vtterly perish as that he should be starued and dye for hunger which will not receiue foode when it is put into his hands These men resist and oppugne the Spirit of God and will not accept of life vpon such termes as it may stand with Gods Iustice to bestow it vpon them If he would saue them and giue them leaue to goe on in their beloued sinnes too O how glad they would be of such a carnall way of comming to heauen But if he wil not giue eternall life but vnto those that are carefull throughly to reforme their hearts and liues they know not how to be at all that paynes Surely the matter standing thus betwixt the Lord and their soules it could not stand with his righteousnesse to preserue them from ruine The dissembling Christian dealeth by God as the Disciples of Christ did deale by him in the sixth of Iohn When he told them of eating his flesh and drinking his blood they sayd This was an hard saying who could heare it and so went backe and walked no more with him So the hypocrite hearing of remission of sinnes of life of saluation thinkes they bee things very desireable and out of a will to haue a part in them he will goe a great way with God but when he heares of a generall renouncing of all sinne and of washing and clensing his heart and that without this care there is no saluation he will not beleeue that the way to heauen is so narrow he shrinkes backe at these exhortations and thinkes the Lord is an hard Master and will goe with him no further So then seeing the fruitlesse branch doth carelesly or obstinately let passe the opportunity of sauing himselfe when it is often offered vnto him what can be more righteous with God then that hee should bring vpon himselfe eternall destruction Againe the hypocrite abuseth the richest of all Gods benefits his Word his Sacraments his Gospell the blood of his Son his tender of mercy and the rest of those supernaturall things that he hath to doe with He turneth the grace of God into wantonnesse and like a very Swine doth tread vnder foot the most precious pearle of Gods goodnesse in Christ and must not an heauy vengeance therefore needs oppresse him Meate drinke apparell wit strength health these be worthy gifts of God and exceeding sinfull is the abuse of them accounted in the sight of God as reason there is that it should and very heauy haue the punishments been that haue lighted vpon the abusers of such mercies But these are cōmon fauours euery dayes benefits the outcasts of the world haue them as wel as those of Gods houshold Only the Word of God his holy Ordinances the knowledge of himselfe of his Son and of his Kingdome and the offers of mercy to saue them from hell these are peculiar fauours highly-esteemed kindnesses specially bestowed vpon those of his owne family with whom hee pleaseth to bee in Couenant Now the hypocrite abuseth these he peruerteth these he flatters himselfe in his sins for all these and when God himselfe doth euen as it were come a wooing vnto him in all these ordinances and beseech him to be reconciled to receiue himselfe for an husband his Kingdome for a dowry and Heauen for a ioynture hee will none of the bargaine vnlesse he may haue the liberty of inioying his sinnes besides O how great an indignity is heere offered vnto God how shamefull a repulse doth the Lord receiue and how vndeserued a refusall wherefore by how much the mercies of God that the dissembler abuseth in cōtinuing obstinate against them are greater by so much must God in iustice needes increase the sharpnes and strength of his blowes against his soule 3. Doe much harme in the Church Againe the hypocrite doth procure a number of mischiefes in the vine where he growes which must needs occasion and hasten his cutting off These discredit Religion and cause it to bee ill spoken of these being of Gods family in shew doe bring an ill name vpon it as once the spies did vpon the land of Canaan They doe grieue the hearts of the vpright and strengthen the hands of other sinners and fill their mouthes with insultation Their barrennesse and want of good fruit doth administer matter vnto those that are ready to cauill of casting reproches vpon the roote on which they grow and vpon all the branches that grow by them Neuer did any professed enemy doe so much hurt to true Religion and so much hinder the proceeding of true piety as the hypocrite hath done Hee is one of the chiefe stumbling blocks in the world and if a woe be denounced against him by whom offences come then the heauiest of all woes must light vpon him from whose default the greatest of all scandals doe come Doe you not conceiue what triumphing there was against Christ when his owne Disciple had sold him for money The dry branch is a great impediment to the fruitfulnesse of the neighbour branches and the vnfruitfull Fig-tree doth euen keepe the ground idle Hee keepeth many from goodnesse that
of those kindes of men to whom any of those things agree that I haue set downe vnto you He should be vntrue and falsifie his word if hee should not bring damnation vpon all each of those that I haue said Princes often threaten meerly to terrifie and pronounce harder sentences in publike then they meane shall be executed as they doe with vs in case of those that are adiudged to bee pressed to death It is not so with the Iudge of all the world not one tittle of a word more is to be found in his sentence then shall be felt in his execution his blowes shall bee as terrible as his threats and his iust menaces as exactly accomplished as his most gracious promises not one tittle of the Word of God shall faile and therfore no part of the misery denounced against Hypocrites till all bee fulfilled Marke then I pray you the precise and punctuall dealing of our Lord in this place hee saith particularly euery branch loe euery one without any partiality and exception and He the God of heauen that hath a strong arme and no question a knife sharpe enough for this businesse and cutteth off taketh quite away vtterly remoueth from the root and all the benefits of the root euen to his endlesse destruction as it must needs be granted for what but damnation can betide him that is separated from Iesus the author of life by whose Name alone saluation is to be found Wherfore take no more paines to flatter thine owne soule and make thy selfe hope to speed better then thou hast heard whosoeuer thou bee whom the forenamed things haue discouered to bee but a dissembler thou shalt surely haue thy portion without amongst the searefull and dogs and inchanters and theeues and whoremongers in that fiery and yet darke Lake that is prouided for the fairest Hypocrites as well as for the blacker and more infamous sinner there is no escaping there is no getting out no one Hypocrite shall bee able to shun the eye and hand of God hee will picke out euery one by himselfe and euery one shall be cut off and vtterly destroyed the Word shall proue an axe affliction shall proue an axe prosperity shall proue an axe and all Gods ordinances and all that thou doest and all that thou seest and hearest and is done to thee shall be but in the nature of a sharpe cutting knife by little and little to take thee off from Christ and ripen thee for vengeance In comming to Church thou hastenest towards hell in preaching thou speedest towards death in giuing almes thou runnest forwards to hell in liuing as thou callest it iustly thou doest but step a step neerer to hell all that thou dost and all that betideth thee helping to increase and further thy damnation O miserable man and beyond all conceit wretched vnlesse thou wilt heare and feare and prepare thy selfe to come out of this misery by feeling it Be thou cut off from the Vine be thou spiritually excommunicated from Christ let thy sinnes bee bound vpon thee as a bundle and be thou bound ouer to the great Day of the vengeance of God Almighty what should we adde to that that wee haue already spoken againe and againe The case of the Hypocrite not alone the grosse hypocrite that knowes himselfe to be such cares not but euen of the close hypocrite that takes himselfe to be far better is most wretched hidious intolerable O that you could beleeue it O that the deceitfulnesse of sin might not harden your hearts that the effectuall working of Satan might no longer blind your eyes but that you may see and feele your selues to be if you be dissemblers and withall to be so vnhappy and sure and certaine of such an vnhappy end I feare brethrē lest in laboring thus mainly to affright the hypocrite out of his guile I may perhaps against my will and purpose scar the trueharted out of the present fruitiō of their comfort as if a shepheard set his dog vpō a Goat feeding amongst a flocke of sheepe all the sheepe will runne and bee afraid But I hope I haue so plainely deciphered this child of hell this sonne of Satan the Hypocrite as that I hope none of Gods true Saints shall catch any harme by hearing them thus prosecuted with feares and terrours and threats from whom they may perceiue themselues to bee thus manifestly differenced I say not euery one in whom much and very much hypocrisie and many very bad effects of very much hypocrisie is to be found shall be damned but euery Hypocrite in whom this sin ruleth and shewes it selfe to beare-rule by not being seene and bewailed and opposed and the other notes before set downe euery such one I say and say it againe vnlesse hee become new shall surely be damned But if the true-hearted out of his weaknesse shall be put into some feare by the hearing of this terrour so that hee doe seasonably returne to inioy comfort it will doe him good and not harme to bee so feared for these causelesse feares of the vpright proceed from the want of vprightnesse though not from the vtter absence of it and from the too much hypocrisie though not ouer-ruling hypocrisie that is in them And so if for a while they bee euen almost out of conceit with themselues as with Hypocrites till these doubts haue made them more bitterly to lament and heartily to confesse and mightily to fight against their hypocrisie they shall receiue none other euil by hauing been so frighted then the being purged from that that was the cause of their feares And if through the smalnesse of the quantity of truth and sincerity they cannot so euidently perceiue it at the first but that they see cause to become suspitious of themselues the grieuing for the want of truth and labouring and praying for increase of it which the holy Ghost will work in them by meanes of such suspitions will bee helpfull though accidentally as the besieging of a City to its fortification to the growth of their vprightnesse But the truth is that this aptnesse to fall into iealousie of ones selfe and when such terrours are deliuered to feare lest they belong to him and so framing ones selfe to be humbled because so many fruits of much hollownesse are seene in him as doe minister matter to such feare this aptnesse I say to feare is euen as sure a signe of one that is not an Hypocrite as can bee named I would not wish a better proofe of ones not being dead then to heare him complaining that sure he is but a dead man neither can one likely finde a truer note of one that is not dead in this sinne of hypocrisie then when the worke of the Word in the reprehensions and menaces thereof doth driue him to complaints and feares of his owne guilefulnesse onely so that he be driuen to prayer and confession heereby and so to seeke strength against the mischiefe feared But on the
other side a worse and more likely signe of a man wholy sold ouer into the hands of guile we can scarce meet with then this to be vnmoued in the hearing of such threats to haue no risings of feare and doubt and suspition nor no troublesome conceits of his owne estate either such man is so abundantly and extraordinarily sanctified as that the ouer-euident proofe of his vprightnesse doth presently secure him from such thoughts or else he is wholly buryed and bound hand and foot in the hollow graue of guile and therefore cannot feele it because hee is altogether vnder the power of it For this is the nature of these darke and hidden vices they are euer the lesse felt by how much they doe more strongly preuaile euen as the pangs of death are least troublesome when they haue quite ouercome the strength of nature Wherfore nothing fearing any danger that may come vnto the true hatred by this earnestnes let me yet once againe settle vnto those that be dissemblers adiure protest and call Angels men and Christ God and their owne soules and all things that are to witnesse against them that vnlesse they wil open their eyes see themselues to be in a damnable estate they shall surely be damned You may perhaps maruel that we should presse the poynt so hard but the cause is we know the Hypocrite to bee the most noysome weed in Gods garden and faine would we make him see his danger that he might escape it Yea we know that hypocrisie doth harden and deadden the hart aboue all other sins that nothing in the world is more difficult then to make him see and feele his perill who will rather thinke any man yea all men Hypocrites then himselfe although by this his ouer-aptnesse to thinke so hardly of others hardnes to be made conceiue so hardly though truly of himselfe he might if he were not blind discerne himselfe to be as hee is But now if thou beest such and so proued by what hath been formerly spoken how good soeuer thou hast been to see to and beest still how full soeuer of knowledge and of zeale blazing outward how glad soeuer to God and heare Sermons how able soeuer to pray and to repeat Sermons how well soeuer accounted of by others and by thy selfe and how strongly soeuer perfwaded and in that perswasion ioyed of thy being Gods child and being saued as all this may befall thee and yet the former notes discouer thee to be but hollow I doe now in Gods name adiudge thee and preiudge thee vnlesse thou repent to cutting off to burning to eternall death lo here is the portion of thy cup At length Gods arme and axe shall fell thee and grub thee vp by the roots if thou wert as tall as the Cedar of Lebanon and as tough as the Oakes of Bashan and as strongly rooted as the tree that groweth neere a rocke CHAP. V. Containing the third vse viz. An exhortation to the Hypocrite to come out of his hypocrisie Vse 3 BVt to what purpose doe we thus earnestly fight against Hypocrites with the sword of Christs mouth Let the Hypocrite bee carefull to come out of hypocrisie which he hath put into our mouthes Onely onely at least chiefly if it may be to conuert him and to make him cease to be an Hypocrite when he sees the lamentable condition of such kind of men It is your conuersion which we wish O all yee that haue been dissemblers and your reformation which wee aime at which we are well assured can neuer bee effected but by shewing you the woe which is comming vpon you Now therefore seeing the case of counterfeit Christians is so bad so hard so intolerably so desperately so ineuitably wretched but by turning wee beseech you suffer your selues to be wrought vpon to be conuerted to become true and to receiue the Spirit of vprightnesse which the Lord of heauen is now ready to powre forth vpon you Be it knowne vnto thee O thou that hast been hither to but an Hypocrite that thy case is not altogether irrecouerable but that thou maist if thou wilt not at this time also refuse Gods gracious offer bee made sincere and so bee receiued into grace For brethren be ye well assured of this truth that when the Lord of heauē sends his seruants vnto you in his owne name to call vpon you to performe any good duty tending to your owne saluation that then he is also present in his ordinance by the gracious cooperation of his good Spirit to inable you with strength from himselfe to performe that duty For Gods ordinances are not idle neither shall his VVord returne in vaine but shall be effectuall for all for which hee sendeth it and he that desireth not the death of the sinner but rather that he may turne and liue will effectually turne him from his euill way if he doe not wilfully harden himselfe therein and euen refuse to be conuerted Be willing therefore to be made vpright that thou maist be so indeed and be it for certaine deliuered vnto thy soule that thou shalt bee made able to become such if thou doe not stiffen thy selfe in the naturall vnwillingnesse of thy corrupted nature I demand therfore of thee in the same question that our Sauiour vsed to the sicke man that lay at the Poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole If thou be willing now the waters are stirred now the Spirit of God is come downe in this ordinance now thou mayest bee put into these waters and now thou shalt bee made whole If thine answere bee that thou art willing then I say vnto thee make it appeare that thou art so in very truth and that thou dost not onely say thou art so for many a mans words and meaning are farre distant each from other many a man affirmeth with loud voyce and open profession of speeches that hee is willing to receiue that grace which hee is not willing to receiue There is a faint motion of the will which is rather an act of the vnderstanding conuinced that one should be willing to get a thing thē any true and earnest working of the will towards that thing and this kind of willingnesse must men take for a true being willing But heerein they doe much deceiue themselues for a man may bee inforced to acknowledge that hee ought to bee willing to get such or such a thing and withall finde in himselfe some slothfull wishes to haue the same and yet be destitute of that stedfast and fixed resolution of the will which is indeed the motion of the will required to be in vs if we will receiue good from the Lord. But how shall it be made manifest whether a mans willingnesse bee settled or ouert well grounded or shallow Surely he that indeed bendeth his will to any thing will be contented to deuoure the paines of seeking and striuing after it as he that would be rich
make him shame thee before the whole world at the last Iudgement or make thee shame thy selfe to no purpose before many on thy death-bed Euery secret thing must be made open euery hidden thing must bee brought to light O now drag this corner-seeking and light-shining vice into the open view by a free and plaine confession as thou hast beene exhorted that it may not at that day remaine to bee laid open to thine eternall confusion If thou tellest me that thou hast bin long time a professour of religion hast long accounted thy self the child of God therfore if the matter be brought to that passe that after all this while thou must be faine to take vpon thee the name of an Hypocrite thou canst not see any hope of euer being true I answere thee that this is a vaine feare with which Satan seekes to hinder thee from doing that that is absolutely needfull to thy saluation for this is one and a principall cause that thou wast neuer yet true because thou wouldest neuer yet be made to see thy felse false But remoue this impediment by the much perswaded confession I call for at thine hands and whatsoeuer thou hast been and how long soeuer thou shalt bee made true for God comes hither now in this his ordinance to make thee true if thou doe not make thy selfe vncapable of truth by refusing to acknowledge thy want of truth wherefore breaking thorow all vnwillingnesse and delayes and laying aside all shifts and defences fall vpon thy knees in thy secret chamber and there say vnto thy selfe and in more words complaine against thy selfe vnto God that thou art as yet an Hypocrite a barren branch that standeth euery houre in perill of being cut off This done 2. A constant lamenting of his hypocrisie in the second place frame thy selfe to mourning and sorrow for thine hypocrisie and ferret out thy guile by lamenting it For there is no sinne or corruption in the heart of man so tyrannous and ouer-ruling but that godly sorrow will fetch it downe and ouer-master it Indeed a little whimpering griefe a sigh or two a teare or two a sad countenance for a Sermon time or so will not preuaile The best medicine that is will not heale a sore if there bee not a sufficient quantity of it applyed if it bee not constantly applyed and followed close He that will be content to grieue a little at Church or so for his guile and out of the present euidence of the Spirit working with the Word will perhaps yeeld to see and to lament his hollownesse but lets the matter passe quickly and takes no more paines about it shall anger the sore as it were and not heale it and by carelesse neglecting of Gods grace in such motions offered hee shall cause his hypocrisie to fester more and grow more incurable for euen this weake worke of the Word will helpe out of his owne erronious disposition to coozen him and to make him too soone thinke himselfe vpright and so he shall neuer become vpright But the sorrow I speake of must be a settled and constant sorrow which a man must let rest vpon his soule and willingly entertaine within himselfe many a day together though not in a violent manner to hinder his other occasions yet in a still quiet maner to make his thoughts in the middest of all other occasions as well they may without offering any wrong vnto such occasions be still running vpon the matter of his guile and in an inward and silent manner continuing to bemone the same within himselfe A spirit of griefe will not change an Hypocrite into a true Christian a constant griefe will This then doe as he that hath a grieuous sore or wound applies the curing of that wound aboue all things vntill it be whole set thy selfe for a good space of time together to make it thy principal worke to obserue the working of thine hypocrisie and to bewaile the same Sometimes be earnest with thy selfe and in thy solemne and secret prayers and confessions labour to rend and breake thine heart with grieuous sorrow and to bee wonderfull vile in thine owne eyes because of thy long continued hypocrisie and striue to doe as Peter did for his denying his Master for a counterfeit following him is little better then a denyall of him euen to get alone and weepe at least grieue which may well be without weeping very bitterly and when thine other occasions call thee from thy chamber yet hold thy thoughts still on worke and let the plaister lye to the sore all the day Be thinking Ah wretched creature I that haue so great a space of time continued an Hypocrite a professor of Religion not changed in heart not washed in the inner man not made a new creature O how great cause hath God to abhorre me haue I to abhorre my selfe that haue so long gone about to coozen God and to mocke mine owne soule And so whatsoeuer thou beest doing let thine heart bee feeding on this bitter herbe of inwardly bemoning thy guile and thine irreformednesse and vnchangednesse of heart Bid these cogitations welcome as thou sittest at meate and count them as the best sawce for thy meat yea as the best dish on thy table In company let these cogitations be thy most esteemed companions and in solitarinesse giue thy selfe ouer to them and so continue to doe till thou find a plaine change of thine heart a manifest alteration and so euident a framing thee to be another then thou wast before that at last thou mayest be able which if thou wilt not be weary of striuing within no long space of time thou shalt be able to say Now I finde and feele that I am made new Brethren if any of you had a very sore leg or arme he would be content to goe to some Chirurgion to dresse the same euery morning and euening and let perhaps a smarting plaister lye vpon it all day long and all night too for three weekes or a moneths space together that he might be healed and not lose his ioynt O why should not he that hath an heart diseased with that grieuous fistula of hypocrisie be contented as it were to dresse it twice a day by some solemne secret and earnest lamenting it before God and to let the plaister of griefe lye at it all day by frequent renewing of his sorrowfull thoughts for it that this foule and festered sore may be healed and he may not lose his soule and body both by it Wilt thou not bestow as much time paines care in healing thy soule as thy leg or arme Doubtlesse this care would goe happily forward for God himselfe would be the Chirurgion and health would follow without faile for the medicine is soueraigne and hath been tryed by many and prescribed by an excellent and skilfull person Saint Iames bids wauering-minded and double-hearted men hee meaneth Hypocrites to turne their laughter into teares and to afflict themselues and