that will build sure must digge deepe and casting out loose â—ands lay a fast and strong foundation and then set up the walls and roofe So hee that would build up his soule in assurance of his heavenly Mansion must first fling out loose waverings of a distrustful heart and doubtful appearances cast into his mind by Satan and then lay his ground upon the Rocke the sure and unmoveable promises of God in Christ. I have often observed divers of the faithfull strong in many graces and in this only to sight weake who have by the plaine evidence of the Spirit in the Word bin clearely convinced that the Lord hath planted and rooted the life of grace in their hearts and so have beene for the present not a little cheered aud comforted yet after by some tentation to have bin wholly disheartned and cast downe againe in themselves from all their joyes and consolations concluding that all their religion was meere hypocrisie and themselves bare forms and images without life This I am perswaded proceeds especially from want of a thorough-grounding their perswasions much suspense and unsetlednesse remaining in them Now then it will be very needefull and expedient as briefly as may bee to set downe how farre the way of hypoâ—risie in appearance lyes in our way to life and the period of it where it stops First then it cannot be denied but that a man of meere shewes without the life of God may in his outward carriage to the Word and ordinance of God keepe way with a faithfull and sincere Christian heare frequent invite others honour thâ— Word and the Messengers of it Most of these are found in Herod a stinking Fox a rancke-smelling Dissembler Hee heard Iohn and knowing him a just and holy man feared and observed him when hee heard him did many things So those hypocrites Ezek. 33. 30,31 32. come to the Word as Gods people sit there as the people of God and call on others to the same dutie Thus farre they seeme to hold way with the Saints where doe they part 1. In the ground and end of this their frequent hearing 2. In the effects and issues following their attendance The ground and end of hearing the Word in an hypocrite is sometimes his carnall delight when his lustfull eare is tickled with the soft eloquence and sweet tongue of the Speaker and his itching heart clawed with carnall wisedome Sometimes he is driven by the cryes of his yelping conscience His best end is by further informing his understanding to set a faire glosse upon his profession and that he may not sit as a mute stand as a Cipher when matters of Religion are in discourse and handling But the faithfull soule out of a deepe loathing of sinfull matter in himselfe an unflaked hunger and thirst of righteousnes knowing the word to be both the physicke of the soule whereby it is throughly clensed and the food whereby it is nourished presents himselfe before the Ordinance of God that hee may finde it Gods power to his salvation in purging out all sinfull filthinesse and filling him with the fruits of righteousnesse Thus are they described Esa. 2. 3. They shall say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord and hee will teach us his wayes and wee will walke in his paths Where the faithfull plainly expresse their end of comming to God in his Word not onely that it may be a light to teach and point out the right way but that it may give strength to their feet and enable them to walk in every good path Secondly they differ in the effect and fruit of hearing For where the heart thus drawes neare to God as that holy Cornelius to heare as in the presence of the Lord all things commanded by him the Word is a mighty weapon to beat down all strong holds and every thing exalted against the knowledge of God to bring every thought in obedience to Christâ— it wil work effectually when it is thus received see 1 The. 2. 13. so that the faithful soule can truly say I know no sin which my heart doth not loath desire to expel I know no coÌ„mand of Christ in which I do not unfeinedly desire endevour to walke with God This cannot stand with hypocrisie because as in a Tombe there must be both a beautifull front without and a dead heart within An hypocrite must have a shew else hee is an heathen and but a shew else a true Beleever But he is a neuter to both Not a plaine Infidell for hee hath a forme of godlinesse not faithfull indeed for his heart still cleaves to much sinfull filthinesse and is not purified from the whorish love of some darling-sinnes Many things as Herod he may all not onely he doth not but he will not doe CHAP. XXIX Containing other markes differencing the true from the seeming Christian. NOr onely in the walls without but in some more inward roomes we shall finde the hypocrite fairely dressed and painted If wee looke to his understanding we shall see it often very live-like portrayed with the forme of knowledge so that the braine may bee even printed with the Word that he may be a light and Teacher of others Rom. 2.19,20 Secondly in the affection also there may bee some joy in hearing And thus farre in the inward man the dissembler may keepe companie with the faithfull where doe they break 1. The knowledge of an hypocrite is at least in some points meerely speculative ann workes not upon the will and affection to chose and love the good which hee knowes Much of Gods will hee knowes and hates as Ahab and Herod I hate him a Prophet indeed of God saith that wicked man sold to worke wickednesse of whom wee may inquire but I hate him for hee speakes not good to mee but evill Yet could this King in some things humble himselfe rent his clothes put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted So also that other incestuous beast hated the reproving Word and kild the reprover Contrary the knowledge of the faithfull seasons the heart drawes the will and affection nay the actions also after it 2. The difference in their joy is plain and palpable For the formall mans joy ariseth not from the word indeed or any love to the truth of God but from his owne fancies and dreames falsly collected from the Word witlesly and wilfully and therefore strongly conceived in his owne deceitfull hart For when he hears mercy glory proclaimed to sinners upon condition of beleeving he builds a presumption of pardon salvatioÌ„ upon that saÌ„dy faith of divels carnally as Papists at this day coÌ„cluding theÌ„ce raiseth up al his that faith consisteth onely in the understanding partly in an action of the apprehension conceiving what is the object of faith partly in an action of the judgement consenting to it and approving it as a truth of God hee thinkes not of the maine and
complaine I know well that fervent prayer prevaileth much but I have no heat no life no fervour of prayer but in such duties find a wonderfull coldnesse dâ—lnesse and even deadnesse of spirit But let such know and continually remember that these feelings are very common to Gods dearest Saints on earth I am afflicted verie much saith David quicken mee oh Lord according to thy Word Nine severall times doth that holy Prophet call for quickning grace in that onely Psalme which evidently argueth much sense of spirituall dulnesse and deadnesse At such times therefore because the Word quickneth us let us shake ouâ— this heavinesse by some meditations on those grounds of prayer which we finde in the Word Now these grounds are either such as are within or without us Those within are first some feeling of a grievous defect and want secondly some apprehension of good in the things desired The outward are first the ability secondly the bounty of those whom wee aske Now as where in much want there is no feeling of any defect or if there bee sense yet no desire of supply there no man will seeke out for helpe So when all these concurre yet will wee not aske where either there is wrll but no power or much power but no wil to succour us But when a man findes at home nothing but want and beggery as wel want of all necessaries as want of strength in himselfe to procure them and this want stirreth up hunger hee will soone leave his owne bare walls to get reliefe of some rich and bountifull person And according to the measure of these grounds will be his diligence in using meanes and seeking help where there is much sense of much want strong desires of supply certaine knowledge of great ability and bounty in some neere neighbour there also the putting forth of meanes to procure relief wil be answerable Now then let a Christian whâ— desireth to sharpen his voyce in prayer wheâ— his heart with serious meditations 1. Of his desperate wants want of all necessary grace want of all power to supply it of himselfe Consider that thou art poore wretched miserable blind and naked no sufficiencie in thee to thinke one good thought 2. When thou hast taken a good view of thy many and grievous wants ponder well the necessity of the grace which thou wantest Remember the profit the sweetnesse the excellency of it that All things are dung and losse in comparison of the excellenâ— knowledge of Christ the vâ—rtue of his resurrection and comformitie to his death By this meanes thou wilt finde thy desires to bee kinâ—led within thee Then â—et before thine eyes that Father of Lights from whom as beames from the Sunne flow out infinite streames of grace and goodnesse toward his creatures weigh diligently that hee is rich infinitely rich to all that call upon him gracious infinitely gracious to those who seeke him in Christ. Men grow poore by much giving but hee the more hee gives the more he may No end of his store no end or beginning of his goodnesse insomuch that where hee once giveth there he ever giveth one grace ever making way for anotherâ— and the more thou desirest and askest the more welcome and the more excellent the things which thou beggest the more sure thou aâ—â— to receive them If Salomon aske wisedome hee shall have it with advantage of other blessings which he asked not how much more when thou askest holinesse Oh if thou aske Give mee thy selfe to be my Father give me thy Sonne to be my Head and Saviour give me thy holy Spirit to bee my life and quickner give me obedience to all How shouldst thou misse Thou which art a parent how willingly canst thou being thy selfe evill give good things to thy child though the more thou givest the lesse thou hast but if hee aske wisely things that are truly good not toyes and trifles how art thou delighted in his petitions how gladly dost thou give him with increase whatsoever hee intreateth How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to those that aske him Remember the example of blind Bartimeuâ— Hee feeling the great misse of his eyes and the discomfort of perpetuall darkenesse and knowing well that as in himselfe there was no helpe so in Christ as being the light of the world there was both infinit power and grace as denying none that came unto him laden oppressed never ceased crying Iesus thou sonne of David have mercy on me They discourage and rebuke him that he should hold his peace what then Did he sit downe and cease No but whetted with the remembrance of his own misery and Christ his mercy Cried out so much the more a great deale Iesus thou sonne of David have mercy upon mee Remember how earnestly and uncessantly he sued remember how he prospered in his suit Now goe thou and doe likewise Sharpen thy desires with serious meditatioÌ„ on thy wants set before thine eies this power and bounty of the Lord and then intreat beg sue importune his favour and never give him over till hee give thee in thy request Nor let thy spirit faint but know thou shalt obtaine as sure as God is true Thou canst not faile because he cannot be unfaithfull CHAP. XV. The application of this comfort by meditation NOw then when thou findest thy Spirit cast downe within thee rowze it up with some such meditation How is it my Soule how is it oh thou of little faith that thus in the day of trouble thou refusest comfort Hast thou not good leave yea a precious liberty nay a sweet command from thy gracious Lord Is any man afflicted let him pray Oh my my Lord Shall all flesh come unto thee because thou hearest praier And shall not I who have had so much experience how often thou hast enclined thine eare unto me shall not I call upon thee as long as I live In the verie day that I cried thou hast answered mee and strengthenest mee with the strength of thy right hand in my soule Can I then want comfort who have thine eare to heare me thy compassion to pitty me thy strong hand to relieve mee Is there no time untimely in prayer no season unseasonable but the time of affliction the very set howre of audience Psa. 50. 15. and shall I not then take hold of this privilege and use it with cheerfulnesse Oh my heavenly Father even I a sinfull wretch wil give any good thing to the childe of my body when he asketh But if he desire me to teach him things profitable his book his trade his duty to thee to my selfe and others how joyfully doe I heare him how gladly doe I instruct him how willingly reward him How then shouldest thou so infinitely good so beyond all that I can thinke gracious bountifull deny me thy poore creature begging of thee any thing that
losse of life and therefore will not faile to strive wrastle for the truth of God the faith given to the Saints but speÌ„d al his strength in such contention live and dye in defence of it In other things hee must not strive for Gods Church hath no such custome 1 Cor. 11.16 In the last place as in zeale so in earnest desires an hypocrite will seeme to run as fast to Christ to thirst long for him as the most faithfull For when the hard skin of his seared consâ—ience is flayed off by those knives of circumcision the sharp law of God and the terrours of hell gate upon his galled soule in the sense of these agonies he will value Christ as highly desire him as heartily as wel to the sight of others as to his owne sense as any true member of Christ What in the world would hee not give nay a whole world to purchase one drop of that precious bloud This goes very farre will some say can any Christian goe further Yes verily For the faithfull soule in the day peace continues still as highly and dearely to esteeme the Lord Jesus even after reconciliation when he heares the blessed Spirit speaking peace to him then hee esteemes all things dung and losse in comparison of the knowledge of Christ. Here the hypocrite leaveth him In the storme hee will runne as fast to Christ the rocke and refuge from the tempest of Gods wrath as any in faire weather hee makes no hast hee goes backe or stands still The one esteemes Christ as medicine onely and therefore in extremity of paine when he is sicke at heart whither wil he not send for him and though the pocion and prescription be grievous yet then it is forced down though hee send it up againe but as soone as he is a little cheered he loathes his Physicke The other knowes him to bee as well his meate as medicine and therefore in health when he findes his heart assured of salvation longues and hungers for him and his righteousnesse The one desires him for justification in the day of wrath to wipe off his reckoning and enter him into glory The other also for sanctification to clense him from sinne and beautifie his soule in the glorious image of God If the Lord would give the hypocrite free leave to take his pleasure in sinne without feare of judgement how would he rejoyce as in a great and speciall privilege hee would account himselfe as happy in his liberty to sinne as in his exemption from the reward of sinne But oh how wofull a captivity how lothsome a grave how base a drudgery miserable thraldome would a faithfull soule account of such a licence as much haâ—ing the filthinesse of sinne as the punishment the spirituall death as the eternall CHAP. XXXI Applying these things for removing tentations rising from conceit of hypocrisie NOw then seeing we know how farre an hypocrite may seeme to goe in the good way let us proceed to remove that wavering which beares downe many a weake Christian in a very painfull discomfortable estate I find two especiall temptations applied by Satan to shake the faith of a weake soule and to hold it in suspence that it cannot rise up to any strong consolation in the sense and feeling of Gods grace favor The first and chiefe is that whatsoever â—hey do is done in hypocrisie True it is they can heare the Word they can frequent the assemblies reverence the sincere Teachers of it invite others to the fellowship of the same grace rejoyce in the Word but all this saith the Tempter and truly may bee in an hypocrite and in themselves they thinke it is all no better than dissembling They have some zeale they confesse to the truth but an hypocriticall zeale some desire and longing after Christ but hypocriticall all is meere hypocrisie Thus they say thus they thinke Now let such a Christian 1. seriously consider that the subtle Serpent doth not onely tempt men to presumption but also to distrust as is apparent in those assaults by which he set upon our blessed Saviour As hee allures him to a presumptuous casting himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple because the Angels waited on him to lift and beare him up so also he laboureth to draw him to a distrust of Gods providence and therefore as the sonne of God to command the stones to be made bread See Matth. 4. 3. 6. And as the ignorant and carelesse worldling is the most ordinary object upon whom hee workes grosse presumptuous dreams of salvation those hee perswades God is mercifull Christ came to save all men and therefore when he heares the word of the curse he causeth him from these grounds to blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke after the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart adding drunkennesse to thirst thus he rocks him in a dead sleep of sinne As thus he workes grosse presumptions upon the carelesse and blinde professour so hee never pursues any with those weapons of distrustfull and unbeleeving feares but those who are either quite gone or now going or at least setting their faces to goe out of his AEgypt in travell toward the heavenly Canaan So then when hee assaults thee with this weapon know assuredly that Satan plainely discerns that God hath wakened and raised thy soule from that drowsie cradle of sinne in which hee so long had lulled thee in deep security Againe remember thy corrupt heart is very deceitfull not onely to hide up sinne in it and to flatter thee with faire but false hopes and so to breede pride and presumption but as cunning also to conceale any grace which is in it and so to affright thee with likely but false feares It will bee then a necessary point of wisedome not to give full and rash credite to either hope or feare but diligently to weigh thy estate in that ballance of the Word which is the truth and cannot deceive thee First then humbling thy soule by prayerâ— and intreating the assistance of that holy Spirit who is purposely sent that thou maist know these things which are given thee of God take a perfect examinâ—tion and triall of thy estate Thou hearest and frequentest the Word so doe dissemblers But doth an hypocrite or can he follow it with an heart hungring after perfect obedience Doth he desire to finde every thought subdued to the yoake of Christ Nay even then in his hearing his hart not steals away but with good leave and full permission goes after his covetousnesse or some other corrupt lust and resolves to keepe himselfe reserved in some things making and setting up in his heart a law against the law of God namely that he will not so be tyed to it but that in some things he will use his owne liberty Againe both a sound and rotten heart rejoyce in the Word But thou findest love to the word not in thy