comes under a kind of enlightning of God God giving a man as he may a common gift of grace by common notions of the Gospell here is one will come to be a most glorious hypocrite I call a hypocrite because the fundamentall worke is not done because he is not what he should be nor what he seemes to be Now as the former sort his conscience was enlightned with flames this man he is enlightened with more calme and sun-like beames this man can now see into the Rules of the Gospell he can be able by degrees and time to forme and worke in all the notions of the Gospell into his head that he now comes to be a profitable hypocrite unto others comes to be able to speake very great things of the Gospell and can tell you as perfect truths as any experienced Saint in the world can do and especially if he have education and time and acquaintance to communicate them to he will come to be able to delude any Saint in the world for now he is not a meere out-side man in sight but one that brings out of his treasury things new and old that hath got a vein of discussing and speaking as reall things as any man can speake in the Gospell how far may this man go and yet here lies his hypocrisie First All these things goe no further than the head they were never stamped upon the heart never upon the breast they are Artificially formed in the understanding never come down to be imprinted in the soul upon the will affections never had those heavenly influences dropping in the favour the sweetnesse the power and the virtue of that knowledge proportionably working in their spirits and there lies their hypocrisie that all those things are but artificially formed in the understanding Secondly All that such a man doth act in the expression of any knowledge he hath it is with secret glory he joyes he takes himselfe to be somewhat now and makes all these things to be his own as though he received them from Christ he glories in them there is all shame him there you make him miserable if you hit him there you cut upon his heart veine And that is the way of God commonly with those sorts their parts die and God withdraws by degrees and lets knowledge dye letting corruption come in so much upon them as they lose all at last But it is wonderfull to conceive how far these convictions will carry a man when he hath a Candle lighted by God how far he may walke in the Gospell when God shall shine in as it were upon nature how it will appeare before the Sons of men It lies in the head and selfe is commonly advanced not Jesus Christ that Christ may have all the praise and honour as it is said in Job of the hypocrite the heart of him is little worth he may have some fine parts and be ingenuous in his understanding but his heart is the worst there is nothing but sin and selfe together and inward secret contradicting and working against God and the power of Religion so it was with the foolish Virgins they went on gloriously but at last they said our Lampes are gone out we have lost our light we have slumbered and slept away our time we depended upon our gifts and endowments and our faire actings in the world and our Lamps are gone out and now we have nothing to shew for all our profession I will a little set home this with a word or two of Use Use First therefore if this be so that there may be so many sorts of hypocrites and straines I beseech you examine your own hearts and put your soules upon it find out this Leaven I told you why hypocrisie was called Leaven because of the spreading nature of it none knows how it spreads Hypocrisie hath many vizards many waies you may go on so fairely and so painted that no man nor your own hearts can discerne you But looke seriously looke every day what is within you aske your owne soules what is within bring your selves before a divine eye looke to every part to every motion let nothing pass you without a divine and exact scrutiny never be quiet till you have get a through definition of your owne estate stand Sentinell to your own hearts say not I am a Saint till you have found clearely both by Law and Gospell till it be written with the beames of the Sun upon your own hearts Oh! I am afraid the most Professors will be found hypocrites at the last day that those that have the fairest faces to us will have the foulest rippings up before the Lord many that go so neately now will have a black Character at last Oh! for Christ to say go you cursed at the last day to a glorious Professor what a word will that be Appeare to what you are indeed and strive to be what you should be take not up ordinary and common things in your owne spirits lay not the weight of God upon those things that are not reall that are but meere gilt upon Copper that will not endure men are apt to take themselves up with profession if they have but a faire face if they have but a handsome carriage in the world Oh! that Christ would have charity to you at the last day as we must have now Christ loves those that are holy and he loves to make them holy He must judge you as you are no charity after the Gospell is past therefore look to your own soules there is a day when every thing that is hid shall be revealed there is no halting before the Almighty he hath an eye on you Christ will find you out in the croud of Men Devils and Angels and pick you out with his eye and say Friend how came you hither You never had the power of the worke of God upon your heart do not thinke to deceive your own soules by these pretences Object But you will say What shall I do then You make all men hypocrites how shall I know whether I be a hypocrite yea or no I gave you three things the last time in the generall to consider of First I told you my designe was to presse you on to try your selves and to secure your own estates Secondly Grace will lye in a little roome in a very little compasse it lies not in the flaunting garbes and modes of the times it is like a Diamond little but of great prize Thirdly I would have no man taken up with shews It is not my designe to make you Hypocrites but to discover Hypocrisie to you Therefore looke to your own hearts that you be not Hypocrites I would not discourage any poore soule that is panting after Christ Therefore First know in generall though thou maiest be no hypocrite yet thou maiest suspect thy selfe for hypocrisie every day in every duty though thou beest none so called nor so accounted by God yet thou must suspect
HYPOCRISIE DISCOVERED In its NATURE and WORKINGS Delivered in several Sermons By That faithfull Minister of the Gospell Mr Cuthbert Sidenham Late Teacher to a Church of Christ in Newcastle upon Tyne LONDON Printed by W. H. for Rich. Tomlins at the Sun and Bible in Pye-Corner 1654. For the Honourable Sir Arthur Hesilrig Knight and Baronet Sir YOu that have so long professed the name of the Lord Jesus and have been honoured to suffer for him in no ordinary trials and been drawn out to great employments cannot but have met with various workings of your own heart in these times especially having gone both through good and evill report all which will discover much of that which is within a man to himself this being upon our spirits with the more than ordinary respects you shewed to this precious servant of Christ the Author of these Sermons hath drawn us out to prefix your name to this worke as being willing to beare witnesse to the world though he be in his grave how much he resented your favour and love towards him Sir the matter of this Book you will find very searching but Gold loseth nothing by the criticall examination of the fire but its drosse which no reall Saint but will rejoyce to part with We question not but in the reading of it you will find speciall advantages for your spirituall interest for the teachings of the spirit of that God who hath hitherto helped you who was with you in the field and covered your head in the day of battell who made you a reall terrour to the enemies of his Son Iesus in this Nation and did by the good hand of his providence bring you among us when his enemies were very high and turbulent by your courage and faithfulness to calme and bring them under who also drew out your heart to so signall a proofe of your reall desire to serve Iesus Christ every way in being an Instrument to procure the three yeares Commission for propagating the Gospell in these foure Northerne Counties These things we mention as that which hath laid engagements upon our hearts towards you Oh that you may yet go on and prosper and do more worthily for God and his people that your enemies may be found lyars that after your many trials God may cleare up your integrity that you may be as the light of the morning 2 Sam. 23.4 Sir we have this only to beg of you look wholly to God in all and walke humbly and close with him and learne that of the Apostle he is only approved whom God approveth thus will you engage the Saints more and more and us to be Yours in the service of the Gospell Tho. Weld Sam. Hamond Tho. Trurin Wil. Durant To all that professe the name of the Lord Iesus THe Apostle speaking of the last daies cals them perilous times or as the word is difficult times not so much upon the account of persecution as the formality and hypocrisie of many that shall then professe the Gospell and as in other prophesies the fullest opening of the book is the event of providences made out to Saints by the Spirit of God so in this the sad influences that the hypocrisie and formality of Professours hath had upon the Saints in these last daies make us to understand where the perill and difficulty lies and the reason why the Apostle should make it matter of prophecy and of imminent danger and difficulty to the Saints who shall converse among them how soon was Peter that great Apostle leavened with hypocrisie and Barnabas also carried away with that dissimulation Gal. 2.12 13. though men otherwise full of the Holy Ghost And have not we ground to thinke that the sleeping of the foolish virgins will be no small temptation to the wise to slumber also as Christ hath prophesied in that Parable Mat 25. How hard is it to touch pitch and not be defiled Oh that the danger of this so clearely held out by Christ and his Apostles might leave a more powerfull impression upon the hearts of the Saints to be very circumspect where they are necessitated to have their conversation among the deceitfull spirits of these times we meane men having the forme of godlinesse but not the power of it whoever of you are observers of your own hearts surely you have sometimes found with what insinuating power the miscarriages of some eminent professors have crept into your hearts and led you away into divers foolish lusts Can you look back upon your walkings for these ten yeares past without regret of soule to review the many secret apostasies of your hearts from Christ Doth not so many of your unholy walkings as you may find in the searchings of your soules put you upon more thorow and strict examination whether this root of bitternesse do not spring up and trouble you It would stagger a man to consider what an aptnesse there is in many professors most sinfully to comply with if not fully to act the degenerate miscarriages of this present evill world should holy Baynes or Rogers or Greenham arise from the dead and take a view of some of the now-professors of England who pretend to far clearer discoveries of the Gospell than they lived under would not they blesse the Lord that their portion was not cast to live in those wicked daies should they see the loathsome fashions of many of you with powdered haire painted faces naked breasts and such phantastick garbes that yet would go for choice Saints and Christians would not they mourne in secret over these abominations and cry out oh the hypocrisie and deceitfulnesse of your spirits and tell you your light is darknesse and that you are those which do hold the truth of God in unrighteousnesse Hath not Satan hence taken his ground to oppose the truths of Christ and to speake evill of the good waies of God Doth not the Quakers naturall conscience for that is his light and Christ within him put him upon laying aside the ordinances and divers other principles of the Gospell because he sees so many of you living so much in pride and lusts of the flesh and walking according to the vanity of your minds yet pleading for them under a pretence of Gospell-liberty Doth not the Arminian make that one of his great Arguments for the Apostacy of the Saints because so many of you pretending to be such grow so loose and vaine at last and after you have pretended by the knowledge of Christ to have escaped the pollutions of the world are again intangled therein and overcome 2 Pet. 2.20 may he not be hardened by this generation in his opinion if that no specificall difference betwixt temporary and saving grace because many under the bare authority of restraining grace come up to as high conformity to the Gospell as you do who yet would be taken as the great professors of it Do not you observe how many alledging to be scandalized by your walkings are turned to
embrace the gross Abomination of Popery And however the goodness of our God hath been abundantly held forth in continuing that glorious light of the Gospell which hath and doth yet shine among us yet it is evident that the Lord hath given up very many to walke after their foolish hearts lusts and to embrace delusions through their not walking close with God under these discoveries Oh at what a high rate do you sin that are professors who live thus and walke carnally under so holy a Gospell as that of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ Brethren though we thus speake yet we may not but faithfully witnesse to the praise of our blessed Lord that our lines are fallen into better places where our soules are not vexed with the beholding such folly and abominable wickednesse in those that do professe the Gospell neither our Congregations pestered with such spots of vanity yet our deare Brother the Author of these Sermons doubtlesse not without a secret impulse of the blessed Spirit was moved to be so large in opening the nature and workings of Hypocrisie for Hypocrisie hath its severall formes and dresses and may lye for a while undiscovered in the hearts and duties of the most reall Saints but where it workes most secretly and subtilly there it requires a more quick eye and faithfull hand to the anatomizing of it which we can without flatery say God had eminently bestowed upon him of whom to you that know him not we shall give this briefe testimony He was trained up under Religious education from his Childhood which made him often profess his jealousie of Professors especially such who had the advantage of a godly education through the many experiences of the deceits of his own heart his speciall insight into the mysteries of Christ as you may observe by his Sermons upon 1 Tim. 3. ult published by himselfe a little before his death his judicious and drawing discoveries of the riches of grace which if the Lord please we shall hereafter shew to you where you may see his tender bowels toward the poorest soules under any of the workings of God his unwearied paines even to the visible wasting of his owne bodily strength in the work of the Ministery and his great care over the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him overseer all of these did bespeake him a vessell fitted for his Masters use and it is not unknown to those in chiefest places his otherwise usefulness to the people of God in this Nation thus did he serve his generation with these many talents his God had furnished him with and for these few Sermons we can only say you have them as they were taken from his mouth in his ordinary Ministery without any alteration which is enough to excise the often inculcated expressions you meet with in them they were the last of his publike exercises among us and now for the usefulness of them we shall say First That here you shall find out the tracings of the subtillest hypocrite in all his formes and duties even to his greatest pretence of communion with God for the devil hath not had a stronger hold in these daies for the carrying on the most terrible actings of profaneness as lying cheating pride and lust and the like than by a pretence to communion with God in light and love we do not without shame and griefe of heart mention those things but God will have them searched out Secondly Here thou wilt find if a true Saint how much of the Leven of Hypocrisie is yet workâ—ng in thy own heart and is not this a mercy indeed to have these spreading iniquities discovered as Psal 139.23 Try me O God and know my heart prove me and examine my thoughts and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me Thirdly Here is a ground of establishment to the most discouraged reall Saint against the feares of hypocrisie and how necessary is this for poore weake soules who are how sincere soever yet often tempted to conclude themselves but very hypocrites we have but one word more and that is to those professors that walke in the fellowship of the Gospell to put them in mind that the vessels of the Tabernacle were of pure gold Exod. 25.29 31 c. the dishes spoons bowles candlesticks tonges snuffers were all by Gods command of pure gold and then to read the prophâ—sie of Church-members in the last daies Zech. 14.20 21. The pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowles before the Altar yea every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holinesse to the Lord of Hosts so will the Lord be served in the beauties of holinesse and his Churches will be the praise of the whole earth T. W. Hypocrisie discovered in its Nature and Workings SERMON I. Luke 12. latter end of the first verse Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie YOU shall find in the former Chapter Christ charging of the Pharisees for their unsutable actings unto the rule notwithstanding all their profession and pronouncing woes against them of all sorts of people And here he takes occasion upon the addresse of people to open those things further and to apply what he had said unto them When he saw a multitude of people many people gathered together insomuch that they trode one upon another he began to preach and expound unto them and this is the first Lesson that he gave them an admonition that they should take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Now by leaven here of the Pharisees some take the doctrine of them to be meant but you know Christ tels them in another place Math. 23.2 3. they sit in Moses chaire all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and doe Yet certainly it may be taken for their doctrine here likewise for they did manage their doctrine with hypocrisie and did not plainly and clearly open the nature of those things the Law spake of But chiefly and especially is meant here by the leaven of them i.e. those private and particular doctrines that they gave out from their owne Sect from their own particular judgment For when they expounded the Law so far as it referred to Moses the Lord Jesus gave them a warrant to heare them but they have private instructions and practices that will be as leaven to corrupt you if you be not very exact I need not to comment upon it for my designe is only to open the nature of hypocrisie and discover it to you both in the Churches of Christ and up and down the world And I have chosen this example of Jesus Christ now it 's mighty emphaticall to consider who are the persons he picks out as who are the subjects of this admonition The Pharisees the strictest Sect among the Jewes those that had the greatest name of Religion that did most exactly outwardly follow all the rules that the Law seemes to command they were expounders of Moses
afterwards and thinkest that will make it up but thy prayer shall shew thy hypocrisie more seeing thy lusts live Fourthly and lastly those are the highest hypocrites of this kind They secretly envy the brightnesse and glories of the gifts and graces of other Saints that goe beyond them and that is the perfect Character of a hypocrite where ever it is found if that be not a hypocrite there is none in the world when a soule cannot abide to be outshined it is a signe that a man never loved grace for grace for then he would love it where it is most pure and shines most gloriously and this the Pharisees were vext at they hated Christ perfectly because he went beyond them and was a conviction to them these and severall other Characters I had thought to given you but to satisfie some soules that will be apt to say every one will be a hypocrite if this be so I answer First My designe is to bid you beware of hypocrisie as Christ doth Try your hearts take not things up in ordinary and common waies be not unbeleeving and doubting that is not the thing I would be at it is not to scare you off the Gospell be curious and criticall be serious in the viewing of your own hearts and search to the bottom and trust not your selves with feigned enjoyments ☞ I would not discourage the poorest looker after Christ for all the world only I would have all men to be pure in their spirits and let every man put himselfe to it let a man have gold that hath passed through the furnace let a man that will be rich be rich with those precious things that are of an eternall nature Secondly to answer that you will find grace will lye but in a little roome therefore I put you to it true grace is like a Diamond very little in bulke but of a high price and mighty value therefore I beseech you be through in your own hearts thou poore looker after Christ Grace lies in a little roome more may be in one motion than in all the acts of the world you may have more grace than the greatest and gloriousest Preacher of the Gospell therefore try thy soule and be not discouraged though thou art not such a flourishing and glorious professor as another yet thou maiest be a greater Saint Thirdly I would have none taken up with any outside or glorious formes in the world but be looking within what inward frames you have in all your duties no I would have no soule taken up with any opinion with any religion that is externall at all but that carries out purely to heaven as the very heart is meeting with the Lord Jesus and as he hath a spirit acted in every word he speakes in the Gospell not to dant you from Religion that is not my designe but to keep you only from the leaven of the Pharisees externall dependencies that your soules may not be lost with the greatest misery to all eternity SERMON III. Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie I Have endeavoured to shew you in general what Hypocrisie is and the last time gave you a hint of severall sorts of hypocrites for hypocrisie lies not in one straine Now we will lay this down as a foundation which was named before that looke as many sorts of tempers as there are and humours and constitutions of men and designes that men have in Religion and as many waies as there are so many common workings as God may have upon men so many sorts of hypocrites may you have entring upon Religion on those grounds for looke as it is with grace where it worketh effectually it changes not the faculties nor constitutions A melancholly man is so still though he have grace and so you shall find his actings will shew something of his temper and nature so as to hypocrisie and demonstrations of hypocrisie so many sorts of tempers as there are in the world when men enter on the ways of Godlines upon unsound grounds not being wrought upon throughly by God so many sorts of hypocrites you will have I told you of foure Sects the last time now I shall go on and shew you more Looke as a man is by nature of a duller and heavier constitution and hath got the outward forme of Religion he will be a meere formalist drudging on in duties and no more nothing of the spirituall nature of it taking abundance of paines without sense go on in his waies and his duties without any power at all and that was the meere formall hypocrite I told you of he hath had some little touches upon his spirit that moves him and together with education hath gone on as in a Tract If a man be of a hot temper and constitution fiery in his nature and enter on Religion upon such common grounds and ordinary frames as the most do he will be a zealous man exceeding zealous Some opinion or other some particular forme his heart is most in and he is the zealous hypocrite I spake of he will stick to his opinion and hazard all and never care for the other part of Religion if they can but maintaine that so it is with many in these times never care how the work of God goes on in the world or their own soules so they have their opinion So if a man be of a facile and easie nature to be perswaded and enter upon Religion he will easily conclude that all the promises are his Take every thing for granted in the Gospell and apply it to his own soule as if he had a peculiar interest to all the promises and so grows in a confident secure frame and that is the hypocrite I told you was confident that out of the easinesse of his nature takes all things in the Gospell as his owne though he never saw the need and want of them and never knew the worth of them for I told you that selfe-love is the ground of all hypocrisie in a mans spirit If a man can get any thing for himselfe as selfe-love acts so a man gets into such and such a frame as it was with a mad man that sate at a Port that when all the ships came by said this is mine this is mine so doth all men say without either Religion or the knowledge of the nature of the promises of the Gospell challenging them without a need of them or a knowledge of the glorious designe of God in them Then againe if a man be of a more forward and daring spirit and if he get into a profession of Religion he will prove a presumptuous hypocrite to presume exceedingly upon the Gospell and the things of it he will vent the opinions he hath taken into his consideration and that he sees most sutable to the world If a man be of a more grave and sober temper and hath got such a custome of Religion and duties and taken up the profession of it with a secret
the perfectest hypocrite in the world nothing of God and Christ in his prayer it is not the length or the measure you must looke after nor how you have acted them but how you are moved and acted in them Oh my Brethren most glorious Professors in duties will be found another day in strange frames before God We have preached in thy name O Lord say they so Lord we have prayed night and day kept all meetings in the Towne or place where we lived and been at so many fasts and kept all publike daies and kept them closely Yea soule so thou maiest but if you have no more than that depart from me I know you not you are no better you never minded me you never had the frame of the Gospell in your own spirits you never knew what it was to be out of your duties and have the workings of my power in your hearts you never knew what it was to denie your selves in your duties to be made nothing for my name and glory Secondly and lastly I beseech you my Brethren be not content with any thing but what is purely of God what is a reality in the Gospell pure realities Truly my Brethren the fairest faces will one day looke like death when God comes to view them be more afraid in duties than in any other way the most spritefull men in duties that we little thinke of will be wrinckled like old men one day upon a sudden when God comes to deale with them about the things of the Gospell be more afraid of your selves in duties than in any other way for though you are in the waies of God as to outward actings yet you are under the most spirituall temptations that can be you will wonder to see one day how many thousands will be placed at the left hand that have passed through all the formes of duties to the uttermost therefore be not content with any thing but what you find perfectly reall bring it to the touchstone againe and againe let it be written with the Sun-beames in your hearts looke to your principles and ends mind the vigour and straines of your spirits in duties observe at what rate you act still be looking that way Oh to be a sound Christian is a most glorious thing Give me that soule that can say I have many things that I am ashamed of before God night and day but I am sound I am reall though I were to be searched by God I have that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that inward sinceritie that is not only a simplicity of spirit but such a shining judgement upon my own condition that I know how I stand before God and I know whom I have beleeved and how I have beleeved and how I have prayed and heard in the Gospell I know it the divine spirit was in my bosome in such a place in such a corner the Holy Ghost was in my spirit I know that I was carried out in such a duty meerly by the life and strength of God when I had no power when I was as weake as water Oh! this would be a comfort indeed to a poore soule Many are glad to be lulled asleepe if they can but be said to be religious and saints and follow the things of the Gospell they thinke they are happy No soule thou must have a principle in thy soule and an eternall worke upon thee thou must know what God is and what Christ is and what God in Christ is what it is to have thy corruptions struck at the heart and be laid as low as hell in thy owne soule before ever thou enjoy any thing of God in thy owne soule And when thou hast done so thou must try all over againe by a spirit of fire and burning and have not only thy own reason to witnesse but the Holy Ghost and Scriptures to witnesse to what is in thy heart to what thy conscience speakes and all these things will be brought to you one day though you looke slightly over them now Oh that men would be carefull to avoid hypocrisie this wicked leaven that is in so many soules to discerne the leaven that workes in every part so invisibly Beg of God a spirit of sinceritie to keep you from your own hearts beg of the Lord that he never would leave you under any slight ordinarie common workings of spirit but put you to it every day shew you your own frames never be quiet untill you find those reall things and then having a little grace yet if in sinceritie you will find your soules in a happy estate Oh you soules that have this mercie from God blesse him and magnifie him for ever you have the earnest of immortalitie in your owne soules SERMON V. LUKE 12.1 Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie I Have in many exercises endeavoured to open to you the nature of hypocrisie what kinds and sorts of hypocrites there are in the world and the last time you may remember we shewed you the actings of hypocrisie as to duties in generall for hypocrisie is most acted in duties a man may find out his own deceits in many things more easilie than in duties for in duties there are such faire colours no man knows how to discover himselfe or others if he be not carefull in his own heart But there were three things propounded at the latter end which we could not come to not only as to duties in generall But first the hypocrisie of men in prayer and how a hypocrite is discovered there Secondlie as to communion and converse with Saints and godly persons And thirdly as to his carriage in the world those three we would speake to at this time First Hypocrisie as to prayer which is a dutie that hypocrites most glory in of any that is the dutie wherein Saints get so much of God and have so much experience of God in it is a dutie that is used as the common way to get whatsoever a soule would have let your requests be made known to God therefore there is no dutie a hypocrite is more exact in than that for he imitates a Saint that is the nature of a hypocrite that he imitates a Saint in those duties he is most in that he gets most by none knows the incomes that Saints have in the dutie of prayer how much of God is let into them and how much their soules are let out unto God when none know it it is a dutie that is of that request among those that are godlie that if a hypocrite be not good at that he is good at nothing if he be not very curious there he will be of little account for it is common for one to desire to pray one for another and with one another abundance of incomes come by it in a spirituall way and therefore that is the care of a hypocrite to do that well whatever he neglects and you shall find that as to their parts they never excell so
not debate it with him but you must take it for granted else he will try your graces as well as you try his and question your state as much as you his And then if he be put to it at last as to triall of his own spirit he will save all with a whining confession and that is all you will get of him therefore look to your selves as to these things In the second place I should now have come to have prest on the exhortation of the Lord Jesus beware of hypocrisie you that are Christians you that are reall Saints should beware of it and so to all sorts of professours take heed and beware of it and shewed you these things To have opened the nature of it and the hideousnesse of it And first from the danger of it to your soules it is the most dangerous sin you can have in your soules and that First because it is the last reserve it is undiscernable a man must search as with a Candle that finds it out as the Jews were to search for the Leaven with a Candle and then curse all the rest it is a close sin indeed there are some actings of it that are very grosse but as for spirituall secret hypocrisie in duties compare them with actings they are exceeding close and undiscernable in the soules of men a soule must dig very deep and be very observant and have a watch over his soule every moment if ever he would trie his heart it is so close and so cunning that a man will hardlie beleeve it is there there is such a hidden motion upon a man that he cannot tell how it comes Secondlie beware of it It is infectious it is a dangerous infectious spreading nature it will be over all the faculties on a sudden it will represent you all kind of glasses that can be possible it can in the morning give you one glasse to looke in at noone another glasse and in the evening one different from both take one part of the Law you shall see your selves in it very faire it spreads over all it will it may be begin with your understandings and give you strange sights and apprehensions of God then come in upon your affections upon a sudden and work them to this end and to their end it will kisse and kill at once looke to it for it is the most dangerous sin of any in the world in a mans heart For if the soundnesse be gone from a mans heart what will he do then A man cannot act like a man when the substance of the soule is gone he cannot act neither Scripture reason nor his judgement but a particular close humour Thirdlie beware of it It is the most inconstant in its motions the most various in its representations so many habits and so many formes it will appeare in to you and alter upon every occasion that it is impossible unlesse a man be given up to try his own heart to find it out A heart and a heart you shall have a faire heart now and a wicked heart anon come and talke with a Person now and you shall find them in a good frame so as if they were commanded by the power of of it come an houre after and you shall find them in a wicked damnable straine of spirit speaking like mad men this is most common especiallie come to talke with a man privately what abundance of ingenuitie there is come to another action and at another time and he is not the same man hypocrisie will appeare and this is the misery mens soules are juggled to hell put in so many formes they know not when they are right know not what is the reall complexion they should have in the Gospell it is so various and so cunning it juggles a mans soule to hell Fourthly It is the most odious thing to God of any it takes his name in vaine most of any it is against his simplicitie omnisciencie his puritie God hates nothing more than this state therefore he sets himselfe against hypocrites of all sorts of people in the world I should have come to have shewed you how to avoid it what are the speciall remedies of hypocrisie the speciall things to keep a man from the evill of it the way to preserve a man from this dangerous sin but I would not leave some poore soules without some kind of comfort all this while many will say Alas I am the man I am the woman certainlie I have been a hypocrite all my daies I would only speake a little comfort to such poore soules First know this Jealousie of thine own heart and severe inquisition into it is a good hopefull Character that thou art far off that condition There is a twofold jealousie that therefore you may not be deceived First A jealousie on probable grounds secret and close symptomes and hints from actings which may teach many a soule that hypocrisie may have place in his heart for I find this and that when I come to looke on the whole straine of my life I have not my heart so carried out in spirituall things I never minded this and that in my actings this is a jealousie that may consist with the knowledge of hypocrisie Secondlie there is a jealousie that ariseth from feare and care lest I should be such an one from the hatred of the thing thou seest the vilenesse of it and thou seest thou canst never be quiet till thou hast the clearenesse of integritie made out to thee that is good that is sweet none more apt to censure a Saint than himselfe you know when Jesus Christ made the question about his betraying the hypocrite spake last never spake till he was put to it every one said at the Supper Lord is it I Is it I Every one had rather dye than heare that word spoken but when it comes to Judas he was forced to it at last and yet he would not confesse it but when the conviction lay upon him and he must needs be under it then he went out and that was all you heard of him till he hanged himselfe Secondlie To comfort poore soules they have no reason to conclude themselves hypocrites when they are glad if God by any meanes discover and destroy their hypocrisie whatever way it be for there lies the weight when God shall be blessed for discovering a mans heart to him take this for a rule If a soule can rejoyce and blesse God for his convictions of sin as for his comforts after conviction it is a signe of a most blessed glorious spirit though the sight of hypocrisie be the ugliest sight in the world yet when he sees it he blesseth God for it Thirdlie Never thinke thou art an hypocrite if thy heart is set against the nature of sin and pursuest the enjoyment of the nature of God whilest thy heart is set against the nature of sin and followest on the nature of God that is to be really possessed with a
dread and aw of an omniscient God no grace keeps a soule so much from hypocrisie as the feare of God the awe and dread of God seeing into a mans heart for though thy heart be close to others it is transparent to God he sees all the cunning of thy spirit and veines of thy soule how thou dost delude thy owne heart therefore if thou wouldst be sound looke after that the feare and dread of God Remember what is it for me to be well thought of by others when God sees it not so the omniscient eye knows I have a secret cunning heart for to deceive He sees me though I speake faire to this and that person yet God knows I am wrong he knows I am lying when I speake a word though others know it not Oh if the eye of God were but thought of by men if we thought we had a divine presence with us Whither shall I go if I go to heaven thou art there Psal 139. if a soule were under this consideration whither shall I go from thy presence I may carrie this sin closelie and secretlie yet the eye of God is upon me the Lord sees me I had better all the world should see me than God for he discovers me from the bottome so much for that Thirdlie If ever you meane to avoid hypocrisie in your own spirits be alwaies considering the vanitie of this sin of all other sins A sin which there is no profit in at all A hypocrite takes as much paines for all his cunning deceits as a Saint for all his sinceritie for a man to act as a King upon a Royall Stage and the next moment he is in Rags not a bit of bread so here a hypocrite take him out of his duties hath nothing to live upon but what they shirke up and down the Gospell for and that is so miserable and so poore a life that they would give over the waies of Religion if it were not for shame and when a man considers old age is comming on there is a day of darknesse a midnight houre that must be upon my soule God will one day take off all this disguise I am well thought of by others now but what shall I be then there is a night up on me but there is a day upon others and that which is the day of the Lord to others will be a midnight to me and that will be the time of the discoverie of me to be miserable Better a man had never gone on in such a hood and have it plucked off and to see such an ugly face Oh what hideous cries will one day be Oh that I had never made use of the name of Christ Oh that I had been through with my owne spirit that I had never deceived my own soule that I had known what my condition had been before I played with the Gospell and dallied with the things of Christ I beseech you consider to be cloathed in darknesse after you have seemed to be cloathed with the brightest notions of the Gospell it is a vaine thing a man gets nothing at all lives upon the aire what men say of him the good thoughts and good words of men there is all for he hath nothing from Christ as to the enjoyments of the Gospell in his own spirit and is not that sad Againe Fourthlie Looke to beware of hypocrisie for it is a dangerous thing if it go on to a height hypocrites are seldome converted under the Gospell the reason is they weare out all those principles they knew they curse themselves under the Gospell they have heard over and over againe the same things and they make little of them in their own spirits God seldome converts them only that conviction that is commonlie upon these that are hypocrites is to show them their hypocrisie to be their miserie whereas to others the time of their conviction is the time of their conversion When God comes to profane men and strikes them home it is commonlie to convert them but as to a hypocrite it is Gods time to shew him his hell and misery and how he hath out-run his glasse and past the day of the Gospell Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things of thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes God loves to make such persons examples to the world if they get a breath at the last day it is well Therefore looke to it you that begin to be formall and to play with your convictions and take them off now and then dallying with the Lord looke to it it is a thousand to one if ever you be converted that that converts others condemnes you And tremble at this that you should live under Ordinances and discoveries every day and yet be no better if you escape long without through-improved convictions upon your hearts it is a dangerous symptome it is a thousand to one God hath made but an essay upon thy heart Where did you find that ever God convinced a hypocrite up and down the Gospell that was a profest one if you look through the whole Bible but he left his marke upon them all the daies of their lives It is a dreadfull thing yet grace is not bound up it is not limited at all it may be God may shew more riches of grace upon some soules but it is not usuall therefore if ever you would be scared from hypocrisie take heed of that when a man comes to dye and should come at last to refresh himselfe with the thought that he hath served God faithfullie and sincerelie and finds no comforts of all his duties and enjoyments then to be convinced that he hath been one that hath deceived himselfe is very terrible when he should have God eternallie then to have that time of times of his everlasting ruine God will take some time or other to discover your hearts and it may be he will discover them and you shall not be better only let the world know and your owne hearts know what you have been and leave a secret-deadnesse for ever upon your hearts or fry in the wrath of it all your daies as you go up and downe the world consume you to nothing with the sense of wrath Oh prize a sincere heart and prize opportunities and take heed of puttings off and delaying time and being carelesse of what you are about for that is the trick of a hypocrite to put off and thinke it will be better and hug himselfe with some considerations that time will be otherwise take heed the day of the Lord will be a day of blacknesse And that you may be further set against the nature of this sin for that is my design I beseech you consider the hideous doom upon hypocrites the last doome upon hypocrites when Christ would speake the uttermost of misery he saith he will give them their portion with hypocrites they shall burne in the hottest fire they and the devils together shall be companions