substantiall enjoyment of God when the very nature of sin is against thy heart and when the nature of godlinesse is in thine eye as to enjoyment to be fully possessed with that Fourthlie know this too Never say thou art a hypocrite when no outward act can content thee though never so glorious without thou hast an inward frame according to that act according to the inward spiritualitie of the Gospell if thou lookest to have thy soule in a frame to thy duty thou needest not feare hypocrisie Fifthly While thy soule is as much troubled for omission of thy duty as for commission of thy sin thou needest not feare that thou art a hypocrite while thy soule is as much troubled for omission of a duty or an act of faith or closing with Christ or of any outward duty wherein thou hast enjoyed Christ as for commission of sin thou needest not feare thou art a hypocrite Sixthly and lastly thou needest not feare thou art a hypocrite whilst thou hatest thine own strength in thy duties as much as an outward act of sin or the most distemper of thy spirit or a corruption done in the wickednesse of thy heart I speake only this a little to divert the thoughts of poore soules that say I am certainly under this frame of spirit But looke to your own hearts every one if you find all these or any of them in any life upon your soules you are free from that state but if you find not such an universall opposite nature to sin but a frame to sin against God if you find not such constant pure frames in your owne spirits as to principles intentions and ends you will never be able to free your selves from such a state and condition SERMON VII LUKE 12.1 Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie I Have endeavoured in many exercises to open to you the nature of hypocrisie and have told you the sorts of hypocrites that are up and down the world and in Churches Now in the latter daies they grow more glorious than ever therefore Christs exhortation had need be more pressing formerlie hypocrisie was coursely cloathed could hardlie step out among the Saints they were so prying and so cunninglie carefull to observe the dangers of the Devill in times of danger and persecution Now when the Sun shines faire daies againe Religion seems to flourish in the outside of it and there is a benefit by the name of it men will be very glorious in hypocrisie and if ever there were need to presse Christs exhortation it is now upon all sorts of men and professours among his owne disciples there was one among twelve he bids them beware take heed It is a good caution for them all Saints are subject to the straines of it many times without they have an abundant care in their own spirits Therefore that I shall do is still to presse this exhortation upon your hearts that it may take some weight and impression for beleeve it however you looke upon your selves or whatever thoughts others have of you we had need to tell you to beware of hypocrisie the better you are thought of the more danger And you may remember the last time first I told you you had need to looke to your own spirits concerning this sin because of the danger of it in its nature and workings Secondlie because of the uglinesse and vilenesse of it of all other sins in the soule how it is that which is perfectlie against the nature of God his holinesse and simplicitie his faithfulnesse and realitie to the Sons of men how it is that that makes a man like the devill most of any sin he will beleeve and is convinced of the things that the Gospell speakes of that they are true but here lies the greatnesse of his wickednesse the cunningnesse of his deceit that he sets up an art of deceiving in the world to deceive the Sons of men that they should not beleeve the word of God there is none like the devill so perfectlie like the devill as hypocrites I have chosen you twelve and one of you is a devill none is called a devill in Scripture but he and there lies the sutablenesse that he is a lyar and hypocrisie is a perfect lye in the soule Then I shewed you the uglinesse of it likewise that it doth indispose the soule to every thing that is good when one is in the best frame as it were that spoiles all it is of a poysonous nature I shall go on to shew you what is that you must continuallie look after if you meane to beware of it and prevent it as the care and remedie of this sad condition Therefore first as to the generall and as the maine thing if ever you meane to beware of hypocrisie you must principle your hearts and farnish them with all the graces of the spirit you will never be sincere else you will never be sincere till you have all graces and the workings of them proportionable in your soules and spirits Ephes 3. he begs of them to go on and this I pray that your love may abound more and more in all knowledge and in all experience that you may be able to approve the things that are excellent that you may be sincere Phil. 1.9 A man must have all judgement a discerning eye for sinceritie doth not lye only in the intentions of men but in the reall workings of all the frames of the soule of all the graces as they are in the heart when a man can approve the things that are excellent that is he can judge them and try them and act them as they are discovered to be truths that is sinceritie for sinceritie is not so much a distinct grace as a result of the harmonious workings of all graces in the soule there must be a rectified mind to make a man sincere for it is not a good intention that will make an action good or make you sincere in any action but as it flows from inward reall frames and principles that are sutable Peter was an affectionate man and he said to Christ when he told him of his sufferings spare thy selfe do not go and suffer he did it out of a good intention but he was rebuked for it he had a cleare intention would not have the least hurt come to Christ but it was against the designe that Jesus Christ came about therefore he said get thee behind me Sathan It was not that sincerity therefore the Apostle saith that you may be sincere Oh that sincerity of soule it lies in those two things that you may be sincere you must be able to judge and approve things that are excellent First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies such a straine as is without any mixture hath no composition of any forraigne thing in it when every thing is pure in its native colour you must prove all things be able to try all things and have a judgement of them that you
God improving a naturall light so far as to outward actings that he cannot chuse but do those outward duties and yet he knows in his conscience that he never met with God and if he do it is only to tell him thou art not sound and sometimes he breakes out in extravagancies these can find nothing in their hearts but conscience will be pressing them on still to keep up the forme This is a miserable soule Certainely some men are self-condemned and it is impossible if so be a man have any stirrings of Conscience and live under the Ministry of the Gospell but he will some time or other if he be a hypocrite have some discoveries of his owne heart when he comes to prayer there is not that working of a spirit of Adoption God may leave a man so in a generall kind of way that he may not at all set out those convictions but those that have their consciences convinced of particular acts of sin when they turne Professors they have often times conviction as to those acts but let a man have never such a daily hint that he is an hypocrite yet it is no more to him to strike him off his bottome and make him to be sound no more than if a man had a dayly sense of sin that he cannot get mortified and he finds convictions not so sharpe but that he can go under them and live though sometimes they are sore to him and stop the mouth of conscience The Lords power comes not in with the Conviction and certainely those soules are mightily startled soules have mighty sharpe convictions upon their spirits but it is off againe and they carry a generall kind of feare in their own hearts but still something or other there is and they must keep up O take heed then Looke to your own hearts what secret hints you have of hypocrisie you that have lived long under the Gospell been given much to duties look to your own hearts how many twangs have you had in the night-season in your spirits You never met with God in the duty though you prayed well and read well in the sight of men though you have carried it faire up and down the world what inward regret have you had in your own spirits This is a lamentable condition for a man to be so a hypocrite that a man goes on under the conviction and cannot get from it and yet goes on in duties still Now you have a third and last sort which is the grossest sort Thirdly and lastly a designing hypocrite one that takes up Religion for some particular designe which he knows the designe of in his own heart as to get honour or profit or the countenancing of some particular last or whatever it be meerly that a man may cover some secret lust meerly to follow the opportunities and seasons of the world this is the grossest of all State-hypocrites as I may so call them those that are only making use of the name of Religion on purpose to deceive and begin all their evill in the name of God these are the grossest sort that can be possibly And there are severall sorts of these Some that are more refined as to be honoured among men as Simon Magus he would give any thing that he might have had the gift of the Holy Ghost because he thought it was a brave thing to do miracles that he might be accounted of among men therefore he was in the Gall of bitterness There are a more refined sort which care not so much for outward kind of profit or honour but they do follow on duties and the waies of God meerly to quiet their consciences upon some speciall guilt as to former actings to cover some kind of corruptions that they may be husht and be counted Saints besides That is a more spirituall way for there be some so curious in a spirituall hypocrisie that no man can find them out they have some old blot upon their consciences that they would take off by a new way of acting take it off from the sight of others and be accounted as new I only give you these in generall they have some secret corruption that is their darling lust that they would nourish This is now to be a Stage-player indeed when I know I am a beggar and yet shall put on the Robes of a Prince when I know I have that unsoundness in my heart and yet would be accounted a sincere Saint and would do something that shall cover my corruption and I would do duties because I would get such an honour That is a most shamefull way These are the wickedest sorts of men in the world certainely there is none have more shame in their own soules than these if they look into their own hearts I would therefore now apply this and leave the rest for some other time Applic. I beseech ye therefore every one take in the exhortation of Jesus Christ take heed of this Leaven this Hypocrisie this wicked venemous poyson that lies in all sorts most in Churches and Congregations where the Gospell is Preached we are leavened before we are aware take all diligence and care yet it comes in This is that which Christ did advise his Disciples of take heed of that above all things but before I go on I would leave these Considerations with you that you may not mistake First know that there may be hypocrisie in the soule and yet a man cannot be called a Hypocrite There is Hypocrisie in every state you must not thinke that if you find some Hypocrisie you are a Hypocrite I speake this for the comfort of poore Saints if they find any deceit or cunning in their spirits in their duties then they say they are hypocrites they are damned no I would have you to know that Hypocrisie lies very close in the soule of the best Saints but only when the straine of a mans spirit goes on so then you had need looke to your selves when you find that Hypocrisie predominant Secondly There may be great charges of hypocrisie as to particular actings nay whole actings may be in hypocrisie yet not a Hypocrite Gal. 2.13 as Paul charged Peter with Hypocrisie the whole act was done hypocritically and he brings in Barnabas as guilty with him he did dissemble so it may be with a Saint he may dissemble in an action in a duty and yet not be so in his whole state Therefore judge not of your selves by particular acts Thirdly know that Hypocrisie is not only as to an outward duty but in every motion of your spirits you must looke it lies not only in grosse designes to advantage selfe but it grows secretly you know not how it touches upon every part upon a sudden before you are aware of it In your love to Christ strange Hypocrisie In your very motion to Saints and expressions what wonderfull vailes of hypocrisie You must therefore looke exceeding narrowly you must put on Gospell-eyes to try hypocrisie in
in another condition This is that I would speake unto It is not my intention only that will make me a hypocrite it makes me a grosser to feigne and dissemble But it is as well the one as the other the want of the reall principle the want of a sound worke upon my heart Take in the first place this consideration First I appeare to my selfe and others to be what God will not own me to be at the last day so there is Hypocrisie in Fundamentals I say I have grace and God saies I have none I say I beleeve and God will never owne my faith when it comes to triall I am as far to seeke and I am as much a Hypocrite for I have a false faith a false motion after God and Christ as much as if I did intend to palliate to counterfeit my faith on purpose A man may have the complexion but not the constitution of a Saint If I appeare not really what I am before God I am a hypocrite Therefore this I say is the great thing that few in the world do know that most of Professors are Hypocrites they are not throughly converted though they have as they thinke the glorious workings of God upon them yet if they be not true and reall and will go through the fire of a divine eye and the search of that Omnisciencie of the Lord they will never hold I am an Hypocrite though not so in intention I am not so as to the formality of Hypocrisie but I am so really as to God therefore consider of it consider it for the most people think if they have but a good honest intention in what they do they think they are perfectlie free of all danger of hypocrisie they are safe and sound in Religion if they pray and do not dissemble in their prayers that is that their hearts and their tongues do not jar but do agree they are then free from hypocrisie but that is a miserable mistake For alas it is all one whether or no you feigne your selves to be what you are not or are not what you thinke yourselves to be it is all one as to the thing it selfe you will find it so one day in your own spirits when you shall find all that ever you have done to be but glorious appearances What will it do you good when you can say only I had a good intention I thought I prayed well and had the straines of the Gospell in my own spirit what will this do you good if you be not found so But this is that I say that if I have not the truth in me of what I do professe though I do sincerelie and honestly professe what I thinke it is all one as to the nature of the thing as if I do feigne what I am not For I shall be as well undone by the one as by the other and I am not the person I thinke my selfe to be nor others thinkes to be if God thinkes not me to be what I and others thinkes me to be and to what end should we soulke up and down and not be what we are in our own hearts but delude our selves and not deale faithfullâ— with our own spirits ☞ As now take a Preacher of the Gospell suppose I preach the Gospell if I preach any thing that is untruth or a lye though I do it with never so honest a heart I shall be damned for it If I preach against Jesus Christ any thing that will destroy the fundamentals of the Gospell I shall be destroyed for all that though I be never so honest in my intention For our intentions are but naturall and common If I think I have grace and a work of God upon my soule and yet have it not it is all one as with those that know they have no worke of God and yet professe Secondly there is hypocrisie seene in it likewise because I take up things in a generall manner and never try them nor my own heart by them that shews my hypocrisie though I thinke I am reall in my intentions I should try them over and over againe But to make out this a little more cleare to you Let us consider in the generall the power that imagination hath upon the spirits of men Take â—â—y one that is thought to converse with the devill and trade with him upon promise of Gold and Silver and the like The power of imagination will worke upon such a man that he will beleeve on the Devill that he hath all the riches in the world the gold of the Indies this the very power of imagination will do he thinkes he can want nothing and yet so strong is this power of imagination upon him all his daies Do but take a man in a melancholly straine he will thinke really he is what he thinkes any other man to be If any man be taken in a feaver he will beleeve he is so he will sweat at it If any one be thought to go mad he will be the same It is the same in Religion the fancy and imagination of a man will work as strongly in Religion and the Gospell-perswasion as a melancholy constitution I will perswade my selfe to be in heaven and see Angels and glorious Saints and be in the bosome of Christ though I never heard his voice to my own soule and all this upon the power of imagination it is so strong upon our spirits if there were no more but that it were enough Secondly in generall know this that you may see it by the contrary of sincerity you know that is said to be sincere in the proper sence of it that is not mixt that is without any mixture at all as that is pure wine that is not sophisticated by any brewing that is sincere that is not mixt that is pure from the grape shines in its own lustre we call that hypocriticall that is mixt or hath any thing to set it off but its own nature these things that come purely from it selfe so it is in the soule of a man that is hypocriticall in his owne spirit that is not sincere that hath a shew of grace and yet hath it not that is hypocrisie he hath common and carnall principles or if you will common grace and carnall principles mixt together it is ordinary in the Gospell man hath his naturall principles and some additions of assistance and power from God and they are jumbled together they are not sincere at all but hypocriticall nothing shines in its own nature so it is with most men in the world there are other ingredients that are mixt with all their actings there is something mixt with it in the Principles in the very first motions And certainly this is that which is sutable to this Text where he saies Take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie You must not thinke the Pharisees did preach Hypocrisie but only their doctrine tended to nothing else but setting up an
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
much as in that dutie wherein they excell and go beyond many Saints as to the outward performance of it I shall shew their hypocrisie therefore as to this And first in generall know that all that a hypocrite doth as to prayer is from an art of it not from a spirit of it within him some do distinguish it thus between a gift of prayer and a grace of prayer but I had rather take it in these termes for graces are gifts and we must come and distinguish again and againe of common gifts and spirituall gifts and supernaturall gifts and supernaturall gifts of such a kind c. but this is cleare that all that ever a hypocrite doth in prayer is from an artificiall motion in his spirit my meaning is thus he hath gotten by industrie by imitation by converse by custome and use in that dutie such an art that there is nothing either belongs to prayer or the exact performance of it outwardlie but he hath it with more abundant curiositie than the best Saint hath that he strives to perfect himselfe in exceedinglie But take this for the generall rule that is rather from an art than from the spirit prayer and many times he gets the art so curiouslie that he refresheth many Saints and poore souls by it though he have little of the sense of it on his own heart he acts that part so exactlie and carefullie to the sight of men that it works much upon the affections of all that heare him and converse with him This I speake now as to those that are most carefull Indeed there be some sorts of hypocrites that are not so curious that are rather for a meer outward forme and are very dead in it and make it up some other way but take hypocrisie in generall it is seene most in prayer In the second place and more particularlie to discover this hypocrisie to you as to the art First know that the great study of a hypocrite is about his expressions more than for any impressions or any reall sights of the nature of his condition or estate as if he were to mourne for sin and open his own heart he studies to set it out in the most melting way though his heart be not melted or if he be to set out the love of God he will do it with the exactest expressions but he finds not the love of Christ constraining and those expressions flowing from that love in his heart Secondlie as to that as his expressions so his greatest enlargements in that duty of prayer is when he is most in publike not so much in private and secret dealings with his own heart this is now to those that deale with others dead at home enlarged abroad Oh my Brethren this is a most wicked frame of hypocrisie in that duty when men look at their words not at their hearts to make their hearts speake within them if I be enlarged in prayer when I am with others and dead when I am in private it is a certaine signe I have nothing in my heart only some outward gales fill my sailes Thirdly as to that know there is a secret rejoycing in the very manner of the expressions of a mans wants or of his Petitions whatsoever he desires of God which none but those find that have to deale with those things in their owne hearts Fourthly And which is as to expressions againe know that a hypocrite in the fourth place is more troubled when he wants an enlargement as to expressions than when he wants a power of affection to duties and to God according to the whole nature of what he is to act in that dutie a Saint can content himselfe more with a sigh and a groane than all the externall enlargements that can be if a hypocrite can be enlarged as to gifts he can easily dispense with some deadnesse as to the frame of his owne heart pray you observe that if you cannot be in your closet as vehement in sighs and groanes as if you were in companie with others if your inward motions do not prompt you to as much vehemencie of soule to go out to God to beg what you want and longings after him to enjoy what he hath communicable to your soules when alone as well as when before others it is a dangerous symptome of hypocrisie it is a signe certainly that I have somewhat at the bottome that is not sound therefore consider that Secondly As to particulars know that a hypocrite loves to lengthen out his duties when he is to performe them before others and to hurrie them over in private truly most Professours are as Papists in that for they tell over their private duties as so many beads till they come to a publike Masse then they are solemne but there is nothing of Religion in all those things if they come to company then they do every thing circumstantially exactly then they lengthen them out according to time and every proportion and this is a very close discovery of hypocrisie in any soule that is slight in private and can hurry over his duties there yet can be mighty solemne when he is in a publike place pray you consider that Thirdly Take this for a Rule a hypocrite both in private and publike prayers he flags at last this will come close to every ones heart the longer he prayes the worse he is the heart more dead best at first at the beginning he is zealous it may be sence of wants presses him something holds him up but the longer he goes on the worse he is But the contrary is now in a Saint the longer he is with God the more his heart is with him he grows in his duties though he be dead at first he will be sure to get some review of God some quicknings some enlivenings though he have been long getting up his heart to a duty yet when once it is up he finds the water flows in the more he is with God the more he gets up his soule the divine nature gets more breath and strength by breathing after God the longer it breaths the stronger it breaths a hypocrite hath much adoe to keep up his affections to the first start either privately or publikely hardly able to keep in his spirit but he is at a loss as to the divine nature of those things as to the glory of them therefore he is fain to pumpe and strain for expressions when his affections are lost this you will find as a perfect secret in your own hearts that know and are privie to your own soules The Spirit may indeed withdraw sometimes but takes it commonly and ordinarily the soule is never so moved as when it is touched in the heart but a hypocrite you shall have his duties done very sleightlie at the latter end when there should be most vigour but you shall find the duties of Saints when once the soule begins to get heat and warmth with the love of Christ and sence
of wants and pure thoughts of the love of Jesus Christ it can pray everlastinglie if he had a body fit to his soule he could be alwaies praying and though a Saint may faile in expressions towards the latter end yet his affections are higher he can hardly leave Christ or the thoughts of him he would be alwaies with him there is abundance of adoe to get up our hearts to any frame but when once it is up and goes on with the strength of God then he finds new assistance every moment comming in you shall have a hypocrite at first like a fountaine flowing in expressions but he begins to grow low at last and just so much water let out as may maintaine him for a while and turne his wheele and motion but take a Saint he is commonlie best at last as to faith and spirituall workings in his own heart And this my Brethren will a little informe you of the nature of hypocrisie as to prayer for a hypocrite acts for himself and from self-strength and any artificiall motion as a Clock or so grows slower at latter end untill it be woond up againe so it is really with those men Fourthly The hypocrisie of men in prayer is seen in this that an hypocrite never goes with an absolute present sence of his needs of assistance or of acceptance either of the Spirits power or of Christs intercession if he go to Christ for strength it is to employ it to his own ends But my Brethren there is no Saint goes to a duty ordinarilie and commonly but he goes with that deep sence of that perfect need he hath of the Holy Ghost to supply him he can do nothing though he have parts yet he sees he must have his assistance else he cannot act and when he hath acted he sees as much need of acceptance at last as of assistance at first A hypocrite acts meerlie from his owne strength in some extraordinarie dutie it may be he may cast up his eye and say Lord carry me on in this extraordinary dutie but commonly in prayer he never fees the need of the Holy Ghost to teach him how to pray how to move to God and what to pray and that Jesus Christ should hold out his mediation and stand betweene him and the Father to make a perfect attonement there is nothing will discover hypocrisie more than this if you do but consider it seriously for there is no hypocrite that ever was unbottomed of himselfe his own strength that ever saw the eternall constant need of Christ Fifthly That I may not hold you long a hypocrite in his duties he praies for those things with seeming earnestnesse that he never prized nor knew the worth of He praies for pardon it may be elegantlie with exceeding affections as to our hearing but he never knew what it was to have pardon to have divine incomes in his heart he praies for enjoyments of Christ but yet he never knew the worth of an enjoyment of Christ and that is â—â—scovered in these particulars First In that he can quiet himselfe with common hopes of him I hope I shall have him though now I have him not and so takes his duties instead of Christ for present he can pray for Christ and yet content himselfe with a generall common apprehension that he will shew himselfe good at last though he have no earnest pressing nor longing for him at present Secondly it is seen in this that the soule secretly dislikes what he praies for as to those enjoyments as to the power and spirit and life of them there is no hypocrite but if he pray for to be transformed to be made like unto Christ and be sanctified but oh he hath a secret regret when he comes to the practicall part of it he could rather wish there were no such thing or he had stood upon his own bottome Thirdly and especiallie it is seen in this that those things are matter of petition but not any ground of endeavour after the enjoyment of them they are only the bare matter of Petition I pray for them and seek after them but I never endeavour for them I pray for Christ but never look after him I pray to have my sins mortified but I never take the course to have that vertue and that power from Christ that may kill my corruptions we only put it into our prayers as complementall acts and no more Those prayers that are not accompanied with earnest heartie endeavours to get the things prayed for according to the rule propounded are hypocriticall I pray I may be pardoned and I go on in sin and never looke after the mediation of the Lord Jesus nor study how these blessed conveyances are made over to my soule Oh there is a mightie straine as to that Sixthlie A hypocrite in prayer calls God Father by his own spirit not by the spirit of adoption pray you observe that by his own spirit for he hath not the spirit of prayer which is the spirit of adoption now that you may know the spirit of prayer what the meaning of that is he calls God Father by his own spirit not by the spirit of adoption First He goes not to God from an inward sence of fatherly love there is no hypocrite in the world but he hath a secret inward frame of spirit whereby he looks upon God as an enemie and judge to him in his greatest enlargements he goes not to God from the sence of fatherlie love though he may call God father with abundance of varietie in expression pray you consider that no man can call God father but from the spirit of adoption but from the sence of his love shed abroad in his heart in prayer I go to him because his love as well as my needs workes me up to go to him the tastes of the sweetnesse of that fatherlie love workes up my heart I cannot but go to him Secondlie this spirit of prayer lies in that sutablesse of a son-like affection unto God that sutablenesse of a son-like affection and nature unto God whereby I go as a Son unto a Father Now that is certaine a hypocrite hath no relation to God he never minds him as a father he hath not that inward propensitie that inward love and affection unto God as a Son which lies in the working of the heart inwardlie unto God as unto a Father as it is in nature so it is in grace take a child and tell him it is his Father from once he knows it is his Father there will be an inward working towards him more than to any person in the world there will be some disposition in the heart that will answer presently your representation of him as a Father so it is in the Gospell when you go to the Father there will be something that will answer this thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us the soule must cry Abba Father that no hypocrite can do in the world
a man such checks as a man shall consider and by the custome of it conclude that it is thus and thus with him For looke as it is with the Saints under full light and full evidence so it is with a hypocrite under the enlightenings of his conscience saies Paul I have lived in all good conscience unto this day that is walked according to the principles of reason and Religion according to the light I had lived in all good conscience unto this day never strained my conscience Now it is impossible for a man under enlightening if he have not a mighty secure frame of spirit or wonderfull dexteritie of colouring his heart but naturall conscience will reflect upon him and say this was not intended right though the action was done this was not so spirituall nor so firmely acted before God you know you had your intention besides the rule But then Secondlie Take such a conscience under the Ministrie of the Gospell where there are Characters given on both sides where hearts are dealt withall seriouslie and with abundance of clearenesse where the designe is to anatomize the spirit to give characters of a Saint and give distinctions between common graces and those graces that are purely sanctifying changing and transforming the soule and those that are common and worke nor the image of God in the soule if you have any light as hypocrites have abundance of light otherwise they could never play their tricks so as they do it is impossible but the heart should say this is not right I find not this right in my own spirit it is impossible they should lye under these things and have no convictions no checks secretly that he is truly such an one Thirdly He may by reflecting upon himselfe know it by his getting in his duties if he had nothing but that which he gets in duties when he hears how Saints get communion with God in duties how their soules are taken up with Christ what glorious enjoyments they have of God in Prayer and Sacraments what glorious frames they find upon their spirits when they have communion he knows he can hardly get from one duty to another the truth is a hypocrite is the poorest miserablest soule in the world he never hath any thing but what he gets from hand to mouth when he comes to dye he is a begger nothing at all to live on and he knows he never met with Christ so as to humble him and to lay him low he knows when he heares other Saints speake of the Gospell and the sweetnesse they have had in the sights of Christ pardoning and applying his love to them he knows he hath not these things when he comes to action he is as dead and as low as may be and as I told you he is poorest and worst at last Fourthlie God delights to discover a hypocrite he delights in that exceedingly and commonlie doth it and laies it upon a man closely and wonderfullie by wonderfull flashes of spirit and God delights to do it First Because it is a secret that none can find out but himselfe therefore he delights to anatomize a wicked cunning deceitfull heart Secondlie God he delights to do it because he loves to put a speciall marke upon them of all persons in the world those that have deceived others shall deceive themselves he put a marke upon the first hypocrite in the world that ever was that he changed his countenance so that if you had no more take them altogether and you shall find that a man may very well be a hypocrite and know himselfe to be so and yet go one nay it is very hard for a man to be long a hypocrite under the Gospell but he must lye under the checks of it But Secondly you will say how can this be How can he continue in Congregations in Churches how can he continue all this while and not be terrified and not leave off all profession My Brethren In the first place pray take in these things know it is the most deluding sin in the world the most pleasant sin in the world to a man as men love by Art to imitate nature they are mighty pleased with it to represent Nature in Art how men give up themselves and their studies and are pleased with it there is nothing more pleasing to a man as hypocrisie is that he can turne himself at any time here and there evade all things that are laid upon him by the Gospell It is just as you see with those that are your theeves or cut-purses that have a curious art and dexterity to do it they will take a mans purse out of his pocket so exactly that he cannot know it is done but they are gone and when they come together at night they rejoyce and brag who hath done the best feats so hypocrites cannot but know in their naturall consciences it is against the rule but there is abundance of pleasure in it to cheat themselves and cheat others till God worke mightilie upon them for to imitate a Saint in every thing and do it exactly pleases a hypocrite that he can delude others when he hath been in prayer cosened and deluded the best sort of men in the world as I have heard some say they could delude all the Saints in the world for that is pleasing to a man that nourishes his selfe-love and that does carry him on to act so as to be well thought of by others it shews a man an artificiall man that can thus and thus move up and down the world and none see him or take notice of him all think him a blessed Saint I am confident there is no sin so pleasing to a soule as hypocrisie is for it will have so many varieties of Artificiall motions laid before it to act by that a man is not tyed to one or tother but still acted in variety and the sence of divine things is not on his heart at all as I shall shew you in the second place Secondly he may go on in profession though he know himselfe to be so he may go on because he knows not the nature and vilenesse of his sin at all only sees he is not as he should be and it is the same with other sins he may lye long under a sin so long as Conscience is not pressed on with an unresistible conviction only a generall cold conviction is upon him he sees that he hath done so and so and he is so and so but there is not any thing of the power of conviction upon his soule for then a soule should not be able to stand under it but cry out he cannot endure it but commonly it is with hypocrisie such a pleasing sin as with other sins a man sees the guilt by the rule but not by the light of a divine conviction strangely working in his soule and spirit and so goes on as those did which the Prophet speakes of you lye and steale and commit