absolute inferiour to the Lord. For God cannot in any thing be deceiued or commaund amisse in any matter For men it is lawfull to deny subiection to them in many things because they may mistake and erre in many things and because their power and authority is limited but GODS will is without all restraint and limitation to be yeelded vnto because he hath a full and perfect soueraignty ouer vs. And indeed no man is mooued by the loue of God or aymeth at his glory in any thing vnlesse he be vniuersally obedient so that is but a counterfeit obedience which is not generall Here is no place left for picking or chusing neither may we lawfully refuse his commaundement in any particular but must say as once the Israelites did Whatsoeuer the Lord our God commaundeth Deut. 5.27 that will we doe There is no sinne forbidden by GOD but our resolution must be to leaue it no duety commanded but our resolution must be to doe it and when in any poynt wee faile wee must euen condemne and chide our selues for fayling labouring still after perfection and praying for more and more strength to obey and it must be our greatest burden and continuall griefe that we cannot attain to fulnesse of knowledge and obedience Agayne Constancy constancy must accompany our obedience we must not walk in this way for a spirt a litle now and then and afterwards giue ouer but we must proceede in a settled course without any giuing ouer or desisting A good man followeth goodnesse as a Trades-man doth his trade hee is at it to day and to morrow and the third day and all the dayes of his life as Dauid saith I will keepe them to the end Psal 119.33.112 And againe I haue inclined mine heart to perfor me thy statutes alwayes euen to the end And Psal 1.2 Blessed is the man whose meditation is in the Law of God day and night The most painefull labourer hath now and then a fit at play and sometimes hee meeteth with an holy-day but vsually though not still with the like intention of paines yet in a setled course he is found in doing his worke and busines So a Christian man is not alwayes a like earnest yea sometimes he makes indeed an holy-day or a loytering idle day for which hee doth well shent himselfe afterwards but yet vsually and in a stedfast course he followes after goodnesse and is still still applying this great and necessary worke of a godly life for God who hath appointed him this taske doth not allow him any discontinuance And this is fruitfulnes or a good life when a man out of a perswasion of Gods tender loue vnto him in Iesus Christ doth intertaine in his soule such an carnest and hearty loue vnto God as maketh him carefull to please and honour him by continuall striuing to know what is his good holy and acceptable will and framing himselfe in all things to doe what he biddeth leaue the contrary without any finall surceasing so that though he slacke his pace now and then and some dulnes do creep vpon him yet he quickens himselfe and sets to it againe resoluing neuer to giue ouer quite so long as life lasteth This is to liue as beseemeth the Gospell of Christ this is to heare the Word of God and doe it this is to walke in the truth of God this is obedience better than all sacrifices And so haue wee sufficiently explicated the point wee must now make some vse of it CHAP. XVI Containing the first vse ANd first we must call vpon euerie soule to make a true triall of himselfe whether he be fruitfull yea or no. The Word of God must iudge vs all at the last day let vs therfore iudge our selues by it in the meane that we may the better hold out Euery man must trie whether he be fruitfull yea or no. in that finall and terrible iudgement If we heare not Gods word in such sort as thus to apply it to our owne soules our hearing is but losse of time and paines and wil but make our reckoning heauier at the end Weigh your selues in these ballances and touch your selues at this touch stone Mans heart is very prone to beguile it selfe to be beguiled by Satan searching it by the word of God is the surest means to saue it from the danger of being beguiled Some men mistaking fruitfulnes esteem themselues fruitfull when they be nothing lesse others againe for want of sound information in the matter condemn themselues as vnfruitfull when indeed they be fruitfull Before we either affirme or deny it is needfull for vs to proue our selues vnpartially that our affirmations may not puffe vs vp with counterfeit and windy comforts our denialls cast vs downe with harmefull and vnnecessary deiectednesse Tell me then that come from GOD or rather tell the Lord that comes by me to inquire of thy selfe concerning thy selfe Art thou a fruitfull branch in Christ yea or not That thou art a branch a Christian in name and profession it is yeelded thy comming hither seemeth to affirme so much But say Art thou a fruitfull branch or not Make not ouer-great haste to answer this question eyther way but deliberate well of the poynt and call to mind what hath beene formerly spoken concerning this fruitfulnesse and accordingly answer for or against thy selfe say in truth and without dissembling which way goe the greatest number of thy thoughts and to what end are the chiefest cogitations of thy mind-directed Aime they at this Busie they themselues about this To please the liuing God the Author of thy life by knowing and doing his most righteous will Art thou carefull and desirous to become acquainted with thy duty To that purpose giuing thy selfe to heare and reade the Word of God and performe all such good exercises as thou hast meanes to performe that thou mayest know it Art thou likewise carefull and desirous when thou hast found it out to put it in practise also and that not in some things alone but without exception in all things Doth thy soule thirst after Gods statutes Doth thine heart often daily continually raise vp it selfe with such heartie wishes O that I could vnderstand what I might doe to please God! O that I could hold my feete fast in his precepts Dost thou make it the chiefe businesse of thy life to keepe thy selfe vnspotted of the world and be found plentifull in all the good workes that the Law of God requireth Dost thou muse of this ponder of this and fixe the strongest of the desires of thy soule on this still recalling thine heart and turning thy selfe againe to these desires and wishes when thou findest them wandring to by-matters Can thy soule witnesse for thee before God that thou dost put forth thy selfe after thy strength and labour to gather more strength to get vnderstanding of Gods will and that thou vrgest and inforcest thy selfe to the constant obeying of it reioycing and
in preaching praying hearing conferring Art zealous in priuate deuotions But tell me moreouer Art thou zealous and as zealous in secret praying as in publike In priuate meditations as in publique deuotions Then well is it with thee if not that that is open may be hollow And say Dost thou not affect to be accounted a forward man Dost thou not feede thy selfe in a conceit of being counted a notable Preacher a very forward man and hast thou not a kinde of keenenesse against those that seeme by their brightnesse to hinder this repute of thee If so thou art manifestly vnsound if thou keepe these thoughts warme within thee but if thou do abhorre these thoughts labouring not to regard applause but euen to delight thy selfe and blesse God for others going beyond thee it is an excellent proofe of truth Yea Doth the bare doing content thee or no what regard hast thou of thine heart and affections in these acts of denotion Doth the bare doing of the worke content thee it is stark naught then Or dost thou looke to thy spirit taking no comfort vnlesse thou finde the inward power of these exercises then it is excellent and that is euident truth Further thou art more than ordinarily strict and precise in diuers matters which the world accounteth light and small matters it is well But how standest thou disposed to them that are not of thy iudgement Canst thou not affoord them a good word that doe differ in small things Canst thou not away with them Canst thou scarce affoord them a good word but art still ready to account them dissemblers and makest a great question whether they may be accounted sincere yea or no Be afraid of thy selfe it is very likely that thy selfe art not yet sincere Nay if thou goe forward in this rash and harsh censuring not iudging and condemning thy selfe for so iudging and condemning others without all doubt thou art but hollow but if thou hold fast the bond of loue and peace to those that are otherwise minded then thy selfe and louest them dearely for the graces sake which thou seest in them it is a good signe that conscionablenesse and not guilefulnesse hath framed thee to such strictnesse of life And for thy selfe Art as precise in matters in which thy purse is interested as other things how standest thou affected in other matters as strict as carefull as much troubled with as small matters in other things that concerne thee and wherein thy purse and profit are interessed It is a good testimony of thy soundnesse but if thou canst deuoure with some excuse or other farre greater matters in other kindes thy conscience not greatly disturbing thee because thou flappest it in the mouth with some sorry shift and pretence this is a shamefull tricke of a dissembler If thy precisenesse be not generall in all matters as well as one and regular more in the more weightie Art thou most strict in matters of most moment thou mayest be a strait laced hypocrite as well as a tender-conscienced Christian O brethren that you would often very often commune thus with your selues gage your owne soules and by much questioning with your selues make your selues knowne vnto your selues and not continue alwayes strangers to your owne bosomes Without searching Aske and answere these questions that thou mayest know thy selfe the true-hearted shal want the comfort of truth and the hypocrite be out of all possibilitie to come out of his hypocrisie but this examination will be exceeding beneficiall for the increase of sincerity or reformation of guile See therefore that you redeeme time and bestow pains to practise it I know the flesh will be backward to this worke mans heart loues not to be rifled vp A sore legge or hand shrinkes backe The flesh and the diuell will hinder this examination because it is profitable when it should be searched The diuel also will find twenty deuices to interrupt you in keeping this assise ouer your owne hearts hee loueth not to haue men vnderstand their owne estate he would faine haue them goe blundring through the world and let things happen as they may for their soules But let your naturall backwardnesse to this in quiry and Satans sensible opposing it be sufficient proofes vnto you of its needfulnesse and profit both Were it not a great helpe to the subduing of the flesh the flesh would not be repugnant vnto it were it not a meanes of chasing out Satan Satan would neuer withdraw you from it But be iealous ouer your selues feare much suspect much enquire much and preuent the euill of securitie and the growth of hypocrisie We must not alwayes be in suspence of our selues but beware of too much haste in determining I doe not wish you alwayes to stand in suspence of your selues and still to bee doubtfull whether you bee true Christians or dissemblers it is no part of my meaning to driue you vnto this vncomfortable vncertainty But I wish you not to make too much haste to thinke your selues certaine for feare your certainety should proue but a certaine delusion When thou hast againe and againe and againe tryed thy selfe by the things formerly deliuered or any other that thy selfe canst conceiue of or others of better vnderstanding in these matters can helpe thee vnto then thou mayest boldly hold fast if thou findest cause to hold this conclusion I am sure I am not a withering branch But if thou be too willing to thinke well of thy selfe and wilt speedily resolue to saue the labour and trouble of inquiring and narrow trying that thou knowest thou art vpright then assure thy selfe that despaire at length will shake thee out of this deluded thought if damnation doe not ouer-whelme thee in the middest of it But in very deede brethren Much searching hinders not but surthers our assurance much searching is no hinderance to much assurance of ones owne estate but rather a great furtherer of it For though all be not hypocrites yet all haue much hypocrisie remaining in them and in often considering of their estates they shall by little and little purge out the reliques of that vice which will not be throwne out all at once and so shall grow in good and sound assurance of their owne estate I request you therefore with as much earnestnesse as the matter requireth to take heed of ouer easie belecuing your owne good opinions of your selues What the prouerbe prescribeth to be done vnto others if thou wouldest not be cousoned of thy goods that doe thou to thy selfe that thou mayest not beguile thy selfe of thy saluation Trie before thou trustest The most of those that liue in the bosome of the Church are ignorant of the naturall guilefulnesse of their owne hearts They conceiue not how subiect they are to that notable trick of folly that wise Salomon speaketh of saying The foolish beleeueth euery thing especially euery good word that his owne selfe-flattering heart will buzze
you may see that in these words we are led to speake of foure most necessary points The destruction of hypocrites The corruptions of Gods true Saints in that they need pruning The helpe they haue against these corruptios by pruning And the good they get by this pruning viz. growth in godlinesse of which whilst I doe speake with as much plainenesse and euidence as I can let me craue you also to attend with all diligence and reuerence CHAP. II. Shewing the certaine destruction of hypocrites and the degrees and meanes thereof Doct. 1 All hypocrites must be destroyed COme hither therefore I pray you in the first place and behold the end of the hypocrite He is to be cut off All false-hearted guilefull and hollow professors of Christian Religion that are not in truth which they seeme in appearance shall by degrees be surely brought to nought and destroyed The Lord will no more suffer such persons to remaine in his Church vndiscouered and vnconfounded then a good husbandman will suffer dry and rotten branches to remaine vpon the trees of his Orchard vncut off So you haue it in the other Parables also Matth. 3.10 The tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire saith Iohn the Baptist to the men that came to his Baptisme The house that was built vpon the sand when the winde raine and tempest did beate vpon it was quickly tumbled vnder foot Matth. 7.17 and the fall thereof was great saith our Sauiour in the conclusion of his Sermon on the mount The stony ground also withered away in the heate and the thorny was ouerrunne with thornes The earth that drinketh in the raine which commeth vpon it and bringeth forth no better fruit then thornes and bryers is neere vnto cursing whose end shall be burning saith the Author to the Hebrewes And from him that hath not meaning in truth that shall bee taken away which he seemed to haue as our Sauiour tells vs. Saint Iohn doth giue vs examples of this ruine of dissemblers saying of many in his time They went out from vs because they were not of vs. Thus hath the Lord beene abundant in discouering his intended vengeance against the counterfeit Christian That you may the better conceiue of Gods Wisedome and Iustice herein we will shew you in what degrees and by what instruments the Lord doth cut off these dry branches The degrees are likely these and thus they follow one vpon another First whereas they had some workes of common grace bestowed vpon them as the inlightening of their mindes in some measure to conceiue diuine truths the framing of their wils to a liking of exercises of piety a gladnesse to heare and speake of the Word a gladnesse of the company of good men and the like these workes are by Gods iust Iudgement because they refuse to make a good vse of them in turning all to the thorow changing of their hearts and reforming of their liues euen quite withdrawne from them and so there followes a sensible withering they care not for the Word they care not for the company of the Saints that once contented them and Religion seemeth nothing so goodly a thing vnto them as somtimes it did Secondly whereas they had once the spirit of restraint bestowed vpon them to hold downe their corruptions and to keepe the badnesse of their hearts from shewing it selfe in extremity the Lord doth now please to remooue these bars so to auenge himselfe vpon their ingratitude and stubbornnesse that did winke with their eyes and resist the offers of loue made to them and refuse to open the doore when hee stood there and knocked and to giue them ouer into the hands of their owne euill natures that they may breake foorth openly and discouer themselues how rotten they were at heart by running into some such vile practice as carries them quite away so that they neuer returne againe by repentance nor neuer shew themselues to be soundly humbled for the same Then doth he send the temptations of Satan together with the affrightments or allurements of the world whereby they are so cleane pule away from the shew of godlinesse that at last they grow professedly cold and carelesse in open shew bearing before them an allowance of themselues in such their luke-warmenesse yea perhaps also they turne very enemies of that goodnesse which they seemed to haue fall out with those persons that they seemed best to loue brooke least that company that seemed most to satisfie them and become bitter harsh sharpe violent in speaking euill of those persons and things that were once approoued by them and lastly some miserable and fearefull end wherein they are either swallowed vp of horrible despaire or sold ouer to the most stony hardnesse that may be doth rent them from the land of the liuing and send them downe to hell And so is fulfilled that of our Sauiour in the sixth verse The branches that abide not in him are cast foorth and wither and gathered and cast into the fire and burnt Now the meanes of cutting them off are many euen all things that doe befall them for all workes together to the ruine of them that sell themselues ouer into the hands of sinne as well as for the good of them that worke righteousnesse but chiefly the Word of God it selfe a two-edged sword because they will not yeeld vnto it that it might cut off their corruptions from their soules becomes a sauour of death a weapon of vengeance to cut off their soules from God for by their often resisting it and much setting of their wits and consciences vpon the tenters to shift and dally with it they become blinder and blinder and harder and harder till at length they bee sold ouer vnto vtter blindnesse and giuen cleane into the power of sinne and Satan from which they seemed once to be redeemed And thus was Iudas cut off as the Scriptures shew vs. Hee was first a thiefe allowing himselfe in his couetousnesse and purloyning and not heeding the checkes of his owne heart which euery man must needs know would be apt to be moouing within him being a person of so great knowledge as he was and after he prooued a very deuill when he dipt his hands into the warme and innocent blood of his heauenly Master and well-knowne Sauiour The Lord to punish his guile in not opposing his couetousnesse and falshood put him cleane vp into the hands of the deuill and his owne both rage and lucre till Satan had possessed him with a full purpose of turning on the Pharises side where he saw more likelihood of rising and of making himselfe a faire way into their fauours by selling his Master vnto them for a little money And those reproofes and warnings of our Sauiour Christ which should haue withdrawne him from this reuolt and treason did nothing else through his desperate wilfulnesse but inrage imbitter and inuenome him prouoking him more and more against
GODS HVSBANDRY THE FIRST PART TENDING TO SHEW THE DIFFERENCE BETWIXT THE Hypocrite and the true-hearted Christian AS IT WAS DELIVERED IN CERTAINE SERMONS AND is now published By WILLIAM WHATELY Preacher of the Word of God in Banbury in Oxfordsheire MATTH 7.21 Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen but he which doth the will of my Father which is in heauen LONDON Imprinted by Bernard Alsop for Thomas Man and are to be sold at his shop in Pater-noster-row at the signe of the Talbot 1622. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER IT is a thing I thinke good Reade if not impossible yet exceeding difficult for a Minister of Gods word to open his mouth with so much discretion but that if hee seeke to beate downe the false hypocrite the weake Christian will come betwixt and take the blow vpon his owne head which was neither meant nor due vnto him and contrarily if he feeke to raise vp the weake Christian the presumptuous hypocrite will by and by lay hold on those words and peruert them quite to the nourishing of his foolish securitie My care hath beene to tread so euen a path in the following Treatise that I might not giue any iust occasion to the such mistaking of either party And I hope I haue so tempered my pen that the poore Christian shall not vnlesse in an ouer-extreame brunt of tentation be lesse able to enioy his proper consolation for any thing that hath beene here vttered to the discarding and amazing of hypocrites nor the hypocrite vnlesse out of an extreamity of wilfull blindnesse be able to nestle himselfe warme in the misapplying of comforts intended to those alone that bee such as hee alone seemeth to be Now what thou art that shalt reade this booke I cannot possibly know and how thou wilt censure of me for it as I cannot coniecture so neither will I be carefull or trouble my selfe about it If thou shalt commend me I hope I haue a little better insight into mine owne imperfections than to bee tickled with thy prayses which perhaps thine ignorance or partitality may giue rather than any desert of mine which I know to bee none at all of any good thing may call for and challenge but if thou shalt reproach and dispraise me sure I should haue both more wit and somewhat else to doe than to make any account of thy disliking and censorious words knowing as I doe know well enough what thou art my fellow seruant not my Master a fellow-prisoner not a Iudge Wherefore if thou beest wise saue a bootlesse labour of speaking either well or ill of mee neither of which can aduantage thee or doe me any good or hurt and rather bestow thy selfe in reaping some profit by that which I haue here written with a desire and intention of profiting thee If I haue spoken what thou knewest not before now informe thy selfe if what thou knewest but consideredst not now digest thine own knowledge and hauing an addition of one more witnes to the truth thou didst formerly confesse know it surer know it better If I seeme to thee to vtter truth imbrace it because it is truth if to erre consider by what reasons thou canst conuince me of hauing erred and let mine errour occasion thee with more firmenesse to cleaue to the truth In a word thou mayest if thou wilt get some good by reading if thou wilt not who can helpe it And that I may bee bold a little to touch the sore of those that reade bookes specially Sermons which yet there be not many that will reade let mee put thee in mind that the common fault of hearers is incident to readers also they heare alone to be iudges of the speakers gifts or to censure his imperfections they heare not with any intention of reflecting their thoughts vpon themselues to censure themselues and find out their owne faults So in reading Sermons the greater number reade only to see what a man can say to iudge of his learning reading wit phrase c. and to carpe at his defects in any of these Long enough may such both heare and reade afore either the pen or the tongue will conueigh any goodnesse into their hearts Wherefore if thou please to bestow paines in perusing these Sermons reade them with none other intention but that one of trying thy selfe whether thou beest an hypocrite yea or no so dare I promise thee some fruit of thy reading for either in finding out thine hypocrisie thou shalt perceiue thine vnhappinesse and bee capable of helpe or else in meeting with vprightnesse thou shalt enioy thy good estate and be encouraged to proceede Thus with my best prayers to God for thee and the good successe of all good labours to doe thy soule good and with a request of reaping one particular prayer of thine for me if thou reapest any good by these lines I bid thee kindly farewell and rest couetous of thy soules health William Whately From my Study in Banbury April 6. 1619. THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOKE CHAP. I. Opening the Text. 1 CHAP. II. Shewing that there is a mixture of hypocrites and true Christians in the Church and why 5 CHAP. III. Shewing the description of hypocrites 12 CHAP. IIII. Of the diuers sorts of hypocrites 19 CHAP. V. Shewing the generall notes of difference betwixt the true-hearted and the hypocrite 26 CHAP. VI. How the hypocrite agrees with the true Christian in knowledge and withall how they differ 33 CHAP. VII Shewing how the hypocrite and vpright doe agree and differ in faith 41 CHAP. VIII Shewing how the repentance of hypocrites is distinguished from the repentance of true Christians 48 CHAP. IX Shewing how the conuersation of hypocrites doth differ from the true Christians 58 CHAP. X. Containing the first vse of the point belonging indifferently to all viz. to examine themselues whether they be hypocrites or no. 73 CHAP. XI Shewing the second vse what they must doe that are found to be but hypocrites 87 CHAP. XII Shewing a third vse for the vpright 95 CHAP. XIII The vses of the point in regard of others 99 CHAP. XIIII Shewing that fruitfulnes is the true distinctiue note betwixt true and false Christians 106 CHAP. XV. Shewing what this fruitfulnesse is 109 CHAP. XVI Containing an exhortation to all to trie if they bee fruitfull 127 CHAP. XVII Shewing what they must doe that are vnfruitful 131 CHAP. XVIII Exhorting all to get fruitfulnesse 135 CHAP. XIX Containing comforts for them that are found fruit full 146 GODS HVSBANDRY TENDING TO SHEW THE DIFFERENCE BETWIXT THE Hypocrite and the true-hearted Christian Iohn 15.2 Euerie branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and euerie branch that beareth fruit he pruneth that it may bring forth more fruite CHAP. I. Wherein the Text is opened THe lippes of the wise doe feede many saith the wise Salomon How truly was this saying verified in our blessed Sauior Iesus Christ who being the Wisedome of
power of being healed and knit againe by the meanes of some playster or medicine skilfully applyed but cut a sticke of wood or breake it in peeces and no playsters will make vp the wound or knit the broken peeces together againe So is it with corrupted mankinde and this is all that the truth of Gods Word will giue vs leaue to ascribe to man as a reason of his being truely ingraffed into Christ he is capable of such a worke of Gods Spirit But the Principall and onely actiue cause 2. From God is Gods power and goodnesse that cause beyond which it is a madnesse to enquire for any other cause The Lord doth please to bestow effectuall grace vpon those whom he will receiue to mercie whereby they haue not alone their mindes inlightned to some perceiuing of the truth of Gods word but also their wills by the mighty operation of the holy Ghost subdued to the obedience of the same So by the infusing of a new life into them they are inabled to become such as hee doth wish them to be and as themselues desire to be accounted Were it not for this grace all in the Church would be hypocrites as well as any but it pleaseth the Lord to bestow that grace vpon one whom he hath inabled to desire it that hee may gratiously bestow it which to another hee giueth not but leaueth him to his owne carelesnesse of it that missing it by his owne default his blood may bee vpon his owne head So the perdition of hypocrites is of themselues because they willingly refuse the goodnesse of God which hee doth offer them the soundnesse and happinesse of the Saints of God is of his free grace that breakes the yoake of sinne which held them vnder and makes them willing of vnwilling and able of vnable to turne themselues vnto him For to imagine as some will needes doe that the Lord doth deale no more bountifully with one than with another of the members of the Church but that the cause why one becomes an hypocrite the other preuaileth to vprightnesse is meerely and wholly in themselues is a fancie I thinke so contrary to all both Scripture and experience of Gods Saints that hardly can any be deceiued with it but hee that neuer felt what it was to be vpright and whence it came And thus haue we laid before you the truth of this point CHAP. III. Shewing the description and sorts of hypocrites NOw it is very requisite that wee make a plaine and sound explication of it to the intent that euery man may discerne of himselfe and of his owne estate whether himselfe be an hypocrite yea or no. Wee will therefore doe our best to lay the matter open clearely that it may bee euidently discouered to them that will take the paines of inquiring about the point who is guilefull who without guile and for this purpose it is necessary to stand vpon these foure heads First to shew what an hypocrite is secondly to shew the diuers sorts or rather degrees of hypocrites thirdly to set downe some generall notes of difference betwixt the true-hearted and the hypocrite Lastly to declare more particularly the agreement disagreement of them both in foure principall and maine graces whereof the one hath alone the shadow the other the substance that is first in knowledge secondly in faith thirdly in repentance fourthly in good life or in obedience First then for the describing of an hypocrite What an hypocrite is viz we must make vse of a necessary rule of Logicke which bids vs to define the concrete by the abstract as they terme it as no man can possibly declare what a white thing is but by conceiuing and expressing what is whitenesse nor what a prowd man is but by vnderstanding what pride is nor what an hypocrite is but by knowing what is hypocrisie And againe we must vnderstand that vertues and vices do not denominate their subiects vnlesse they be in them in so high a degree as to preuaile and be predominant ouer their contraries as nothing is called white but that in which whitenesse so preuaileth that it partaketh more of white than of any other colour and if a thing doe so pertake of whitenesse we call it white though it faile much of the whitest whitenesse that may be So is hee called a proud man in whom pride preuaileth an infidell whom infidelitie ruleth a reuengeful man in whom reuenge doth beare sway and a couetous man in whom couetousnesse raigneth And so must wee likewise conclude in the present matter that hee is an hypocrite in whom hypocrisie preuaileth and beareth rule To the making of an hypocrite therefore three things must concurre A prosessor of Christian religion in whom hypocrisie ruleth first a fit subiect viz. such an one as doth at least in appearance professe himselfe to be a Christian and to beleeue in Christ As nothing can bee called an vnfruitfull branch if it bee not a branch so neither can any man bee termed an hypocrite vnlesse at least externally he bee in Christ in this meaning as wee now take the word hypocrite in opposition to a sound member of Christ Secondly there must be in that subiect an adiunct that vice of hypocrisie and thirdly this vice must bee in that subiect in such degree as to beare to rule and to bee as they terme it predominant Wherefore for our further information in this matter which is most exceeding needfull to be very distinctly knowne and conceiued of wee must search into the nature of that crooked What hypocrisie is viz. selfe-couering and selfe-cousening vice of hypocrisie about which wee neede not goe farre but alone turne our thoughts to the Apostles description of it 2. Tim. 3.5 viz. that it is a forme of godlinesse without the power thereof It a false fained goodnes a goodnesse alone painted and put on and counterfeited In plaine words thus you may describe it A corruption of the will A corruption of the will inclining it selfe to doe some good leaue some euill for ones owne sake whereby it inclineth it selfe to seeme good by doing some good and leauing some euill for ones owne sake For euery man is naturally desirous to haue other men esteeme him good and to esteeme of himselfe also as of one that is good and because neither will his neighbours conceiue so of him neither can hee so conceiue of himselfe without some ground for such conceit he is therefore willing to doe something that may worke in others and in himselfe such an opinion of him and to auoyde some other things that might procure the contrary opinion Yea euery man naturally is willing to be happy and willing to think that he shall be happy yet because this thought cannot be maintained without some colour of reason hee is also willing to doe some things that he may thinke will further his happynes and auoyde some other things that will hinder it Now when a man
counsell that God doth giue to Ierusalem by Ieremiah is carefull to wash his heart Ierem. 4.14 and to make his inside cleane and not his outside onely He laboureth to keepe his hand and tongue vnspotted of the world and if any blot cleaue to him he is diligent to wash it off by humiliation but he is also carefull to keep his soule pure from the hidden cogitations and inclinations after euill And if heere it fall out that he gather any filth hee scoureth the inside with as much diligence as the Pharisie vsed to doe his hands So then the hypocrite hath little to doe with his heart the euills thereof doe not much disquiet him hee takes small paines to resist and oppose the secret and darke disorders of his soule But the true Christian findeth himselfe to haue a world of labour within hee is much vexed with these heart-euils and hath farre more to doe in the inward roomes of his soule than in the outer court of his conuersation An hypocrite like a slothfull or sluttish seruant leaues the nookes and corners vnswept and vncleansed the true Christian as a true louer of cleannesse is carefull to ransacke and purge euery corner of his soule so you haue the generall differences betwixt the fruitfull and the drie branch But the heart will easily put off these generalities and therefore most hypocrites will not find themselues by these notes for nothing is more common with our deceitfull spirits than when such generall notes are giuen to make our selues beleeue that all is well with vs though all be out of order I will therefore proceede to a more particular discouery of the hypocrite by shewing how he agrees with the vpright and yet still differs from him in the foure chiefe and principall graces wherein he oftentimes doth thinke himselfe as abundant as his betters but now I will so plainely lay open his failings that hee shall no longer mistake with so wide mistakings vnlesse hee will adde wilfulnesse to his error CHAP. VI. How the hypocrite agrees with the true Christian in knowledge and withall also how they differ THere are foure chiefe graces and as I may call them Cardinall vertues which the holy Ghost doth worke in the hearts of all the true members of Christ these are Knowledge Faith Repentance good Conuersatiō or obedience In each of these the hypocrite doth somewhat resemble the true Christian and yet in each the dissimilitude is as true euident as is betwixt gilded copper and pure gold An hypocrite may be as abundant in knowledge as a true Christian and more than many a true Christian Let vs see the similitude and dissimilitude in Knowledge Now it cannot be denyed but that the false-hearted man may conceiue as many diuine truths in his mind as the truest Christian that is yea many times it falls out that the knowledge of the hypocrite doth in quantity much exceed that of the true Christian Who can doubt but that the Pharisies were better seene in the Law and in all points of Diuinity than the poore blind man yet he was true they hypocrites An hypocrite may haue a better wit a better memory a quicker conceit than the vpright hee may haue better education more means more teaching than the vpright consequently may much excell him in knowledge Nay no doubt but that a very dissembler may be so abundant in the knowledge of the Word of God that he may be able to discourse and talke admirably of any truth in Diuinitie yea to make a most excellent prayer with exceeding good words and exceeding good matter and also to preach the Word most plausibly and most fruitfully so as to gaine to himselfe the name and estimation of a worthie and a godly preacher too Who can make any doubt but that Iudas did preach and preach very worthily and is it not manifest that there shall be some who will pleade prophecying and casting out diuels in the name of Christ who must yet bee reiected with this grieuous and yet righteous answere Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Did not diuers also preach Christ at Rome not sincerely but of contention yea and that so as the Apostle reioyced in their preaching Wherefore it cannot be denied that their preaching was sound and orthodoxe for the matter of it and also fruitfull and profitable for the euent of it for else it could not haue occasioned the Apostles reioycing You see then most euidently that a very dissembler may haue so much knowledge as to be a commendable and profitable Minister of the Gospel when many a man and woman that is sincere and sound in their very soules may come farre short of the twentieth part of that knowledge But where then is the difference of the sanctified and of the vnsanctified knowledge seeing in matter and degree it may be the same in both true and false persons I answere In two things The knowledge of an hypocrite doth swell him of the true Christian doth abase him 1. Cor. 8.1.2 in the effect and in the extent First for the effect the hypocrite is puffed vp with his knowledge it swells him and makes him bigge with conceit of himselfe and disdaine of others The Apostle Paul is plaine in that point knowledge meaning it of vnsanctified knowledge such as is that of hypocrites puffeth vp And againe Iohn 7.49 If any man thinke that hee knoweth any thing that is be conceited of his knowledge hee knowes nothing as hee ought to doe You may see this point apparantly in the Pharisies This ignorant people that know not the Law are cursed And againe Thou art altogether borne in sinne and doest thou teach vs Loe how the vnderstanding of hypocrites doth make them insult ouer others whom they thinke to vnderstand lesse than themselues how it fills them as with conceit of themselues so with contempt of others as it were simple fellowes and very punies in comparison of them For why the hypocrite knowes onely to talke not to practise hee makes his knowledge a rule for his tongue and lippes in discourse not for his life and deeds in conuersation hee neuer vseth his insight into the Law to examine himselfe thereby and to marke how farre short his practice commeth of his knowledge but alone imployes it if neede be to discourse to teach others and reprooue others Hence it comes that his knowledge doth heaue him vp and like meate ill-digested begets the wind of selfe-conceitednesse because he will needes imagine himselfe so much the better by how much he conceiueth more things and can discourse better for he with his knowledge will lay heauy burdens vpon others but himselfe will not touch them with one finger that is hee is a great exactor of duty from others and here hee straineth himselfe to the vtmost but he takes leaue to himselfe to be carelesse enough of doing after his knowledge as a man that holdeth a lant-horne in his hand before others to guide
faith FAith is a most excellent grace consummated accomplished by two distinct acts of the mind by assenting to the known truths and applying the same to euery mans selfe in particular In both these acts of Faith the true-hearted and dissembler doe both agree and disagree For the first The hypocrite assents to the diuine truths aswell as the true christian the hypocrite as well as the faithfull saint of God doth assent vnto the doctrine of the Scriptures perswading himselfe in his-heart that doubtlesse it is from God and is therefore a most certaine truth by name he may belceue the doctrine of the Gospell concerning the saluation of man by Iesus Christ God and man to be most sure and vndoubted Thus it is said of Simon Magus that hee beleeued The stony ground also did beleeue and there were that beleeued in Christ so as that yet hee did not trust himselfe with them which manifestly prooueth that they were but hollow And surely Ananias and Saphira did perswade themselues that the Gospel was a true doctrine The hypocrite assents to be firme and rooted as the true christian doth and gaue credit vnto it as vnto a sure and excellent truth But the difference is that the hypocrite assenteth alone confusedly and slightly to the whole in grosse and with a kinde of faint consent not to each particular part with a firme and well grounded assent This difference our Sauiour Christ noteth in the Parable of the grounds Marke 4.5.6 when he tells vs that the seed in the stony ground had not much earth and that therefore it withered The hypocrite hearing the doctrine of the Gospel or being brought vp vnder it taketh it vpon trust thinkes sure it is true and hauing a little light affoorded him from GOD in the reading or preaching of the Word thinkes sure this must needes be from God it cannot but be so and there an end A more distinct particular and serious consideration of the things reuealed he standeth not vpon hee doth not muse and ponder much of the excellency fruit benefit diuinitie and heauen linesse of Gods word and the seuerall parts thereof but the Christian by much pondering vpon the Word and by often resoluing his faith into the truth wisedome and power of God who is the author of the Word is fast grounded and established in the faith The true Christian ceaseth not to make himselfe feele the power of the Gospell in himselfe more and more and so indeede hee is rooted in beleening the hypocrite neglecteth the thus pondering and musing of the Word and taking experience of the efficacie of it in himselfe and so soone withereth or is choaked vp The house that hath a foundation will stand in strong blasts the tree that is deepely rooted will not easily be blowne vp but want of roote and foundation causeth the house to tumble and the tree to be blowne vp This difference though it be a certaine difference yet is not so manifest till the dayes of tribulation come or till some triall be made by some meanes For often the true Christian is much more molested with tentations of doubting about the truth of the Word as the holy man was that said Psal 73.13 I haue washed mine hands in innocency in vaine than the hypocrite For Satan knowing that the dissembler doth but dissemble as no doubt hee can well enough tell where hee raigneth and ruleth is not so busie to disquiet his thoughts yea verily if he haue any doubtings hee lets them goe as they came because he buildeth not his hopes and happinesse vpon the truth of this doctrine But the true Christian as hauing laid as it were the wager of all his blisse vpon the truth of the Gospell is exceedingly vexed and discontented with these doubting thoughts euen abhorring himselfe and ashamed of himselfe that in so euident and excellent truths he should finde any aptnesse to make any question And this also Satan perceiuing doth striue to molest him continually with such doubtings and with the stirring vp of many obiections which he cannot tell which way better to answer than by loathing them and being much discontented at their rising in him So that I say the strength and firmenesse of the vpright persons assent aboue the dissemblers is not so euident till the day of triall but then it most manifestly discouereth it selfe For the one will by no meanes be turned from embracing and following the beleeued truth because hee beleeueth it stedfastly being rooted in faith the other quickely giues ouer following it because hee beleeued it faintly hauing taken little paines to feele his assent vnto it with much strength of assurance gotten by much continuance of meditation about it Thus the windes and waues must shew where is a foundation to others but he that is founded may know that hee is founded by the labour hee doth bestow in digging deepe to lay the foundation that is in much musing to resolue himselfe of the truth of the Word by finding the powerfull operation of it in himselfe daily and he that hath not a foundation may if he will know that hee hath none by his neglect of this labour and paines to lay it in his soule but faith doth apply as well as consent It is manifest that our iustifying faith is a putting on of Christ Iesus an eating and drinking of him a receiuing of him that is an applying of him to euery mans selfe for how can either food nourish or apparrell keepe warme if it be not applyed and how should Christ profit a man if hee be not made his owne Now the hypocrite also seemeth to apply the promise of the Gospell The hypocrite doth apply the promise of saluation by Christ to himselfe as well as the true Christian and Christ and his benefites offered therein euen vnto himselfe in speciall being strongly conceited that Christ is his Sauiour and that God is his God and that he doth rest and stay himselfe vpon God and vpon Christ for his owne saluation and this he doth sometimes so violently that hee thinketh himselfe to make no doubt of his being saued being in this matter also giuen ouer to a strong delusion to beleeue a lye Surely the stony ground could neuer haue gone away reioycing as they did if they had not perswaded themselues of their owne particular welfare and had not made full reckoning to be made partakers of the benefits of that doctrine which they did imbrace And did not the Iewes in the eighth of Iohn boast with great boasting that they had one Father euen God And can any man doubt but that Ananias and Saphira did at first perswade themselues that they should be saued by Christ as well as others But let vs see the difference then which stands in these things The hypocrite The hypocrite so applies the promise that he neglects to apply the commandements the threats but the true christian applies all indifferently hee doth
of the outside and so that thou neyther doe nor speake euill it seemeth not much materiall to thee what thou thinkest and if thou canst refraine from beeing externally naught thou little heedest or carest for the naughtinesse of thine hidden man Is thy care most of the actions or of the inward motions also I affirme against thee then that thou art but a whited tomb But if thou haue a wakefull and suspicious eye vppon thine owne soule and findest great cumber to keep it in order seeing and abhorring the lewdnesse of it and being much troubled within thy selfe for it thou mayest be sure that thou art true for doubtlesse hee is good indeede that is good within and that striues to remoue away the sinfulnesse of his soule But let vs goe a little more particularly to worke Thou hast good knowledge of the Word of God and what of that Therefore thou concludest that thou art a good Christian I answer thou collectest amisse for this may befall a Iudas and a Balaam Doth thy knowledge make thee big a little in thine owne eyes But what ensueth vpon this knowledge of thine doth it heaue thee and make thee lift vp thy selfe with disdaine of others as of silly fellowes and what shouldest thou care what they say or thinke then assure thy selfe that for all thy great knowledge thou art but a proud Pharisie and a vile hypocrite but doth thy knowledge serue to discouer to thee thine owne vilenesse So that by growing in knowledge thou growest in contempt and dis-estceming of thy selfe as seeing more and more thine owne wants and therefore more respecting others who though perhaps they know lesse yet know what they do know in a better manner Then art thou true-hearted Againe thou knowest very much Doth profit c. so hang in thy light that thou art willing to know some truths or no but yet something thy credit profit and pleasure hang so in thy light that thou canst not know but euen against the inward offers of thy soule to perceiue remouest it out of the eye of thy minde and art not willing to trouble thy selfe with thinking of such matters nor canst not be made to vnderstand Know then that this winking and blinking proueth thee false at heart But if thou findest thy selfe willingly disposed to acknowledge those truths that haue gone most against thee most crosse thy lusts and which thy flesh is least desirous to see thou mayest be of good comfort in assurance of vprightnesse Moreourer thou beleeuest the Word of GOD Dost thon roote the word in thine heart by much musing on it so doe the Diuells also but tell mee Hast thou roeted the truth in thy soule by much pondering vpon it and building thy faith on Gods authority if yea thou shalt stand in the stormy day if not thou shalt soone be cast downe and proue thy selfe to haue had none but a rotten foundation Also thou beleeuest in Iesus Christ trusting to be saued by his onely merits Dost thou lay the law to thy soule as well as the Gospell so many beleeued on him which yet hee regarded not But dost thou beleeue the Law as well as the Gospell and humble thy self by that sower doctrine as well as cheare vp thy selfe with those sweete words then much good may thy comforts doe thee otherwise they be false and windy and shall not be able to sustaine thy soule Dost thou as well take care to presse thy selfe to performance of the conditions required in the promises Lookest thou to performe the conditions as wel as to enioy the things promised as to make thy selfe perswaded that the promises shall be performed to thee this is soundnesse but if not it is meere deceit and thy faith at last shall proue it selfe to haue been but fancy I goe on forward to examine thee farther Thou hast often beene very sorry for thy faults and with griefe confessed them in secret wel but Ahab did as much What faults cōfessest thou Onely tell What faults confessest thou onely the grosser acts of euill such sorrow and confession are vnsound the motions thoughts desires priuy inclinations and smallest degrees of sinne that is hearty confession Onely by starts and fits Confessest thou dayly or by fits now and then after the comming of some perill or reproch or that some good Sermon hath wakened thee as Ahab after the Prophets threats Here is no truth but if constantly day by day in a setled course this is sound reioyce in it And when confessest thou Onely when feare of heart and heauy crosses compell thee Voluntarily or by compulsiō or voluntarily of thine owne accord without such dragging though perhaps more earnestly when the Lord doth please to quicken thy pace if in the former maner false if in the latter true is thy confession Againe thou hast mended many faults Is there not some or other fault thou hast no great will to see or amēd But is there not some one or other thing which thou hast no mind to amend which thou thinkest thou needest not or canst not mend which thou dost not by daily calling vpon God and trauelling with thine owne heart striue to amend If there be any such exempt place for sinne in thy life I pronounce thee an hypocrite But if thou haue giuen God the full possession of thy soule and life desiring and striuing for nothing more than wholly to banish and expell and cast out Satan I pronounce thee a true Christian Thou art free from grosse and shamefull sinnes Dost thou dispise those that are greater sinners than thy selfe But art thou conceited of thy selfe for this and despisest others thou art but a Pharisie or art thou in such freedome lowly and meane in thine owne eyes It is a good signe of truth Thou wilt not murther Dost thou take leaue in little sinnes so that thou for be are the greater but thou wilt reuenge some other way as by rayling or doing some shrewd turne this is falsehood but if thou labour to forbeare the least euills as well as the greater in all kinds and dost not beare thy selfe out in the lesser because of thy leauing the greater it is a good proofe of sound goodnesse Thou dealest iustly with men and dost many deeds of charity But when dost thou these things In secret Dost thou good in secret when none can take notice or onely then when there is a possibilitie of hauing witnesses and why doest thou them chiefly and in a manner onely to please God or out of desire of winning credit If the latter false and guilefull bee these good deeds if the former true and vpright And canst thou bring thine heart to deale louingly and mercifully with him To thine enemy that hath wronged thee yea or no If not I see not how thou exceedest a dissembler if yea triumph for now thou art perfect as thine heauenly Father is perfect Thou art zealous
not make vs reiect the loue of godlinesse and account all rotten branches because some are so Hath not Christ told vs before-hand that so it will be that when we finde it so to be we may not be offended as he tells his Disciples in another case The foolish worldling stumbleth exceedingly at the slips faults and imperfections of Gods true-hearted children and because hee sees faults in them that beare before them a forwardnesse in religion he condemnes them all for grosse dissemblers and cannot away with these smooth-faced hypocrites But if at any time some prooue ranke hypocrites he takes that as a warrant for his tongue to out-lash against all saying that surely the best of them is no better But how could they be so foolish but that they delight in folly and are glad to make themselues obstinate in euill and to confirme their inbred hatred of pietie by turning all occurrents to that purpose were it not I say for this malitious blindnesse of theirs how could they be so foolish as not to haue learned of our Sauiours most plaine words that in him there will be fruitlesse branches that must bee cut off and cast out as well as fruitfull that will continue and encrease in fruitfulnesse Would any but a very blocke or a blind man stumble at a blocke that is plainely shewed vnto him and warning hath often beene giuen him that it will surely bee cast in his way would any but a man voyd of all vnderstanding abhorre all the Apostles because Iudas turned traytor I pray you therefore so many of you as shall liue to see such miserable examples that you draw good and not euill conclusions from the falls reuolts and back-slidings of other men and of hypocrites Say thou I am sure Christ hath good sheepe as well as goates and though such and such haue manifested their guilefulnesse by forsaking the former pathes of righteousnesse wherein they appeared to walke yet I will not be hardly conceited of any body else for their sakes In this case the prouerbe ought to be hearkened vnto that tels vs Euery Horse must carry his owne burden In truth hee that stands so slenderly affected either to goodnes and piety it selfe or to the seruants and followers of so noble a misstresse as piety is that because of the wickednesse and out-strayings and finall reuolts of some of those that seemed once to attend vpon her and to be admitted into her traine therefore he cares not for pietie it selfe nor will euer thinke well of any of those that weare here cloath hereafter he I say that stands so slenderly affected to Wisdome and her retinue shall be sure neuer to want occasion of imboldening himselfe in sinne and of being more and more estranged from that the entertaining of which is the onely way to make him happie Yea verily hee whom the back-sliding of seeming Christians doth driue to so much madnesse as that he can turne so lamentable a spectacle to no better a purpose then to triumph and exult ouer all and barke against al and vpbrade all with such euill examples discouereth himselfe plainely not to hate the sinne of the back-slider which hee lately fell into but the very shewes of goodnesse wherein once he walked and from which he is faine In a word he that scornes pietie and religion and those that follow after it because diuers turne taile and prooue notably wicked at end shewes himselfe plainely to be voyd of all religion all piety When the true seruants of God doe see and heare such tidings it grieueth their soules it maketh them mourne in secret and pray in secret and fall a fresh to examine and trie themselues lest they also should be in like manner ouertaken But he that fleereth and iesteth and exulteth and scorneth and casts the dung of one in the face of others and would faine blemish all religiousnesse by the staines and faults of those that once seemed religious hath nothing in him but malice and bitternesse and the very spirit of the diuell Beware therefore of making thy selfe appeare starke naught by so stumbling at the breaking out of some other mans long hidden naughtinesse CHAP. XIIII Shewing that fruitfulnesse is the true distictniue note of those that professe to be Christians AND so much bee spoken of the distribution of branches into two kinds Wee proceede now to consider the difference of the branches for in that they bee branches they both concurre but herein they differ manifestly that the one is the other is not fruitfull Obserue then from these words of our Sauiour another point that fruitfulnesse is the true note of difference betwixt the true Christian and the hypocrite As a man differs from a beast by reason a beast from a plant by sence a plant from a stone by life or vegetation so a good Christian from an hypocrite by fruitfulnesse This is the most plaine sure sensible infallible and as they call it the very specifical marke of distinction betwixt the sound professor and the false that the one beareth fruit the other doth not beare fruit in the Vine Where the holy ordinances of God haue such power as to work obedience in the whole couersation this is fruitefulnesse and here is truth where they doe not bring forth this effect this is fruitlesnesse and here is guile In a word all true Christians are fruitfull and none but they all dissemblers are fruitlesse and none but they This point is abundantly confirmed in the parable of the sower in which of foure grounds one alone was good and that fruitfull as for the bad grounds the first did not beare so much as a blade Mat. 13.1 c. the other two did indeed put out a little greenenes but it was like the corne vpon the house top which withereth or euer it be ripe and of which the mower filleth not his lap onely the good ground did requite the labour of the husbandman with a liberall haruest of some thirtie some sixtie some hundred fold So in the words of the Apostle Heb. 6.7.8 the ground that bringeth forth fruite meete for the dresser is blessed but that that bringeth forth briars and thornes is neere vnto cursing whose end is burning Mat. 7.24 And in more plaine termes our Sauiour saith that hee which heareth his words and doth them this is fruitfulnesse doth build vpon a rocke this is an effect of truth but he that heareth and doth them not that is to bee vnfruitfull doth build vpon the sand that is is but an hypocrite and shall haue his building tumbling downe The truth of this point will further appeare if we consider the causes and effects of fruitfulnesse The causes of it are the sactifying Spirit of God dwelling in the soule and the Word of God receiued into an honest heart No man bringeth forth fruit but he vpon whom the holy Ghost hath come downe to beget him againe and to make him a new creature in Christ Iesus for
sincere Christians Whosoeuer amongst you findeth that in his soule the consideration of Gods infinit goodnes through his onely Son hath had such a powerfull working that it hath euen knit his heart sast vnto the author of so great kindnesse and made him euen say and sweare within himself that he would surely keep his righteous iudgements made him constant in taking all pains to mortifie his corruptions to doe his duty in euery thing according to the diuine direction so that there is no one thing so comfortable to him as when he can carry himselfe in some good maner as beseems the Gospel of Christ nothing doth more humble abase him than when he fails of this holy walking if it were demaunded of his very soule what in all the world he most hartily desires and would fainest attaine in all his life his hart would make this answer for him that it is to please God to get acquaintance with his duty and to accomplish it accordingly this he wisheth this hee longeth for this he coueteth more than all wealth or greatnesse or other gailded toy that the world hath to giue him I say now in Gods name to euery such person and require him in Gods name to giue credit vnto my words because they are infallibly grounded on Gods Word that he ought to be of good comfort that he is a true Christian and no dissembler that for such an one he ought to take himfelfe notwithstanding all the blemishes errors ignorances imperfections and it may be also sometimes grosse out-strayings of his life Brethren the true-hearted had neede to bee made to vnderstand their trueth as well as the false-hearted their falsehood For as the latter out of his selfe-liking disposition is ready to flatter himselfe with sweet words so the former out of his acquaintance with his own guilesulnes and the sight of his owne badnesse and vnworthinesse is ready to threaten himselfe ouer-sharpely and to charge himselfe eagerly though wrongfully that he is but an hypocrite But now ye seruants of God consider that it is a fault to molest your selues with causelesse accusations of your selues or to be ignorant of the vnspeakeable fauour that God hath shewed you or to deny the blessed work of his good Spirit in you Yea you are bound in conscience to acknowledge your own true-heartednes and with hearty thanks vnto God much chearefulnes in your selues to approue your selues to him and to your owne consciences I confesse that it is far more dangerous to hope then to feare without a cause but yet the inconueniences of these false seares are also very many very great When a man that is vpright doth not account himselfe so to be he is vnable to thinke comfortably of dying and leauing this World he is backward to prayer he can hardly giue thanks for any thing he cannot long for the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ he cannot so much delight himselfe in the contemplation of heauen he cannot be so patient in affliction he cannot be so abundant in godly speeches to the edification of others as else hee might be These feares therefore though by God they be made profitable for the beating downe of pride and for the ferretting out of the reliques of guile that remaine in vs are yet vnlesse they be seasonably opposed remoued very noysome and hurtful like an East wind cold and dry do bite nip the branches and cause the grapes to grow but few and little vpon them Wherfore you must be giuen to vnderstand that fruitfulnesse may well stand with the hauing many weakenesses sins and corruptions though not with the allowing excusing maintaining extenuating denying and wilfull winking at any Thou hast manifold corruptions in thee much pride vaine-glory worldlinesse lust passion reuengefulnesse twenty other like But tel me Dost thou see and feele these corruptions Dost thou constantly obserue the motions risings of them with griefe dislike detestation iudging of thy selfe for them Dost thou make opposition to them by pressing on thine heart the promises threates and precepts of the Word by consideration of the death and sufferings of Christ by groanes in thy selfe and by supplications vnto God and so keepest them from vsuall breaking forth in extremitie and grossenesse or if they do at any time breake forth dost thou arraigue thy selfe for them in Gods presence not ceassing to wound and pierce thine owne heart till thou findest it wrought to a renewed loathing of them not ceassing to confesse them to the Lord and cry for his helpe till thou hast renewed in thy selfe a firme purpose of no more returning vnto them Dost thou these things I say in all thy faults weaknesses and wandrings then I affirme that thou mayest be and art fruitfull notwithstanding all these faults and I tell thee for the comforting of thine heart that these things cannot bereaue thee of the title and priuiledgeof a fruitfull branch and an vpright person Againe thou art very defectiue in vertues of all kindes in faith in meekenesse in patience in thankefulnesse in heauenly-mindednesse and the rest But dost thou take notice of these thy defects Art thou grieued and ashamed of them Dost thou call vpon God to make a supply and call on thy selfe to labour for an encrease of them Dost thou stirre vp thy selfe to grow in these graces not excuse please and content thy selfe in thy wants pretending that euery man must haue his faults and so hast thou thus sleightly passing them ouer then I assure thee againe that for all thy wants thou art yet fruitfull in Christ and so vndoubtedly a true Christian For to fruitfulnes is not required an actuall knowing and doing of all Gods will but a labouring and striuing to know and do the same and that constantly out of loue vnto him for his glory Wherefore if the loue of the Lord do so inflame thy soule that thou resistest earnestly to all thy corruptions and if the intention and purpose of pleasing and honouring him doe so constantly stand before thine eies as to make thee take continuall paines to reforme and amend thy selfe I dare pronounce thee a fruitfull branch a sound-hearted Christian and I doe now require and enioyne thee to fall downe before the Lord with heartie praises for this so vnspeakeable goodnes of his in ingraffing thee into the right Oliue and making thee a liuing member of his Sonne the Head and Prince in whom all fulnesse dwelleth Yea I wish thee to reioyce to delight thy selfe in abundance of peace through the certaine acknowledgement of thine happy estate that thou art not alone in but also of the Church and truely partaker of the fatnesse and verdure of the right Oliue tree To know a mans selfe fruitfull in some degree will make him fruitfull in an higher The man that suspecteth himselfe to be worse than nothin goes fearefully faintly about his businesse but he that is certaine hee hath something
other side a worse and more likely signe of a man wholy sold ouer into the hands of guile we can scarce meet with then this to be vnmoued in the hearing of such threats to haue no risings of feare and doubt and suspition nor no troublesome conceits of his owne estate either such man is so abundantly and extraordinarily sanctified as that the ouer-euident proofe of his vprightnesse doth presently secure him from such thoughts or else he is wholly buryed and bound hand and foot in the hollow graue of guile and therefore cannot feele it because hee is altogether vnder the power of it For this is the nature of these darke and hidden vices they are euer the lesse felt by how much they doe more strongly preuaile euen as the pangs of death are least troublesome when they haue quite ouercome the strength of nature Wherfore nothing fearing any danger that may come vnto the true hatred by this earnestnes let me yet once againe settle vnto those that be dissemblers adiure protest and call Angels men and Christ God and their owne soules and all things that are to witnesse against them that vnlesse they wil open their eyes see themselues to be in a damnable estate they shall surely be damned You may perhaps maruel that we should presse the poynt so hard but the cause is we know the Hypocrite to bee the most noysome weed in Gods garden and faine would we make him see his danger that he might escape it Yea we know that hypocrisie doth harden and deadden the hart aboue all other sins that nothing in the world is more difficult then to make him see and feele his perill who will rather thinke any man yea all men Hypocrites then himselfe although by this his ouer-aptnesse to thinke so hardly of others hardnes to be made conceiue so hardly though truly of himselfe he might if he were not blind discerne himselfe to be as hee is But now if thou beest such and so proued by what hath been formerly spoken how good soeuer thou hast been to see to and beest still how full soeuer of knowledge and of zeale blazing outward how glad soeuer to God and heare Sermons how able soeuer to pray and to repeat Sermons how well soeuer accounted of by others and by thy selfe and how strongly soeuer perfwaded and in that perswasion ioyed of thy being Gods child and being saued as all this may befall thee and yet the former notes discouer thee to be but hollow I doe now in Gods name adiudge thee and preiudge thee vnlesse thou repent to cutting off to burning to eternall death lo here is the portion of thy cup At length Gods arme and axe shall fell thee and grub thee vp by the roots if thou wert as tall as the Cedar of Lebanon and as tough as the Oakes of Bashan and as strongly rooted as the tree that groweth neere a rocke CHAP. V. Containing the third vse viz. An exhortation to the Hypocrite to come out of his hypocrisie Vse 3 BVt to what purpose doe we thus earnestly fight against Hypocrites with the sword of Christs mouth Let the Hypocrite bee carefull to come out of hypocrisie which he hath put into our mouthes Onely onely at least chiefly if it may be to conuert him and to make him cease to be an Hypocrite when he sees the lamentable condition of such kind of men It is your conuersion which we wish O all yee that haue been dissemblers and your reformation which wee aime at which we are well assured can neuer bee effected but by shewing you the woe which is comming vpon you Now therefore seeing the case of counterfeit Christians is so bad so hard so intolerably so desperately so ineuitably wretched but by turning wee beseech you suffer your selues to be wrought vpon to be conuerted to become true and to receiue the Spirit of vprightnesse which the Lord of heauen is now ready to powre forth vpon you Be it knowne vnto thee O thou that hast been hither to but an Hypocrite that thy case is not altogether irrecouerable but that thou maist if thou wilt not at this time also refuse Gods gracious offer bee made sincere and so bee receiued into grace For brethren be ye well assured of this truth that when the Lord of heauē sends his seruants vnto you in his owne name to call vpon you to performe any good duty tending to your owne saluation that then he is also present in his ordinance by the gracious cooperation of his good Spirit to inable you with strength from himselfe to performe that duty For Gods ordinances are not idle neither shall his VVord returne in vaine but shall be effectuall for all for which hee sendeth it and he that desireth not the death of the sinner but rather that he may turne and liue will effectually turne him from his euill way if he doe not wilfully harden himselfe therein and euen refuse to be conuerted Be willing therefore to be made vpright that thou maist be so indeed and be it for certaine deliuered vnto thy soule that thou shalt bee made able to become such if thou doe not stiffen thy selfe in the naturall vnwillingnesse of thy corrupted nature I demand therfore of thee in the same question that our Sauiour vsed to the sicke man that lay at the Poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole If thou be willing now the waters are stirred now the Spirit of God is come downe in this ordinance now thou mayest bee put into these waters and now thou shalt bee made whole If thine answere bee that thou art willing then I say vnto thee make it appeare that thou art so in very truth and that thou dost not onely say thou art so for many a mans words and meaning are farre distant each from other many a man affirmeth with loud voyce and open profession of speeches that hee is willing to receiue that grace which hee is not willing to receiue There is a faint motion of the will which is rather an act of the vnderstanding conuinced that one should be willing to get a thing thē any true and earnest working of the will towards that thing and this kind of willingnesse must men take for a true being willing But heerein they doe much deceiue themselues for a man may bee inforced to acknowledge that hee ought to bee willing to get such or such a thing and withall finde in himselfe some slothfull wishes to haue the same and yet be destitute of that stedfast and fixed resolution of the will which is indeed the motion of the will required to be in vs if we will receiue good from the Lord. But how shall it be made manifest whether a mans willingnesse bee settled or ouert well grounded or shallow Surely he that indeed bendeth his will to any thing will be contented to deuoure the paines of seeking and striuing after it as he that would be rich
make him shame thee before the whole world at the last Iudgement or make thee shame thy selfe to no purpose before many on thy death-bed Euery secret thing must be made open euery hidden thing must bee brought to light O now drag this corner-seeking and light-shining vice into the open view by a free and plaine confession as thou hast beene exhorted that it may not at that day remaine to bee laid open to thine eternall confusion If thou tellest me that thou hast bin long time a professour of religion hast long accounted thy self the child of God therfore if the matter be brought to that passe that after all this while thou must be faine to take vpon thee the name of an Hypocrite thou canst not see any hope of euer being true I answere thee that this is a vaine feare with which Satan seekes to hinder thee from doing that that is absolutely needfull to thy saluation for this is one and a principall cause that thou wast neuer yet true because thou wouldest neuer yet be made to see thy felse false But remoue this impediment by the much perswaded confession I call for at thine hands and whatsoeuer thou hast been and how long soeuer thou shalt bee made true for God comes hither now in this his ordinance to make thee true if thou doe not make thy selfe vncapable of truth by refusing to acknowledge thy want of truth wherefore breaking thorow all vnwillingnesse and delayes and laying aside all shifts and defences fall vpon thy knees in thy secret chamber and there say vnto thy selfe and in more words complaine against thy selfe vnto God that thou art as yet an Hypocrite a barren branch that standeth euery houre in perill of being cut off This done 2. A constant lamenting of his hypocrisie in the second place frame thy selfe to mourning and sorrow for thine hypocrisie and ferret out thy guile by lamenting it For there is no sinne or corruption in the heart of man so tyrannous and ouer-ruling but that godly sorrow will fetch it downe and ouer-master it Indeed a little whimpering griefe a sigh or two a teare or two a sad countenance for a Sermon time or so will not preuaile The best medicine that is will not heale a sore if there bee not a sufficient quantity of it applyed if it bee not constantly applyed and followed close He that will be content to grieue a little at Church or so for his guile and out of the present euidence of the Spirit working with the Word will perhaps yeeld to see and to lament his hollownesse but lets the matter passe quickly and takes no more paines about it shall anger the sore as it were and not heale it and by carelesse neglecting of Gods grace in such motions offered hee shall cause his hypocrisie to fester more and grow more incurable for euen this weake worke of the Word will helpe out of his owne erronious disposition to coozen him and to make him too soone thinke himselfe vpright and so he shall neuer become vpright But the sorrow I speake of must be a settled and constant sorrow which a man must let rest vpon his soule and willingly entertaine within himselfe many a day together though not in a violent manner to hinder his other occasions yet in a still quiet maner to make his thoughts in the middest of all other occasions as well they may without offering any wrong vnto such occasions be still running vpon the matter of his guile and in an inward and silent manner continuing to bemone the same within himselfe A spirit of griefe will not change an Hypocrite into a true Christian a constant griefe will This then doe as he that hath a grieuous sore or wound applies the curing of that wound aboue all things vntill it be whole set thy selfe for a good space of time together to make it thy principal worke to obserue the working of thine hypocrisie and to bewaile the same Sometimes be earnest with thy selfe and in thy solemne and secret prayers and confessions labour to rend and breake thine heart with grieuous sorrow and to bee wonderfull vile in thine owne eyes because of thy long continued hypocrisie and striue to doe as Peter did for his denying his Master for a counterfeit following him is little better then a denyall of him euen to get alone and weepe at least grieue which may well be without weeping very bitterly and when thine other occasions call thee from thy chamber yet hold thy thoughts still on worke and let the plaister lye to the sore all the day Be thinking Ah wretched creature I that haue so great a space of time continued an Hypocrite a professor of Religion not changed in heart not washed in the inner man not made a new creature O how great cause hath God to abhorre me haue I to abhorre my selfe that haue so long gone about to coozen God and to mocke mine owne soule And so whatsoeuer thou beest doing let thine heart bee feeding on this bitter herbe of inwardly bemoning thy guile and thine irreformednesse and vnchangednesse of heart Bid these cogitations welcome as thou sittest at meate and count them as the best sawce for thy meat yea as the best dish on thy table In company let these cogitations be thy most esteemed companions and in solitarinesse giue thy selfe ouer to them and so continue to doe till thou find a plaine change of thine heart a manifest alteration and so euident a framing thee to be another then thou wast before that at last thou mayest be able which if thou wilt not be weary of striuing within no long space of time thou shalt be able to say Now I finde and feele that I am made new Brethren if any of you had a very sore leg or arme he would be content to goe to some Chirurgion to dresse the same euery morning and euening and let perhaps a smarting plaister lye vpon it all day long and all night too for three weekes or a moneths space together that he might be healed and not lose his ioynt O why should not he that hath an heart diseased with that grieuous fistula of hypocrisie be contented as it were to dresse it twice a day by some solemne secret and earnest lamenting it before God and to let the plaister of griefe lye at it all day by frequent renewing of his sorrowfull thoughts for it that this foule and festered sore may be healed and he may not lose his soule and body both by it Wilt thou not bestow as much time paines care in healing thy soule as thy leg or arme Doubtlesse this care would goe happily forward for God himselfe would be the Chirurgion and health would follow without faile for the medicine is soueraigne and hath been tryed by many and prescribed by an excellent and skilfull person Saint Iames bids wauering-minded and double-hearted men hee meaneth Hypocrites to turne their laughter into teares and to afflict themselues and
without endeuour to practise Me thinkes it should not be possible that any amongst you should haue an heart so desperately hardened as not to obserue an exhortation so neerly concerning him and so much and earnestly beaten vpon him Me thinkes it cannot be that any marking it should possibly settle himselfe in a wilfull obstinacy of going on as he hath begun and not mending so damnable a sinne All the way that Satan hath to make you lose the fruit of this exhortation is to nuzzle you in a good conceit that sure you bee not Hypocrites but already true-hearted and therefore the exhortation though needfull yet is to you impertinent But thou must vnderstand that though thou beest not a ranke Hypocrite yet the things deliuered concerne thee and are needfull for thee also as well as for him that is For there is none of all Gods Saints so perfectly renewed but that a great deale of the leauen of hypocrisie may be found in him though not so much as by quite ouercomming him should giue him the name of an Hypocrite yet so much as by often breaking foorth in him may iustly cause him to take heed and beware of hypocrisie as our Sauiour Christ biddeth Now the same things that are auailable to beate downe any vice from bearing rule in the heart the same things are also needfull for the further and further weakening of it that it may bee lesse and lesse noysome to the heart Wherefore howsoeuer the case goe with thee thou hast a portion in this worke if thou knowest thy selfe to haue been but an Hypocrite most of all doth it appertaine to thee to practise it that thou maist no longer stand in hazard of being cast into hell euery houre If thou canst not tell whether thou beest an Hypocrite it beseemeth thee to put it in practice that thou maist in such a degree subdue hypocrisie as to bee able to know and say that thou art none Hypocrite If thou beest already so sincere The siue forenamed things doe also pertaine to the vpright that be may grow more vpright that thou canst truly and assuredly affirme thy selfe to be no dissembler yet thou also must doe the things perswaded that by more preuailing against guile thou maist haue more comfort and lest if thou doe not thus continue to mortifie this corruption it get head against thee againe so farre as almost to lay its yoke vpon thee the second time for a man that is now so true and vpright as that he is well assured the power of guile is broken within him shall yet if hee fore-slacke the performing of the things I haue formerly prescribed by little and little haue guile so apt to grow in him as weeds in a garden that hee shall bee little lesse then quite ouer-run with it in a short space Wherefore though the things be somewhat tedious to flesh and blood and though corruption hath no mind to set about them for when did any man whose body was wounded come otherwise then vnwillingly to be searched tented plaistered and who euer tooke a potion but with some rising against it of his stomacke yet inforce thy selfe vrge the necessity of doing vpon thine owne soule so much till thou haue made thine heart resolute to doe them and so mayest not alone cease to bee an Hypocrite but daily more and more cast out this sowre leauen and keepe the feast of an holy conuersation in the vnleauened bread of sincerity and truth Brethren be not deafe to the voyce of the liuing God frustrate not his ordinances disappoynt not your selues of the good his Word would doe you by neglecting its directions but now consider what course hath been prescribed vnto you for the healing of hypocrisie and put it in practice and bee healed And O Lord of heauen thou that knowest who they be that haue but dissembled hitherto vouchsafe so to worke with thy Word now that they may bee made to see bewaile and resist their guile henceforward that so thou maist winne glory to thy selfe in making them fruitfull rather then in cutting them off And so much for the first part of Gods Husbandry his iust seuerity against Hypocrites CHAP. VI. Containing the second Doctrine viz. that the best branches haue need of pruning LEt vs now goe forward to consider his Fatherly goodnes towards the vpright Euery branch that bringeth forth fruit he purgeth or pruneth that it may bring forth more fruit It should seeme then that they haue need of purging and therefore haue some things amisse about them For it were an idle labour and a matter deseruing reproofe and reproch in a gardener to be paring a branch that hath nothing about it which would doe more hurt then good and surely the Lord of heauen need not to remoue any thing from his branches if he did not meet with some things euill superfluous vpon them Know you then Doct. 2 The fruitfull branch needs pruning the best man hath his faults that the most fruitfull branch that growes vpon this Vine hath something in it that will require the vse of a pruning knife that is to say the truest hearted Christian that euer was in this world hath had his faults and whiles he liueth in this house of clay shall haue them Euen those boughes that are hanged with large clusters of ripe and pleasant Grapes haue yet some superfluous leaues some out-growing sprigs some dry and rotten twists that were better away then there and that cause the Grapes to beneither so many nor faire nor sweet as else they would be Doth not Saint Iames tell vs that In many things we offend all Lo the expresse plainnesse of this text for there is great force in the words many and we and all for who shall exempt himselfe from that confession wherin Saint Iames himselfe found cause to beare a part Iames 3.2 and that so as he includeth in it with himselfe all the number of the Saints of God then liuing and who shall come after and say that himselfe or such and such in his time offend in nothing or in few things when of all the Saints in the Apostles time it is confessed by the holy Apostle and the holy Spirit that guided him not alone that they formerly haue offended but also that they presently did offend in many things 1. King 8.46 and 2. Chr. 6.36 Salomon also is plaine and saith that there is no man which liueth and sinneth not If in the old Testament there were none which liued sinlesse and vnder the new Testament they did all acknowledge themselues offenders in many things I hope then it is plaine enough what hath been and in all ages will be the state of good Christians and true-hearted euen that they shall bee troubled with sinnes and with many sinnes Dauid saith also Psal 19.12 by way of confession to God Lord who can know his errours not alone confessing of himselfe but of all that they haue not alone some
errours but many more then they can possibly come to the vnderstanding of Rom. 7.21 in this life Paul also tels vs that when he would doe good euill was present with him And who can boast of freedome from this cumbersome presence of euill if the Apostle himselfe could not Some would elude the euidence of this text but to no purpose for the matter wee are in hand to proue because if this place should faile vs yet the other places alleaged and to be alleaged doe by their plainnesse refuse to bee eluded but this text they would elude by saying that the Apostle doth not here speake of himselfe as he was after his regeneration but as he was before regeneration so describing a meere naturall man brought as farre as the Law without grace could bring him But this fancy the Apostle himselfe doth plainly enough cut off saying in the conclusion of his discourse So then I my selfe in my minde doe serue the Law of God but in my flesh the law of sinne This I my selfe ioyned with the present tense can denote none other but Paul himselfe as hee then was when he wrote these words and according to the condition in which hee then remained And doth he not to his complaint O miserable man subioyne his triumph of Thanks be vnto God through Iesus Christ Can the meere naturall man come to such a sight of his miserable seruitude to sinne as withall to giue thankes vnto God in Christ for his deliuerance It is manifest then that the Apostle affirmeth thus much of himselfe as he then was after his beleeuing in Christ and many yeeres spent in his Apostleship And if it were thus with Paul at that time shall any man in all the world expect to finde it otherwise Saint Iohn also writeth most plainly saying If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. The poynt then is fully proued needing indeed none other confirmation then the continuall experience of all Gods Saints agreeable to the Word of God But for your better satisfaction in the matter wee will shew you both the cause why it is so and the reason why it standeth better with the wisedome of God to appoynt it so to be rather then otherwise For without all doubt the Lord could giue vs perfection of sanctification in this life if so it seemed good vnto his wisedome And the cause of it is The cause of our not being perfect here is our not being fully vnited to Christ our not being fully and perfectly vnited vnto Christ Iesus our Head from whom all graces are deriued as water from the fountaine If we were conioyned to Christ in the highest degree of vnion wee should also be voyd of sinne For as in our vniting vnto the first Adam wee did so wholly receiue his corrupt image that there remained no good thing in vs so in our vniting to the second Adam we should so wholly be filled with his holy Image as to haue none euill abiding in vs. But whilest we remaine in this world wee haue not a full possession of him wee are not so neerly vnited vnto him Wee are like a maid contracted espoused made sure to a man which hath an infallible right into him and hath receiued diuers tokens euen rich tokens of loue to assure her of the marriage in due time but is not yet married vnto him nor is put into the possession of his person and estate wholly and fully as at the consummatiō of matrimony And this also ariseth hence that hee is a glorious incorruptible immortall and spirituall Man we are mortall corruptible meane and naturall men and so weak feeble and imperfect a thing as a mortall vnnaturall man though it may in some degree be ioyned vnto so glorious a nature and person as that of Christs namely in respect of a certaine right and interest into him and of the receiuing of some first-fruits and benefits from him yet cannot be admitted into a full and whole perfect coniunction with him namely so far as to see him as it is seene and know him as it is known and to be all in all with him Now so exceeding deeply doth the staine of sinne cleaue vnto vs which we haue receiued from our first parent Adam that an vnion of lesse closenesse then this euen of wholly possessing Christ and being wholly possessed by Christ will not serue the turne wholly and altogether to expell the corruptions of our hearts You see now whence it comes that in this life we remaine obnoxious to diuers imperfections Next Reasons why God will not giue vs a totall freedome from sinne heere let vs consider why the Lord of heauen will haue it to be so rather thē otherwise In truth it should be an intolerable presumption and sawcinesse in vs to demand a reason of Gods actions if himselfe did not vouchsafe to stoope so low as to render vs a reason thereof himselfe But in this matter the Scripture saith plainly that God hath shut all vnder sinne that hee might haue mercy vpon all Doubtlesse this is principally to be vnderstood of giuing ouer man to bee sinfull in his first corruption shewing the reason why God did permit and appoynt it so to be but withall it may very fitly serue to informe vs in the present matter shewing why the Lord doth please to leaue euen his owne seruants after their ingraffing into Christ vnto the sinfulnesse of their nature so farre that they shall not be wholly free from it namely 1. That it may most manifestly appeare we are saued of grace that it might most manifestly appeare that they be saued of grace and not of merit and that he may fully and vnquestionably inioy the praise of hauing giuen it them of free will and bounty not paid it them as a thing earned by the worthinesse of their workes although in another respect the Lord pleaseth to call it a wages viz. not in regard that it is giuen for the dignity of the workes but because of the certainty of such an ouer-abundant requitall For as an honest man will surely pay his labourer his hire according to the Law so the Lord will surely giue eternall life vnto his seruants that by continuance in well doing doe labour for the same Now seeing the Lord did principally aime at his owne glory in giuing saluation vnto men it is most agreeable to reason that he should in such sort bring them vnto saluation as may most manifest the riches of his mercy the glory whereof he doth most affect and seeke in that worke and it is a more cleere demonstration of mercy to giue them saluation through the iustification which is by faith in Christ notwithstanding that themselues remaine very weake feeble imperfect sinfull and vnable to performe exact obedience to his Law then if he should at the first moment of their regeneration free them wholly from all weaknesse and after a life
but from gracious acceptation of them in that blood by dipping wherein the spots of them are done away For there is I thinke none of vs which denyeth but that God accepting our workes as perfect in Christ doth reward vs for them as if they were perfect but seeing the reward becomes due in Christ and not by the workes themselues wee thinke it a foolish pride to maintaine the stately name of merit of workes when wee are faine to beg the reward for anothers sake and cannot chalenge it simply for the workes sake Thus this truth inforceth them after much turning and winding in effect to confesse it though the truth is they would not haue it seeme so for feare of a sore losse that might follow thence vnto their Clergies kitchin and manger I meane their liuing and pompe But let them passe There is a second errour of heretickes 2. Of perfection of holinesse in this life dreamed of by the ancient Puritans so they may well be called no lesse dangerous yea verily I suppose much more dangerous then the former of old condemned vnder the name of Puritans from a conceited and imaginary purity or absolute freedome from all sinne whereof they boasted and now as the speech goes reuiued in some parts of this Land This is that the Saints of God in this life may attaine to such perfection as not at all to commit any sinne with such gay fancies they please to seed themselues and their seduced followers Now it is most certaine that these men are the most abominable and dissembling hypocrites in all the world or else the most besotted and benummed spirits for their owne whole carriage and continuall experience doth confute them euen to themselues and yet they will not see themselues confuted If euer any of you meet with any foolish Hypocrite offering to tel you a tale of such perfection that he hopes to get or that he hath gottē or that may be gotten by any in this life as neuer to sinne any more neuer any more to need repentance doe no more but turne him to Saint Iohns Epistle and tell him that he that saith he hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him Bid him consult with Salomon againe who propoundeth the question as of a thing impossible Who can say his heart is pure and tell him againe that the same Salomon knew what he said when he said that there is a generation which is pure in their owne eyes but are not cleansed from their filthinesse and tell him that those branches in Christ which need no pruning are sure like a branch ouerladen with Grapes through the conceit of their much fruitfulnesse broken off from him for he saith that euery one remaining in him needeth and receiueth pruning which were not needfull if he were faultlesse And so leaue the fond deceiued and selfe-conceited Hypocrite vnto himselfe and haue no more to doe with him For either he speaketh altogether against his owne heart or else his heart is nought worth as Salomon saith of the wicked yea more hope is there of the saluation of the most desperate sinner aliue then of such an one For Christ alwayes 〈◊〉 the full empty away and pronounceth a 〈◊〉 vpon these spiritually rich persons Seest thou a man wise in his owne eyes saith Salomon there is more hope of a foole then of him Surely he is wise in his owne eyes that thinketh he hath no sinne wherefore we can haue little hope of him This errour is so contrary to all the feeling and sense of all Gods Saints who are faine still to say with Dauid Lord who can know his errors as that a man would maruel how any man in whom there was euer any knowledge of the Word and any shew and beginning of goodnesse should bee so farre seduced and drawne away as to entertaine such an opinion But the cause is manifest hypocrisie is alwayes accompanied with pride and the growth of hypocrisie breeds also a growth of pride and pride swels out the eyes that a man cannot see the cleerest truthes And thus haue we briefly discouered vnto you these errours to rectifie your iudgements For if the words of Christ be true these opinions that are directly opposite vnto the truth contained in them must needs be false Now heare some other vses to rectifie your practice also CHAP. VIII Containing a second vse of the poynt stirring vp the seruants of God to an holy longing for death Vse 2 SEE heere 〈◊〉 how great cause wee haue to follow the Apostle Paul We should long for the time of our dissolution when we shall be perfectly freed from sinne and to long that wee were once dissolned and perfectly vnited vnto Christ that as hee prayes for vs being where he is and seeing his glory we might be perfectly like him in a spotlesse purity and holinesse Impatient folkes are many times so tormented with worldly crosses made so troublesome vnto them alone by their owne folly and pride whereby they neglect to see God and to stoope vnto him in crosses that they are euen altogether weary of their liues because of them and our of a kind of stomackfull sullennesse against God as once Ionas or else a feeble sinking vnder the burthen of misery as once Eliah they euen thinke with themselues I would I were dead and are bold to trouble God with that vnsauoury petition of making an end of their daies that they may be rid of their crosses which they haue neither patience enough to beare for the present nor hope enough to looke for a good issue out of for the time to come But my brethren consider Haue you not other and worse things to be weary of then crosses and for which if for any thing to be weary of life also as of a burthen which you long to be remoued from off your shoulders Hast thou not pride passion worldlinesse ambition lust enuie vaine-glory blindnesse hollownesse deadnesse of heart and a thousand more besides these corruptions within thee which giue thee farre iuster cause of panting for the period of thy dayes and wishing that thy life heere might bee but short then the frowardnesse of a yoke fellow the stubbornnesse of a child the meannesse of thine estate the falsenesse of thy friends the power and fury of thine enemies or any other crosse if any be worse then these Ah wee haue not sufficiently informed our selues of the loathsomnesse of sin neither are we sufficiently heauie laden with the sense thereof if the cumbersomnesse of this doe not cause vs euen in the time of our greatest immunity from other miseries to couet our departure hence If sicknesses make men cry for death because they be terrible to the body how should not the sicknesses of the soule make vs much rather to seeke for it seeing wee shall not cease to suffer the fits of this disease till death be sent to seuer our soules from our bodies and both from our
damnation For the thing in regard of which he doth hate sinne and would faine bee rid of it is neither onely nor chiefly this that it is like enough to bring his soule to hell but this also yea this chiefly that it is offensiue to God and displeaseth his louing Father and makes him vnable to hold such familiar and friendly society with God as else he might haue So that the misapplying of this consolation to nourish security presumption and boldnesse in sinning is a sore signe of a man that is farre enough off from any truth wherefore we desire that none of you should so abuse the sweet comforts of Gods Word But make the right and true vse of this comfort and lay it like a good plaister discreetly and seasonably to thy wounded soule and when thy doubting heart by Satans crafty prompting shall tell that thou art none of Gods because of such and such faults that thou hast committed and dost often fall into and that to this end that thereby he may cause thee to giue ouer all hope and cast off all care of praying to God and humbling thy soule in confession and suing for pardon in Christ and so to frame thee either to vtter desperation or vtter loosenesse one of which things must necessarily-follow vpon the beleeuing of that conclusion When I say Satan is busie thus to turne thy sinnes to the ouerthrow of thy faith and to the turning thee quite out of the way of godlinesse and peace now answere by the seasonable remembring and due applying of the present poynt No no. O mine vnbeleeuing heart I am full of sinnes but I confesse them and am troubled with them I fall often but I euer rise and euer resolue to rise to goe to the Lord and acknowledge and striue to bewaile them and to craue and beg his helpe against them more and more earnestly Wherfore I am sure that those sinnes cannot disproue my being a true Christian and a child of God and therefore I will both call vpon him and stay vpon him and resoluing still to striue to bee more free from sinne will rest vpon Christ for what I cannot but acknowledge to bee wanting in my selfe To see our sinnes so as to grow vile in our owne eyes and more and more contemptible in our owne account and more and more to labour to haue our soules contrite and broken for them this is a good sight of them and we must be perswaded to it but to see them so as to giue ouer hoping in Gods mercy for their pardon and labouring against them in his strength because our often foyles and failings do make vs conclude it is in vaine this is no way allowable As good scald as burnt the Prouer be saith As good not see our sinnes at all as make so bad an vse of the sight of them But now O all ye that are fruitfull branches keepe fast your title and interest into that name and let not your many superfluities so long as you finde them in pruning and cutting off make you deeme your selues vncapable of that honour CHAP. XI Containing the third poynt of doctrine that God will prune the fruitfull branches that is helpe true Christians against their corruptions ANd that you may the better inioy and not abuse this comfort proceed we now to the third of those foure poynts which wee propounded to speake of viz. Gods goodnesse in purging his seruants This pruning must needs import some act of God which is the same to the soule of a Christian man that cutting off the superfluities of the Vine-branches is to them and this can be nothing else but the helping of them against their corruptions For looke what superfluity of leaues twigs or the like is to a branch the same are corruptions of all sorts to the Christian man and therefore pruning is the taking away remouing strengthening them against these corruptions Know then for a surety that as a good and husbandly Gardener wil take away from the Vine all out-shooting and ouer growing things that might make it yeeld him lesse increase of Grapes Doct. 3 so the Lord will lessen weaken redresse the disorders of all sorts that are in his seruants The Lord will more and more weaken the corruptions of his people euen their ignorance their blindnesse their pride their passion their selfe-love their worldly-mindednesse and the like The Lord is very carefull and ready to helpe his seruants against the sinnes of their hearts and liues and against all the euill of their corrupted nature The most High is a partner with a Christian in his combate against his lusts yea the chiefe workman in this businesse of reforming what is amisse in him He will bestow dressing on his sheepe whiting on his linnen weeding on his garden and on his field Those sinnes that are in the people of God not raigning with their good liking but vsurping without their allowance haue Gods holy eyes bent vpon them indeed to obserue and take notice of them not to hate the person in whom they be for he lookes vpon the person through Christ and as Paul saith It is no longer they but sinne in them but to helpe and assist the person against them euen as a good and louing father obserues the spots of his childs face to make him wash them off and his scabs or itch to prouide him a medicine or as a kind Chirurgion lookes on a sore to search and dresse and heale it not to kill the man for it As he that meeteth with an Apple rotten at core though it look soundly on the outside casts it away from him to the dunghill so the Lord meeting with those in whom sinne hath dominion cuts them off and reiects them vtterly but as a man meeting with an Apple a little specked heere or there pickes out that is naught and pares and eates it so the Lord finding men in whom sinne is dwelling in some degree but is not predominant pickes out that sinne and preserues them for the vse of his glory The Apostle saith that God will tread Satan vnder our feet shortly and it is out of question that Satan can neuer be troden vnder foot if sinne be not yea sinne saith the same Apostle shall not haue dominion ouer your mortall bodies Can wee desire a more expresse promise The same thing we may note in the words of the Prophet I will take away the heart of stone out of your bodies and giue you an heart of flesh And againe I will deliuer you from all your vncleannesses We see the Lords intention plaine enough hee will helpe his seruants not alone against one or two but against all their filthinesses So doth the Prophet Isaiah foretell saying The Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughter of Sion and purge the blood of Ierusalem from the middest thereof with the spirit of iudgement and the spirit of burning All these places put the truth of the poynt out of doubt and
But some man may haply demand How shall one get his soule a good stomacke To this question I answere that the bodily appetite is stirred vp by two things sharpe sawce and due exercise The way to get a good appetite 1. Sharpe sawce that is the renewing of godly sorrow for sinnes past and so is the appetite of the soule after grace Now the sawce of the soule in which by dipping its morsels it may prouoke its desires after holinesse and vertue is the renewing of sorrow for sinnes past and present And when a good man findeth himselfe to grow dul in holy desires if he will set a little time apart to call himselfe to account for his sinnes past and to consider the greatnesse and multitude of them the heauy punishment he hath deserued and Christ hath suffered for them the exceeding great dishonour he hath done to God by them and how exceeding vile and base they haue made him and heerehence to inforce himselfe to be sad and heauy and to sigh and grone for these offences of his This will quicken his spirituall desires this will reuiue and stirre vp his longings and make him earnestly couetous after grace But exercise is needfull to get a stomacke 2. Exercise that is a setting our selues to practise what we learne and the soules exercise is to set it selfe on worke about good duties to stirre vp frequent acts of vertue within it selfe often bending his heart in loue to God-ward melting it in compassion toward the afflicted inlarging it in congratulation to those of Gods Saints that are in good estate and so in other vertues especially when we haue been taught any good worke in the Word to watch the next opportunity of doing that duty and to set our selues for some good space of time together principally to looke to the practice of some principall vertue the loue and feare of God ioy in the holy Ghost godly sorrow confidence in God and the like This addressing ones selfe to the practice of good duties will beget a desire of grace And this is the second thing necessary to cause an increase of grace The third is good food 3. Good food will make one grow and Christ is our food and other things so farre as they leade to Christ And the food of our soules is Christ Iesus offered vnto vs in the Word and in the Sacraments and in some sort also in the workes of God that wee may feede vpon him and grow strong in him and in the power of his might Christ Iesus is the bread of life when by the Word and Sacraments and workes of God wee are moued and drawne to goe out of our selues to rest cleaue stay vpon him for grace life saluation strength all good things then we doe euen fill our soules with him and then we are sure to waxe strong In all the ordinances of God we must bee directed to Christ neither can they doe vs any good further then they guide vs to Christ and to a depending vpon him If you remaine in me saith our Sauiour by and by after you shall bring forth much fruit Lo our food In the Word and in each part of it we must seeke Christ in the Sacraments wee must seeke Christ All the workes of Gods hand must leade vs vnto Christ I meane to looke to him for grace to stay vpon him for all good things when the Word teacheth any good thing it must cause vs to rest on the Lord Iesus for strength to performe it when it discouereth any sinne it must driue vs to Christ for power to amend it and fauour to pardon it when it promiseth good it must still draw vs to the same Christ in him to obtaine the promises when it threatens euill it must driue vs to Christ that we may trust by him to escape it So the Sacraments must conduct vs to Christ and settle our soules in assurance of attaining all good things in him When we receiue blessings of any kind at Gods hand they must make vs taste the sweetnesse of his loue in Christ when we feele the sharpenesse of his chastening hand it must spurre vs forward to a more earnest seeking of our reconciliation with him in Christ and thus all that God doth to vs and all his ordinances that wee inioy by leading vs vnto the true Bread of life shall happily confirme and strengthen vs in the inner Man For if wee abide in Christ and Christs Word in vs then shall we be surely fruitfull The last thing to helpe growth 4. Good digestion is needfull to growth and our digesting is serious pondering and meditating of good things is good digestion when the bodily food is conueyed into the stomacke and there concocted by the natiue heate then it becomes fit to be dispersed abroad to the strengthening of euery limme and ioynt so the Word of God the Commandements the promises the threats and the workes of God both of mercy and iustice must be mused meditated pondered vpon A man must set himselfe seriously to consider how true those promises be and how much they concerne him and so settle his heart more and more in the imbracing of them He must tel himselfe how holy those Commandements be how much he is bound to obey them and so euen inforce his heart to a resolued purpose of following the direction of them A light perfunctory hearing and speaking of the diuine truths of the Word concerning God Christ our selues and our duty and the like will affoord little or no strength but if a man will bestow paines and time to consider of these things seriously and to make his thoughts dwell vpon them some good while together striuing to beate them into his heart and to frame his affections accordingly this would be as sure a means of strength vnto his soule as good and wholesome concoction of good food vnto his body And thus my brethren so many of you as are liuing and true branches in Christ may see what is required of you that you may bring forth more fruit in him Lay to heart that which you formerly heard consider the profit possibility necessity of this growth and be not a sluggard for thy soule Thou seest how the worldly-minded man doth toyle his head and body in seeking to grow in riches thou seest how the ambitious man bestirres himselfe in getting more preferment thou seest with what an eager and vnsatisfiable greedinesse the voluptuous man doth pursue his pleasures why shouldest not thou that art a Christian and a spirituall man with at least some measure of the like diligence addresse thy selfe to thriue in the goods of the soule to get an higher degree of this best promotion and to inioy more and more of these most pleasant of all pleasures No profit is so profitable no honour so honourable no pleasure so pleasurefull as to bee fruitfull in good workes and to abound more and more in the vertues of the inward man
will not be the Lord lookes into the bottome of his soule perceiues all his trickes plainly findeth that he doth but flatter and therfore quickly discardeth and punisheth him Why doe wee not returne vnto him the glory of his deepe and all-searching wisedome and magnifie his name for his infinitenesse in that excellent property whereof a drop or a shadow rather in a creature doth take vs with such approuing and admiration that wee cannot chuse but extoll it Know therefore that from hell as well as from heauen we are to fetch matter of thankesgiuing and by the damned as wel as the saued to grow acquainted with Gods most holy properties and to loue feare and honour him for them Princes and Iudges are in great reputation for their wisdome and iustice as well as for their mercy and bounty and so must the Prince of princes and the Iudge of Iudges CHAP. IIII. Containing a second vse of the poynt viz. A terrour vnto all dissemblers SEcondly Vse 2 this poynt ought to adaunt the Hypocrites that are amongst vs and if it were possible The miserable estate of dissemblers euen cause their hearts to melt like wax within their bodies And verily were not Hypocrisie alwayes accompanyed and attended on yea fortified and maintained by two naughty and desperate companions vnbeliefe and hardnesse of heart it could not bee but that the hearing of this poynt that shewes how sharpe God will bee in taking vengeance vpon the dissemblers should cast them downe into such an extremity of amazement as scarce any comfort would lift them vp againe Oh what tongue can expresse what wit imagine the most extreme wretchednesse of all dissemblers They lose all their good words and all their good prayers and all their good hopes and all their good deeds for so they account them and all their painfull seruices Though they appeare most excellent to men and to themselues and oftentimes performe things that win them in the world honour applause and admiration yet are all these deeds like so many worme-eaten nuts or apples rotten at the core euen scorned and reiected of the Lord and after all this their finall and certaine doome shall be cutting off and burning euen eternall damnation Hearken and giue eare all ye well painted Hypocrites Let this terrible tidings be admitted into your very soules and if it may be by maine force shake you out of your hard-heartednesse and presumption Not alone Pagans and Turkes not alone Infidels and Iewes not alone Heretickes and Schismatickes not alone the open swearer drunkard whoremonger belly god and profane beast in whose faces all ciuill men are ready to spit shame and contempt but euen the vnfruitfull branch also must be cut off The Hypocrite must perish the hollow-hearted professor of Christian Religion who is also in some and in many things a follower and practiser of that Religion euen hee I say hee that so much magnifieth himselfe and is so much magnified of others he must passe into hell Hee that is very sorry for diuers faults and mendeth diuers He that comes to Church forwardly and gladly heareth and gladly practiseth many things he heareth He that loueth preaching and Preachers and will bid both Ministers and godly men welcome to his house and table Hee that can pray in his family and likes well to reade in the Bible he that can weepe at a Sermon and bee much moued at the reproofes of sinne hee that liues vnrebukeable to the worldward and feareth not the face of any accuser hee that is counted zealous for the Lord and is hot against diuers disorders and abuses of the times hee whom almost all men take to bee in the way to heauen and that accounts himselfe euen sure of comming into heauen and cannot be driuen from thinking that he shall assuredly bee saued euen this man I say such a man as this that doth all these things may be damned for all this and vnlesse he doe more then all this must needs be damned Oh hard speech will some man say and who can receiue it I confesse indeed it is an hard speech vnto the dissembler whom it concerneth but not lesse true then hard and therefore all ye that be but Hypocrites will ye not stand amazed at the hearing of these tidings and euen tremble before the Lord and before his Word You may perhaps desire to bee informed more particularly who the men be that must bee thus horribly fearfully destroyed euen as a dreame when a man awaketh and that notwithstanding their doing of all the forenamed good things I answere you out of that that you haue formerly heard all that are conceited of themselues and despise others turning the knowledge and goodnesse they haue into matter of pride and lifting vp themselues All those that neuer blinch at euill thoughts within if their sinnes come no further then to thought and euen please themselues in wicked imaginations which they dare not act all that are bold to sinne in secret and care not for it securely and sorrowlesly committing the same things in the darke which they would not for a world should bee knowne vnto the world All that are bitter in crying out against the sinnes of other men and in aggrauating the wrongs and vnkindnesses they haue receiued but haue little enough to say against themselues and their owne sinnes and the iniuries and vnkindnesses that themselues haue proffered vnto God All that hate their enemies in their hearts and cannot abide to forgiue and doe good vnto their wrongdoers all that hear much and it may be also repeare it with others but like vncleane beasts that chew not the cud neuer care to muze and ponder vpon it alone and to turne it into a prayer and apply it vnto themselues all that haue not the dispositions of their hearts changed and their affections set vpon God though their outside seeme neuer so much altered all that allow themselues in any knowne sin extenuating it as little and flattering and excusing themselues and neglecting to take care of amendment because they thinke that no man can chuse but doe as bad as that commeth vnto And in one word all that see not feele not lament not resist not and purge not away the guile and deceitfulnesse of their owne hearts All and each of those that are found such for all their many prayers much hearing faire blade and good hopes shall sooner or later by tentations or afflictions or allurements of pleasure profit or credit or fame or other meanes be drawne away from the goodnesse they make shew of and at last be surely and irrecouerably damned It is in vaine to flatter your selues and say you hope the matter is not so bad as I would set it forth to be and that God will be more mercifull then so Nay brethren the Lord will not bee more mercifull then may stand with his iustice and truth he should be vnrighteous and vnholy if hee should not cast into hell fire any
of those kindes of men to whom any of those things agree that I haue set downe vnto you He should be vntrue and falsifie his word if hee should not bring damnation vpon all each of those that I haue said Princes often threaten meerly to terrifie and pronounce harder sentences in publike then they meane shall be executed as they doe with vs in case of those that are adiudged to bee pressed to death It is not so with the Iudge of all the world not one tittle of a word more is to be found in his sentence then shall be felt in his execution his blowes shall bee as terrible as his threats and his iust menaces as exactly accomplished as his most gracious promises not one tittle of the Word of God shall faile and therfore no part of the misery denounced against Hypocrites till all bee fulfilled Marke then I pray you the precise and punctuall dealing of our Lord in this place hee saith particularly euery branch loe euery one without any partiality and exception and He the God of heauen that hath a strong arme and no question a knife sharpe enough for this businesse and cutteth off taketh quite away vtterly remoueth from the root and all the benefits of the root euen to his endlesse destruction as it must needs be granted for what but damnation can betide him that is separated from Iesus the author of life by whose Name alone saluation is to be found Wherfore take no more paines to flatter thine owne soule and make thy selfe hope to speed better then thou hast heard whosoeuer thou bee whom the forenamed things haue discouered to bee but a dissembler thou shalt surely haue thy portion without amongst the searefull and dogs and inchanters and theeues and whoremongers in that fiery and yet darke Lake that is prouided for the fairest Hypocrites as well as for the blacker and more infamous sinner there is no escaping there is no getting out no one Hypocrite shall bee able to shun the eye and hand of God hee will picke out euery one by himselfe and euery one shall be cut off and vtterly destroyed the Word shall proue an axe affliction shall proue an axe prosperity shall proue an axe and all Gods ordinances and all that thou doest and all that thou seest and hearest and is done to thee shall be but in the nature of a sharpe cutting knife by little and little to take thee off from Christ and ripen thee for vengeance In comming to Church thou hastenest towards hell in preaching thou speedest towards death in giuing almes thou runnest forwards to hell in liuing as thou callest it iustly thou doest but step a step neerer to hell all that thou dost and all that betideth thee helping to increase and further thy damnation O miserable man and beyond all conceit wretched vnlesse thou wilt heare and feare and prepare thy selfe to come out of this misery by feeling it Be thou cut off from the Vine be thou spiritually excommunicated from Christ let thy sinnes bee bound vpon thee as a bundle and be thou bound ouer to the great Day of the vengeance of God Almighty what should we adde to that that wee haue already spoken againe and againe The case of the Hypocrite not alone the grosse hypocrite that knowes himselfe to be such cares not but euen of the close hypocrite that takes himselfe to be far better is most wretched hidious intolerable O that you could beleeue it O that the deceitfulnesse of sin might not harden your hearts that the effectuall working of Satan might no longer blind your eyes but that you may see and feele your selues to be if you be dissemblers and withall to be so vnhappy and sure and certaine of such an vnhappy end I feare brethrē lest in laboring thus mainly to affright the hypocrite out of his guile I may perhaps against my will and purpose scar the trueharted out of the present fruitiō of their comfort as if a shepheard set his dog vpō a Goat feeding amongst a flocke of sheepe all the sheepe will runne and bee afraid But I hope I haue so plainely deciphered this child of hell this sonne of Satan the Hypocrite as that I hope none of Gods true Saints shall catch any harme by hearing them thus prosecuted with feares and terrours and threats from whom they may perceiue themselues to bee thus manifestly differenced I say not euery one in whom much and very much hypocrisie and many very bad effects of very much hypocrisie is to be found shall be damned but euery Hypocrite in whom this sin ruleth and shewes it selfe to beare-rule by not being seene and bewailed and opposed and the other notes before set downe euery such one I say and say it againe vnlesse hee become new shall surely be damned But if the true-hearted out of his weaknesse shall be put into some feare by the hearing of this terrour so that hee doe seasonably returne to inioy comfort it will doe him good and not harme to bee so feared for these causelesse feares of the vpright proceed from the want of vprightnesse though not from the vtter absence of it and from the too much hypocrisie though not ouer-ruling hypocrisie that is in them And so if for a while they bee euen almost out of conceit with themselues as with Hypocrites till these doubts haue made them more bitterly to lament and heartily to confesse and mightily to fight against their hypocrisie they shall receiue none other euil by hauing been so frighted then the being purged from that that was the cause of their feares And if through the smalnesse of the quantity of truth and sincerity they cannot so euidently perceiue it at the first but that they see cause to become suspitious of themselues the grieuing for the want of truth and labouring and praying for increase of it which the holy Ghost will work in them by meanes of such suspitions will bee helpfull though accidentally as the besieging of a City to its fortification to the growth of their vprightnesse But the truth is that this aptnesse to fall into iealousie of ones selfe and when such terrours are deliuered to feare lest they belong to him and so framing ones selfe to be humbled because so many fruits of much hollownesse are seene in him as doe minister matter to such feare this aptnesse I say to feare is euen as sure a signe of one that is not an Hypocrite as can bee named I would not wish a better proofe of ones not being dead then to heare him complaining that sure he is but a dead man neither can one likely finde a truer note of one that is not dead in this sinne of hypocrisie then when the worke of the Word in the reprehensions and menaces thereof doth driue him to complaints and feares of his owne guilefulnesse onely so that he be driuen to prayer and confession heereby and so to seeke strength against the mischiefe feared But on the