in good carriest will labour for riches But hee whose will is a little weakly stird towards wealth but yet doth giue it selfe ouer vnto ease and pleasure after hee hath affirmed that hee would bee wealthy shewes that his will is not settled vpon wealth by taking his ease and following his pleasure rather then that he will crosse himselfe in these things to get wealth It is euen so in things spirituall for this matter as it is in things temporall hee that weakly wisheth to bee vpright but hath not his will soundly carryed after vprightnesse after his seeming to be willing discouereth his vnwillingnesse by refusing to doe that by which he might be made vpright But if thou wouldest indeed be made sincere as a sicke man would be made whole thou must be content to take that physicke though troublesome in working which will purge out thy predominant hypocrisie and beget sincerity in the stead thereof Giue mee leaue therefore to goe forward in this businesse and to shew vnto you by what meanes the Hypocrite may preuaile against his guile Meanes by which the Hypocrite may be made vpright that hitherto hath preuailed against him and he that hath had nothing but shewes may be made sound and substantiall 1. To see and confesse that he bath been an Hypocrite hitherto In the first place then he must see and confesse himselfe to haue bin hitherto but an Hypocrite must suffer the Word of God to make him known vnto himself This is the first and hardest piece of this businesse of which it may be said that hee hath halfe ended which hath well begun and without which it shall be impossible euer to make any good and fruitfull end in this matter For though the grosse Hypocrite knowes himselfe but to dissemble yet such is the winding deceit of this vice and so true is it that Salomon hath said The counsels of the wicked are deceit that he will not bee knowne to himselfe of that which he doth know For when I say hee must confesse it I meane not that hee must in a fit bare lye say so or being forced by the power of his conscience cry out that so it is but he must be willing though against the haire and the heart too to minde himselfe of it to consider it seriously to fet the poynt downe certainly within himselfe and to affirme against himselfe freely in his owne soule in secret at the barre of his owne conscience Ah I am an Hypocrite a Pharise a dissembler a dry branch An inward hearty secret plaine free acknowledgement of ones guile grounded vpon diligent enquiry sound search due conuiction plaine euidence is the first thing that must be done for the reforming of hypocrisie without which it is not possible to get the better of it A man must set himselfe with all seriousnesse as in a matter of the greatest importance in the world euen that whereupon his eternall estate doth depend to finde out his owne falshood and hauing with some paines of seeking perceiued such and such notes of ouer-ruling deceitfulnesse within him must set downe and cast out all selfe-louing and selfe-flattering fancies of former times whereby he was better perswaded of himselfe or at least did put off the thought remembrance of this matter and say vnto himselfe Ah now I haue met with this coozening deceiuer Hypocrisie which hath all this while beguiled mee and tyrannized ouer mee vnseene and vndiscerned Now I see by my carelesnesse of pondring on Gods Word which I heare and speake of and yet not condemning my selfe for such negligence Now I see by mine vncontrolled censuring of others now I see by my letting euill thoughts and secret sinnes passe away without lamenting by my excusing and lessening mine owne faults and making nothing of that that I am not willing to mend and casting the fault still vpon others rather then my selfe that I am not sound at heart yea that I am starke hollow and rotten at heart This hunting out and arraigning and conuicting of the sinne we speake against before the barre of a mans owne heart this must needs be done if euer we will subdue and ouermaster the same And why why I say O thou man or woman whosoeuer shouldest thou bee vnwilling to see and confesse thy guile within the walles of thine owne soule before the eyes of God that doe already see it plaine enough This confession is not required of thee as an euidence to be produced against thee for thy easier condemnation but as a necessary antecedent of thy pardon which none can obtaine from God vnlesse he plead guilty for it is an ouer-ruled case in heauen and shall neuer bee altered or swarued from No man shall be forgiuen from Gods Tribunall but he that askes pardon and no man can aske pardon that doth not acknowledge guiltinesse I say then againe vnto thee that thou shouldest not bee vnwilling to see and confesse that which thou shalt haue none hurt by confessing yea which in very truth it is vtterly in vaine to refuse to confesse for deny it whilest thou wilt from the eyes of God the Husbandman and from the eyes of our Lord Iesus Christ the root of this Vine no denyall no couering can hide it when colouring and denying cannot keepe the fault secret and plaine acknowledgement may get the fault pardoned would any but a very foole or obstinate and wilfull man that had vowed to seeke his owne ruine refuse to confesse I doe not wish thee with open voyce so as men should heare it to thy reproch to cause thine owne mouth charge thee with guile which in truth were somewhat hard and yet not so hard but that a wise man would readily doe it to get remission but alone in the secret thoughts of thine owne brest or in the secret prayers of thy closet betwixt God and thy selfe where none other eare cā heare but his that is already acquainted with the matter and knowes more then thou canst confesse but alone heere I say to sigh out thine humble acknowledgement and say O wretched man I to this moment I haue but dissembled and seemed to be good without being so Alacke I am I will no longer be ignorant or deny or not heed it that I am an Hypocrite I finde I am not changed in heart some sinne I think too pleasant or gainfull or needfull to forsake some duty too hard or expencefull to performe I neuer yet accustomed to take the paines of binding the law of wisedome vpon the tables of mine heart I neuer yet regarded to feele the power of Religion mortifying my most beloued lusts and framing my very soule to newnesse I neuer heretofore did feele and bewaile mine hollownesse and therefore Ah it must no longer be gainsaid by me I am an Hypocrite In truth brethren you must needs doe thus or else ye shall for euer remaine Hypocrites Were it not better for thee thus to shame thy selfe before Christ then to
euill zeale as Paul taxeth them seeking to ingrosse the people to themselues and endeauouring to exclude Paul that they might wholly be admired And did not the flaunting fellowes at Corinth plainely preach themselues as being couetous of applause and followers And so Diotrephes loued to be had in principall account in the Church he desired to be reputed the onely man which is the louing of first-hood 2. Iohn as the Apostle calles it The hypocrite if he be a Preacher doth labour as with childe of a longing desire to be counted the best or one of the best Preachers in the country if he be onely a priuate man he desireth to be esteemed one of the forwardest professors and pleaseth himselfe well in such fancies yea he hath a sensible edge and a kinde of kore against those that stand betwixt him and this reputation Neyther can he well away with such as beare away the credit and applause from him as you may perceiue plainely in Diotrephes and in the Pharisies so his religiousnesse hath a tacke of the same fault that his ciuill righteousnesse hath But the true-hearted Christian serueth God in humility of spirit not heeding what men deeme of him further than their want of respecting him will bee an impediment to his doing of good 1. Thes 2.6 He seekes not praise of men neither of you nor others as Paul sayth to his Thessalonians Wherefore he doth not things of contention whetting himselfe on and putting an edge vpon himselfe with a hope and desire of doing better than such an one or putting downe such an one but purely out of a longing desire to glorifie God sets himselfe to doe the best hee can reioycing with his whole heart to see the wel-doing of others yea glad at the soule to see them farre exceede himselfe and wishing with Paul that all men were like him yea beyond him in all graces And if contentious vain-glorious emulatory conceits arise within him hee knits his browes against them with as true heate of anger against himselfe as Moses had once against Ioshua when hee chode him sharply saying Dost thou enuy for my sake Numb 11.29 But happily it may fall out that the hypocrite will be driuen from seruing himselfe in this vaine-glorious fashion yet then hee looketh to himselfe with a more sinister eye if more may be for he becomes a seruant to his owne heart superstitiously as those great sacrificers in the Prophet Micah 6 6 7. that would faine come before God with thousands of Rammes and with Riuers of Oyle yea that would giue their children for their sins the fruit of their body for the faults of their soules refusing no cost nor hardnes to earne pardon and deserue remission or make satisfaction or redeeme to themselues an hope of libertie to sinne in some other kinde They would pay GOD for their euill deeds with such good deeds and after the custome of men cut scores with him and therefore they doe not likely that are so disposed content themselues with enioyned seruices but seeke some deuice of their owne or some other sect master whereby they haue great hope to winne God vnto them Now the true Christian he is of a farre other minde he cotuits all dung and all drosse yea he reputeth all losse so that he may get Christ vpon him he relyeth to him hee cleaueth and neuer dreames of other merits than those that he findes in him for hee renounceth himselfe being the true circumcision that puts no confidence in the flesh And hence it is that hee doth not dare to tolerate himselfe the more in any sinne because of his deuotion and zealousnesse in other points So the scope of the sound and hollow is opposite the ones eye lookes heauen-ward the others is bent still to himselfe The matter also wherein their deuotions shew themselues will manifest whence they come from truth The hypocrite most forward in publike seruices that others may know of the Christian in secret that none cā know of but himselfe or from guile For the hypocrite his greatest deuotion vnlesse it be when superstition like as a bree doth the poore beast doth pricke him forward is in duties that may be and are done with a witnesse as for those that are priuate or rather secret he is key-cold in them at least vsually neither in truth doth he trouble his Closet often with priuate meditations and prayers Hence it is that our Sauiour correcting the mis-intended deuotion of the Pharisies doth confine them to their Closet where God alone beholdeth and heareth intimating that they had little lust to pray in secret where God that saw in secret should be their sole rewarder So you may know if you dissemble yea or no. The dissembling man can preach well to others hee cannot digest what himselfe hath cooked and preach it to himselfe in his priuy meditations He can pray when others stand by but most times vnlesse he be whipped forward by a crosse for a fit he is tongue tied and dumb-stricken in his chamber So he loues to heare Sermons and to repeate them in company but he loueth not to get alone and concoct the Sermon in his owne meditation considering and remembring what he hath heard and how it concerneth himselfe But now the true Christian is rather more vehement in priuate than in publike prayers and can much rather omit the calling vpon God with others than those secret and inward communications with God wherein he may freely powre his whole soule forth vnto the Lord and hee satisfieth not himselfe in hauing heard the Sermon vnlesse hee haue chewed the cud and considered if those things were so and examined himselfe by that rule He is constant also in priuate seruices as well as publike and the most secret as well as those that must haue companions Moreouer for the matter or rather manner of their performing these duties of pietie The hypocrite rests himselfe satisfied in the act formally done the true Christian is not well vnlesse he finde the inward power of it The hypocrite doth rest himselfe satisfied in the formality of religion in the externall act in a good and formall fashion discharged not greatly heeding the power of religion in his soule and the secret disposition of his heart If hee haue framed a good prayer in fit words and vttered it in conuenient gestures he is well apaide and hopes the seruice shall be accepted though hee had not any working of feruour in his heart any life any feeling any true touch of the things which his tongue did vtter If he haue sayd good words with a good intent all is well though his affections had not the impression of the matter of his words setled in them So if hee heare the Word with decent intention and can carry away a good part of it to speake of afterwards if occasion serue it is well hee is herein satisfied and contented though his soule hath not beene stirred with
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