be no better then a broken staffe of reede whereupon if a man leane it will goe into his hand and pearce it yea and strike his heart too thorow with many sorrowes and that in the time of trouble they will all prooue but as a broken tooth and sliding foot To let them therefore passe and die and perish I come to two other branches of the negatiue part ciuill honestie and formall hypocrisie These indeed are the two great engines by which in this full light and glorious noonetide of the Gospell the prince of this world draweth many multitudes into his snares in this life and into chaines of darknesse in the life to come Sweetnesse of nature louelines of disposition fairenes of conditions a pleasing affability in cariage and conuersation an vnswaied vprightnes in ciuill actions and negotiations with men make a goodly shew But if there be an accession of profession of the Gospell of outward performance of religious exercises of some correspondence with the seruants of God why then the matter is strike dead There is the perfection Whatsoeuer is aboue is proud hypocrisie vaine-glorious singularitie phantasticke precisenesse when God knowes there may be all this and yet no power of religion no life of grace no true happinesse no hope of eternitie To the demonstration of which point before I proceed let mee preuent two obiections First I denie not but that morall vertuousnesse is good and excellent in it self the outward performance of religious duties and the exercise of the meanes of our conuersion are necessarie But if morall vertuousnesse were able to put on the greatest magnificence and applause that euer it anciently enioyed amongst the precisest Romans whereby it might worthily draw into admiration and iust challenge euen these times of Christianity yet in respect of acceptance with God and conformitie to his will and being not guided and â—anctified by supernaturall grace it is but at the best the very filthinesse of a menstruous clout And outward actions of religion be they performed with as glorious a shew and vndiscernable conueiance as euer they were by the most formal Pharisie yet seuered from a sound and sanctified hart the fountaine which giues 〈◊〉 sâ—eetnesse and acceptation to all outward seruices they are but all as the cutting off of a dogs necke and the offering of swines blood Secondly I doe not here by any meanes purpose the discomfort of that man whose soule is yet wrastling with the grieuous afflictions and terrors of conscience in the fore trauell of his new-birth I wish vnto him the sweetest comforts that either he in his deepest agonies can desire or the bowels of Gods tenderest compassions are wont to powre into broken and bleeding hearts and that the ioyfull light of his Sauiours countenance may break forth vpon his cloudy and drouping conscience with farre greater brightnesse then euer the clearest Sun vpon the face of the earth Neither doe I purpose the discouragement of him who hath happily passed the fearfull but necessarie pangs of remorse for sins and hath already by the grace of God laid hold vpon the merits and mercies of Christ by a true though a weake faith I wish that his soule as a new-borne babe in Christ may bee touched with the smoothest hand of the most wise charitable discretion and that it may be nourished with the sweetest milke of the most gratious and comfortable promises I euer esteemed it most bloody cruelty to quench the smoking flaxe or breake the bruised reed or to adde sorrow to him whom the Lord hath wounded and therefore rather infinitely desire to turne the smoking flaxe into a burning fire of zeale to refresh the weake and wounded heart with softest oyle of Gods dearest mercies to make the bruised reed a piller of brasse that it may stand strong and sure at the day of triall Whereupon I pronounce out of most certaine grounds of Gods eternall truth vnto the weakest faith if true and sound that the gates of hell with all the furie and malice of the prince and powers of darkenesse shall neuer preuaile against it That neither Angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor depthes below nor heights aboue nor the creatures of tenne thousand worlds shall euer bee able to worke a separation of it from that infinite loue of God which first planted it in the heart or a disunion of it from Christ which inspires it continually with life spirit and motion It is not difference of degrees and measure that takes away the nature and being of it A small drop of water is as well and truely water as the whole Ocean a little sparke is as truely fire both in essence and quality as the mightiest flame the hand of a little child may receiue a pearle as well as the hand of the greatest Giant though not hold it so strongly a weake faith may be a true faith and so a sauing faith as well as the full perswasion and height of assurance This onely I must aduise in this point that if this graine of mustard seed watered with the dew of grace grow not towards a great tree if this sparke enkindled by the spirit of God spread not into a big flame if this small measure of faith be not edged with a longing feruencie after fulnesse of perswasion and seconded with an assiduous and serious endeauor after more perfection it was no sound and sauing faith but onely a counterfeit shew and a deceiuing shadow But yet for all this I cannot without a woe speake good of euill and euill of good I must not put darkenesse for light and light for darkenes Wise Salomon hath taught vs that hee that iustiâ—ieth the wicked and hee that condemneth the iust euen they both are an abomination to the Lord. And therefore I must tell you that a man may be great in the eye of the world and in the iudgement of the greater part for his ciuill honesty and solemne performances of outward duties of religion to which many thousands neuer attaine and yet himselfe be not onely a stranger from the life of God and right happinesse and holden fast vnder the power and tyrannie of the first death but also by accident being pust vp with a conceit of an imaginarie perfection become a violent opposite to the power of religion and true godlinesse The reason whereof may bee this Our corrupt nature as in matters of vnderstanding and opinion worketh in euery man a too too much loue of his owne inuentions and conclusions all opposition inflames the affection and sets on foot the wit to find out arguments for their proofe lest hee seeme to haue beene too weake of iudgement in framing them or too inconstant in not defending them euen so also in matters of life and conuersation and the more plausible a mans course is and the more gloriously it is entertained of the world the stronger is his resolution to continue in it and the more impatient hee is
irregular and stirring heads of some busie and pragmaticall fellowes shadowed onely with a number of faire shewes and pretences but really existent and acted no where And that they may more securely and obstinately rest vpon this persuasion he furnisheth them with a notable art of misconceiuing and misinterpreting the actions of grace and of making by odious exaggerations a little hole in the coate of a sound Christian as wide as hell Hence it is that Dauid is many times made sport with and merrilie iested vpon by them with the false scoffers at their feasts and bankets and hath things laid to his charge with much confidence but without al conscience which God thou knowest he neuer knew Hence it is that many times those actions in which for the truth and vprightnesse of his heart and the iustnesse and innocency of his cause he dare appeale to the tribunal of God the impartiall searcher of the inmost thoughts and seuere reuenger of all falshood yet are racked by vile and base misconstructions and interprâ—ted to be the workes of darknes and deceit And if they take a godly man but tripping in some lesser error in his cariage and that perhaps but forged in their owne wilfull misconceit they thence raise matter not only of triumph and insultation but which is much more feareful of chearing applauding and confirming themselues in their present wretched state But if Satan meete with a man that by the grace of God is already entred into the panges of his trauell in the new birth and with sorrow for his sinnes is smitten downe into the place of dragons and couered with the shadow of death then he eagerly striues to stiffle the new man in the wombe and by presenting to his view the vgly visage of his many and outragious transgressions the curse of the Law and the wrath of God which he yet makes more grizlie and fierce by his owne hellish malice to plunge him into the bottomlesse gulfe of irrecouerable horror and desperation But if by the mercies of God hee sinke not but betime lay hold vpon the iustice of Christ and that boundlesse compassion which neuer knew how to breake the bruised reed or quench the smoaking flaxe but holds a broken and contrite heart farre more pretious then a sacrifice of the beasts on a thousand mountaines and then ten thousand riuers of oile why then he stands like a great red Dragon in his way at the very first entrance into the Kingdome of light and profession of sinceritie and casts out of his mouth flouds of persecutions vexations and oppositions that so he may ouerwhelme and crush him before he come to any growth or strength in Christ and a full comprehension of the mysterie of grace And to this end hee sets on foot and fire too and whets with keene razors many a leaud and prophane tongue to scoffe disgrace and discourage him in his narrow but blessed passage to immortalitie by reproches slanders exprobration of his former life by odious names of Hypocrite Singularist Puritane a fellow of irregular conscience and stirring humour of a factious and contradictious spirit and such like But if hee also passe these pikes and these sharpe swords for so Dauid calles spitefull tongues out of a consideration of that truth in Paul Euery one that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution and that in the calmest time of the Church amongst many other he shall be sure at the least to bee continually scourged and vext with strife of tongues for euerie faithfull Christian knowes by good experience that euer now and then as he shall stirre in a good cause stand against the corruptions of the place where he liues with conscience and faithfulnesse discharge his calling hee shall presentlie haue the spirit of prophanenesse to slie in his face with brutish and implacable malice and insolencie But yet I say if he be able with his Lord and Sauiour to endure this speaking against of sinners and to esteeme it as it is indeed his crowne and comfort why then Satan casts about another way and hee labours sometimes to fasten vpon him some vnwarrantable opinions thereby scandalously and vnnecessarliy to disquiet him to defraud him of an entire fruition of the comforts of holinesse and to hinder and interrupt him in the prosecution of his glorious seruice of God Sometimes to puffe him vp with a selfe-conceit of his owne excellencie seeing himselfe aduanced as farre aboue the common condition of men and the richest and happiest worldling as heauen aboue earth light aboue darkenesse endlesse happinesse aboue eternall miserie that so as the Apothecaries ointment by a dead flie his good actions and spirituall graces may receiue staine and infection by priuie pride of the nature and remedies whereof I haue before discoursed These and many others be the temptations of a babe in Christ and fitted to the infancie of regeneration But if Satan meet with a strong man in Christ he tempts him by those two methods I told you of before somtimes by wasting his zeale sometimes by weakening his faith and a thousand moe Amid which infinite varietie he is for the most part constant in one point of policy and that is this He coÌ„ceales his greatest fury his most desperate assault vnto the last He reserues his fieriest dart his deadliest poison his sharpest sting his Gunpouder-plot vntill he meete vs on our deaths bed Wherefore beloued in Christ Iesus we had need euery man to be strongly and soundly prepared and armed against that great and last encounter with Satan vpon which depends our euerlasting estate either in the ioies of heauen or paines of hell Oh at that day and we little know how neere it is it is not our deepe reaches and vnfathomd policies and proiects the countenance and patronage of great personages our merrie and plesant companions or the pluralitie of liuings and preferments that can yeeld vs any comfort or assistance in that terrible and fearefull combat Nay though we now little thinke vpon it all the worldly contentments that we haue either indirectly purchased or vnconscionably imploid he will then turne vnto vs into Scorpions stings and wormes of conscience Onely at that day a good conscience will hold out as armour of proofe which as it hath bin on earth a continuall feast so their it will bee vnto vs a great and euerlasting Iubilee for euermore By this time you easily perceiue and I am very sensible of the digression I haue made but I haue done it onely to giue you a taste of that part of diuine knowledge about the depths of Satan and spirituall state of sanctified soules and afflicted consciences which I take to be Gods childs peculiar and in which the formall hypocrite hath little skil or exercise For the deepe and diuine ponderations of this nature vpon these points doe not much take vp or trouble his mind and meditations It is a pretious knowledge abstracted by an holy experience from
A DISCOVRSE ABOVT THE STATE OF TRVE HAPPINESSE DELIVERED IN CERTAINE Sermons in Oxford and at Pauls Crosse By ROBERT BOLTON 2. CORINTH 13.5 Prooue your selues whether yee are in the faith examine your selues know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee be reprobates AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for EDMVND WEAVER and are to be sold at his shop at the great North-gate of Pauls Church 1611. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL HIS VERY GOOD PATRONE SIR AVGVSTIN NICOLS Knight Serieant at the Law the glorious comforts of Grace here and the blessednesse of immortalitie hereafter SIR I hauing been often and much solicited with varietie and iteration of strong importunitie to publish and let passe into the eie of this censorious world these thevery first fruites and essaies of mine imployment and businesse in the Ministerie did apprehend and embrace this season with better contentment and with more cheerefulnes addresse and compose my self thereunto because I did see opportunitie offered thereby to let appeare abroad my thankfull acknowledgement of your respectfull and more then ordinary fauour vnto me and a publike testimonie of your worthie and exemplarie integritie in discharging your hands and faithfully disposing that portion of the Church his patrimonie committed to your trust and conscience An affaire though in these desperately sinfull times fearfully and accursedly abused of high and waightie consequence and of great power as it shall be discharged with conscience or corruption either further to ruine our Church and bring it to more miserie and desolation or to repaire and aduance it to better state more happinesse For mine owne particular it hath so pleased God to guide your heart in this busines and to blesse me with his prouidence that wheras too many Patrones now adaies either by detaining sacrilegiouslie Gods portion agaiâ—â—â— all grounds of equitie both diuine humane or by furnishing Church-liuings simoniacally and corruptly do certainly pull vpon their own heads soules and bodies goods and posteritie an heauie and horrible curse and shall thereby make their account to be without fauour at the last day and whereas many worthie men after they haue wearied and wasted their bodies and mindes their spirits and patrimonie in studie and worne out their hopes with long and tedious expectation pursuit and dependance come at length with much adoe to no great matters and when all is done it is well if they escape all galling and gash of conscience such is the strange iniquitie of the times yet I say so worthily haue you dealt with me so vprightly in the Church his cause that vpon your owne first motion you sent vnto me to accept the place I now enioy from you and offered me a faire a free and comfortable passage to the exercise of my Ministerie abroad which next vnto the saluation of mine own soule I hold most deare and precious when I neither sought after nor thought vpon preferment This your rare and singular bountie did at the very first affect me with a secret sense of an extraordinary obligation for all inward affectionatnes and with a desire of representing it in some visible forme of outward testification But when I did after further consider first how that Sacriledge and Simonie that damned couple of crying sins like two rauenous Harpies and the two insatiable daughters of the Horsleech had seazd euen vpon the Heart of our Church readie to rent and teare in peeces her very heart-strings and to sucke out the inmost blood and last life of our dearest Mother when I looked aboue me in this famous Vniuersitie where I haue liued and saw many reuerend and learned men full of the light of diuine truth and of the water of life able gloriouslie and comfortablie to illighten many darke places and drie soules in this land readie to expire and powre out their soules in the bosome of this their famous Nurce not brought vp by her to die at her breasts but if they might haue honest and lawfull passage readie and resolute to enlarge Christs kingdome abroad and to oppose with all their power against the bloodie torrent of Poperie and rage of Antichrist lastly when I weighed with my selfe mine owne naturall declination and resolued vnfitnes to make a noise and stirre in the world for preferment I did finde that as these considerations did before giue small hope of changing my station so now they were of power yet further to double the impression of your worthie and extraordinarie goodnesse vnto mee and freshly to renew the thankfull deuotions and apprehensions of mine heart Out of which hath sprung in me a thirsting earnestnes and contention of spirit to returne vnto you for these temporall fauours so farre as the nature of that high Ministeriall function wherein I stand shall guide me and the power of my poore abilitie can reach the Blessings of Heauen and comforts of a better world To which end I here present vnto you this Treatise which I haue intended to be so farre as my gracious God hath giuen me vnderstanding in the point as it were a looking-Glasse or Touchstone to whomsoeuer it shall please to take thorow notice thereof for the discerning and trying in some good measure whether he alreadie bee of the number of those fewe which truly liue the life of God and vnder the Scepter of his Sonne or lie as yet enthralled in the inuisible chaines of damnation and death and vnder the large and powerfull raigne of Satan For I am perswaded that in this glorious noontide of the Gospell many thousands deceiue not only the world and others but euen themselues and their owne soules about their spirituall state thinking if they finde in themselues a freedome from grosse and notorious sinnes fairenes of conditions ciuil honestie a formall profession of Christianitie outward performances of religious seruices that then their case is good enough for heauen though there bee wanting the sauing power of inward sanctification and the truth of a sound conuersion though they bee strangers to the great mysterie of Godlinesse and disacquainted with a conscionable and constant course of Holinesse in their liues and actions But we must conceiue that ouer and besides these degrees of goodnesse with which millions of men content and deceiue themselues yea and quite beyond and vtterly without the compasse of all worldly glorie all visible pompe the most admited greatnesse and sufficiency vpon earth for which a great part of the world exchange the euerlasting happinesse of their soules there is a Paradise of Christian comforts a Royall Peculiar a victorious Simplicitie a neglected Innocencie a marueilous Light an inuisible Kingdome an Heauen vpon Earth which I call the state of Grace and labour in the ensuing Discourse to difference from al perfections and sufficiencies attaineable in the state of vnregeneration I meddle not purposely with the notorious sinner for me thinkes in these daies of light there should none so wilfully and deeply inwrap
which is a horrible and feareful curse euen esteeme them foolishnes The third reason shall be taken from the example of Nicodemus Iohn 3. Nicodemus I am perswaded was an honest and an ingenuous man I am sure he was a great man and a teacher of Israel yet when he comes out of his ciuill honestie and naturall wisdome to reason and confer with Christ about the saluation of his soule and eternall happinesse hee is strangely childish and a meere infant For when Christ tels him Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God he replies How can a man be borne which is old can he enter into his mothers wombe againe and be borne A replie which may breed an astonishment in all that shall euer reade this story vnderstandingly vnto the worlds end nay it seemes to seeme strange to Christ himselfe by his interrogatiue admiration afterward Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not these things And no maruell for who would think that one of the best of the Pharises a ruler of the Iews a profest Doctor in the Law and the Prophets and one carefull to saue his soule should be so grossely and palpably ignorant in a most materiall and necessarie point of saluation especially hauing many times no doubt read it in Moses and the Prophts Amongst many places he might see Ezech. 36.26.27 most cleerely laid downe the great and glorious worke of our new birth A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take the stony hart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh c. But when he comes from teaching and reading of this and the like places to be examined in the practise and experimentall feeling of these graces of regeneration vpon his owne soule why hee talkes of a man that is old entring againe into his mothers wombe from whence he should certainely returne with a doubled pollution and corruption of nature and once more the child of Satan then he was before But so it is where the hart is not seasoned with sauing grace let the vnderstanding be neuer so great with swelling knowledge the practicall powers of the soule neuer so pregnant with wisdome and policie and perfected with morall vertues yet there is nothing to be expected from that man in matters and mysteries of saluation but darkenes and blindnesse childishnesse and stupiditie Fourthly the young man in the Gospell may be a fit instance for our present purpose He was vnreprooueable in the externall iustice and outward obseruances of the second table wherein ciuill honesty doth principally consist but how farre hee was from inward sanctification the state of grace and happinesse of Gods children appeares in the story For when the sacred and powerfull words of our blessed Sauior had insinuated into the secrets of his soule and strucke at his sweet sinne of couetousnesse the young man is presently cast into a fit of melancholie Christ is too precise a preacher for him he cannot digest such a strict and seuere course he will not abandon his pleasures of worldlinesse his palaces his possessions to follow Christ the Lord of heauen and earth in this life though he assure him of the rich treasures of eternall blessednes in the life to come When the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions Whereby we may see that a man may be ciuilly honest and vncensurable in outward workes of iustice and yet harbour and nourish some close corruptions and sweet sinne in his heart from which rather then he will part he will lose his part in Christ the bottomlesse fountaine of endlesse ioies and comforts and his portion of vnualuable glory in the new Ierusalem This point being thus manifest for conclusion I will lay downe certaine differences betwixt the righteousnesse of faith and sanctification and the righteousnesse of ciuil honestie that a man may haue some directions to examine his soule and conscience in this respect First the fountaine and originall of righteousnesse of faith is the sanctifying Spirit of God I call it the sanctifying spirit because the spirit of God may by a generall influence concur to the illumination of the vnderstanding with knowledge and a ciuill reformation of the wil euen in the vnregenerate but the sanctifying spirit by the miraculous operatiue of sauing grace doth purge and mortifie the inmost affections plant iustifying faith in the heart renew al the powers of the soule and reinuest them in some good measure with the blessed image of holinesse and integritie which they lost in Adam But the cause and fountaine of righteousnesse of ciuill honesty may bee goodnesse of constitution and ingenuousnesse whereby a man may not be so apt and inclinable to notorious sinnes or want of trials and prouocations or feare of lawes and temporall punishments or desire of reputation and rising or a vaine hope to stay Gods iudgements for inward corruptions by ciuill outwardnesse or at best the restraining Spirit of God by which hee doth onely represse the furies and outrages of the wicked and reduce them to some moderation and honestie for the quiet of his Elect and conseruation of Kingdomes For if God did not put his hooke into the nostrils of prophane men and his bridle into their lippes euery one of them sith euery man hath in his corrupt nature the seedes of all sinnes that euer haue are or may be committed I say euery one of them might become a cruell Senacherib a railing Shemei a traiterous Iudas a bloodie Bonner an hellish Fawkes fierce Woolues and Lions against the sillie and innocent Lambes of Christs fold Secondly righteousnesse of ciuill honestie in outward actions may make a colourable pretence of pietie and vprightnes but indeed hath many secret relations to pleasures to friends to profit to preferments to reuengement to passions partialities and euents and such like by-respects not easilie discernable but by him whose eies are tenne thousand times brighter then the Sunne But righteousnesse of faith hath in all actions for the maine scope and principall end the glory and honour of God and if infirmitie doe sometimes distaine them with some mixture and adherence of respects for who can say my heart is cleane euen the purest actions are mixt with some spice of corruptions it workes in the faithfull soule much griefe sorrow striuing against repentance and humiliation Thirdly righteousnesse of faith doth labour watchfully religiously and conscionably in that particular calling wherein Gods prouidence hath placed a man and in all the parts and speciall duties of godlinesse and obedience But ciuill honesty wanders in the generalities of religion and many times in impertinent vnsetled and vnlimited courses Fourthly righteousnesse of faith doth striue with greatest earnestnesse and contention of spirit for spirituall comfort and a good conscience before God But ciuill honestie is fully and finally satisfied with credit and plausiblenesse amongst men Fifthly
ciuill honestie makes no great conscience of smaller sinnes as lying lesser oathes gaming prophane iesting idlenesse and pastime on the Sabbath day and the like But righteousnesse of faith hauing a sensible feeling of the heauie weight of sinne from those anguishes which the conscience felt before the infusion of faith and being still stung with a checke and smart for all kind of transgressions doth seasonably and proportionablie hate and make resistance to all knowne sinnes Sixthly ciuill honestie doth not vse to make opposition against the sinnes of the time but is euen willing to be caried with the streame onely vpon more faire and probable tearmes then notorious sinfulnesse and therefore will goe on and encourage a man in godly courses and good causes vntill he meet with either a wound to his state a disgrace to his person a disturbance to his pleasures an imputation to his forwardnesse a stop to his preferments losse of friends imminencie of danger or any such crosse and discouragement and then it teacheth him to step backe as a man ready to tread vpon a serpent and to start aside like a broken â—ow But righteousnesse of faith doth stand out for the honour of God and ordinarily goes thorow stitch in good causes come what come can crosses or calumniations good report or euill report men or diuels For it is compleatly armed with confidence of future happinesse and hath sixt the eye vpon the crowne of immortality which if heauen and earth conspired they were not able to pull it out of his hand that reserues it in the heauens for all those that sight a good fight that keepe the faith and run with constancie the race of sanctification The next point of the negatiue part of my doctrine is formall hypocrisie Which that you may more cleerely vnderstand consider with me three kinds of hypocrisie priuy hypocrisie grosse hypocrisie formal hypocrisie Priuie hypocrisie is that by which a man makes profession of more then is in his hart And this somtimes doth mixe it self euen with the fairest and most sanctified actions of Gods dearest children and doth soonest insinuate into a hart stored with the rich treasures of true godlines For Satan if he cannot detain a mans soule in notorious sinfulnes in meere ciuil honestie or formality but that by the sacred inspirations of Gods good spirit it is pulled out of the mouth of hell from the slauery of sin and courses of darkenes into the glorious light liberty of Christs kingdom he is inraged with fierce and implacable furie doth euer certainly with eager pursuit persecute that soule both by his owne immediate malice and by the cruell agencie of prophane men And if so be he cannot procure a scandalous relapse into grâ—sse sins yet that he may in some measure worke the dishonour of God and the discomfort of his noblest creature the two maine ends of all the policies of hell hee doth labour to distaine the pure streames of diuine grace in the soule puddle of our corrupted nature and at least to fasten the spots of priuie hypocrisie vpon the best actions and the very face of innocency This hypocrisie as I take it ariseth from spirituall pride For when a godly man by the great worke of regeneration is become more excellent then his neighbour as indeed he incomparablie is howsoeuer the worlds estimation be otherwise Because the one is as yet a limme of Satan receiuing from him the cursed influence of scule pollutions of vncleannes and lying of malice and reuenge of pride and prophanenes c The other is already a blessed member of Christs mysticall body continually inspired with holy motions and the life of grace The one lies polluted in his owne blood encompassed with the menstruous clouts of loathsome corruptions of all natures except onely the diuell and his angels the most wretched and woefull of the familie of hell heire of horrour and desolation The other by the immortall seed of the pure and powerfull word of God is made partaker of the diuine nature clothed with the rich and vnualuable robe of Christs iustice guarded with an inuincible troope of heauenly Angels iustly intituled to a kingdome of vnconceiueable glory and pleasures moe then the starres of the firmament in number The one is a wrongfull vsurper of the riches honours and preferments of this life for which hereafter hee must be condemned to chaines of eternall darkenes and a dungeon of endlesse miserie and confusion the other while he continues in this world is a rightfull owner and possessor of the earth and all the creatures and blessings of God and when hee departs hence he shall bee made a glorious inhabitant of those sacred mansions where constant peace vnmixed ioyes and blessed immortality euen for euer and euer doe dwell Which great difference when the godly man perceiues and his owne prerogatiues he is filled with a strange and ioyfull amazement and admiration at his owne happinesse which Satan seeing who is perfectly experienced in all aduantages and opportunities for spirituall assaults and working vpon the reliques of mans proud nature doth cunningly draw him to aduance aboue that which is meet within himselfe in his owne opinion the worth of his owne graces and vertues Which that he may conuey and reprâ—sent to the view of the world with an excellencie proportionable to his owne ouerweening conceite he is forced to admit the secret and insensible poyson of priuie hypocrisie which he doth more easily at the first entertaine because the pestilencie and bitternesse thereof is not discernable by reason of the predominancie and sweetnesse of the fresh present graces of Gods spirit in his soule But when by afflictions or disgraces by some extraordinary temptation or particular checkes from the Ministery of the word the vglinesse of it is discouered to his conscience hee for euer abhorres it as a consuming canker that would fret out the very heart of grace and extinguish the life of sincerity and therefore with much humiliation and feruencie doth pray against it striue against it and by the mercies of God preuaile against it This kind of Hypocrisie belongs not to my present purpose onely by the way let mee giue aduertisement to the child of God for to him onely I speake in this point to the end he may keepe his heart vnblameable in holinesse and preserue the true relish and sound ioy of good actions entire and vndistempered that he would strongly fence his heart with a gracious and vnfained humility against priuie pride the mother of this hypocrisie as against a close vndermining and a most dangerous enemie and the more seriously and watchfully for these reasons partly drawne from the nature of the sinne and partly from the state of his soule From the nature of the sinne First other sinnes grow from poysonous and pestilent roots as Adulterie from idlenesse Faction from discontent Murder from malice Iesting out of the word of God from a a prophane heart the
man professeth that which is not in his heart at all and so deceiues others but not his owne heart And this is most properly hypocrisie For the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a stage-plaier who sometimes putteth on the roabes and maiestie of a Prince himselfe being of a base and neglected state Or the grauitie and wisdome of a Counseller himself being of roguish dissolute conditions Sometimes he representeth a chast and modest louer his owne life being a practise of vncleannesse Sometimes he assumeth a good and honest vocation his own being accursed and vnwarrantable Euen such is the grosse hypocrite vpon the stage of this world a very painted sepulchre and whited wall glorious indeed in outward fashions and solennities in shewes and representations to the eie of the world but if it were possible for a man to make an exact inquirie into the close and hidden passage of his heart he should find many black and bloodie proiects for compassing reuenge euen vpon surmised opposites many ambitious steps built vpon flatterie and dissembling basenesse and briberie for his rising and preferments many stinging swarmes of fierie lusts and impure thoughts which are either spent in speculatiue wantonnesse and the adulteries of the heart or else for feare of the worlds notice breake out onely into a strange and secret filthinesse In a word vnder the vaile of his outward religiousnesse hee should see a perfect anatome of the infinite and deceitfull corruptions of the heart of man and many plausible and politicke conuâ—iances to bleare the eies of the world howsoeuer wretched man vpon his owne fillie and forlorne soule he certainely drawes an exceeding waight of vengeance This kind of hypocrite is more miserable and of lesse hope then the open sinner First because he sinneth against the light of his conscience which manner of sinning makes him incapable of sauing graces For how can that heart which to naturall hardnesse addeth a voluntary obfirmation in sinne and resistance to godly motions receiue the softening and sanctifying spirit of God How should those vnrulie affections be tamed by the power of religion who please themselues and hold it their greatest glory to seeme most moderate outwardly when inwardly they boile most intemperately in lust pride malice contempt of zealous simplicity and in other soulest pollutions How should the brightnesse of wisedome shine where the windowes of the soule are shut close wilfully and vpon set purpose Secondly by reason of the shining lampe of an outward profession howsoeuer he want the oyle of grace in his heart he so dazles the eyes of men that he barres himselfe of those reproofes and wholesome admonitions whereby the open sinner is many times confounded and amazed in his conscience humbled and cast downe in himselfe and happily reclaimed and conuerted Thirdly all publicke reprehensions and aduertisements from the Ministery of the word although they be as so many loud cries sounding in his cares to awake him out of the dead slumber of hypocrisie he either interprets to proceed from some particular malice or indiscreet heate and so passes them ouer with a bitter and peremptorâ—e censure or else out of the pride of his heart hee posteth them ouer from himselfe as not infamous or notorious in the worlds opinion and transfers them vpon the open sinners being assured that in the iudgement of others whom hee blinds and deludes by his Art of Seeming they belong not to him Fourthly he is iustly obnoxious to an extraordinarie measure of Gods hatred and indignation For euery ingenuous man out of the grounds of morality holdeth in greatest detestation a doubling and dissembling companion as a fellow of extreme basenesse and seruility most vnworthie to be entertained either into his inward affections and approbation or outward seruices and imployments how much more the God of heauen and earth who seeth cleerely into the inmost closet of the heart For hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sons of men I say how much more must he needs double his infinite hatred of sin against the double iniquity of hypocrisie how must his soule abhorre that wretched creature which beares the world in hand and makes a shew vnto men that he stands for God and his honour and seruice but indeed is a close factor for Satan his owne pleasures and the powers of darkenes And as the hypocrite is subiect to Gods extraordinarie hatred so is hee liable to an extraordinarie weight of vengeance For when the wrath of the Lord is once enkindled against him it is powred out like fire and burnes euen to the bottome of hell His feare commeth like an horrible desolation and his destruction like a whirlewind Terrors shall take him as waters and a tempest shall carrie him away by night And so certaine are these plagues that as though the hypocrite were already turned into a diuell or into the very fierie lake it is said in the Gospell of other sinners that they shall haue their portion with the hypocrite where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Good Lord it is strange and fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man endewed with reason and vnderstanding like an Angell of God hauing besides the pretiousnes of the holy booke of God those great and vniuersall motiues the immortality of the soule the resurrection of the dead the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen the endlesse paines of the wicked which except he be a damned Atheist he doth certainely beleeue and whereas hee might liue on earth with vnconquerable comfort and shine hereafter as the brightnes of the firmament bee a companion of Saints and Angels and stand in the glorious presence of the highest Maiestie for euer and euer yet for all this will euen wilfully against the light of his conscience and with the certaine knowledge of his heart by his grosse hypocrisie secret abominations and vncleannes priuie practises for some wretched pleasures and preferments make himselfe in the eyes of God howsoeuer he deceiue men a very incarnate diuell vpon earth and after this life iustly heape vpon his body and soule all the horrours and despaires tortures and plagues which a created nature is capable of Oh that the hypocrite would consider these things in time lest the wrath and fierie ielousie of the Lord breake forth vpon him suddenly and ineuitably like sorrowes vpon a woman in trauell and teare him in pieces when there bee none that can deliuer him Well may he carrie the matter smoothly for a time and by his iugling dissimulation cast a mist about him and inwrap himselfe in darkenesse from the eye of the world yet let him know that in the meane time his sinnes are writing by the hand of Gods iustice with the point of a Diamond in the register of his conscience and when their number and measure is accomplished the Lord will come against him euen with whole armies of plagues and vengeance as against the most hatefull
pleasingly to themselues and more plausiblie to the world compasse their ends and desires No maruell then though they haue the wicked world at will The third reason of the flourishing of the wicked is because they are men of this world and therefore they haue onely their portion and full felicitie here Their heauen is vpon earth their pleasures in their life time with the rich man in the Gospell For as the euerlasting couenant of inward peace grace and glory is peculiarly confirmed to the children of the spirit so many times in great measure the temporall promises of outward happinesses are performed vpon the children of the flesh When God had established vpon Isaak the euerlasting promises of loue mercy and blessednesse yet he was content to make Ismael a great man vpon earth Concerning Ismael saith he to Abraham I haue heard thee loe I haue blessed him and will make him fruitfull and will multiplie him exceedingly Twelue Princes shall hee beget and I will make a great nation of him Fourthly and lastly the prosperitie of the wicked makes them more inexcusable and their damnation more iust before the Tribunall of God For it is iust with him to bring a greater measure of tribulation and anguish vpon them in whom his many fauors aâ—d louing kindnesses haue brought forth vnthankfulnes rebellion that wrath is most iustly returned vpon their heads which by despising the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance leading them to repentance they haue heapt vp as a treasure vnto themselues against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God You haue heard the reasons of the happinesse of the wicked in this life but it is not so with Gods children For they must mourn in this vale of teares while the world reioyceth And as the wicked are fild and fatted with worldly happinesse and plentie against the day of wrath so Gods children must bee prepared and fitted with afflictions for the glory which shall be reuealed They are shortly to become inhabitants of that great and glorious city whose foundations are pretious stones whose gates are Margarites whose streets are pure gold as the shining glasse they must bee companions of the blessed Angels and stand in the presence of that great and sacred Maiesty and therefore in this life they must be cast into the Lords furnace that in the fire of affliction they may be more and more purified from earthlines and corruption and so with holinesse and humilitie prepared for that high perfection of heauenly beautie glory and blisse Let euery godly man then with comfort and benefit vndergoe those crosses which the Lord layeth vpon him for they are vnto him as looking glasses wherein God sees his faith and dependance vpon his prouidence the world his patiâ—nce and constancie himselfe the spots of his soule his decayes of grace the breaches of his conscience his neglect of the duties of his calling his coldnes in religigious seruices his fall from his first loue So that by them God is pleased and glorified others edified and instructed himselfe humbled recouered by repentance and more sanctified I haue staied long vpon the third reason of the formall hypocrites false persuasion of being in state of grace The reason is because ciuill honesty performance of outward duties of religion and worldly prosperitie meeting together in an vnregenerate man many times breed a very strong conceit of his being the child of God and an obstinate impatiencie of hearkning stepping forward to grace or any further perfection I come now to the fourth reason wherby the formall hypocrite doth falsly persuade himselfe to be in the state of true happinesse and saluation and that is A misconceit of Gods iustice and a straining and racking of his mercy beyond his truth and promise so making the way to heauen broder then the Scripture hath made it and himselfe more blessed then he is indeed Mans heart is naturally empoysoned with pride and hypocrisie and therefore is hardly drawne hartily to acknowledge the horrible vglinesse of his sin or that Gods proceeding against it with such waight of vengeance is equall Hence comes much indulgence and partiall censuring of our owne sinnes transferring them vpon allurements occasions circumstances necessitie and the like much lessening and impairing Gods iustice but amplifying his mercies euen to the securing of vnwarrantable courses Adam immediately after his fall shifteth off his sin vpon his wife nay he is so blind in spirituall iudgement of diuine purity that rather then hee will crie guiltie he will fasten the fault by consequent vpon God himselfe The woman saith hee which thou gauest to bee with mee shee gaue mee of the tree and I did eate So gladly would sensuall men persuade themselues that either their sinnes deserue not so strict account and great iudgements or that God doth exercise too much rigour in inflicting them For out of their worldly wisedome they measure and esteeme the vnspotted and infinite Ocean of the iustice of God by the finite muddie and imperfect streame of humane iustice Lawes and constitutions of states and kingdomes are bridles to curbe and moderate our corruption that we become sociable and peaceable but they cut off only from the Body politique by finall execution those that are of notorious and desperate condition such as are Theeues Murtherers Traitors and the like A verie proportionable conceit I am persuaded of diuine iustice and comminations in the law of God lurkes in the hearts of many they thinke that those sinnes that arise ineuitably out of our corrupt nature or that are committed by strong temptation or that are lesse pernicious are I know not how naturally pardonable and that if they bee of the ciuiller sort if they bee outwardly conformable in their liues and harbour good meanings and intentions in matters of religion though they neuer trouble themselues with more strictnesse and a course of sanctification yet they thinke that God will bee mercifull in the end and that it will goe well enough with them and that onely fellowes of infamous note such as are swearers liers vsurers adulterers and the like shall be excluded finally out of heauen But I would haue these men know that though the sea of Gods mercie be bottomlesse though the promises of grace be many and pretious yet not one drop of all that great sea not one iot of all those gracious promises belongs to any saue onely vnto him that groanes and sighs vnder the heauie waight and burthen of his sins that is of a broken and contrite hart that trembles at his word that vndissembledly sorrowes and repents for al his sins forsakes them and resignes vp himselfe in holy obedience to all his commandements I would haue them know that he is as infinitely iust as hee is infinitely mercifull and will as certainelie powre all the plagues and curses in his booke vpon the impenitent sinner as he will performe all his promises of grace to
malice most sauage and vile that is discharged vpon the body or good name of the dead so I would haue also a charitable conceit follow the soule of the departed so farre as spirituall wisdome a good conscience diuine truth the glory of God the safetie of the soules of the liuing will giue leaue But no further Thirdly neither doe I mislike or condemne Funerall Sermons I could rather wish that as the death of his Saints is precious in the sight of God so that it might be glorious in the eyes of men I could rather desire that the iust prayses and true sincerity of the child of God were published euen by some Seraphicall tongue that both the glory of his graces might passe along and shine bright to all posterity and that such a fire of zeale for imitation might be enkindled in the hearts of all the hearers especially the present occasion making their minds more capable of persuasion that they passing thorow the same course of holinesse might at length be made partakers of the same happinesse with the Saints of God Only in these cases I would haue that spirituall discretion truth and conscience vsed that neither the godly be iustly grieued and offended the wicked heartned and hardened in their courses false conceit of happines nor the faithfulnes and sincerity of the ministery disgraced and scandalized Thus farre I haue laid open vnto you the state of formall hypocrisie in which may concurre immunity from notorious sinnes all naturall and morall perfections admirable variety of learning policy and all other acquired ornaments of the mind an outward performance of all duties of religion some measure of inward illumination a resemblance and shadow of the whole body of true regeneration and a persuasion as you haue now last heard of being in state of grace Euen thus farre a man may goe in the profession of Christian religion and yet be a stranger from the power of faith and from the life of godlinesse I now come by reasons and arguments to disable it in those points which haue not beene touched for challenging any interest in the true happinesse of a man And first to proue that a performance of outward duties of religion without the power of grace vpon the soule and an vniuersall sanctification in all the faculties thereof cannot produce any sound comfort in the heart or acceptation with God My first reason is that Principle generally receiued with all schoole Diuines and very sound and Orthodox in true Diuinity The iniquitie defect or exorbitancie of any particular of one circumstance maketh an action euill but an absolute integritie of all concurrents is required to make a good worke acceptable to God comfortable and profitable to a Christian The end must be good the glory of God the action it selfe in it owne nature must be iust warrantable the circumstances honest and seasonable the meanes direct and lawfull the fountaine the hart sincere and sanctified If this last be wanting especially though otherwise it be neuer so gloriously conucied neuer so wisely managed of neuer so goodly a shew to the eyes of the world yet it is not only mard and defaced and no action of grace but odious and abominable in the sight of God The Moralists by the light of nature saw a truth proportionable to this euen in the actions of vertue The truth and worth wherof they did censure and esteeme not by the bare outward action but by the inward free and independent vprightnesse of the mind And therefore to an action truely vertuous they required a resolued knowledge an irrespectiue and aduised freedome of spirit a constant and easie habit of the mind an entire loue to the fairenesse of vertue So that whatsoeuer honest actions sprung from passion humour scare respect ambition or the like they accounted vertuous and good onely by accident and occasion not inwardly and essentially whereupon they hold that many great and honourable atchieuements of ancient Worthies amongst the Heathens howsoeuer they were admirable in the eyes of men and beneficiall to the publicke State for sometimes out of some sudden eleuation of spirit or pang of vaine-glorie they were euen prodigall of their liues and blood for the good and deliuerance of their countrie yet to the authours and actors themselues they were not the true workes of vertue but of ambition and a desire of immortall fame It is euen so in the higher actions of grace and religion Besides the outward performance God requires sinceritie of heart and truth in the inward parts to make them gratious and acceptable And howsoeuer otherwise they may purchase them a name amongst men prosperity in the world some lesse torment in hell and procure good vnto others yet except they proceed from a faith vnfained and a pure conscience to the Christians themselues in respect of all heauenly happinesse they are fruitles and vnprofitable My second proofe is out of the 5. of Matth. Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen The outward righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies was famous in those times and much admired So that if God did not principally respect the heart if that were not true in the 16. of Luke That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God they might not onely haue carried away the garland for piety on earth but haue iustly seemed to haue beene the onely heires to a crowne of immortality in the heauens For besides their forbearance and protestation against grosser sinnes Murther Theft Adulterie Idolatrie and the like they were frequent and solemne in prayers fastings almes-deeds and that with farre greater strictnesse and deuotion then the religious actions of formall hypocrisie are performed in these times of the Gospell Besides I doubt not but many of them were persuaded that their way was the way of life and that they were in the state of true happinesse And yet for all this except wee exceede their righteousnesse the speech is peremptorie we shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen For we see in the 23. of Mat. what a chaine of curses out of the mouth of our blessed Sauiour did iustly draw them into the bottome of hell Thirdly this truth is manifest out of the Doctrine of the Prophets Esai 1 Mich. 6. Hag. 2. Psal. 50. and many other places Whence ariseth this conclusion That the principall and holiest exercises the most solemne and sacred actions of religion without sinceritie and sanctification of heart are but as the cutting off a Dogs necke and the offering of swines blood Their sacrifices oblations and incense Their nâ—w Moonâ—s their Sabbaths and solemne feasts were things commanded by Gods ownâ— mouth yeâ— where they were performed with impure and propâ—ane hearts he telâ— them that his soule hated them that they were a burthen vnto him and that he was wearie of them For if the Lords contentment had finally rested in
that bloudie act But that which is the accomplishment of all miseries and terrour they iustly fall into the hands of the liuing God who will certainely iudge them after the manner of them that shead their owne bloud and will giue them the bloud of wrath and of iealousie And whereas they looked to leaue a name behind them it shall rot away with as vile detestation as their carcases in the graue The memoriall of the iust faith Salomon shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot If it doe liue it shall liue to their shame and infamy For I dare say this boldly There was neuer any man rightly informed either in the principles of nature or in the gracious way to heauen in the sober passages of moralitiâ— or in the iustice of state and policie or acquainted with the fairenesse of true honour that euer gaue any allowance or euer will to the reputation of manhood falsely so called purchased in priuat quarrell in the field This is then all they get for the losse of soule and bodie of heauen and earth of name and posteritie they onely gaine the damned applause of diuels swaggerers and wicked men But if it fall out otherwise that they be not kild but kill marke what befals themâ— they depart the field drunken with blood as with new wine and therefore they shall be sure at length to be fild with drunkennes and with sorrow euen with the cup of destruction and trembling they shall drinke of it deepe and large and wring it out to the very dregs For presently after the murder committed they haue Caines fearefull marke stampt vpon them The furies of conscience and cries of blood shal for euer persecute them with restlesse horrour As they clothed themselues with rage like a raiment so shall it now come into their bowels like water and sinke like oile into their bones In the meane time they shall liue in the hell of conscience vpon earth and expect euerie houre to be tumbled into the hâ—ll of wicked diuels for euermore in the world to come Let me then in the name and feare of God aduise them if they would win an opinion of true valor indeed if they look for any portion in the mercies of God or honour amongst his Saints to settle and compose such wild affectionâ— by the word of truth to turne the greatnesse of their courage and gallantnesse of Spirit to the subduing and conquering of their owne corruptions and to the wrastling against principalities and powers against the worldly gouernours the princes of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesses which are in the high places This fight is Christian and couragious indeed the victory is glorious the reward is immortalitie A third note of difference may be this Euery child of God by the power of sauing grace doth hunger and thirst after all those meanes God hath ordained or offers for his furtherance in the way to heauen and for his comforting and confirming in a Christian course and doth make a holy vse of whatsoeuer is either publickly or priuately laid vpon him for his amendment and therefore he continually profits and proceeds in sanctification by his word his iudgements and his mercies by the exercise obseruation and sense of which hee growes sensiblie in heauenly knowledge faith humiliation repentance thankfulnesse and all other spirituall graces But the formall hypocrite doth so farre take notice and regard of them as they further his temporal happinesse and as his neglect of them by consequent threatneth danger and ouerthrow to his outward worldlie state For the present perhaps hee is mooued with the hearing of the word of God with the terror of his iudgements while they lie with some extraordinarie waight vpon himselfe or the whole land and with the sweetnesse of his mercies because they secure him in his prosperitie But these things sinke not into his soule with the power of mortification to the destroying of his sinfull affections and the shaking off of euery knowne sinne Beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus let vs euery one of vs I beseech you trie himself faithfully by this note of difference And the rather because our gracious God hath most plentifully and incomparablie vouchsafed vs in this land all meanes to bring vs vnto heauen He hath visâ—ted vs with his word his iudgements and mercies to the astonishment of the whole world Now let vs consider whether as they haue bred admiration in men and Angels so they haue brought saluation to our owne soules First for his word For these fiftie yeeres you know hee hath spread out his hands all the day long he hath sent all his seruants the preachers of his word rising vp earely and sending them saying Returne now euery man from his euill way and amâ—nd your workes Let vs then examine our selues in this point Hath this glorious Gospell which hath so long shined bright in our eies and sounded loud in our cares hath it I say bin mightie in operation vpon our soules in planting in them the power of true godlinesse Doe wee daily grow more sound by it in the knowledge of the truth and see more particularly into the way and whole course of Christianitie Doth it continually build vs vp more strongly in faith repentance and an holy obedience to all his commandements Why then blessed is our â—ase for this powerful experience in our soules of daily growth in godlinesse by the word is a notable mark vnto vs that we are in the state of grace and so al the blessings in the book of God belong vnto vs and pleasures moe then the starres of the firmament in number But if otherwise which is rather to be feared if we haue either bin no hearers or but now and then as our worldly commodities would giue vs leaue or hearers onelie of forme and faâ—â—â—on not of zeale and conscience to profit by it and yeeld obedience vnto it or onely hearers and no doers why then we may assure our selues we are yet short of the state of grace and marke what will be the end both of vs and the whole land it must needs be the same with that of Iuda and Ierusalem for they were as wel beloued of God as euer England can be Goe saith God vnto Ieremie Goe and tell the men of Iuda and the inhabitants of Ierusalem I haue sent you all my seruants the Prophets rising vp earely and sending them but you would not encline your care you would not obay me therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will bring vpon Iuda and vpon all the inhabitants of Ierusalem all the euill that I haue pronounced against them I will doe vnto this house whereupon my name is called wherein also ye trust as I haue done vnto Shilo I will cast them out of my sight And will make â—his City a curse vnto all the nations of the earth And the Lord was so vnremoueable