of wants and pure thoughts of the love of Jesus Christ it can pray everlastinglie if he had a body fit to his soule he could be alwaies praying and though a Saint may faile in expressions towards the latter end yet his affections are higher he can hardly leave Christ or the thoughts of him he would be alwaies with him there is abundance of adoe to get up our hearts to any frame but when once it is up and goes on with the strength of God then he finds new assistance every moment comming in you shall have a hypocrite at first like a fountaine flowing in expressions but he begins to grow low at last and just so much water let out as may maintaine him for a while and turne his wheele and motion but take a Saint he is commonlie best at last as to faith and spirituall workings in his own heart And this my Brethren will a little informe you of the nature of hypocrisie as to prayer for a hypocrite acts for himself and from self-strength and any artificiall motion as a Clock or so grows slower at latter end untill it be woond up againe so it is really with those men Fourthly The hypocrisie of men in prayer is seen in this that an hypocrite never goes with an absolute present sence of his needs of assistance or of acceptance either of the Spirits power or of Christs intercession if he go to Christ for strength it is to employ it to his own ends But my Brethren there is no Saint goes to a duty ordinarilie and commonly but he goes with that deep sence of that perfect need he hath of the Holy Ghost to supply him he can do nothing though he have parts yet he sees he must have his assistance else he cannot act and when he hath acted he sees as much need of acceptance at last as of assistance at first A hypocrite acts meerlie from his owne strength in some extraordinarie dutie it may be he may cast up his eye and say Lord carry me on in this extraordinary dutie but commonly in prayer he never fees the need of the Holy Ghost to teach him how to pray how to move to God and what to pray and that Jesus Christ should hold out his mediation and stand betweene him and the Father to make a perfect attonement there is nothing will discover hypocrisie more than this if you do but consider it seriously for there is no hypocrite that ever was unbottomed of himselfe his own strength that ever saw the eternall constant need of Christ Fifthly That I may not hold you long a hypocrite in his duties he praies for those things with seeming earnestnesse that he never prized nor knew the worth of He praies for pardon it may be elegantlie with exceeding affections as to our hearing but he never knew what it was to have pardon to have divine incomes in his heart he praies for enjoyments of Christ but yet he never knew the worth of an enjoyment of Christ and that is â—â—scovered in these particulars First In that he can quiet himselfe with common hopes of him I hope I shall have him though now I have him not and so takes his duties instead of Christ for present he can pray for Christ and yet content himselfe with a generall common apprehension that he will shew himselfe good at last though he have no earnest pressing nor longing for him at present Secondly it is seen in this that the soule secretly dislikes what he praies for as to those enjoyments as to the power and spirit and life of them there is no hypocrite but if he pray for to be transformed to be made like unto Christ and be sanctified but oh he hath a secret regret when he comes to the practicall part of it he could rather wish there were no such thing or he had stood upon his own bottome Thirdly and especiallie it is seen in this that those things are matter of petition but not any ground of endeavour after the enjoyment of them they are only the bare matter of Petition I pray for them and seek after them but I never endeavour for them I pray for Christ but never look after him I pray to have my sins mortified but I never take the course to have that vertue and that power from Christ that may kill my corruptions we only put it into our prayers as complementall acts and no more Those prayers that are not accompanied with earnest heartie endeavours to get the things prayed for according to the rule propounded are hypocriticall I pray I may be pardoned and I go on in sin and never looke after the mediation of the Lord Jesus nor study how these blessed conveyances are made over to my soule Oh there is a mightie straine as to that Sixthlie A hypocrite in prayer calls God Father by his own spirit not by the spirit of adoption pray you observe that by his own spirit for he hath not the spirit of prayer which is the spirit of adoption now that you may know the spirit of prayer what the meaning of that is he calls God Father by his own spirit not by the spirit of adoption First He goes not to God from an inward sence of fatherly love there is no hypocrite in the world but he hath a secret inward frame of spirit whereby he looks upon God as an enemie and judge to him in his greatest enlargements he goes not to God from the sence of fatherlie love though he may call God father with abundance of varietie in expression pray you consider that no man can call God father but from the spirit of adoption but from the sence of his love shed abroad in his heart in prayer I go to him because his love as well as my needs workes me up to go to him the tastes of the sweetnesse of that fatherlie love workes up my heart I cannot but go to him Secondlie this spirit of prayer lies in that sutablesse of a son-like affection unto God that sutablenesse of a son-like affection and nature unto God whereby I go as a Son unto a Father Now that is certaine a hypocrite hath no relation to God he never minds him as a father he hath not that inward propensitie that inward love and affection unto God as a Son which lies in the working of the heart inwardlie unto God as unto a Father as it is in nature so it is in grace take a child and tell him it is his Father from once he knows it is his Father there will be an inward working towards him more than to any person in the world there will be some disposition in the heart that will answer presently your representation of him as a Father so it is in the Gospell when you go to the Father there will be something that will answer this thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us the soule must cry Abba Father that no hypocrite can do in the world
your own hearts But I say however whatever you do in the world and whatever you be be not Hypocrites Shew your selves to be what you are let the sense of things so lye upon you that you may not deceive I say not that profane hearts should vent their profane thoughts but lye humbly before God in a deep sence of your deceitfull hearts And make not the world beleeve you have such and such enjoyments and sights of Christ yet have none ☞ Take the best of men in the world we that preach to you we are in some kind Hypocrites we thinke we are so and so and speake nothing but from our own experiences in our hearts we may shew a perfect rule and yet be Hypocrites in many things Only there is the spirituall intention and reality to honour God which is the only comfort but we are not fully what we appeare to be yet are endeavouring and pressing on to be so and that shews we are not hypocrites though in some sense every man may be called a hypocrite when he is not what he should be Oh! take heed take heed But I say be what the Gospell saies hold forth what you are indeed unto the world I had thought to have named severall sorts of persons that had more need to looke into their own hearts about hypocrisie First those that are of popular spirits that are to converse with many these had need looke closely to their own spirits for the most of our garbs and expressions are but very seldome true and reall but of the deep sence of our duties to one another Take heed therefore lest we gather up a name of hypocrisie it is very hard to have much converse with the World and not be much in hypocrisie without a man be much given up to reality of spirit you will find your tempers in that regard how they are you had need have more warinesse in your owne spirits Secondly those that are of a naturall cunningnesse a naturall craftiness of spirit they had need to take heed especially when they come under the Gospell in opening their soules and conversing with Saints then that naturall cunningnesse will be mightily improved under the Gospell if not mighty wary it will come up to a spirituall hypocrisie if a man have not an exceeding care and it is dangerous dealing with a person that is apt to cunningnesse There are exceeding many that are thus in these daies Thirdly Those had need to looke to their own spirits whose Religion begins with some particular occasion in the world where Religion begins with the times it is a thousand to one but such will prove hypocrites and dangerous ones too Fourthly Those that are given to an outward strictness and severity to externall things observance of outward actings and circumstances of outward formes without they be very careful in them for here lies hypocrisie in doing all duties in being most exact in the outward form We shall come to open something hereafter that if it please God all shall see if they be hypocrites or no. SERMON II. Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie THis is one of the serious cautions of Jesus Christ to his owne Disciples and to those that had grace yet he bids them and all that ever he met with to beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which he saies was hypocrisie Now he calls the Doctrine of the Pharisees a Leaven First Because of the spreading nature of it there is nothing so spreading as Leaven put a little of it in and it will go through the whole Lumpe Hypocrisie is the most spreading thing in the soule and goes over all the faculties no faculty is free of it a little Leaven once it is engendred saies the Apostle will leaven the whole Lumpe 1 Cor. 5.6 A little Hypocrisie in a mans spirit it will soone spread if it be countenanced over his affections and faculties and then Secondly he compares hypocrisie to Leaven because of its insensible way of spreading no man knows it a man puts but a little Leaven and it gives a Tincture of it presently so it is in the heart Hypocrisie workes so insensibly so closely in a mans spirit that if you be not exceeding wary and carefull it will undo your whole soule It will give you such a Tincture that you will hardly be able to take off the savour of it without you have a mighty power from heaven therefore you had need beware of the Leaven of Hypocrisie That is only for the Word But you may remember I began last time to open the nature of Hypocrisie and shewed you that it was opposed to two things First Unto the Truth and Reality of things as they lay in their owne nature Secondly Unto that simulation that fainedness unto that sincerity of intention faining what a man doth As it signifies a faining in that First It was opposed unto the truth of things that is Hypocrisie that is not according to the nature of things as they are so he is a hypocrite that is not reallie sound though he may pretend he is so and thinke he is so for I shewed you that is the grosser sort of hypocrisie to be fained so to faine my selfe to be a holy person to faine my selfe to be Saint when I am not that is the grosser sort of Hypocrisie but there is Hypocrisie lies closer when I thinke I am a Saint and am not so I am a hypocrite So it is opposed to a word in the Greeke often-times used and put for sinceritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is a word that will expresse it exceeding clearly I shall only speake to the first sence at this time To open it more clearely to you First This Hypocrisie is opposed to the truth the reality and clearenesse the sincerity and soundnesse of things in their being and nature As you know that is a false Jewell and Diamond that hath not the proper nature and colour that belongs to it it is counterfeit it is not right though I may thinke I am enriched by it that makes not the thing the truer for that they are but all counterfeit I am not richer if I had many of those glittering Diamonds that is my mistake so it is as to hypocrisie on this first consideration if there be not a cleannesse a perfection in the kind If I be not a Saint reallie in my own Spirit let my perswasions be what they will of my selfe and others perswasions be what they will be of me yet I am a hypocrite in the eyes of God Let my graces be never so glittering and glorious in the sight of my selfe and others yet if they be not such as can be tried according to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sinceritie such that may abide the judgement of the Sun If they cannot ' bide the pure sight of God and his Glorie I shall be found to be still a person that I am not I shall be found
much as in that dutie wherein they excell and go beyond many Saints as to the outward performance of it I shall shew their hypocrisie therefore as to this And first in generall know that all that a hypocrite doth as to prayer is from an art of it not from a spirit of it within him some do distinguish it thus between a gift of prayer and a grace of prayer but I had rather take it in these termes for graces are gifts and we must come and distinguish again and againe of common gifts and spirituall gifts and supernaturall gifts and supernaturall gifts of such a kind c. but this is cleare that all that ever a hypocrite doth in prayer is from an artificiall motion in his spirit my meaning is thus he hath gotten by industrie by imitation by converse by custome and use in that dutie such an art that there is nothing either belongs to prayer or the exact performance of it outwardlie but he hath it with more abundant curiositie than the best Saint hath that he strives to perfect himselfe in exceedinglie But take this for the generall rule that is rather from an art than from the spirit prayer and many times he gets the art so curiouslie that he refresheth many Saints and poore souls by it though he have little of the sense of it on his own heart he acts that part so exactlie and carefullie to the sight of men that it works much upon the affections of all that heare him and converse with him This I speake now as to those that are most carefull Indeed there be some sorts of hypocrites that are not so curious that are rather for a meer outward forme and are very dead in it and make it up some other way but take hypocrisie in generall it is seene most in prayer In the second place and more particularlie to discover this hypocrisie to you as to the art First know that the great study of a hypocrite is about his expressions more than for any impressions or any reall sights of the nature of his condition or estate as if he were to mourne for sin and open his own heart he studies to set it out in the most melting way though his heart be not melted or if he be to set out the love of God he will do it with the exactest expressions but he finds not the love of Christ constraining and those expressions flowing from that love in his heart Secondlie as to that as his expressions so his greatest enlargements in that duty of prayer is when he is most in publike not so much in private and secret dealings with his own heart this is now to those that deale with others dead at home enlarged abroad Oh my Brethren this is a most wicked frame of hypocrisie in that duty when men look at their words not at their hearts to make their hearts speake within them if I be enlarged in prayer when I am with others and dead when I am in private it is a certaine signe I have nothing in my heart only some outward gales fill my sailes Thirdly as to that know there is a secret rejoycing in the very manner of the expressions of a mans wants or of his Petitions whatsoever he desires of God which none but those find that have to deale with those things in their owne hearts Fourthly And which is as to expressions againe know that a hypocrite in the fourth place is more troubled when he wants an enlargement as to expressions than when he wants a power of affection to duties and to God according to the whole nature of what he is to act in that dutie a Saint can content himselfe more with a sigh and a groane than all the externall enlargements that can be if a hypocrite can be enlarged as to gifts he can easily dispense with some deadnesse as to the frame of his owne heart pray you observe that if you cannot be in your closet as vehement in sighs and groanes as if you were in companie with others if your inward motions do not prompt you to as much vehemencie of soule to go out to God to beg what you want and longings after him to enjoy what he hath communicable to your soules when alone as well as when before others it is a dangerous symptome of hypocrisie it is a signe certainly that I have somewhat at the bottome that is not sound therefore consider that Secondly As to particulars know that a hypocrite loves to lengthen out his duties when he is to performe them before others and to hurrie them over in private truly most Professours are as Papists in that for they tell over their private duties as so many beads till they come to a publike Masse then they are solemne but there is nothing of Religion in all those things if they come to company then they do every thing circumstantially exactly then they lengthen them out according to time and every proportion and this is a very close discovery of hypocrisie in any soule that is slight in private and can hurry over his duties there yet can be mighty solemne when he is in a publike place pray you consider that Thirdly Take this for a Rule a hypocrite both in private and publike prayers he flags at last this will come close to every ones heart the longer he prayes the worse he is the heart more dead best at first at the beginning he is zealous it may be sence of wants presses him something holds him up but the longer he goes on the worse he is But the contrary is now in a Saint the longer he is with God the more his heart is with him he grows in his duties though he be dead at first he will be sure to get some review of God some quicknings some enlivenings though he have been long getting up his heart to a duty yet when once it is up he finds the water flows in the more he is with God the more he gets up his soule the divine nature gets more breath and strength by breathing after God the longer it breaths the stronger it breaths a hypocrite hath much adoe to keep up his affections to the first start either privately or publikely hardly able to keep in his spirit but he is at a loss as to the divine nature of those things as to the glory of them therefore he is fain to pumpe and strain for expressions when his affections are lost this you will find as a perfect secret in your own hearts that know and are privie to your own soules The Spirit may indeed withdraw sometimes but takes it commonly and ordinarily the soule is never so moved as when it is touched in the heart but a hypocrite you shall have his duties done very sleightlie at the latter end when there should be most vigour but you shall find the duties of Saints when once the soule begins to get heat and warmth with the love of Christ and sence
embrace the gross Abomination of Popery And however the goodness of our God hath been abundantly held forth in continuing that glorious light of the Gospell which hath and doth yet shine among us yet it is evident that the Lord hath given up very many to walke after their foolish hearts lusts and to embrace delusions through their not walking close with God under these discoveries Oh at what a high rate do you sin that are professors who live thus and walke carnally under so holy a Gospell as that of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ Brethren though we thus speake yet we may not but faithfully witnesse to the praise of our blessed Lord that our lines are fallen into better places where our soules are not vexed with the beholding such folly and abominable wickednesse in those that do professe the Gospell neither our Congregations pestered with such spots of vanity yet our deare Brother the Author of these Sermons doubtlesse not without a secret impulse of the blessed Spirit was moved to be so large in opening the nature and workings of Hypocrisie for Hypocrisie hath its severall formes and dresses and may lye for a while undiscovered in the hearts and duties of the most reall Saints but where it workes most secretly and subtilly there it requires a more quick eye and faithfull hand to the anatomizing of it which we can without flatery say God had eminently bestowed upon him of whom to you that know him not we shall give this briefe testimony He was trained up under Religious education from his Childhood which made him often profess his jealousie of Professors especially such who had the advantage of a godly education through the many experiences of the deceits of his own heart his speciall insight into the mysteries of Christ as you may observe by his Sermons upon 1 Tim. 3. ult published by himselfe a little before his death his judicious and drawing discoveries of the riches of grace which if the Lord please we shall hereafter shew to you where you may see his tender bowels toward the poorest soules under any of the workings of God his unwearied paines even to the visible wasting of his owne bodily strength in the work of the Ministery and his great care over the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him overseer all of these did bespeake him a vessell fitted for his Masters use and it is not unknown to those in chiefest places his otherwise usefulness to the people of God in this Nation thus did he serve his generation with these many talents his God had furnished him with and for these few Sermons we can only say you have them as they were taken from his mouth in his ordinary Ministery without any alteration which is enough to excise the often inculcated expressions you meet with in them they were the last of his publike exercises among us and now for the usefulness of them we shall say First That here you shall find out the tracings of the subtillest hypocrite in all his formes and duties even to his greatest pretence of communion with God for the devil hath not had a stronger hold in these daies for the carrying on the most terrible actings of profaneness as lying cheating pride and lust and the like than by a pretence to communion with God in light and love we do not without shame and griefe of heart mention those things but God will have them searched out Secondly Here thou wilt find if a true Saint how much of the Leven of Hypocrisie is yet workâ—ng in thy own heart and is not this a mercy indeed to have these spreading iniquities discovered as Psal 139.23 Try me O God and know my heart prove me and examine my thoughts and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me Thirdly Here is a ground of establishment to the most discouraged reall Saint against the feares of hypocrisie and how necessary is this for poore weake soules who are how sincere soever yet often tempted to conclude themselves but very hypocrites we have but one word more and that is to those professors that walke in the fellowship of the Gospell to put them in mind that the vessels of the Tabernacle were of pure gold Exod. 25.29 31 c. the dishes spoons bowles candlesticks tonges snuffers were all by Gods command of pure gold and then to read the prophâ—sie of Church-members in the last daies Zech. 14.20 21. The pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowles before the Altar yea every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holinesse to the Lord of Hosts so will the Lord be served in the beauties of holinesse and his Churches will be the praise of the whole earth T. W. Hypocrisie discovered in its Nature and Workings SERMON I. Luke 12. latter end of the first verse Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie YOU shall find in the former Chapter Christ charging of the Pharisees for their unsutable actings unto the rule notwithstanding all their profession and pronouncing woes against them of all sorts of people And here he takes occasion upon the addresse of people to open those things further and to apply what he had said unto them When he saw a multitude of people many people gathered together insomuch that they trode one upon another he began to preach and expound unto them and this is the first Lesson that he gave them an admonition that they should take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Now by leaven here of the Pharisees some take the doctrine of them to be meant but you know Christ tels them in another place Math. 23.2 3. they sit in Moses chaire all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and doe Yet certainly it may be taken for their doctrine here likewise for they did manage their doctrine with hypocrisie and did not plainly and clearly open the nature of those things the Law spake of But chiefly and especially is meant here by the leaven of them i.e. those private and particular doctrines that they gave out from their owne Sect from their own particular judgment For when they expounded the Law so far as it referred to Moses the Lord Jesus gave them a warrant to heare them but they have private instructions and practices that will be as leaven to corrupt you if you be not very exact I need not to comment upon it for my designe is only to open the nature of hypocrisie and discover it to you both in the Churches of Christ and up and down the world And I have chosen this example of Jesus Christ now it 's mighty emphaticall to consider who are the persons he picks out as who are the subjects of this admonition The Pharisees the strictest Sect among the Jewes those that had the greatest name of Religion that did most exactly outwardly follow all the rules that the Law seemes to command they were expounders of Moses
Law to give you but a short hint of their life and actings they gave themselves up wholly to it so you shall find up and downe all the New Testament they were sequestred persons from all sorts of men must not be so much as touched by any For so it seems there when the poore woman came to Christ and touched the hemme of his garment they wondred that Christ would suffer himselfe to be touched by her being a sinner they were so exact that they would have no legall pollution upon them they would not eat a bit of meat untill they washed especially at a Fast then some of them would even goe to wash their whole bodies for feare any pollution should fall upon them they were so exact that they counted all men but themselves to be sinners these things you shall find up and downe the Scriptures I need not name the places they alwayes were fasting twice a weeke would not touch any meat so exact that they wore schedules about their armes and necks whereon the Law was written the chiefest and most positive Commandements so exact were they as to outward appearance humbling themselves on purpose so that they seemed to be most exact Paul was of the same Sect which he gloried of and yet the most hypocriticall and unworthy generation of men that ever were and the greatest enemies of Christ that ever he had and there 's none he gave that bitter language to as to them They did ever endeavour these two things First To intrap and intangle him with with their questions to make him speake something contrary to the Law Or secondly To blurr him if they could to put a publique blot upon him before the people and such a kind of calumny that they might all hate him therefore the greatest woes that Christ pronounces are against the Scribes and Pharisees But to goe no further observe only this Obs The more outwardly Religious men are without spirituall Principles the more dangerous they are to converse withall there 's a leaven in them there are no such persons so dangerous to converse with the Saints as these a man is gone insensibly and taken insensibly with these things before he knowes where he is the authority of the person takes hold on his heart Can such a person be so and so he is rather fit for heaven then earth and so a man sucks in all the venome of his spirit and opinions and so it was with those that went about to be false Apostles in 2 Tim. 4 chap. they went about cunningly to deale with men and they gained exceedingly and I am confident that in these latter dayes more have been deceived by the seeming profession of men speaking great things and lifted up high in esteeme then by any otherway as they speak lyes secretly and with hypocrisie all their actings and all they did was but hypocrisie But the thing I shall come to is to open hypocrisie Now that which I shall shew in the generall is First what hypocrisie is what the nature of it is 2. and the severall sorts of it 3. how it acts 4. what the characters of hypocrites are how they passe through all sorts of duties Hyprocrisie may be considered these two wayes First as opposed unto the reality of the worke of the Gospell in a mans heart as opposed unto what 's reall in a man that 's hypocrisie when I have an appearance of what I have not that 's the first thing I doe it may be conceive I have this and that which I have not and so hypocrisie lyes in a defect of those Principles that should be in a man it 's opposed unto that reall worke in a mans soule when I act those things outwardly that I have no reall foundation for in my owne heart pray and preach and heare and doe all duties that are suitable to the will of God and no reality of these things in my owne heart nothing within but the stirrings of my naturall affections and the like when as a man hath not that clearnesse of judgement to discerne his owne state and hath not that within him that is reall Secondly hypocrisie is opposed to that inward simplicity of heart and intention in a mans spirit when I doe professe that which I doe not intend that 's hypocrisie when I doe that in the Gospell which my intentions are not reall in and yet my intentions may be reall in the things I doe but I have not a reality in the principle but this is the grossest sort of hypocrisie when it is opposed to that singlenesse of sincerity and intention they are as Stage-players act the part of them they know they are not A man doth out of shew and vanity faigne himselfe to be that which he is not this is the second sort of hypocrisie when I would be counted so for strictnesse and holinesse that I am not and there 's now in the very intention of my soule hypocrisie But hypocrisie may be without the intention where there is not that spoken of in the 1 Philip. 10. that you may be sincere * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a very large word and signifies that cleare judgement a man should have as if he were tryed by the beames of the Sun Now though there be sincerity as to intention yet there may be hypocrisie as to the defect of the reality that should be in a mans soule So that from these two considerations in generall you may see that hypocrites may be of those sorts First a man may be an hypocrite and may not know it he may go on in all sorts of duties of Religion and do all things exactly according to the letter of the Law and do it with integrity in his spirit as he thinks not knowing that he doth it out of any false intention hath not that cunningnesse to deceive as I shall shew you by and by not so cunning a hypocrite as one who deales from the inward wickednesse of his heart on purpose to deceive but yet he goes on and never had the worke of God upon his soule he follows on the outward Letter of the Law goes on in a drudging way he finds some naturall propensity in his spirit to it from ingenuity and common principles which are left in him by the Gospell so a man may be long in duties Paul was so he professeth that what he did was out of Ignorance 1 Tim. 1.13 he did not know he was an hypocrite he had no designe to deceive the world and to deceive himselfe he thought he was an exact man and carried it as clearely as could be he had no designe but to propagate his own principles and he was above all the Pharisees therefore he puts down himselfe as the most zealous of them and surely he had a good intention as to his own thoughts as to designe he was as it were an innocent hypocrite And surely so it was with the
fast-day they go to fast and after they have done their duties they thinke they are secure then they may to their lusts and the world againe more eagerly they may then give themselves a little more way they have been so long in duties and their hearts are now warme to their corruptions after they have done their duties Oh these are the secrets of some mens thoughts and hearts I heard of a known Professor in London who would be all the morning two houres in prayer and then he would say now let the Devill do his worst and then play all his reaâ—s Oh the damnable deceits that are in mens hearts as to deceits in that regard and so a hypocrite if he can but shuffle off his duty thinkes then he may act and speake more freely than if he had not done his duty this is a wicked straine of hypocrisie that is found in many mens spirits Then again Ninthly herein lies the hypocrisie of men in duties that they can be content with the performance of the duty though they have not dealt with Christ in it and gotten something purely from him in it And this my Brethren is a certaine veine of hypocrisie and the common frame of hypocrites they will be upon their knees a long time together and never looke for one reception from Christ and go off their knees though they have not had any discovery of God unto their poore soules at all A Saint though he should pray like an Angell I meane speake the most high and and glorious words in the world and if he should have all the whole world of Saints to applaud him in his duties he would hate himselfe and abhorre his duties and all if he cannot meet with Christ in them it is impossible he should be pleased for his soule is set upon it and it is that which is the object that which the soule hath in his eye he cannot be without Christ The power of a Command will force a hypocrite to his dutie but the reallitie of the enjoyment is that which a Saint lookes after If I have not gotten some love-token from the Lord Jesus if my heart be not in a spirituall frame through the operation of the spirit and communion with Christ the soule is not satisfied looke to your soules what manner of frames you have Tenthly and lastly to adde no more at this time A Hypocrite never grows in or by his duties at all he is the same man he was to his corruptions and enjoyments he may grow more fluent in his expressions mannage them externally more neatlie have an easinesse of utterance and a frequencie but he grows not at all as to inward spirituall enjoyments his corruptions never dye and this is a sad symptome to many souls that have run a long time in duties and no body can perceive the least sensible growth in the world nor they themselves though they have lived so long under the Gospell of the Lord Jesus Christ praying zealouslie with much heartinesse one would thinke and no fruit no corruptions mortified there is no more inward apprehensions of things no more growth than if they had never begun the Gospell now I say that is hypocrisie Now some may say what is it to grow in duties First Then a man grows in and by duties when a man is more endeared to the spirituall nature of those things his heart more affected with the heavenly nature of what he is about Secondlie Then a man grows in and by duties when the soule finds more spirituall power to performe his duties he goes on more easilie more spirituallie and more freelie Thirdlie Then a man grows when a man is fitted by one duty to performe another when in one dutie I pray now I can pray anon in my own heart as to the inward frame I do not speake of the outward expression for that will grow by custome but now I heare and I can heare better the next time be more open to take in the things of God he grows in it so it is as to meditation and selfe examination when I can come and try my own heart now and I can every day get more spirituall insight into my own soule Fourthly and lastly I grow in and by my duties when as I get a dayly life in them an addition a vigour and spirit and life that whereas I began with a fainting spirit and feeble knees my heart now grows warmer every day my spirit grows stronger and as a Child finds dayly strength and vigour of spirit so I find a vigour in my spirit A hypocrite runs his round he grows not at all there is no spirituall motion in him but just the same as to the inward frame of his heart though you and I may thinke he grows yet he doth not grow for all growth is by an addition to the same nature if you should see a heape of stones heaped up you do not say it grows it is not a growth but an adding stones to stones it must be in the degrees and spirit and life of the same nature there lies growth I should now have come to the second thing which is hypocrisie of men in prayer which is a thing especiallie to be discovered for there is nothing a hypocrite is more excellent in than in prayer and nothing he esteemes more than that and there is nothing by which a hypocrite gets more esteeme and a better opinion in the world than by prayer for it is a dutie so much commended in the Gospel that all the worship of God is placed in it My house shall be called the house of prayer it is made the Character of a Saint behold he praies it is that which every Saint hath need of every moment and it is is that the Saints are most in of any other duty in the world and there is the greatest excellency of a hypocrite of any thing and to discover him there you would find him out to purpose for a man in prayer if he hath got that curiositie as some have done he speakes as if he were wrastling with the Almightie and as if he were prompted by some Evangelical spirit and assisted by a mightie spirit from above that a man thinks he is a perfect Saint if he have a mightie fluencie as to expression I should in many particulars have shewed you the deceit of this But I will conclude all with a word or two of Use Use First to every soule to looke to his own heart in his duties there is most hypocrisie in duties more than in any other way of acting there is the closest hypocrisie in a mans duties that can be there is his pride and selfe-ends acted to purpose all other actings are but grosse a man may see them easilie but as to duties they are carried so closely no man can know them Alas if a man should be found in his Studie alwaies praying who would not thinke him an excellent Saint yet he may be
adultery and yet come and appeare before me they had brazen faces for all that they never felt the power of conviction upon their spirits and if God should shew any man any one sin he would never act that sin but he would abhor the very sights of it But there are such poore common generall convictions meerly from conscience conscience hath a power within a man but it never stirs with terrour till God anew as it were shews his sin and his miserable estate by sin by a light from heaven and so sets conscience afresh a working God then gives it a new Commission to charge his soule he goes to duty though he knows himselfe full of hypocrisie yet he can go to duty as quietly as can be a man may know himselfe to be a hypocrite and yet go on in it because Secondly He thinkes he shall weare out his hypocrisie by his duties though he performe them in it though he contract guilt by them and most of his hypocrisie is in his duties and that is exceeding strange but it is most true for a hypocrite thinkes by his duties to weare out all his deceits as he colours his hypocrisie by it so he hopes to weare it out by it he hopes it is a worke of time though he have a bad heart yet he hopes to have a better heart though he never looks to Christ for it Fourthly He hath something at present that he gets by his profession something that is sutable to some end some lust or other of his own and that keeps him up notwithstanding those generall convictions I know not how to call them convictions they are so cold and poore upon a mans heart but he hopes to get something either applause of men to be a good Christian or something to be thought of by men or to get some peace of conscience that the violence and desperatenesse of wrath fall not upon him Aye but Fifthly which is most of all that I may shew you this God doth judicially give up those kind of hypocrites that have begun without him tooke up profession without any workings of God upon their soules he gives them up commonly unto a reprobate mind that you have so commonly named in the New Testament so injudicious as they cannot understand their own condition but go on still see no more in one condition than another but that I may speake of Gods dealing with hypocrites in this way First As I told you God delights to discover hypocrites so he hath most judgements upon them of any in the world and he discovers them commonly either First By some secret giving them up or withdrawing strength giving them up to some corruption or withdrawing strength from them absolutely that they find nothing of former strength at all so he doth many times with those that have lived upon parts gifts and endowments it is ordinary for God to leave them as you have it in John 15. they wither the life and sap that they were wont to have is withdrawn and the spirit is gone so it is with many and certainly that is the Reprobate mind taking away from the understanding that common light that the soule shall only looke after the outward part of a duty but never knew the life of it never understands nor distinguishes when he is in a bad or a good condition Oh! looke after the impression and sence of the things of God upon your soules Secondlie The way that God takes to discover hypocrites he gives them up to some eminent corruption to breake out as to discover them as it was with Judas he had many gnawings of conscience doubtlesse under Christs Ministry alwaies and under Christs eye but he was never discovered till he gave him up to that covetous heart that wicked corruption that lay most in his heart then he was discovered presently then thirty peeces of silver was enough for Jesus Christ Either God gives them up to deadnesse to be twise dead that is dead in their own hearts the meaning is they lost both their naturall affections and the affections they had on their hearts by common gifts and workings they lost both and now nothing takes hold of them or else he gives them up to some eminent corruption that all the world sees there is one never minded the Gospell now it is broke out or else Secondlie As to that head God gives them up unto a despaire which is very common and that is twofold First Either secret despaire they tug in duties may by night and day when they are prest in conscience and they get nothing go to Sermons and they find no blowings of the Spirit no breathings at all upon their hearts and so grow into a secret despaire insensibly Now there is a secret kind of intermission in Saints but this soule goes on and never finds any thing of God or Christ Secondly There is a terrifying despaire which sometimes God gives them up to whereby they are terrified with the hideousnesse of the wrath of God crying out they are damned they are damned and they never commonly get out of it you never heare of any hypocrite in the Scripture that ever got out when God laid a charge upon him because God would have soules walke so purely and clearely with him in all their duties Now as you see how he may know himselfe to be so to be thus and yet act so see the nature of his hypocrisie and take it in short First though he know himselfe to be a hypocrite and to be unsound yet he is loath to have it said so or have it discovered he cannot abide that he would not have any one thinke so though he knows it himselfe but yet would walke so exactly as he could so it was with Balaam Num. 21.22 23. all along how gladly would he have gone to curse the Israelites but God would not suffer him though he knew he was a most wicked notorious hypocrite and a witch too yet how would he pretend to Balack he would go to God he would gladly have done it but God had a mighty check upon him it was a Prophesie to all the world how all dealings with Saints should be though he spoke good things and he could not but speake them yet he would gladly avoid them for the money and still he had an over-awing of God upon him So it is with many hypocrites though they know themselves to be unsound at the heart and bottome yet they would have all thinke well of them what they want of integritie that they would make up in the handsomnesse of their deportment and cariage up and downe the world Secondly Though he know himselfe to be an hypocrite yet there is none will be more censorious of hypocrisie in others even to poore Saints but that is a common rule he will be severe in the censuring of others and he may thinke by that that others may thinke him far from hypocrisie Thirdly Nay what shall I say
in the third place know this though he know himselfe thus to be in that condition yet he never strives to root out the wickednesse of that frame out of his own heart but to smother it and cover it and palliate it from the eyes of men some way or other not to destroy it in his own spirit but smother it so that it may looke Saint-like still but a gracious heart as soone as it discovers hypocrisie as he sees the straines of hypocrisie in his heart he looks to root it out as soone as it is discovered But to speake no more to that let us now come to the application of it to all your hearts First If this be so I beseech you once againe to put your hearts upon the serious consideration and examination of your own estates what are you Now you looke well come to heare you are not in sight so ugly what are you within Have you not strange straines of hypocrisie if you be not hypocrites I beseech you looke seriously to your own hearts this is the end of all this discourse to put men seriouslie upon the triall of their own spirits that they may not be unsound in the Gospell that they may not have a rotten spirit within that the liver and lungs and heart be not corrupted whilest they deale with the great things of the Gospell that is that the faculties of the soule may be purelie acted to God there are more hypocrites now in the world than in any one Age since the Creation it was a hard thing to pick out one formerlie but God will shew many of them in these daies he is a trying the world and as he goes along he will try spirits most Oh you have trials under the Gospell have you got a clearenesse Can you say you have a glorious inward freenesse with God Oh what use have you made of the Gospell Have you inward glorious incomes of God from the breathing in of divine frames in your actings towards God Let me ask you but these common questions First Cannot you find some time to play with your sins sometimes so they bite you not and sting you Cannot you take some recreating times for your sins and corruptions Pray you consider of it a hypocrite doth so he dares not make a trade of it but he will make a recreation of it now and then he loves that he dares not practice you can now and then play with your wanton thoughts as long as they do not fly in your face you can delight your selfe in your secret wishes Oh that I were at it look to your own soules Nay what is this Religion that men speake of do you find such kind of things in your hearts he that can play with sin for recreation can joine himself unto sin for delight and to be one nature with him a Saint hates appearances he cannot endure the thoughts of it Secondlie Are there not some sins you call little sins and some duties you call little duties and some duties that you never lay upon your conscience Look to your hearts in that you are never humbled for the commission of sins or the omission of duties it is a dangerous symptome of hypocrisie A hypocrite will be sure to make distinctions in the Gospell there be some secret workings up of corruptions and sins as vanitie of thoughts distraction in duties and secret risings of corruptions and desires in a mans heart which he never chargeth his conscience withall and some duties he never laies upon conscience so long as he can passe thorough the maine body he never cares for the speciall circumstances of the Gospell A gracious and upright heart saies Shall I call that little that is against the glorie of an infinite God It is the object makes the sin great not the act this dutie hath as much authority upon my heart though never so meane though but to wash a Saints feet as to offer the greatest sacrifices before the eyes of all the world Thirdly Let me aske you this Are you not afraid of trialls and to be throughly discovered to your own hearts Do you not endeavour sometimes if possible to evade the strength of a conviction and the strength of a word from God that is laid upon your heart afraid to looke into your own hearts and see your spirits to be discovered to your selves do not you many times hush conscience and say be quiet conscience stay a while to your own consciences I will be better I will strive against it I will not be thus and thus carried away do you not find these things A dangerous symptome a hypocrite endeavours to evade the authoritie of the Gospell he is afraid to abide the power and the glorie of it if he cannot find out prudentiall considerations enough he will get spirituall pretences he will be sure if he can evade conviction he will do it that is a very dangerous signe And againe Fourthlie Examine your own hearts Is there not some of the fat of the Cattle of the sheep to allude to that of Saul for he was an hypocrite in the going on in your duties reserved Is there not some Agag for honors sake you would keep up 1 Sam. 15 read over that place at your leisure God bids Saul slay the Amalekites destroy them all in the third verse yet he reserved an Agag and the best of the spoile here was the discoverie of his wicked heart he would have sacrificed some of the fat things he had a mind to triumph by Agag he thought it was too much to destroy all those things though God gave a peremptorie command to destroy all I will sacrifice them to God to make an attonement only reserved some of the best to carrie to my people in triumph that they may see the out-goings of God that lost him his Kingdom and discovered his hypocrisie first of any act he had a secret lust to honour himselfe by it have you none of the fat of your corruptions Have you never a lust laid up Is there never a corruption that your soules have countenanced or do countenance It is a dangerous signe of hypocrisie if a man have any thing that the word of God saith is not the mind of God that he reserves in his heart without utter hatred Well look to it I beseech you and especiallie look to that of the triall of your spirits whether you can be willing to be tried for you shall find a hypocrite will appeale to God and his conscience but he cannot endure to be tried by Saints he will appeale to God if it be not so yet he cannot endure to be put to it to have his heart ript open Nay it is very common to say God knows my heart but if you come to try his heart and say how can this grace stand with this corruption he cannot endure that he will hate the thoughts of it And if you do try him him about his estate you must
not debate it with him but you must take it for granted else he will try your graces as well as you try his and question your state as much as you his And then if he be put to it at last as to triall of his own spirit he will save all with a whining confession and that is all you will get of him therefore look to your selves as to these things In the second place I should now have come to have prest on the exhortation of the Lord Jesus beware of hypocrisie you that are Christians you that are reall Saints should beware of it and so to all sorts of professours take heed and beware of it and shewed you these things To have opened the nature of it and the hideousnesse of it And first from the danger of it to your soules it is the most dangerous sin you can have in your soules and that First because it is the last reserve it is undiscernable a man must search as with a Candle that finds it out as the Jews were to search for the Leaven with a Candle and then curse all the rest it is a close sin indeed there are some actings of it that are very grosse but as for spirituall secret hypocrisie in duties compare them with actings they are exceeding close and undiscernable in the soules of men a soule must dig very deep and be very observant and have a watch over his soule every moment if ever he would trie his heart it is so close and so cunning that a man will hardlie beleeve it is there there is such a hidden motion upon a man that he cannot tell how it comes Secondlie beware of it It is infectious it is a dangerous infectious spreading nature it will be over all the faculties on a sudden it will represent you all kind of glasses that can be possible it can in the morning give you one glasse to looke in at noone another glasse and in the evening one different from both take one part of the Law you shall see your selves in it very faire it spreads over all it will it may be begin with your understandings and give you strange sights and apprehensions of God then come in upon your affections upon a sudden and work them to this end and to their end it will kisse and kill at once looke to it for it is the most dangerous sin of any in the world in a mans heart For if the soundnesse be gone from a mans heart what will he do then A man cannot act like a man when the substance of the soule is gone he cannot act neither Scripture reason nor his judgement but a particular close humour Thirdlie beware of it It is the most inconstant in its motions the most various in its representations so many habits and so many formes it will appeare in to you and alter upon every occasion that it is impossible unlesse a man be given up to try his own heart to find it out A heart and a heart you shall have a faire heart now and a wicked heart anon come and talke with a Person now and you shall find them in a good frame so as if they were commanded by the power of of it come an houre after and you shall find them in a wicked damnable straine of spirit speaking like mad men this is most common especiallie come to talke with a man privately what abundance of ingenuitie there is come to another action and at another time and he is not the same man hypocrisie will appeare and this is the misery mens soules are juggled to hell put in so many formes they know not when they are right know not what is the reall complexion they should have in the Gospell it is so various and so cunning it juggles a mans soule to hell Fourthly It is the most odious thing to God of any it takes his name in vaine most of any it is against his simplicitie omnisciencie his puritie God hates nothing more than this state therefore he sets himselfe against hypocrites of all sorts of people in the world I should have come to have shewed you how to avoid it what are the speciall remedies of hypocrisie the speciall things to keep a man from the evill of it the way to preserve a man from this dangerous sin but I would not leave some poore soules without some kind of comfort all this while many will say Alas I am the man I am the woman certainlie I have been a hypocrite all my daies I would only speake a little comfort to such poore soules First know this Jealousie of thine own heart and severe inquisition into it is a good hopefull Character that thou art far off that condition There is a twofold jealousie that therefore you may not be deceived First A jealousie on probable grounds secret and close symptomes and hints from actings which may teach many a soule that hypocrisie may have place in his heart for I find this and that when I come to looke on the whole straine of my life I have not my heart so carried out in spirituall things I never minded this and that in my actings this is a jealousie that may consist with the knowledge of hypocrisie Secondlie there is a jealousie that ariseth from feare and care lest I should be such an one from the hatred of the thing thou seest the vilenesse of it and thou seest thou canst never be quiet till thou hast the clearenesse of integritie made out to thee that is good that is sweet none more apt to censure a Saint than himselfe you know when Jesus Christ made the question about his betraying the hypocrite spake last never spake till he was put to it every one said at the Supper Lord is it I Is it I Every one had rather dye than heare that word spoken but when it comes to Judas he was forced to it at last and yet he would not confesse it but when the conviction lay upon him and he must needs be under it then he went out and that was all you heard of him till he hanged himselfe Secondlie To comfort poore soules they have no reason to conclude themselves hypocrites when they are glad if God by any meanes discover and destroy their hypocrisie whatever way it be for there lies the weight when God shall be blessed for discovering a mans heart to him take this for a rule If a soule can rejoyce and blesse God for his convictions of sin as for his comforts after conviction it is a signe of a most blessed glorious spirit though the sight of hypocrisie be the ugliest sight in the world yet when he sees it he blesseth God for it Thirdlie Never thinke thou art an hypocrite if thy heart is set against the nature of sin and pursuest the enjoyment of the nature of God whilest thy heart is set against the nature of sin and followest on the nature of God that is to be really possessed with a
substantiall enjoyment of God when the very nature of sin is against thy heart and when the nature of godlinesse is in thine eye as to enjoyment to be fully possessed with that Fourthlie know this too Never say thou art a hypocrite when no outward act can content thee though never so glorious without thou hast an inward frame according to that act according to the inward spiritualitie of the Gospell if thou lookest to have thy soule in a frame to thy duty thou needest not feare hypocrisie Fifthly While thy soule is as much troubled for omission of thy duty as for commission of thy sin thou needest not feare that thou art a hypocrite while thy soule is as much troubled for omission of a duty or an act of faith or closing with Christ or of any outward duty wherein thou hast enjoyed Christ as for commission of sin thou needest not feare thou art a hypocrite Sixthly and lastly thou needest not feare thou art a hypocrite whilst thou hatest thine own strength in thy duties as much as an outward act of sin or the most distemper of thy spirit or a corruption done in the wickednesse of thy heart I speake only this a little to divert the thoughts of poore soules that say I am certainly under this frame of spirit But looke to your own hearts every one if you find all these or any of them in any life upon your soules you are free from that state but if you find not such an universall opposite nature to sin but a frame to sin against God if you find not such constant pure frames in your owne spirits as to principles intentions and ends you will never be able to free your selves from such a state and condition SERMON VII LUKE 12.1 Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie I Have endeavoured in many exercises to open to you the nature of hypocrisie and have told you the sorts of hypocrites that are up and down the world and in Churches Now in the latter daies they grow more glorious than ever therefore Christs exhortation had need be more pressing formerlie hypocrisie was coursely cloathed could hardlie step out among the Saints they were so prying and so cunninglie carefull to observe the dangers of the Devill in times of danger and persecution Now when the Sun shines faire daies againe Religion seems to flourish in the outside of it and there is a benefit by the name of it men will be very glorious in hypocrisie and if ever there were need to presse Christs exhortation it is now upon all sorts of men and professours among his owne disciples there was one among twelve he bids them beware take heed It is a good caution for them all Saints are subject to the straines of it many times without they have an abundant care in their own spirits Therefore that I shall do is still to presse this exhortation upon your hearts that it may take some weight and impression for beleeve it however you looke upon your selves or whatever thoughts others have of you we had need to tell you to beware of hypocrisie the better you are thought of the more danger And you may remember the last time first I told you you had need to looke to your own spirits concerning this sin because of the danger of it in its nature and workings Secondlie because of the uglinesse and vilenesse of it of all other sins in the soule how it is that which is perfectlie against the nature of God his holinesse and simplicitie his faithfulnesse and realitie to the Sons of men how it is that that makes a man like the devill most of any sin he will beleeve and is convinced of the things that the Gospell speakes of that they are true but here lies the greatnesse of his wickednesse the cunningnesse of his deceit that he sets up an art of deceiving in the world to deceive the Sons of men that they should not beleeve the word of God there is none like the devill so perfectlie like the devill as hypocrites I have chosen you twelve and one of you is a devill none is called a devill in Scripture but he and there lies the sutablenesse that he is a lyar and hypocrisie is a perfect lye in the soule Then I shewed you the uglinesse of it likewise that it doth indispose the soule to every thing that is good when one is in the best frame as it were that spoiles all it is of a poysonous nature I shall go on to shew you what is that you must continuallie look after if you meane to beware of it and prevent it as the care and remedie of this sad condition Therefore first as to the generall and as the maine thing if ever you meane to beware of hypocrisie you must principle your hearts and farnish them with all the graces of the spirit you will never be sincere else you will never be sincere till you have all graces and the workings of them proportionable in your soules and spirits Ephes 3. he begs of them to go on and this I pray that your love may abound more and more in all knowledge and in all experience that you may be able to approve the things that are excellent that you may be sincere Phil. 1.9 A man must have all judgement a discerning eye for sinceritie doth not lye only in the intentions of men but in the reall workings of all the frames of the soule of all the graces as they are in the heart when a man can approve the things that are excellent that is he can judge them and try them and act them as they are discovered to be truths that is sinceritie for sinceritie is not so much a distinct grace as a result of the harmonious workings of all graces in the soule there must be a rectified mind to make a man sincere for it is not a good intention that will make an action good or make you sincere in any action but as it flows from inward reall frames and principles that are sutable Peter was an affectionate man and he said to Christ when he told him of his sufferings spare thy selfe do not go and suffer he did it out of a good intention but he was rebuked for it he had a cleare intention would not have the least hurt come to Christ but it was against the designe that Jesus Christ came about therefore he said get thee behind me Sathan It was not that sincerity therefore the Apostle saith that you may be sincere Oh that sincerity of soule it lies in those two things that you may be sincere you must be able to judge and approve things that are excellent First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies such a straine as is without any mixture hath no composition of any forraigne thing in it when every thing is pure in its native colour you must prove all things be able to try all things and have a judgement of them that you