Lords prayer 1 Hee separates the Conclusion or Doxology from the Preface hee saith Our Father with all his heart and is willing to take acquaintance of God so far as to have a Father in heaven But when hee should come to the Doxological conclusion hee hath no Praise Kingdome power Glory Majesty Dominion to ascribe to God hee is better in the beginning of his duties worse in the end better at prayer than at praises Now this is the proper work of Saints yea of heavenly Saints and Angels to bee full of praises and to close their duties with highest admiration of God and hearts brim full of his excellencies apprehended The sincere worshipper is best at last hee begins full of self ends full of God His heart the longer hee hath been at duty is like the water that hath been over the fire grows hotter and hotter at length it boyls and runs over the poor narrow vessel cannot hold it while the fire burns so the godly say their heart hath burnt within them and even boyled over Psal 45. 1. Ebullivit cor c. their hearts have been in heaven when in praises and admirations of God 2 Hee separates the Petitions an hypocrite may say the three last Petitions no hypocrite doth say the three first Petitions with his spirit and understanding 1 An hypocrite may with all his heart say Give mee this day my daily bread Give mee Lord health peace plenty give thy blessing to mee my children my labours state stock bless my going out coming in adventures c. Here hee lefts up the voyce and weeps Hast thou no blessing for mee Bless mee even mee Oh my Father 2 Hee may pray with all his heart Forgive mee my trespasses forgive both guilt and punishment restore mee to thy favour as though I had never offended though hee doth but faintly promise to forgive others that trespass against him 3 He may pray with all his heart Deliver mee from evil i. e. from the evil one from Satan from his hands malice mischief Good Lord deliver mee but from tentations of Satan motions to sin occasions of sin departure from God unbeleef hardness of heart hee prayes not against them hee saith but faintly Lead us not into temptation 2 But for the three first Petitions hee cannot pray them at all 1 To pray that Gods Name may bee hallowed and Gods glory may bee exalted in every thing and take the precedence of his own name honour interest peace comfort so that God may bee magnified by his life or death what cares hee this is onely the frame of the truly gracious soul Father save mee from this hour but why should I pray to bee saved from this hour Father glorifie thy Joh. 12. 27 28 Name Let mee rather want my daily bread than thy Name want his glory Let come on mee what will or can so that thy Name may get glory let mee decrease so it may increase here in sincerity 2 No hypocrite doth pray Thy Kingdome come Come Lord Jesus come quickly but rather stay a while noli modo come not yet yet a little sleep and a little more slumber no hypocrite doth pray that the Kingdome of God should come into him in his life it is enough for him to come into the Kingdome of God at his death The hypocrite comes to God as a poor man to his neighbour when hee knows not what in the earth to do Sir I am come of a great errand I pray lend mee such a summe of mony so saith hee Lord lend mee thy helping hand and relieve mee in such a case and hee doth to God as Saul to his Unkle tells of his business his way and his Asses not a word hee speaks of the Kingdome 1 Sam. 10. 16. the childe of God comes and sayes Lord I have a great errand to thee it is about a Kingdome I come and not a Kingdome for my self but thee I have a rebellious untoward heart of my own Lord subdue it Blessed bee the Kingdome Lake 19. 38. that comes in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Let thy Kingdome come let it come to day before to morrow Bee like the Roe and like the Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Hee came Cant. 8. 14. to God of the same great errand Israel came to David with Behold thou art 2 Sam. 5. 1 2 3 our bone and our flesh wee want a good King wee come to offer thee a Kingdome to set up thy Kingdome and to anoint and chuse thee to bee King over us say us not nay make a League and Covenant with us 3 No hypocrite can pray Thy will bee done c. Onely the sincere soul saith that Petition Let thy will bee done not mine what thou commandest let it bee obeyed what thou imposest let it bee born give strength patience peace support rather than deliverance out of affliction It is written of mee that I should do thy will Agreed I would it might bee saith hee to God as Laban to Jacob according Gen. 30. 34. to thy word Lord with all my heart I had rather serve God than reign over men rather have the grace of obedience than the gift of working miracles Thy minde to mee a Kingdome is Da quod Jubes Jube quod vis Command first a Mallem obedire quam si possem miracula operari Luther willing minde then command whatsoever thou wilt I would Lord thy will should bee done in every thing yea I would have it done as well on earth as it is in heaven no grumbling repining questioning gain-saying no halving no halting or imperfect obedience to God no faint cold dead performing of any holy service but let thy will in every part of it bee observed punctually readily cheerfully universally let thy commands bee obeyed continually totally inwardly holily conscientiously and let thy worship bee performed purely spiritually livelily heavenlily Angelically Divinely perfectly with all the heart and minde and soul and strength and joy and delight Thus much for Prayer 2 For hearing I will not say but an hypocrite may hear much and often but hee doth not take heed how hee hears Hee is one of Ezekiels hearers or comers who Ez. 33. 31 32. say Come let us hear what is the word that cometh from the Lord they come and sit and hear as my people but they will not do my words for with their mouths they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness But he is none of Isaiahs hearers or comers who say Come let us go to the house of the Lord and hee will Isa 2. 3 4. teach us of his wayes and wee will walk in his pathes An hypocrite may bee a great Sermon-hearer cannot bee called a Sermon-follower hee hath the ear tipt or the tongue tipt but hath not as the Priests in the day of their Consecration and the Leper in the day of his Purification had their ear and the
wings a peece they had also hands under their wings and feet besides And it is said their appearance was like burning coals and their motion was like a flash of lightning Here was nothing but activity and readiness for service with the greatest expedition Let mee quicken you with a few Motives 1 Look you faile not of grace for if you do you will faile of glory and faile of Heaven Heb. 12. 15. you read of failing of the grace of God Rom. 3. 23. you read of failing or falling short of the glory of God It is the same word faile of grace and faile of salvation By grace you are Eph. 2. 5. saved The Schollar must bee at School fitted for the University or hee cannot bee admitted there is not the place to learn his A B C or his Eight parts of Speech and the Christian must bee in the School of the Church trayned up and made fit or meet for that heavenly society here practise the singing the Songs Psal 137. 4. Rev. 14. 1. 3. of the Lord in a strange land that hee may sing them the readier upon Mount Sion The childe usually lives not when borne that had not his due time and growth before borne if wee dye before the time before wee have had our due formation and qualification for our translation Christ formed in us there is no possibility of living there The stroke of death and bar of judgement fit no man for heaven There is not the time and place of conversion The stone and timber was hewed and fitted in Lebanon there was no hammer to be used in the building You must get your 1 King 6. 7. work done here in the Grave is no place of opportunity 2 If you faile of True grace the grace of God it is all one you will faile of salvation There is no base mettal currant in heaven but such as hath the Image or superscription of God upon it It must have solidity and weight The Lord weigheth the spirits They must have their weight Thou Lord hast pleasure in uprightness requirest truth in the inward Prov. 16. 2. 1 Chron. 29. 1â— Psal 51. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 12. 9. Eph. 4. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 12 parts It must not bee the Kings stamp upon Adulterate Coyne It must bee faith unfained love without dissimulation holiness of Truth sincerity of God or nothing 3 If you shall faile in the number and measure of growth and degrees in grace I will not say but you may bee saved that is it is possible but you will have a hard bargain of it to bee as Peter saith Scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4. 18. or as Pauls phrase is to come off with some loss or difficulty and bee saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 15. Whereas as Paul saith If you come behinde in no gift of grace you may with comfort wait for the appearing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 7. And Peter saith If these bee in you and abound an abundant or open and easie entrance will bee granted to you into 2 Pet. 1. 8 11. the Kingdome of God 4 On the other side True Grace attained and maintained gives True peace of conscience and security to the soule in whatsoever distresses If pressed above measure even to despair of life the conscience is full of rejoycing upon the testimony of simplicity and godly sincerity that 2 Cor. 1. 12. not in fleshly wisdome but by the undoubted grace of God such have had their conversation in the world Such may say with holy Job Though hee kill mee I will trust in him but I will maintaine my wayes Job 13. 15 16. before him hee also shall bee my salvation for an hypocrite shall not come before him Such may as Peter saith When the heavens shall pass away with a hideous noise and the elements melt with extremity of heat and the 2 Pet. 3. 10 13. earth with all therein bee dissolved then mâ—y they according to the promise of God expect a new and better heaven and a new earth Yea such shall have a heaven on earth such shall see the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven Yea saith Rev. 21. 2. Christ to such I will make him a Pillar in the Temple of my God and hee shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of Rev. 3. 12. my God the New Jerusalem which cometh down from my God out of Heaven and I will write upon him my new name 5 Which is more This is the onely way to glorifie God and his glory is much more to bee prized than our glory yea than our salvation To seek our own glory is no glory especially in competition with Gods glory Prov. 25. 27. and it is less sincerity Joh. 7. 18. God hath no glory at all upon earth but from a few sincere gracious souls of whom God saith This people have I formed Isa 43. 21. for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise And the godly have learnt to set a higher price on Gods glory than their own salvation as did our Saviour Joh. 12. 27 28. When hee first prayed for himself My soule is troubled Save mee c. hee gives that over with submission Thy will bee done I came therefore to this houre But bee I saved or not saved Father glorifie thy Name and in the Lords Prayer we are taught to pray first Hallowed bee thy Name and then Thy Kingdome come A godly soule like his Saviour Jo. 17. 4. Desireth first to glorifie God then that God should glorifie him True Grace doth not onely procure to the soule an heaven upon earth but to God an heaven on earth And hee doth seem to rejoyce more and so do the heavenly Rev. 11. 15. 12 10. host when the Kingdomes of the earth are become the Lords by a considerable increase and addition of new godly Converts then that the Kingdome of heaven is the Lords I read that Israel in the day of their solemn Thanksgiving and Rejoycing Exod. 15. 2. did proclaime God to bee their God and did promise to prepare for him an habitation It is more piety to prepare the heart for an habitation for God than to desire God to prepare heaven for an habitation for us 6 Lastly Bee diligent to get to keep to exercise to increase and improve Grace you will live usefully cheerfully fruitfully you will dye hopefully joyfully heaven-fully and enter into heaven with full assurance by a free and open passage 2 Pet. 1. 11. Now to conclude the Use with a few Directions 1 If thou wouldest not meet with Capernaums sad disappointment in the end Luke 14. 28. when thou first makest entrance begin and count the cost and resolve to goe through or never begin Resolve to regard neither winds nor clouds or never lay thy hand to the Plough nor go out Eccles 11. 4.
power that is they should not know what death was nor feel the stroak of it so it is said Christ tasted of death Heb. 2. 9. Will any say hee had but a smack of it and a little sense of it hee found by woful experience how dreadful it was in all his attendances and circumstances his soul was heavy to death upon the thought Such a kinde of penetrating and heart-amazing experimental knowledge and application may an hypocrite have of those future things Death Heaven Hell Judgement and Eternity Here wee see at present a short Ladder of five steps wee shall shew longer afterwards of twenty rounds a peece whereon hypocrites are climbing up towards heaven but not as Jacobs Ladder whose Gen. 28. 12. top reached to heaven foot stood on earth the top of this is towards heaven the foot in hell there Angels ascended and descended here ascendunt Angeli decidunt Diaboli they ascend as Angels fall as Lucifer ascend as Lights fall down as Lightning you would think at their first appearance you saw the Witches apparition Gods ascending out of the earth but 1 Sam. 28. 13. they prove cursed ghosts and depart with horror they that fall from this fifth Loft are not like Eutichus taken up for dead and after recovered but are like them Act. 20 9. stricken in the fifth rib never recover if they fall away it is impossible to renew and fetch them again unto repentance the Apostle saith vers 6. CHAP. III. Many Reasons of the point SEcondly having cleared this Truth by many sad Instances wee shall come to shew the Reasons of it Reason 1. You may often finde as bad people at Capernaum as in any part of the world worse than at Sodome our Saviour tells us here The Sun that whitens the Cloath tans the Blackmore the Gospel to some the savour of life is to others the savour of death to death As by the Law so by the Gospel in this sense is the knowledge of sin it worketh wrath Law and Gospel enter to some place among Rom. 3 20. Rom. 4. 15. Rom. 5. 20. some persons that the offence might abound There was a Sodome found in Israel in 2 King 23. 7. 2 King 17. 9. Josiahs dayes The children of Israel did secretly the things that were evill There is many an Achan goes out with the Hoasts of Israel many a Satan presents himself before the Lord among the Sons of God Many a cursed Doeg detained before the Lord many a Judas with his hand in the same dish with Christ such as partake of the Lords Table and of the table of Devils Among my people are found wicked men the Lord complains Yea they Over-pass the deeds of the wicked none so bad as they Among great pretenders to extraordinary piety such as devoure widows houses and live in monstrous sins and prodigious lusts They are nigh God in their mouths far off in their reines Jer. 12. 2. They sit before mee as my people but their hearts goeth after their covetousness As once there was not found so great faith no not in Israel as in a heathen Captain so oft Matth. 8. not such unfaithfulness and horrid impieties in a heathen Nation as in Israel 1 Cor. 5. 1. sins not so much as named among the Gentiles were once found to their shame in a Christian Church Reas 2. All at Capernaum are not called The outward and inward Call go not alwayes together mans teaching and Gods Grace and the means of Grace The word of Grace and the work of Grace Ordinance and Obedience are oft great strangers They who are well acquainted with the grace of truth are utter strangers to the truth of Grace All are not called There is no universal Redemption for there is no universal Election no universal Vocation There was many a widow in Israel that Elias never was sent to but to one in Sarepta Many Lepers in Israel not cured by Elisha All among whom the Gospel is sent are not saved by it There are some that hear and do not understand as the high-way ground some that understand that do not beleeve like that blasphemous Pope Leo the Tenth that called the Gospel a profitable fiction many that beleeve that do not obey Now none are called effectually called according to the purpose but such as obey There may bee many in Capernaum who see more mighty works hear more powerfull preaching receive more Sacraments have Sabbaths better spent and joyn in many Fasts who know â—ear profess more than others yet what singular thing do they they repent not beleeve not obey not they are in heaven as to profession but in hell as to conversation as proud worldly prophane sensual brutish as any other therefore after this lifting up to heaven in a vain presumption follows a sad throwing down to hell in desperation 3 All that are called are not chosen as our Saviour often said Many are called few chosen Salvation and Election are of equall latipatency and extent salvation Rom. 8. 30. and effectual calling but not salvation and external calling All that are called are not called and chosen and faithful as Gods people are Rev. 17. 14. All that are among the Israelites are not of Israel as the mixt multitude called outwardly or moved inwardly yet not with right aims and principles all that are of Israel are not the Israel of God There is a Jew outwardly and a Jew inwardly And there is a Jew without who is a Samaritan within sworn enemies to the Church and people of God as those perfidious ones who were in confederacy Neh. 6. 18. with Tobiah against Nehemiah There are such who profess to know God more than others that in their lives deny him more than others Tit. 1. 16. such who have more of the form than many â—ho have less of the power of godliness than any other 2 Tim. 3. 3. Like Judas an Angel in his speech a Devil in his heart his expressions were heavenly his affections hellish 4 The case of such is worse than other mens because the greater mercies offered and means afforded if sleighted the greater Jo. 15. 22 24. is the sin and danger If I had not come amongst them they had had no sin The more light the more love the more strivings the more convictions the more offence what makes the sin against the Holy Ghost the unpardonable sin but because it is committed after so much light and love and conviction and experience committed against Law and Gospel and promises and is a pure despite of the Spirit of grace and a trampling under foot the blood and Covenant of Christ Sodome had no sin at all comparatively none To him that knoweth to do well and doth it not to him it is sin Sodomes brimstone burnt not so extreamly and is not so bad as Gospel dust What made the Angels fall irreparable Adams offence inexcusable Elies sons sin inexpiable The Talent-receivers neglect
another God is not called faith or Rom. 14. 22. hope but the God of them but hee is called Love hee is so Essentially There â— Joh. 4. 8. is little of this to bee found in the world much talk of faith little shew of love No unregenerate person doth love God hee may fear him c. doth not love him his minde is rather enmity no hypocrite can love God hee may beleeve in him cannot love him Many may fear God and perish beleeve and perish none can love and perish O yee of little faith Mat. 8. 25. 26. was the reproof of the weak Disciples once O yee of little love is the charge of the unsound Professors alwayes God hath three Churches or Families 1 The houshold of faith the Church visible wherein are hypocrites and sincere ones 2 The houshold of Truth the Church mystical wherein no hypocrite but all sincere though not perfect 3 The houshold of Love the Church Triumphant where onely sincere and perfected Saints inhabit They who have now truth of love shall triumph in love and become holy and unblameable before God in love Eph. 1. 4. Where their love made perfect shall not onely cast out fear and what hath torment but faith 1 Jo. 4 18. and hope and whatsoever implies a state of imperfection 2 This Love must bee a labouring not lazie love Labour of love once and again 1 Thess 1. 3. Heb. 6. 10. Faith hath his work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but love his Labor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this word which signifies Labor signifies Extream hard and painful Labour Nothing takes so much pains as Love and nothing makes pains seem so little as Love Diligentia comes of Diligo and our best diligence comes onely from Love That is best love which is expressed in diligence that is best diligence which flows from love The Lord calls not for sacrifice but obedience nor obedience so much as love To them that love mee and keep my Commandements in the Law And in the Gospel God calls for no works so much as for Faiths and no work of faith so much as that which worketh by love and for love no such love again as that which Gal. 5. 6. hath life and spirit in it and will take some pains in the work of God nothing is so active nothing so co-active as love The love of Christ constrains Fear may 2 Cor. 5. 14. restrain an hypocrite Love constrains onely the sincere Christian Force doth constrain an unwilling minde Love doth sweetly set afire the willing minde There needs no Law bee given to compel the Ant and Bee to labour or the voluptuous man to pursue pleasures the worldly minded man spares no pains to serve his Mammon Hee that loveth learning gets up early sits up late to get it But there is a great deal of lame obedience in the world because so much lazie love Wee love an easie Religion and the cheap Gospel and a salvation which costs nothing But how can wee say wee love God where there is so little labour Love to the world wee know love to pleasure or learning wee know but wee may say How delleth the love of God in us 1 Joh. 3. 17. How sad a charge is that of Christ to some hearers I know you that you have not the love of God in you Joh 5. 42. There are four things remarkable in the beloved Disciple above all the rest 1 That hee lay nearest to Christs bosome at the Table Jo. 13. 23. 2 Followed Christ closest to the High Priests Palace Jo. 18 16 3 And stood close to him at his Jo. 19. 26 Cross 4 To him Christ commended the Jo. 19. 27 care of his Virgin-mother The Disciple of love is the onely one who holds out and to whom the whole charge of Christ and honour of Religion is committed 3 The last Nutritive grace is Hope backt with patience patience of hope 1 Thes 1. 3. where these two meet all is safe Hope is our Anchor patience is the Cable that Heb. 6. 19. holds it Hope makes not ashamed but it Rom. 5. 5. is not the hope of the hypocrite tyed to a Spiders weâ— but held fast by the strong Job 8. 14. rope of patience The good ground in the Gospel was sown in hope mixed the word with faith received the truth in love and therefore brought forth fruit Luke 8. 15. with patience There are many storms to bee endured by the Christian which were it not for hope would break the heart and hope is long held in hand by delayes the hope is deferred which were it not for patience would give up the Job 11. 20. Ghost But hold fast hope and patience and heaven is yours you shall inherit the promises Wee have as much need of patience a passive grace as of faith love and other active graces saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 36. Bee not yee therefore slothful saith hee in the same Epistle but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 12. Thus wee see the three great Nutritive graces wherein every hypocrite is defective Faith Hope and Charity These three must not bee idle nor solitary but must bee attended with their three seconds Faith and Work Love and Labour Hope and Patience Faith must work by Love Love by Labour Labour must plow and sow in hope and hope must reap with patience I might adde to these a fourth incremental and growing grace viz. Heavenly-mindedness which where ever it takes root causeth the soâ—â— to shoot with the increase of God When trees root downward and shoot upward too then they grow indeed when wee are rooted in humility self-denial and mortification as wee said before and shoot upward in heavenly-mindedness Then wee grow indeed from children to men Wee reckon a childe grown a man when hee hath put away minding childish things and when wee put away the minding earthly things and betake our selves to the minding of heavenly we are men indeed men of God The Christian is therefore described by such characters Hee walks with God dwels on high rides upon the high places of the earth savours Gen. 6. Isa 13. 16. Isa 58 14. Col. 3. 2. Phil. 3. 20. things above hath his conversation in Heaven These never fear them they never miscarry But no hypocrite is heavenly minded hee may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 16. never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super sapere not quae suprâ hee may bee high-minded and high languaged never heavenly-minded heavenly-mouthed may bee but never heavenly-hearted Heavenly-mindedness is our onely Theatre or Jehovah-jireh in this Mount the Lord Gen 22. 14. will bee seen on this Pisgah of Divine Contemplation the promised Canaan is Deut. 34. 1. descryed afar off In this Mountain of Heavenly-mindedness is the souls transfiguration made No man perisheth that Matth. 17. 1 2. is heavenly-minded In
vain is the snare laid in the air to catch the bird the danger is when shee comes down to the ground The way of life is above to the wise to escape the snares of death below The Christian must bee an Amphibion not live wholly in one element but his body on earth his soul in heaven like the Eagle whose food is below neast on high shee comes down for necessity to bait and water and upon the wing again So should the Christian in using the world as not using it have to do with it for necessity then up again to 1 Cor. 7. 31. God again I am continually with thee Psal 73. 23. as the Dogs at Nyle or Gideons Souldiers at the Rivers side lap or sip and away Judg. 7. 7. or as Elias eat and drink a little then high us to Horeb the mount of God Hee is a poor Christian who like the Reubenites 1 King 19. 8. hath all his Inheritance and business on this side Jordan but hee happy who like the Manassites hath one half on this side the other half on the other side Jordan CHAP. IX Of the three Crowning Graces whereof the Hypocrite is ever found defective FOurthly The hypocrite is ever found wanting in the Crowning and perfective Graces whereof I shall name three Integrity Integrality and Perseverance The Scripture speaks of a threefold Perfection of Christians answerable to which are these three Graces 1 There is a perfection of hearts And Asahs heart was perfect This is the 2 Chron. 15. 17. perfection of Integrity 2 Perfection of parts as the body when it hath all the members Lev. 20. 21. So when wee are perfect and intire wanting nothing Jam. 1. 4. So that wee come behinde in no gift c. 1 Cor. 1. 7. This is the perfection of Integrality 3 When wee hold out to the end this is the perfection of Perseverance Both Hebrews and Greeks have one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies both the end and perfection There is no perfection at all if it endure not to the end The Apostle 1 Thess 5. 23. hath a most significant word The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies properly to sanctifie you totally and finally There is Integrity Integrality and Perseverance all three together 1 Integrity is the first Crowning and Gen. 6. 9. Job 1. 1. perfective grace it is often called our Perfection It is the shining grace and the varnish that sets off all other graces with a lustre It is that which constitutes a Christian and is of his very essence No sincerity no Christian It is not onely a grace but the Grace of all graces whence they all are denominated and grace is no more grace if sincerity bee wanting Faith is not faith if it bee not unfained faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor is love love if not without dissimulation 1 Tim. 1 5. 2 Tim. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 9. nor is holiness and righteousness any thing if it want Truth Eph. 4. 24. This makes a Christian currant though hee want some graines as Asa his heart was perfect 2 Chron. 15. 17. without this hee cannot pass An hypocrite wants many things but sincerity most hoc unum deest therefore hee miscarries The worm never breeds but in the sappy unsound wood The Apostle calls sincerity Incorruption Eph. 6. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Compare those two Texts Heb. 2. 4. and Heb. 10. 38. And you may collect this that hee whose heart is not upright in him is first lifted up then drawn back then God draws back too and hath no pleasure in him then God leaves him owes him a shame layes a stumbling Ezek. 3. 20. block in his way hee falls foulely and desperately at last as Judas Ananias Saphira Alexander the Coppersmith who had they been sincere they had never drawn back unto perdition It is a rule in Nature all corruption comes from composition therefore all sublunary bodies decay but what is uncompounded is incorruptible the heavens are such bodies a quintessence therefore decay not all corruption in a Christian comes from composition where the heart is not single but any mixture of guile such hold not out pray for sincerity rather than singularity for integrity of heart rather than eminency of parts 2 Integrity is ever accompanied with Integrality which is the best discovery of sincerity This is our next perfection The Christian must bee a compleat man his Armor is a compleat Armour and his obedience must bee compleat to stand Eph. 6. 13. Col. 4. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 7. compleat in the whole will of God Hee must come behinde in no gift grace or duty that hee may wait for the appearance of Christ Jesus Hee must bee perfect and intire wanting nothing His whole soul and body and spirit must bee sanctified Jam. 1. 4. 1 Thess 4. 12. wholly Universality is one of the best notes of a Christian though one of the worst of the Church Dolus latet in particularibus sinceritas patet in universalibus I may say here deceit lyes in particulars sincerity in universals Where you see one walk in all the Ordinances of God call him sincere as Zachary and Elizabeth where Luke 1. 6. you see halting in one as the young man hold him suspected yea where you see one do many things as Herod if not all one is none and many is none All or nothing See then that no grace want her mate as it is said Thou hast zeal it may bee but is thy zeal coupled with Es 34. 16. Rom. 10. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 5. knowledge knowledge thou hast but is it accompanied with vertue thy vertue with faith thy faith with love thy love with obedience obedience with conscience conscience with sincerity sincerity with integrality Then there is no danger but all is safe But wee may write of every hypocrite what wee do of some books that had been excellent if some peeces had not been lost desiderantur non-nulla some thing is wanting the book is imperfect and no body can tell what to make of it It is not Agrippas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his almost will serve or Herods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many things Mar. 6. 20. But Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 15. Grow up to him in all things and Christs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 15. 14. Yee are my Disciples if yee do whatsoever I command you yea Christ hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both Matth. 28. 20. Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I command you c. 3 Perseverance is the last crowning grace and is heir apparent to the Crown of glory These three graces last named are like King Davids three several 1 Sam. 16.
and to bee called Rabbi Rabbi The Doctors that had so much in them as Pareus notes vers 7. 7 They had long prayers and large consciences They made long prayers yet made no conscience of rapine and oppression They could precari praedari both pray and prey vers 14. 8 They were men of cruel and merciless dispositions to such as fell into their hands they made no bones or scruple to devour and destroy a family yea the house of a poor helpless widow adding extremity to affliction 9 The hypocrite is more zealous to make a Proselite to his opinion and to promote his private interest in Religion than to promote the power of godliness Vers 15. Identity in opinion is more looked at by him than sincerity His Pepuza is Jerusalem as Eusebius relates that Montanus called a paltry Viliage in Phrygia where his cursed doctrine was received And so hee becomes one of their way they care not what he is for his heart or life let him be double a childe of hell to what he was before they regard not Whereas the sincere desire that those who come in to them should first give themselves to the Lord and then to them according to the will of God as the Apostle 2 Cor. 8. 5. saith of the Macedonian Converts 10 The hypocrite never wants his distinctions and evasions to mince and extenuate some sins as to swear by the Temple or Altar lawfull by the gold or gift sinful Excellent Casuists Take an hypocrite without a distinction at any time and hang him up as wee say Hee can make one thing sinful at his pleasure and the like to it lawful ver 16 17 18 19. 11 He is a man of a more scrupulous than tender conscience stumbles at a straw leaps over a block kecks at a gnat swallows a Camel stands strictly upon tything Mint Annis and Cummin but Mercy Justice Honesty Love or to injure oppress defame slander are nothing with him vers 23 24. 12 He scruples eating with unwashed hands more than praying with an unprepared heart and makes more matter of observing that one tradition of washing the cup and platter than of the six Commandements of the second Table Lastly he is one who is all outside hee is like unto a whited sepulchre he prefers Cauté above Casté and had rather his dead soul should lye in a fair Sepulchre than a living soul in a homely outside v. 27. he crieth out Blessed is the man whose sin is covered but not he in whose spirit is no Psal 32. 1 2. guile SECT 4. Another Glass for the Hypocrite discovering him to bee made up of Contradictions and Divisions To discover the Hypocrite somewhat more fully here shall one Glass more bee set before him shewing him his face in his many Contradictions and Divâ—sions 1 He is made up of many Contradictions viz. 1 Hee is one of too much conscience and of too little 1 Tim 4. 1. The Apostle sheweth that in these last dayes many Apostates and Hypocrites should creep abroad Speaking lies in hypocrisie having their conscience seared with an hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meat which God hath created to be received c. First you see they have too much of conscience they scruple marriage and meats which others scruple not Yet secondly you may see they have too little conscience none at all unless a cauterized having their conscience seared and as much as they scrupled meats and marriages they made no scruple of Lying speaking lies in hypocrisie as in the Kidneys or Bladder oft-times an ulcer and a stone meet the ulcer soft the stone hard but between soft and hard the man dyes so this seared and scrupulous conscience often meet to destroy the soul 2 Hee is All-eye and No-eye Hee is All-eye Argus-eyed Hee can spy the least moat in anothers eye which a sincere eye cannot discern And he is no eye to see his own beam which he that hath Mat. 7. 3. but half an eye cannot but discern None so blinde as hee none so quick-sighted as hee 3 So is he all ear and yet heareth not Having ears yet heareth not Mat. 13. 14. Hee is the greatest hearer and the least doer The Popish Confession is onely Auricular to the Priest and his Profession is onely Auricular profession Hee heareth the Priest not God Isa 42. 20. Seeing many things but thou observest not opening the ears but he heareth not But Auricular confession and Auricular profession may go together they are both bad 4 Hee is the most faire and the most foule Christian most faire outwardly to man most foule inwardly as to God If you would see a Sepulchre you cannot desire a fairer if a course you cannot imagine a fouler 5 None is more desirous to be known none so afraid to be known he is desirous his words profession and some of his more publick acts should be known but he would not for all the world his heart his intentions ends aimes and private carriage should be made known His Rule is for the former Bene qui placuit bene vixit for the later Bene qui latuit bene vixit 6 He is the most desirous to please and the least desirous To please God is no part of his business which is the whole of a Christian Col. 1. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 9. But to please men is his whole business as to the Comedian Id sibi negotii solummodo imposuit sibi populo ut placerent c. 7 He is the most and least for self the greatest and least self-lover for his body name state advantage none truer to self-interest as to soul conscience heaven hell none is more regardlesse of self hee can trust God with his soul without any hesitation when hee will trust none of them all neither God nor man with his outward state 8 Lastly he is wholly made up of Contradiction his heart and life contradict each other his word and thought his saying and his doing his Church-carrtage and his Closet-carriage and his profession and conversation do all jar and contradict one the other Et sibimet disconvenit ordine toto he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semper idem in the neuter not in the masculine gender He is alway the same thing h. e. an hypocrite not alway the same man Thus much for his Conâ—radictions now for his Divisions in the next place 2 He is made up of as many Divisions as he is of Contradictions As 1 Hee is a constant divider between the form of godliness and the power none hath more than hee of the former none 2 Tim. 3. 5. less of the latter 2 Hee divides between sin and sin some sin is venial some mortal Idols he abhorreth Sacriledge hee alloweth and Rom. 2. 22. committeth the one are Antichristian and Popish the other is Christianity and Piety with him Ahabs Prophets and Idols go to wrack Jeroboams Calves
of God in them Lev. 10. 3. 3 And with a serious self-recollection and examination after Luke 24 32. As the Disciples asked each other If they did not feel their hearts burn within them while Christ opened to them the Scriptures 8 Study to keep down high and swelling thoughts and dwell much in thy own heart to keep thee humble Tecum habita noris quam sit tibi curta supellex Reflect upon former miscarriages or defects and as Schollars that aim at a progress Look back upon former exercises to correct and amend the weaknesses in them Let thy profiting daily bee seen to thy self and others none take hurt that 1 Tim. 4. 15. are looking forward and going on It is the Carters Proverb Cart never overthrows going up hill Fear descents and declinings And study thy present wants and pray Lord make mee to know how fraile I am The horse wee say were a dangerous creature if hee knew his own Psal 39. 4. strength man is a more dangerous no danger in an humble knowing thy own weakness In te st as non st as said holy Austin when thou standest in thy own strength thou staggerest and when thou risest in thy own strength thou risest to take a fall And let the forwardness and higher growth of others lately thy equals or juniors if not shame yet provoke thee to a holy emulation and ambition to out-strip both thy selfe and them as Paul who when time was had profited in the Jewish Religion above all Gal. 1. 19. his equals and after in the Christian Religion 2 Cor. 11. 5. hee came behinde none of the chiefest Apostles but could say in truth 1 Cor. 15. 10. Hee had laboured more than they all 9 Seek to get a heavenly heart and pray much for such a heart that thou mayest even rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and account it thy meat and drinke to bee Phil. 4 4. Jo. 4. 34. doing his work Work never goes on well till wee take delight in our employments neither do men thrive in their Callings till they take a kinde of felicity in them Set thy affections on things above especially get that pitch of spirit as Col. 3. 2. Psal 37. 4. Psal 73. 28. to delight in the Lord to say It is good for mee to draw nigh to God The warme wings of the Hen makes the drooping Chicking to thrive and battle The comfort of Gods presence makes all grace to thrive The joy of the Lord is the Christians Neh. 8. 10. strength it is said it is the strength of his heart of his graces of his duties as well as of his joy and comfort When the poor Israelitish servant saw hee was well used and could not tell where to mend himself for a Master hee would not change but offered his ears to bee bored so will it bee with us Seek to get a love and Exod. 21. 5 6. liking to thy Master and to his work and thou wilt never repent thee of it 10 Lastly to name no more Bee much in Prayer and pray the Lord himself to bee thy keeper to keep thee as the Apple of his eye and to give thee a heart Psal 17. 8. Prov. 7. 2. to keep his Commandements as the Apple of thine eye Beg of him according to his gracious promise to Circumcise thy heart to put his fear in thy heart that thou mayest never depart from him and that hee Deut. 30. 6. Jer. 32. 39 40. will not depart from thee to do thee good While Moses his hands were lifted up Israel prevailed Amalek when they hung Exod. 17. 11. down and if you note you shall finde then have many been intangled and overcome by error worldliness impiety and Apostacy when they have restrained and intermitted prayer before God Urge the Lord with the like Arguments that Joshua and Sampson sometimes used When Israel accustomed to continual victories came to receive a foyl from the men of Ai Joshua falls on Josh 7. 6. 7 8 9. his face cries out Alas Lord What will become of us And what will become of thy great Name Would to God wee had never come over Jordan Wee fear now the Canaanites will gather head and cut off our name from off the earth c. q. d. Wee reckoned our selves now in sight and as good as in possession of Canaan now to meet with such a disaster it amazeth and breaketh our hearts So mayest thou say Lord shall all my profession end and break off thus Would to God I had never gone so far or ever been a Professor at all rather than not to hold out Lord what is become of all my former hopes and thy wonted helps But for thy Name and Honours sake I urge and importune thee I have no greater Argument then to say What wilt thou doe unto thy great Name Lord who shall lose more I or thou Whose Name will have more dishonour Thine or mine If my name were blotted and blotted out from under heaven it were no great matter but I would bee loath to live to see the day when thy Name should receive the least blot or blemish by my means Or with Sampson say Shall I after such a deliverance and victory over the uncircumcised now perish with thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised again hee throws away his Jaw-bone which was the instrument of his victory and falls to prayer and the Lord cleaves a hollow in the Jaw-bone and a spring breaks out whereof hee drinks and recovers himselfe and to make the Well more memorable hee calls it Enhakkore as if hee should say Here is the fruit of prayer Here is the Well of prayer Judg. 15. 18 19. So mayest thou say Lord I have by thy help overcome some of these uncircumcised and now shall I fall under their hand or shall I after such experiences and encouragements dye of a spiritual thirst I shall not in despondence cast away my profession and faith as hee did his Jaw-bone but I will to prayer as he did and I may have an Enhakkore too a Well to quench the thirst of him that called on the Lord. All my fresh springs Psal 87. 7. are in thee and so both digged Wells at first and opened when stopped as the Philistims had stopped the Wells that Abrahams servants digged Gen. 26. 18. Prayer is that which opens them and makes them flow CHAP. XIX The Conclusion with an Use of Comfort HAving now gone through the maine Vses of the point I shall close up with an Vse of Comfort that our Sun may not set in a cloud and our Ark bee left in the deep tossed with the waves of a long continued Deluge but resting on Gen. 8. 6. the mountains and wee will uncover the top to let in a little light of comfort from heaven upon a perplexed soule And if I should bee the shorter herein you need not marvel for the Text hath not
said Psal 72. 16. There shall bee a mighty increase and rich return to such blessed souls Thou mayest perhaps Reader think mee to dwell long upon this point I answer with Davids words to his brother And is there not a cause I shall confess the truth I have a designe upon thee but it is an honest one The self-same design I would have thee have upon Christ I would not leave thee till by importunity I have prevailed with thee to go to Christ that thou mightest go to Christ and not leave till by thy importunity thou hast prevailed with him to come to thee Importunity prevailed once with a sterne and unjust Judge Luke 18. 5. And shall it not with a meek Saviour It fetched water out of a flint that was dry and shall it not draw milke out of breasts that are full Oh that thou wouldest hearken unto mee in this as Jotham said That God may hearken to thee Do but try and do thou shew the same unwillingness to part with Christ as once Elisha did to part with his Master Tarry thou here saith hee three 2 King 2. 2. c. times for I am sent to Bethel said hee then to Jericho then to Jordan and hee as often doth reply with a peremptory resolution As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee Do thou so and thou shalt not bee shaken off And bee confident it will bee said to thee as it was to him at last Then tell mee What I shall do for thee Elisha before I go aske what thou wilt then saith hee Let mee have a double portion of thy spirit A hard request said Elijah my only request said Elisha Do thou the like Lord if I may not have thy bodily presence let mee have thy Spirit and a double portion of it There is nothing hard with thee I know my request is great I confess not hard hard for mee to aske not for thee to grant and it is easier for thee to bestow than for mee to beleeve it so Persist and thou hast prevailed Take unto thy self words and if thou receivest a repulse sit not down by it but redouble thy importunity Take Jobs words If I hold my tongue I shall give Job 13. 19. up the ghost I must speak I must and will have an answer what ever come of it Take the Churches words Lam 3. 49. 50. Mine eye trickleth down and ceaseth not without any intermission Till the Lord look down and behold from heaven For the Lord will not cast off for ever But though hee cause grief yet will hee have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies vers 31 32. yea take the Lords own words and humbly retort them Hos 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel say thou Lord How shall I give thee up then How shall I deliver thee and part with thee then How shall I be made as Admah and set as Zeboim Oh let thy heart bee turned wthin thee and thy repentings let them bee kindled together 8 The eighth coming is to come to Christ with self-denial Matth. 16. 24. If any will come after mee let him deny himself c. Now there is a threefold self to be denied 1 An Evill 2 A Civill 3 Holy self 1 Evill self Nicodemus denied his evill self when hee came first to Christ by night Joh. 3. 2. to become his Schollar and to bee informed by him in matters of Religion hee denied his Civil or Secular self when hee openly avowed and pleaded for Christ Joh. 7. 50. But hee went further when hee owned a crucified Christ and joyned in the charge of his honourable burial Here was a Jo. 19. 39. totall self-denial or more plainly in Paul who denied his Evil self at the first call when hee said Lord what wilt thou have mee to do Act. 9. 6. his Civil self hee denied when afterwards hee said I am ready to bee bound and to dye for the Name of Act. 21. 13. Jesus but his denial of his holy and Religious self was highest when hee said I count all loss and dung even my righteousness and all that I may win Christ and bee found in him c. Phil. 3. 8 9. Wee come not to Christ at all if wee come not off from all things else and relye alone on him If our branches to allude to Ezekiels Parable when they grow up shall lean to any other Eagle any other Ez. 17. 6 7 8 9 10. prop to bee supported and nourished by that hee might water it by the furrows of her plantation Shall they prosper shall not the root thereof bee pulled up and all the fruit cut off and all wither when the East wind cometh yea they shall wither in the very furrows where they grow But the example of all examples in this As in all our other duties is Christ himself who bids us follow him and go no further than hee goes before us Hee had indeed no Evil self to deny but what a proof of high self-denial did he give in the first step of his humiliation When hee left a Kingdome and glory in heaven to become the Son of man and when hee refused a Kingdome on earth when offered Io. 6. 15. and almost forced on him was not here a mighty Civil self-denial as when hee refused all the Kingdomes of the world tendred by Satan upon base and dishonorable termes hee shewed hee had no Evil Mat. 4. 10. self to bee corrupted and wrought upon hee denied his Spiritual self when hee said I came not down from heaven to do my own will but the will of him that sent mee Jo. 6. 40. It is as if hee had said to his Father If I have a body or a soul If I have life limbs honour esteem all shall go to do thee service I am content to do thy Psal 40. 8. Mat. 20. 28. will I came not to be ministred to but to minister And to his Church hee said If I have grace spirit righteousness soul body bloud any thing that may do poor sinners good all shall go if you want righteousness merits comfort come to mee you shall never want while I have ought yea let me be taken so that these may escape Io. 18. 8 9. saith hee to his enemies and as Judah to Joseph Let mee bee bound and Gen. 44. 33. remain a Bond-man I refuse it not Let not my poor brother for whom I have undertaken suffer yea further said Christ Let mee bee poor so they may bee inriched 2 Cor. 8. 9. let mee bee a curse so they bee 2 Cor. 5. 21. blessed yea let righteousness and all go and let mee bee made sin so they may become righteousness before God I am content yea he did not onely deny a civil and an holy self but a Divine self when hee was content his glory should bee vailed as Moses his was