have it 2. He thinks he hath true grace and will not be perswaded to the contrary as one of a thing he dreameth 3. That the Hypocrite himselfe be he here a member of a true visible Church and never so glorious a professor is in Gods account and in truth no Christian no more then the picture of a man is a man Nor is part of Christs mysticall body more then an artificiall Eye Tooth or Legge is a part of the body to which it is annexed And yet for his outward appearance he is said to be in Christ Io. 15. 2. Every Branch in me that beareth not fruit c. Rom. 2 17. Matt. 23. 27. Ye are like painted Sepulchres which appeare beautifull c. Rom. 2. 28 29. He is not a Jew that is one outwardly c. Rev. 2. 9. Them that say they are Jewes and are not c. Rev. 2. 2. and 3. 9. That the works done by the Hypocrite albeit they are sometimes said to be works done because they seem so to others and so they think themselves Psal 78. 35 36. Yet are they not works really and truly done nor done to or for God and therefore he doth look upon and account of them as workes not done at all or as evill deeds Hosea 10. 1. Israel is an empty vine c. Esay 1. 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices c. Who hath required this at your hands c. Bring no more vaine oblations c. Esay 58. 5. Is this the fast that I have chosen c. Zach. 7. 6. When ye fasted c. did ye at all fast unto me even to me And when ye did Eat and when ye drink in your holy feasts did ye not Eat for your selves and drink for your selves Hos 7. 14. They have not cryed unto mee when they howled c. For as the prayer of the heart not uttered by the mouth is notwithstanding a Prayer in Gods account so the Prayer of the tongue not in the heart may be said to be no Prayer to God at all 1 Sam 1. 13. In this sense Rom. 2. 28. it is said that Circumcision outward and not in the heart is no Circumcision And so for the common Graces or gifts that are in the heart of an Hypocrite albeit they be sometimes for the likenesse they have to the true Graces called by their names Esay 48. 2. Io 2. 23. Esay 58. 2. Micha 3 11 17. yet coming from an evill man and out of an evill heart they cannot be good Mat 7. 11. 12. 35 The Lord doth not account of them nor are they to be esteemed in a Theologicall or spirituall sense as any Graces at all no more then painted fire is fire or a thing a man doth fancy in his dreame the thing it selfe or counterfeit coyne true coyne And as God herein takes the will for the deed in that which is not so in that which is the deed without the will not to be at all hence it is Io. 6. 64 70. that Judas albeit he had a temporary faith yet he is said not to believe But for the Text objected in Mat. 23. 24. That from him that hath not that hath not indeed shall be taken what he hath These words are in Luke 8. 18. Resolved and expounded thus And whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have or thinketh he hath Ob. It may perhaps be farther objected that the oyle which the foolish Virgins that were Hypocrites had was the same kind of oyle which the wise Virgins had Matt. 25. 1 2. c. Ans For Answer to this we say 1. That Theologica parabolica non est argumentativa 2. That it is true that the text saith that the foolish Virgins had oyle in their Lamps but it cannot appeare by the text to be of the same kind of oyle that the wise Virgins had Nor is it probable to be so for the wise had their supply about them but the foolish theirs from without them We grant the Hypocrite to have seeming Grace or gifts but not of the same kind with the true Christian whose oyle is of another kind fed by the spirit of God within him which spirit the Hypocrite hath not His seeming grace hath no rooting as the feed of the stony and High way ground and the building on the sand It hath not the causes of the true Graces that are in the heart of the true Christian it is not so rooted and bottomed upon Christ and his spirit it works not so downward to break and humble the heart for sinne and that out of a deep sense of the love of God and Christ so as to engage and fasten in it a root and foundation of love towards God and his people for his sake that can never be razed out but will be increasing and growing still according to the promise of our Saviour Ioh. 14. 16. 17. And I will pray the Father he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever The Hypocrite is a tree that beareth fruit like as the true Christian doth but not a good tree and therefore bringeth not forth good fruit as the true Christian doth But the common grace of the Hypocrite is a loose and slight piece of work in the soule an opinion and fancy of Faith Joy and Peace like to a building on the Sand and to a rootlesse plant standing on his own bottome and loose and not engrafted into the tree Without any true love to Christ sense of sinne change of the heart or any such like thing and therefore will not stand under any storme will not abide any Temptation but will fall downe dry and wither away and come to naught Ob. But it may perhaps be farther objected out of the Parable of the divers sorts of hearers Mat 13. That the same kind of grace that was in the bad hearers was also in the good hearer and differed only in degrees Ans To this we answer That the scope of that Parable is only to comfort and satisfy the Disciples as touching the fewnesse of them that did receive the Gospell and profit by the Preaching thereof And it was to lay open the various effects of the Preaching of the Gospell the meanes of begetting and increase of the saving grace of Gods elect and of the common grace of the Hypocrite by the comparison of the Sower and his sowing of seed corne in the ground That the effect thereof is various according to the ground in which it is cast That where the word falls into a stony heart Ezech. 36. 26. and a heart lost in the love of the world Jer. 4. 4 James 4 4. 1 Jo. 2. 19. Which is alwaies a wicked heart there it is fruitlesse and lost But where the word meets with a good and honest heart which is a heart broken and contrite for sinne and a heart that loveth God more then the world of
so the Christian hath after Christ and therefore the true Christian soul doth long for his appearing and the consummation of all things Cant. 2. 4. 8. 6. and 7. 12. And till this may be attained and for the present he hath a desire of union with him an earnest desire after and delight and reioycing in the manifestations of his presence by his Spirit within and amongst his people and in his ordinances without as the wife hath in as near an approach to and entercourse with her Husband as she may Cant. 1. 2. and 2. 4. and 8. 14. and 4. 16. and 7. 11 12. Is 26. 2. Jer. 22. 24. In order to this 1 The Spouse of Christ doth alwaies entreat him and wooe him for his company Cant. 2. 7 8 9. 2 She doth enquire after him where she may meet with him and they may have conference together Cant. 1. 7. 3 She makes her way through all difficulties to come to him Cant. 5. 7 8 9. and 8. 7. 4 She when she hath gotten him labours by all means to keep him with her and not to let him go And for this 1 She is glad and takes hold of all opportunities whereby she may manifest her love to him Cant. 7. 12. 2 She labours in every thing to please him give him all the content she may and every way to seem as lovely to him as she may and is very careful not to grieve him Cant. 2. 12. and 8. 2 3. And therefore 1 She is mighty careful to keep his commandements as a wife to keep the charge of her husband in head heart tongue and life Iohn 14. 15. 21. 23. and 15. 10 14. 2 She will suffer any thing from him as his rebukes c. John 21. 15 16 17 or for him 1 Cor. 13. 4. 3 She will part with any thing to him or for his sake Luke 13. 28. 1 Cor. 1. 4. 4 She loves all his friends and doth manifest it by doing all she can for them especially for their soules and is extreamly glad with their prosperity and sad in their adversity 1 Pet. 1. 8. 1 John 3. 13 14. Iohn 21. 15 16. 3 And she is extreamly troubled when he is gone especially if she find he hath received any discontent and she will not be quiet till they be friends and he come again Cant. 3. 1 5 6 and 6. 2. But the love of Christ that is in the heart of the Hypocrite it is not such a love it is not so rooted and grounded in Christ or in the heart and therefore fadeth and dyeth in times of persecution nor doth it arise from the love of Christ to him and the view of Christs loveliness nor is it a pure love for Christs sake but from the love of himself nor are there such effects as we have observed to be in the heart and life of the true Christian but the contrary therof are found to be in him For this pretended love towards Christ such as it is is onely or especially for some outward advantage that hee that loveth hath or hopeth to have by Christ as Saul loved David for the ease he gave him by his Musick 1 Sam. 16. 21. And so many of them that followed Christ and had some love to him that they did herein was doubtless for their outward advantage only therfore upon the least occasion of dislike they took offenâ—e at something in his work or words when they saw it to be more for their outward advantage to leave him they fell off from him Luke 9. 57. A certain man said unto him Lord I will follow thee whither soever thou goest And Jesus said unto him Foxes have holes c. but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head Mark 10 17 18. 19 c. There came one running and kneeled to him saying Good master what shall I doe that I may inherit eternal life c. And he said Go sell that thou hast c. and thou shalt have treasure in heaven c. and follow me And he was said at that saying and went away grieved for he had great possessions The stony ground hearers Mat. 13. 21. when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended Joh. 6. 26. Ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled Labour not for the meat which perisheth c. Joh. 6. 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him SECT VI. 5 In their love of the Saints The properties thereof The true Christian doth love the godly and those that are true Christians and so he must doe or he cannot be a true Christian Joh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know ye are my disciples if ye love one another 1 Joh 2 9 10 11. and 3. 14 15. And so we have said that there is and may be in an Hypocrite a kind of love to the godly also but with these differences 1 The sincere love of the true Christian ariseth from Gods love in him 1 Joh 5. 1 2. Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him that is begotten of him 2 It is a pure love For 1 It is from the heart that is pure being purified by Faith 1 Tim. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 22. 2 Because God commands it 1 Iohn 4 21. 3 He loves all the Saints Phil. 1. 1. Col. 1. 3 4. 4 It is for Gods sake as the child that doth love for the Fathers sake because he beleeveth them to be Saints beloved of God and because he seeth the true Image of God upon them which is beautifull in his eye and the more thereof he seeth upon them the more he loveth them And because there is a likeness and relation between them and him as children of the same Father there is a Brotherhood between them and they are follow members of one body 1 Iohn 5. 2 3 and 4. 21. and 5. 1 2. Mat. 10. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 17. 1 Cor. 12. 12 25 26. 3 It is an unfeigned love moved and carryed out for the good of him that is beloved 1 Pet 1. 22. Vnto unfeigned love of the brethren c. Heb. 6. 10. 1 John 3. 17. 18. Rom 12. 9. 4 It is a kindly affectioned love Rom. 12. 10. like the dear love between Father and Children 5 It is a courteous love it maketh him courteous towards him that is beloved of him 1 Pet. 3. 8. Love as brethren c. be courteous 6 It is a servent love 1 Pet 1. 22. See that yee love one another out of a pure heart servently 1 John 3. 16. 7 It is a real love 1 Iohn 3. 16 17 18. Wee ought to lay down our lives c. But whose hath this worlds good and seeth his Brother have need and shuteth up his bowels of compassion c. Let us not love in word c. but in deed and in truth 8 It is uniting
good spirit ineffectuall to those who are so happy as indeed to have it Was the title of the Athenian merchants any worse to their ships which came into the Piraea or Port of Athens because the madd man in the story thonght and confidently said they were all his May not those who have good and well disposed eyes see and certainely know the objects they looke upon are immoveable and fix'd because they who have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quibus omnia rotari circumferri videntur thinke otherwise The mad man in the Tragedy said and I doubt not beleived it too that he saw two sunnes and another Thebes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet those who were not guilty of so much Phrensie did and might trust their owne eyes that both Thebes and the the sunne were single The Church of Rome was sure enough of the truth of her beleife by the Ghospell and the good Spirit of God confirmeing and witnesseing the truth of it to their soules even then when Donatus sayd that the Church and Spirit of Christ was onely in him and his faction Those first and commonly call'd purest times haveing a Vid. Jrenaei lib. 5. advers Haereses cum Epist Erasmi Nuncupatoria Augustinum de Haeresibus ad Quod vult Deum cum Notis Lamb. Danaei Gen. 1595. Philastrii Brixiensis Catalogum Haeresium cum Supplemento Helm 1611. Epiphanii Responsad Epist Acacii Pauli libros 3. adversus Haereses as many and as wild Heresies as we now The truth is the errors and heresies of those who confidently pretend to the Spirit of Christ but have it not are no prejudice to or argument against those who are so happy as to have it but that they may and ought to rely upon the witnesse and Divine testimony it gives to the truth So that their faith and theirs onely is divine not onely respectu objecti the sacred word of God containeing the truthes beleived but respectu principii too the regenerateing Spirit of Christ from whom their understandings have divine illumination to know and strength and confirmation to beleive and obey the truth 4. I have onely this to add that this witnesse and testimony of the spirit is onely argumentum ad intra a convinceing argument to him that has it whereon he may rely and be assured himselfe not argumentum ad extra whereby he may convince others This is that inward witnesse which did so confirme the primitive persecuted Christians in their faith so persuade and convince their understandings of the present truth of the Ghospel and that all the gratious promises contained in it would be fulfilled and made good for the future that they who could not dispute could and did dy for their faith and that with so much courage and miraculous constancy as amazed their persecutors and made even the Pagan world beleive that such strange courage and confidence in the losse of what this world calls dearest livelyhood life too could not proceed from any principle lesse then divine Whence it was that Sanguis Martyrum was semen Ecclesiae the death of many old gave life to more new Christians Sed manum de tabula enough of this Rat. 6. If saveing and common grace be essentially the same then irregenerate and impious persons who may and many times have common graces might be call'd and indeed were as truely gracions and as truely beleivers as the best Saints and Sonns of God although not in so high a degree For by this hypothesis against which we now dispute they have as true faith and grace as regenerate persons themselves seeing common in the wicked and speciall grace in the regenerate are by this hypothesis essentially the same For as the smallest wire of good gold is as truely gold as the whole wedge though not so much and as a body hot in the second or third degree is as truely hot as that which has heate in the 6. or 8. degree So if common grace in hypocrites and saveing grace in the Saints be essentially the same then such impious persons for common grace may be in such may be justly call'd as true beleivers and as truely gratious as the most regenerate persons in the world But this is certainely untrue and repugnant to the receaved and cleare principles of Divinity and Philosophy too The Morall Philosopher truely tells us that a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist de moribus lib. 2. cap. 5. Commentatores universi ib. virtus est habitus rectâ ratione electivus prout vir prudens definiverit So that he that has not morall prudens that great Virtus directiva has indeed no morall vertue for all vertues as Philosophers b Vides is Aristotelem Ethic. lib. 6. cap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem habent A. Aphrodisaeus G. Pachymerius G. Burlaeus Commētatores in Aristotelem universi ut Scholastici ut videre est apud Aquinat 1. 2. Quaest 63. Art 1. c. quem sequuntur Medina Suarez Vasquez Universa Scholasticorum turba universaly aggree sunt in prudentia connexae Now c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Qui voluptate corruptus est ei statim principii videndi facultas eripitur neque cernere potest se hujus rei causa omnia agere opor tere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Ethic. lib. 6. cap. 5. Vide Aphrodisaeū Averroem Eustratium Hyperiū eâ de re idē asserentes Aristotle saith truely that no vitious person is or can be prudent vice and the irregular passions in such corrupting that great vertue And ergo wicked men whatever common graces or vertues they may seeme to have neither are nor can be truely vertuous no not in respect of Morall vertues 2. And. ergo much lesse in respect of those vertues we call Theologicall as wanteing faith which is the first and foundation of all Theologicall Vertues and Christian prudence all wicked men being in scripture phrase and really fooles But I shall not insist upon this which I believe no sober person will deny if they should 'tis by a Vid. Baron Exercitat de Fide c. Art 30. pag. 279. Rat. 7. others proved 7. M. Baxter b Aphorismes in explicat Thes 69. pag. 277. tells us 1. That the wills acceptance of Christ is the essentiall forme of saveing and true justifying faith 2. That love to Christ as our saviour and Lord is c Ibid. pag. 266. essentiall to this acceptance Whence I inferre thus If the essence of saveing faith consist in accepting Christ and loveing him as our Lord and Saviour then those who doe not so love and accept him have not the essence of saveing faith but no irregenerate person lett him have what common faith he will doth so accept and love Christ as it evident and ergo No irregenerate person hath the essence of true saveing faith Now this being granted it further followes That common and saveing beliefe are not essentially the same
disobedient and impenitent are meant and by those tht love him the contrary regenerate and penitent persons 2. Irregenerate persons let them have what common faith you will obey not God nor the Ghospell of Jesus Christ and therefore they love him not If any man love me he will keepe my word saith our a John 14. 23. all that love Christ keep his commandements aud ergo those that keep not his commandements as Hypocrites and irregenerate persons doe not doe not love him Vide H. Grotium in versum 24. Qui precepta mea non observant ut mundani homines ij me non diligunt c. Saviour and my Father will love him c. But enough of this for I am ashamed to prove a truth so evident in Scripture so Catholikely receaved and beleived by the Christian world that I hardly ever heard of any save a Pelagian or Socinian who beleived that Hypocrites and irregenerate persons either did or could really love Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour especially with such a love as is essentiall to justifying faith and that as the b M. Baxters Aphorismes in Explicat Thesis 69. pag. 277. forme of it seeing it is impossible that such love should be in an unregenerate person for if it be then either it is there without faith and to say this implyes a manifest contradiction to the nature of the thing For how can the essentiall forme of justifying faith be where justifying faith is not Or if it be sayd that saveing faith and this love are both together in an irregenerate man this will be to say that an injust and irregenerate man hath justifying faith which is no lesse a contradiction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Barlaam de Primatu cap. 14. pag. 120. Editionis Salmasianae Barlaam said in the like case How can these things consist with reason or sobriety Rat. 8. If common saveing beleife be as is affirmed essentially the same then suppose Cajus for instance while he continues irregenerate have an Historicall or temporary faith produced by reading the Gospell the helpe of good education and industry and afterwards be regenerate it followes that all which he hath from the regenerateing Spirit of Christ can be onely a greater degree of that faith which quoad totum esse was in him before his regeneration and then justifying and saveing faith is not donum Dei quoad esse but onely quoad gradum so that the essence of saveing faith and that includeing a reall love to Christ as our Lord and Saviour we shall owe to our selves and naturall abilities the degree onely to the regenerating Spirit of Christ which is directly contrary to expresse Scripture resolved to be so by the Ancient Church and in terminis condemned not by private men onely and particular persons but by a Vid. Concil Arausicanum 2. Can. 4. 5 6 7 8. apud Franc. Joverium pag. 44. 45. Sect. 1. Class 2. Councilium Carthag Anno 418. Impp. Honorio 12. Theodosio Coss Can. 112. 113. apud Justellum in God Can. Eccles Africanae pag. 294. Hist Pelag. Vossii parte 2. lib. 3. Thes 1. deinceps Councels as a Pelagian and hereticall Doctrine contrary to the faith of Christ and the truth of the Ghospell But it is objected that love may be essentiall to faith because 't is agreed that Fiducia is an act of faith and that in the will and not onely b Ubi supra The Saints everlasting rest part 3. c. M. Baxter but c Bellarmine de Justificat lib. 1. cap. 6. pag. 2121. Tom. Operum eius 4. Ingolst Bellarmine and many Reformed Divines say so and put Fiducia in the very d Catechis Palatinus Part. 2. Quaest 21. Ursinus ibid. pag. 108. Calvin Insâ—it lib. 3. cap. 2. ¶ 12. pag 187. definition of saveing faith as if there were no e Calvine ibidem ¶ 16. saveing and true faith without that Fiducia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so Calvin too severely determines Fidelis non est nisi qui divinae erga se benevolentiae promissionibus fretus INDVBITATAM Salutis expectationem praesumit In Answere to this so far as it may concerne our present purpose I say 1. It is not rationall to put this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fiducia in the Definition of saveing faith it being manifest that this Fiducia is not an essentiall but graduall perfection of faith It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a higher measure and degree of saveing faith such as all should labor after though all are not so happy as to have it There is a a Math. 6. 30 8 26. Gal. 4. 19. Rom. 14. 1. Grotius in Math. 8. 26. Ostendit Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. trepidam illam formidinem prolem esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact in locum pag. 45. C. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Non dicit incredulos sed parvae fidei nam cum dicunt Demine servâ— nos fidem monstrant quod autem dicunt perimus non est fidei illo enim simul navigante non erat formidandum little and Weake faith which may coÌ„sist with doubteing as well as a great and stronge faith which hath full assurance and fiduciall confidence The weake faith of a doubting Christian may be as good and sincerely true though not as great as his who hath fiduciall confidence He that should define Calidum to be that which had Calor in gradu 7. vel 8. Were fouly out in Philosophy seeing Calidum in gradu 6. aut 7. Is as truely hott as that in an higher degree and he is no lesse mistaken in Divinity that defines faith by Fiducia because there may be and many times is true faith which is not in so high a degree of perfection As in the naturall man there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hippocrates calls it Deliquium Animi in Celsus his language a sowneing wherein a man is so far from being sure that he is alive that he knowes not at all for the present that he lives So there may be in great temptations and desertions spirituall sowneinges and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein even a good Christian may be so for from assurance of Eternall that he may doubt of his Spirituall life whether he be really in Christ or no. 2. But that this Fâ—ducia is not in the will nor is any Act of it an ingenuous rationall a Rob. Baronius Exercit. 3. Art 19. ¶ 4. pag. 241. person gives us 2. Reasons 1. Thus Diffidence which is the formall opposite to Fiducia or confidence is not in the will but understandinge ergo Fiducia is there too The consequence is evident from the nature of such opposites which are allwayes circa idem apta nata esse successive in eodem subjecto so if ignorance be in the understandinge science must be there too if Caecitas be in the
leasi degree of saving Grace c. 9. sect 4 What seeming Grace a Hypocrite may have c. 5. p. 91 92 c. Difference between true counterfeit grace p. 96 97 98 99. The difference between the spring and motion of true grace in the heart of the true Christian and the spring and motion of counterfeit grace in the heart of the Hypocrite c. 6. p. 106 c. H. Hatred of the godly a sign of hypocrisie c. 8 Of sin a sign of sincerity c. 6. sect 18 Heart Cleansing of it a sign of sincerity c. 3. p. 39. c. 8. 224. sect 3. 14. 17 Hipocrisie See Hypocrisie Hipocrite See Hypocrite Holyness of heart and life a sign of sincerity c. 8. sect 4 6 What appearance hereof may be in an Hypocrite c. 8 sect 4 6 Humilitie What of this may be in an Hypocrite c. 7. p. 1 69 Wherein this and the true humility in the true Christian differ c. 7. p. 163 A sign of sinceritie c. 7. p. 209. c. 8. sect 5. 13 Hypocrisie What it is c. 1. p. 7 The nature of it c. 1. p. 7. c. 2. p. 21 The parts or kinds of it c. 1. p. 11. c. 2. p. 17 Some particular kinds of hypocrisie c. 2 3 Wherein it consisteth c. 3. throughout How it may be in a thing done from the heart c. 2. p. 29 30 31 Hypocrite who p. 7 How called p. 16 Who were such p. 12 The gross Hypocrite c. 2. p. 20 The refined hypocrite c. 2. p. 24 How far an hypocrite may go in the way to heaven And what he may doe and have in common with the true Christian c. 5. throughout c. 8. p. 217 In general c. 5. p. 73 In particular for his outside c. 5. p. 76 For his inside c. 5. p. 82 83 c. For his inside and outside together c. 7. sect 18 19 20 What it is that carrieth him so far p. 93 Why he goeth no further p. 101 Wherein they differ And the true Christian goeth beyond the Hypocrite c. 6. throughout c. 9. sect 3. In his inside In the principle and spring of Grace in the heart c. 6. p. 106 In the exercise or proceed of it p. 111. c. 7 In the frame of his heart in the good hee doth evil he suffereth for good c. 7. p. 179 In his outside or outwork c. 7. p. 120. and so forwards Some special signs degrees or pieces of Hypocrisy c. 3. throughout and c. 8. through The danger of it and motives against it in general c. 12. throughout And in services c. 13. throughout Helps against it c. 14 c. 11. throughout I. Illumination See Knowledge Joy VVhat joy or peace of conscience an Hypocrite may have c. 5. p. 87 Wherein this and the true joy of the true Christian differ c. 7. p. 164 Judgement See Knowledge K. Knowledge What knowledge an Hypocrite may have c. 3. sect 3. c. 5. p. 83. c. 7. p. 125 Wherein this and the knowledge of the true Christian differ c. 3. sect 3. c. 7. p. 125 127 128 L. Light See Knowledge Love of God What love of God may be in an hypocrite c. 5. p. 89. c. 8. p. 220. Wherein this and the true love of God in the true Christian differ c. 7 p. 131. c. 8. p. 221 The signs and properties of this love of God c 7. p. 131 Love of Christ What of this may be in an hypocrite c. 5. p. 89 Wherein this and that true love in the true Christian differ c. 7 p. 136 The signs or work of this Love c. 7. p. 136 Love of good men VVhat of this may be in an Hypocrite c. 5. p. 90. Wherein this and the true love of the true Christian differ c. 7. p. 142 How this love doth shew it self c. 7. p. 142 Love of the Word of God What of this may be in an Hypocrite c. 5. p. 90. c. 8. sect 12 Wherein this and the love of the true Christian differ c. 7. p. 147 Love of Grace and the means thereof what of this may be in an hypocrite c. 5. p. 90. c. 7. p 151 Wherein this and the true love of the true Christian differ c. 7. p 150. 151 Love of enemies a sign of sincerity c. 7. p. 207 M. Memory What may be in an hypocrite c. 5. p. 83. Mortification What may be in an Hypocrite and wherein the difference is between him and the sincere Christian c. 7. p. 184 O. Obedience What the Hypocrite may doe as to his external obedience c. 3. p. 39 40. c. 5. p. 76 Wherein the difference lyes between his and the obedience of the sincere Christian c. 3. p. 39 40. c. 6. p. 121. c. 7. p. 169 187 213 214. c. 8. sect 6 7 15 16 18 P. Patience under reproof of sin a mark of sincerity c. 4. p. 52. c. 8 sect 9 Peace of conscience See Joy Perseverance a sign of sincerity c. 3. sect 8 Pride See Humility Purity of heart and life See Holiness R. Regeneration Signs of it c 9 sect 2 Religion Wherein profession lieth c. 3 p. 1 Repentance what of this may be in an hypocrite c. 5 p 85 Wherein this and the true repentance in the true Christian differ c 7 p 157 Reproof of Sin Sce Patience Rigour See Severitie Self-seeking a sign of an Hypocrite c. 7. p. 131. c. 8. sect 1 Self-conceitedness a sign of an Hypocrite p. 51. c. 8. sect c. 3. sect 9 Severitie against others more then against himself a sign of Hypocrisie c. 8. sect 8 Sin what sin a true Christian may fall into c. 8. p. 218 219 220 The difference between him and the hypocrite in the commission of sin p. 274 216 Hatred of sin a sign of sincerity c. 7. sect 18 To mourn for the sins of the time a sign of sincerity c. 7. p. 207 Sinceritie what it is c. 1 The nature of it c. 1 2 How called in Scripture c. 1. p. 6 Wherein it consisteth c. 3. throughout Certain marks of it c. 8. throughout Motives to labour to get keep and use it c. 12 13 throughout Means and helps to get and keep it c. 14 throughout Spirit Signs of the Spring being in us c. 9 s 1 Simpathizing with Christians in their trouble a sign of sinceritie c. 7. p 208 T. Trust in God See Faith W. Word of God What love of it may be in an Hypocrite c. 5. p. 85. See Love Wherein this and that of the true Christian differ c. 7. p. 147. See Love Works What is a good work and when well done c. 10 throughout World Contempt of it a sign of sinceritie c. 7. p. 209 Z. Zeal What of this may be in an Hypocrite c. 5. p. 84 VVherein this and the true zeal of the true Christian differ c. 7. 129 ERRATA PAge 3. l. 11. r. And if p. 13. l. 28. r. as for and. p. 18. r. to it l. 28. r. 106 for 136. p. 19. l. 7. adde 3 these p. 27. l. 7. r.
discovered for disordered p. 30. l. 11. r. right c. p. 31. l. 8. r. Now for No. p. 48. l. 28. r. or for and p. 66. l. 10. r. leave for fear p. 94. 1. 5. r. his for their p. 106. l. 7. r in the fruit p. 117. l. 24. r. â—0 14. 9. p. 11 8. l. 27. r. 10. p. 125. l. 12. r. clear p. 129. l. 29. r. not after p. 134. l. 24. r. Pro. 22. 9. p. 136. l. r. or suspension p. 137. l. 9. r. â—â— 6. 69. p. 145. l. 14. r. gestures p. 146. l. 17. r. beleeved for beloved p. 147. l. 21. r. 1 13. p. 149. l. 17. r. Luke 3. 19. p. 154. l. 15. r. were born p. 155. l 3 r. Acts 16. p. 161. l. 11. r. wickedness p. 166. l. 3. r. degrees p. 173. l. 20 r. Christ for Chist p. 178. l. 9. r Ps 19 12 13. p 179. l. 17. dele customary l. 18 r. leave it p. 184. l. 5. dele not p. 193. l 10. r. flourishing l. 13. r. from p. 202. l. 21. adde Phill. 1. 17. p 203. l. 24. r. further then p. 207. l. 6. r. Bride for Bridegroom p. 211. l. 6. r. Mat. 23. p. 217. l. 21. r. word for wod p. 225. l. 13 r. 2 4. p. 225. l. 22 r. the power of p. 233. l. 16. r. other side p. 214. l. 9. r. 1. 12. p. 247 l. 16. r. 16. 8. p. 250. l. 20 r own case p. 288. l. 11. r. 25 p. 289. l. 28. r. do not name p. 302 l. 4. r. seene for seem p. 303. l. 23. r. yea his for this p. 326. l. 15. r. univocally p. 340. l. 20. r. Grotium for Grotius p. 344 l. 22. r. affore for affari p. 369. in marg l. 9. r. Martinez p. 376. l. 13 in marg for altj r. alios p. 380. l. 24. for tame r. some p. 395 l. 12 in marg for vides is r. videsis p. 406. l. 9 for for r far p. 407. l. 17. for assent r. assents CHAP. 1. What Sincerity is and what Hypocrisy is The Nature of them OUr work being to shew to man his uprightnesse towards God Job 33. 23. And therein to shew the right way to Salvation and to unmark the Hypocrite we shall for the doing hereof observe this method We shall first of all for a ground-work or Foundation lay downe what sincerity and what hypocrisy in men professing Religion are the nature of them and who is the sincere Man and who is the Hypocrite and the severall kinds of Hypocrisy and Hypocrites and wherein Sincerity and Hypocrisy consist and this in a way of Explication And then in the second place we shall make some kind of inferences thereupon In which we shall set forth these things 1. How far the Hypocrite may goe in the way with the true Christian towards Heaven 2. What is lacking in the Hypocrite wherein he and the true Christian differ the Hypocrite doth come short the true Christian doth goe beyond him 3. The signes or degrees of Sincerity 4. Motives or Encouragements to it 5. The signes or degrees of Hypocrisie 6. Arguments to perswade against it 7. And in the last place we shall adde some other things And all this in a way of Application We shall begin with the first and open the nature of Sincerity and Hypocrisy together Sincerity what Sincere man who Sincerity is that holy Frame of soule wrought in it by Gods spirit whereby the soule stands right to God in its purpose and endeavour to understand his mind from his word that thereby it may exactly please him in all things which he requireth therein And such a heart wherein this Sincerity is is called a right heart Acts 8. 21. Psal 51. 10. a whole heart Psal 9. 1. 119. 2. a perfect heart 1 Kings 11. 4. 15. 14. c. A pure heart Psal 24. 4. Mat. 5. 8. and a single heart Ephes 6. 5. And he that hath such a heart we call the true or Sincere Christian or the Christian indeed Ioh. 1. 47. The Nature of Sincerity To open this a little This Sincerity lieth within it is a heart work or businesse in the Soule wherein the spirit of God doth dwell And therefore it is set forth in Scripture by the Metaphor of the Root of a Tree Mat. 13. 21. or Foundation of a building Mat. 7. 24. It is a frame of the heart it spreads it selfe through the whole heart or Soule understanding conscience will and affections And there is an habitualnesse and constant tenor and temper in it And it is such a thing as like a spring that runs it streams makes them relish of it doth run into all the motions and operations of the Soule and body called by one the proper quality of our obedience if it may be said to be a grace of it selfe and not a thing that doth mingle it selfe with all graces and as one calls it the Spirituall tune of all the graces in the Soule it is then certainly a grace made up of many spirituall and choyce graces like as was the holy oyle powred on the head and garments of the High-Priests compounded and made up of many precious Ingredients For it must spring from the new life of the new Creature the Soule whereof is Christ which hath within it and must include Faith love and the rest of the Graces that accompany salvation For it must flow from the pure and even workings of the internall Principles towards their ends And therefore if a man act never so much in duties and have not a divine Spirituall Spring a heart impulsed and moved by Gods spirit acting in it If there be not an acting of all the graces together in a harmony purely and really towards God this Sincerity is not there 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. c. We call it the work of the Spirit and so it must needs be for as the naturall life of the body springs from the Soule within so all the life of grace in the Soule springs from the spirit of Christ within the Soule Ioh. 6. 63. We say the work begins with a mind savingly enlightned by the Word and Spirit of God Iames 3. 17. Prov. 17. 2. Ephes 1. 18 19. Psal 36. 10. Mat. 11. 25. For without knowledge the heart cannot be good and without this there can be no Faith no foundation of any Sincerity nor any thing wherein or whereby it may shew it selfe And therefore when the Apostle Phil. 1. 9. 10. prayeth for the Philippians that they might be sincere he begins with this And thus I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere c. So that the Sincere Christian is not only true cordiall and reall in what he thinketh saith and doth but that which he thinketh saith and doth is generally according to the truth of the Gospell Gal. 6. 16. And as
they lyed to him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Psal 50. 16. But to the wicked God saith What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction Esay 1. 10 11. c. To what purpose the multitude of your Sacrifices c. Hosea 7. 14 15 16. They have not cryed to me with their heart when they howled on their beds c. they return but not to the most high they are like a deceitfull bow c. Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God but in workes they deny him Esay 41. 1 2 3. c. Heare ye ô howse of Iacob which are called by the name of Israell which came forth of the waters of Judah which sweare by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israell but not in truth they call thēselves of the holy City c. thou art obstinate c. 2 Tim. 1. 2. 5. Having a forme of Godlinesse but denying the power thereof 1 Tim. 4. 2. Speaking lyes in Hypocrisie Tit. 1. 10. Deceivers c. Teaching for lucres sake Esay 58. 1 2 3. They seek me daily c. Esay 65. 5 8. Which say stand by thy selfe come not neare to me for I am holier then thou Mich. 3. 11. They leane upon the Lord and say c. Psal 106. 12. Then believed they his words They sang his praise they soon forgat his workes c. Mat. 7. 22. Luke 13. 27. Not every one that saith Lord Lord c. In thy name have we prophecied cast out Devills and done wonderfull things We have eaten and dranke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets c. I know you not c. Such were the whole Nation of the Jewes that professed themselves to be Gods people and did not live like his people that gloryed in their having of the Law of God and kept it not that they were the Children of Abraham but did not walk in his steps that boasted of the Temple and worship but were unholy in their lives that came of Israel but were not the Israel of God nor true Israelites indeed Esay 10. 6. Rom 9. 6 7 8. Gal 6. 10. Io. 1. 46 47. Rom 2. 23 29. Esay 41. 1. Io 8. 33. Mat 3. 9. Such were the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23. 13. c. and 15. 7 8 9. The five foolish Virgins Mat. 25. 1 2. c. The three sorts of bad Hearers Luke 8. 12 13 14. And such are they that are spoken of in Psal 69. called the enemies of David and Christ and his Church v. 4. under the name of his Brethren and Mothers Children v. 8. and in Psal 139. throughout So in Psal 58. throughout 2 Pe. 2. 3. Col 2. 22. Iob 27. 8 9 10. Iosh 1. 16. Deut. 5. 20. And such are Intended by the Tares and bad fish in Mat 13. 25 38 48. And the house built upon the sand Mat 7. 23 24 25. Of such is it spoken Amos 5. 21. Micha 6. 7. Hosea 9. 4. and 8. 13. Ier 5. 1 2 3. and 9. 10. and 7. 21. Phil 1. 18. Psal 58. 1 2. Ezek. 1. 2. c. Ier. 11. 15. Mat. 7. 15. Rom. 16. 17 18. Acts 20. 30. Esay 66. 1 2 3 c. Esay 42. 1 2 3. c. 43. 24. Ezech 14 1 2. Psal 35. 16. compared with Psal 41. 6. And in divers other places of Scripture And all these in Scripture sense and in some degree are to be accounted Hypocrites And these Hypocrites in Scripture Language are How called called and said to be fooles Mat. 23. 17. Sinners evill doers Esay 1 4. Wicked and ungodly Jude 4. Psal 50. 16. Prov 15. 8. The children of the Divell Jo 8. 44. 1 Jo 3. 12. Devils Jo 6. 70. A generation of vipers Mat 3. 7. and 12. 34. The perverse Pro 12. 8. Such as are without the Spirit of Christ Jude ver 19. Such as forget God Psal 50. 16 22. Reprobates 2 Tim 3. 8. Out of Christ for he knoweth them not Mat. 7. 23. Treacherous Jer. 12. 1 2. Deceitfull Psal 109. 2. Unbelievers Jo 6. 64. 70. Workers of Iniquity Matth. 7. 23. And all this is true of them and therefore hereby also we may see who is not a child of God or in Christ but a Reprobate a wicked person or a Child of the Divell We will now passe to the sorts or kinds of Hypocrisie and Sincerity CHAP. II. Of the severall kinds of Hypocrisy and Sincerity And of the Severall sorts of Hypocrites HYpocrisie and so Sincerity also as to the kinds thereof are considerable in men diverse wayes 1. In reference to the man in whom it is in generall as it respects his heart in what he doth whether he be rotten or sound therein So Christ calleth the Pharises Hypocrites in Mat. 23. often 2. With reference to the matter wherein it is acted and sheweth it selfe And so it is considerable also Either in relation to the inward affections and motions of the heart or the words of the mouth or the works of the hands It is considerable as to the affections and motions of the heart within whether they be indeed as they seem to be in shew by the words and works without For a man may pretend to true Faith Love Repentance and other Graces and works of the Spirit whereof there may be some appearance or likenesse upon him and which he may think he hath in truth within him but hath it not indeed nor any thing but the picture and Image thereof only For there are some things like to that are not saving Graces and there is no saving Grace in truth in a Saint but there may be and is the likenesse of it in an Hypocrite There are naturall gifts and works arising from the naturall constitution and temper of a man And so a man may be naturally meeke loving kind mercifull curteous and peaceable There may be and are many very commendable qualities wrought in a man by Education reading example and the like And hereby some have attained to virtues like to saving Graces And there are Spirituall Gifts or common operations of the spirit of God distinct from saving grace which is called unfeighned grace 1 Tim. 1. 5. Acts 8 37. The grace of Gods Elect and Grace which doth accompany Salvation Tit. 1. 1. Heb. 6. 9. And so a man may have the appearance of any saving Grace and yet not have the Grace it selfe Mat. 23. 27 28. Jo. 2. 24. Psal 78. 36 7. Acts 8. 21 23. Psal 136. 11 12 13. Exod 14. 31. Rom. 12. 9. 2. Hypocrisie and Sincerity also are considerable as to the words whether they be so in the intention of the Speaker in themselves and may produce the effect they doe prima facie seeme to be and to produce Or they be not lyes spoken in Hypocrisie 1 Tim.
the truth of grace in them But this we take to be a mistake And that there is no true grace we mean none of the grace that accompanieth Salvation or is the grace of Gods elect only for this only and not common grace we call True grace in any measure or degree in the heart of any Hypocrite nor is any thing so to be accounted as it comes from him Somewhat that is like unto it we admit to be in an Hypocrite As painted fire is like to true fire and Artificiall Pictures are like to the things they set forth and an Artificiall Flower is like to the true naturall Flower but it is not the thing it selfe So that which is in the heart of the Hypocrite is not true Grace 2 Tim. 3. 5. the which we affirme for these following reasons 1. The Hypocrite in his heart is as a corrupt tree twice dead and pluckt up by the Rootes Iude 12. Luke 6. 43. and therefore cannot but bring forth corrupt fruit he cannot bring forth living fruit he bringeth forth Fruit but it is not good fruit For untill the tree be made good the fruit cannot be good Mat. 7. 16 17 18. Ye shall know them by their fruits Doe men gather grapes of Thornes or figgs of Thistles Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit But a corrupt tree bringeth forth evill fruit He is also a corrupt Fountain Iames 3. 11 12. Doth a Fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter Can the Figtree beare Olives c. Mat. 12 34 35. O generation of vipers how can ye being evill speak good things For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of his heart c. Luke 6. 42. 2. If there be an unfeyned and Sincere grace an unfeyned repentance Faith and Love then there must be something like to it that may be called a feyned and counterfeit Repentance Faith and love But there is the one and therefore the other 2 Cor. 6. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 5. 2 Jo. 1. Acts 8. 37. Ephes 6. 24. 1 Pe. 3 4. 1 Jo. 3. 9. 10. If there be an incorruptible and immortall grace then there is a corruptible and mortall grace But there is the one and the other 1 Pe. 1. 22. 23. 1 Cor. 15. 19. Mat. 13. 22 23. Mat 16. 16 17. If there be a living Faith and hope then there is a dead Faith and hope But there is the one and the other 1 Pe. 1. 3. Iames 2 26. And if there be a speciall grace proper and peculiar to the elect then there is another kind of generall grace which is common and is the seeming grace of Hypocrites But there is the one and therefore there is the other Tit. 1. 1. And if there be a grace that accompanieth Salvation then is there somewhat else like to it which doth not carry to Salvation But there is the one and therefore there is the other Heb. 6. 9. And that this is a good kind of Argument we have Calvin in his Institutes lib. 3 cap. 2. Sect. 12. pag 188. in these words Nec Paulus requireres à filiis Dei fidem non fictam 1 Tim. 1. 5. nisi quia multi sibi audacter arrogant quod non habent inani fuco vel alios interdum seipsos fallunt 3. If saving grace lye only in the degree and measure then how shall a man know the Truth of his grace or ever get assurance of his own good estate thereby For who can discern the parting poynt who can say just such a degree of Love Faith Repentance is sincere and saving and the next degree is short of it and not saving 4. By the Scripture it selfe and by the experience of Antient and Moderne times we find it thus That the grace of most Christians is at the first as the strength of Children very small and weake and doth commonly grow strong by degrees and in time Mat 6. 30. 8. 10. Luke 7. 9. And that some when they are perfectly grown up are not so able shining as others And that it is in this as it is in the naturall body 1 Cor 15. 41. Dan. 12. 3. 1 Jo. 2. 13. We find also that some true Christians who for measure and quantity of saving grace have had as much thereof as most men yet some times by occasion of some temptation without the working of their own corruption within and by Gods leaving of them to their own strength have fallen fowly and deepely in appearance almost at least in their own sense to the losse of all saving grace within them So David Psal 51. 11. prayeth that God would restore his holy spirit againe to him which argues That in his present apprehension he had utterly lost it 2 Cor. 12. 1 8 9. And it is in this in Christ Mysticall as it is in the Naturall body of man which may fall into a swoune or disease by which it may be as dead for the present no symptomes of life appearing and yet life in the body still Also we find some of Gods people under sad desertions all the daies of their life and even as dead men and nothing but a little Faith appearing in them It hath been all darknesse and no light with them the Clouds have been between the light of Gods countenance and them always And yet the Sun hath shined The light of Gods countenance hath been upon them though they have not seen it Who shall doubt of these mens Sincerity and that they are pretious Saints notwithstanding Esay 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Ps 88. 1. O Lord God of my salvation c. ver 4. I am accounted with them that goe down into the pit I am as a man that hath no strength free amongst the dead c. ver 14. Why hidest thou thy face from mee c. Also we find sometimes such as have little Grace in appearance yet by an additionall strength given in on a suddaine from God made able to doe very great things Heb. 11. 34 35 36. Of Weaknesse were made strong c. Women received their dead c. 1 Cor. 1. 27 28. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty And Base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things that are 2 Cor. 12. 9 10. My strength is made perfect in weaknesse c. Esay 40. 28 29. The everlasting God fainted not c. He giveth power to the faint and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength That is he maketh his might to appeare in mans weaknesse
God doth not love but hate the Hypocrite Psal 5. 5. 11. He that truly though weakly loves the Children of God as Gods Children is in God and God dwelleth in him 1 Io. 3. 14. and 4. 7. 16. 12. But this is not true of the Hypocrite Io. 15. 4 5 6. 12. He that hath a true though but a weak hope of Heaven in him is begotten of God 1 Pe 1. 3. and doth purify his heart from sinne 1 Io 3. 3. But not this and the contrary of this is true of the Hypocrite It is well said therefore by Mr Sheapheard in his Sincere Convert pag. 107. in these words True grace I tell you is a rare pearle a glorious Sun clowded from the eyes of all but them that have it Rev. 2. 17. a strange admirable allmighty work of God upon the soule which no created power can produce as farre different in the least measure of it from the highest degree of common grace as a Devill is from an Angell For t is Christ living breathing raigning fighting conquering in the Soule 13. There are amongst the Elect of Christ not only such as have a great deale of grace but also some that have but a little grace There is a great Faith and a little Faith and more love and lesse love Mat. 6. 30. and 8. 10. Luke 7. 9 47. They that have much grace are called or compared to strong and healthy men young men or youths that can away with strong meat Men of full age Fathers Sheep and the like And they that have little grace in comparison of the others are called or compared to lambs fainty and feeble ones Babes that need milk little children Ewes great with young to such as have no strength and to tender branches which are applicable not only to young converts but to riper and more aged Christians fallen into some distemper of Sin And yet are not these as deare to God and is not he as tender of them as of any of the rest Rom 15. 1. Heb 5. 14. Esay 40. 11 31 32. 1 Cor 14. 20. Ephes 4. 14. Cant 2. 5. Io 21. 15 16. Mat. 8. 26. and 14. 31. and 16. 8. But there will arise here some Objections to be answered Ob. 1. It may be Objected That the way to heaven is a narrow way that few find it the Gate into it straight that few enter into it That many shall strive to enter into it and shall not be able to enter That the life of a Christian is a dangerous and painfull life like to the life of a Souldier Pilgrim Travailer Husbandman or painfull labourer And that violence must be used to get into Heaven or we cannot come there And that he that gets in there must not only fight for it but overcome Luke 3. 24. Ephes 6. 16. and 1. 19. 2 Tim 4. 7. Mat 11. 12. and therefore they inferre that great measures of Grace are absolutely necessary to an estate of Grace Ans To which we Answer That the Antecedent is confessed to be true And the same is much more lively manifested in the weak then in the strong Christian in him that hath little then in him that hath much Grace As in the Souldier Husbandman Travailer or Labourer that notwithstanding his sicknesse weaknesse faintnesse or other distempers yet he fights still he goeth on his Journey still he doth his daies work for all this but with the more strife danger payne and violence And yet they goe on conquering and to conquer and shall obtain a full victory at the last But the consequence is false for the lowest weakest smallest degree and measure of true grace will so really constantly and victoriously oppose sinne as light opposeth darknesse or truth opposeth falshood and therefore the lowest degree of Grace puts a man into an estate of grace which will end in eternall glory Ob. 2. Oh but Christs disciples must be able to leave Father and Mother Wife and life and all for his sake Mat. 11. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me And he that loveth Sonne or Daughter more then mee is not worthy of me And he that taketh not up his Crosse and followeth after me is not worthy of me Luke 14. 26. If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Ans To this we answer 1. That many of these speeches of Christ are Hyperbolicall or Catechresticall and may not be taken according to the letter by any means as Matt. 5. 33. Swear not at all 39. 40. c. Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turne to him the other also c And so here the words are not simply to be understood Christ doth not teach men to be unnaturall to themselves or their relations against the Law of God and nature for this were to teach contrary to himselfe and all his teachings by himselfe and his Apostles elsewhere But that he meaneth by this is with respect to the present and succeeding times of Persecution in which case if it come to the Question that they must either deny and so leave and loose Christ or they must leave and loose Father and Mother Wife life and all in this case they must be ready to leave and loose them and must leave them all for Christs sake As we are to love God above all so we are to leave all for Gods sake And he that so doth shall be rewarded here and hereafter Matt. 19. 29. Mark 10. 28 29. c. And such as feare God in such a case are so farre from having great measures of Grace that they have not the least measure of Grace no not as of a grain of mustard seed are not worthy of him indeed and will goe without him Mat 22. 8. 2. The words worthy of me in this place as in diverse others we conceive they doe intend no more but this they are not meet or fit for my service to be my Disciples to be accounted gracious so the words are taken in Luke 7. 4. and 20. 35. and 21. 36. Mat. 3. 8. Acts 5. 41. 3. We grant 1. that the true Christian ought so to love God and Christ at all times 2. That it is in the nature of true Grace so to doe 3. That the true Christian doth earnestly desire and labour to attain to this perfection And 4. He shall attain to this perfection at the last Ob. 3. It may be farther objected that it is admitted of a Hypocrite that he hath true Grace Ma. 13. 12. From him shall be taken away even that he hath Ans For answer hereunto we say 1. That the Scripture doth oftimes speak according to mens opinion of things 2. He may have truly the temporary grace which is the grace of the Hypocrite and very like to the saving grace of the elect of God and therefore he is said to
assent to and believe the truth of the whole word of God James 2 19. The Divells believe and tremble 11. He may not only heare but entertaine and feelâ— the word quick and powerfull and have some false perswasion or fancy that the promise of the Gospell doth belong to him and that Christ and Salvation by him is his Luke 8. 13. They on the Rock are they which when they heare receive the word with joy and have no root which for a while believe and in time of Temptation fall away Io 2. 23 24. Many believe in his name c. But Iesus did not commit himselfe to them for he knew what was in man c. Ezek. 33. 31 32. Acts 8. 13. Simon himselfe believed also v. 19. 20 21. c. Io 4. 41 42 45 46 48. c. In his Peace of Conscience joy c. 12. He may from the discovery made to his soule of the blessed estate of the Believers and the false perswasion of his heart bred and fed by Satan and his own flattery of himselfe that he is one of them and shall have his part in heaven with them have some slight impressions of joy within him and some kind of peace of Conscience He may have a kind of hope and patience to wait and look for the thing he doth believe he shall have And by all this think that his estate is very good and better then other mens And for the proof of all these things see Mat. 13 20 21. But he that received the seed into stony places the same is he that beareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not root in himselfe Io. 5. 35. They did for a season rejoyce in the light c. Heb. 6. 4 5. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned that is that are instructed by the Gospell of Christ in the way of salvation by Christ Ephes 1. 18. And have tasted that is have had a little relish of the word whose heart and affection is for a time taken with the newnesse and pleasantnesse of the Christian doctrine and hath some transient motion by it or generall disposition towards Christ in it a Tast like that the Cook hath by dipping his finger in the dish and the licking of it that is not fed or strengthned by it or like as the child that catcheth at the breast and doth not suck is never the better for it The heavenly gift That is either Christ the gift of God Io. 4. 10. Or the heavenly calling Heb 3. 1. or a Temporary Faith which seems to be all one for Christ by Faith received is the only food of the Soule Jo. 4. 14. and 6. 33 35. And by this doth the soule live as the body doth by the receiving in of its naturall food And were made partakers of the Holy Ghost that is Either of the common work and operation thereof in generall or such extraordinary gifts thereof which the Church had for that time for the present necessity thereof as Miracles Prophesy and happily some inward Revelations and Inspirations that do not continue to this day in ordinary with the Church And have tasted the good word of God that is haâ—h some passionate apprehensions of the necessity goodnesse sweetnesse and profit of Christ the subject of it and the Gospell and promises of Christ c. and some groundlesse perswasion that it belongs to him he hath a little relish hereof as a child that will not or cannot take the breast and doth but snatch at it hath only a tast of it and is not fed and nourished by it as the child is that doth hold and suck its belly full As the true believer who doth so desire and receive the word that he doth grow thereby 2 Pe. 2. 2. And the powers of the world to come that is which hath had a tast which must be supplyed of the powers of the world to come By these words some understand all the Spirituall blessings and Priviledges of the Gospell Church as a tast of Christ the common gifts of the spirit outward Prophesy Prayer and the like Inward as Faith Hope Joy and the like And others understand by it the joys of Heaven And so that as the Israelites did tast of the fruits of the Land of Canaan and never came there to eat thereof So some Hypocrites may have some litle tast of the ioves of Heaven that shall never come there And in both senses but especially in this last sense it seems to be thus farre intended that upon his contemplation of Heaven he may be in a rapture the other things being included in the former words See for this Mat. 13. 20 21 22. Numb 23. 10. and 24. 2 3 c. and 13. 26. and 14. 27. c. In his love of God 13. He may perhaps hereupon or for some other good felt apprehended or hoped for by him from God have some seeming love to God and Christ 2 Tim 3. 4. Ephes 6. 24. In his Love of the Godly He may also have some seeming love to and delight in the company of the Saints and true Christians so the foolish Virgins seem to have a love to and delight in the fellowship of the wise Virgins Mat 25. 1 2 3. c. In his Love of Ordinances 14. He may also have some seeming love to and delight in the Ordinances of God Ezek. 33. 31. Esay 58 2. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my wayes c. Mat. 13. 20 21. In his Love of Graces 15. He may have some seeming love to and some desire after the Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit Mat 25. 1 2 6. c. So the foolish Virgins seemed to desire the oyle of the wise Virgins Acts 8. 18 19. 16. He may seem to lament after God and after the visible signes and manifestations of his presence departed from him 1 Sam 28. 15. In his other seeming Graces 17. He may perhaps get some appearance of all the other gifts and graces of the Spirit as Humility Mercy Meeknesse Patience and the like For there is no kind of grace or duty required by God but there is a like to it nor work done by the true Christian but the Hypocrite can imitate Therefore we find a like to true Faith Repentance and Love And the Hypocrite may be perswaded that he hath indeed those very graces and doth indeed those very works as the foolish Virgins Mat. 25. 1 2 c. In a growth of Grace 16. He may in appearance thrive and grow herein towards perfection As the three sorts of bad hearers did Luke 8. 12 13 14. c. and Mat. 13. 25. 17. And by all this he may get a great name and esteeme amongst men for a true Christian Mat. 25. 1 2. c. 18. And he may thus continue without any suspicion to his dying day Luke 25. 11. and 13. 25 26 27 28. But for the farther clearing of all these last
it is to all the VVord and that part most of all that shall detect and correct his most secret sin Psal 141. 5. Rom. 7. 12 13 14. 6 It is a fruitfull changing and efficacious love it makes the man in whom it is by the use of this VVord to grow still and be changed into the very likeness of it and so to love the knowledge of it as to fall into the practise and obedience of it He loves to do it as well as to know it 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Rom. 6. 17. But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine Job 23. 12. Neither have I gone back from the commandement of his lips c. 1 Pet. 1. 22. But the false love and so the short and sleight delight of the Hypocrite to and in this VVord hath none of all this for it is commonly to a part of it onely he cannot brook that part thereof that shall discover and correct his sin especially his secret and beloved sin John 3. 20 21. Mark 6. 17 18. 3 Luk. 19 20. 2 Chron. 18. 7. And that love he hath to the rest doth usually arise from the excellencies or noveltie of the matter treated of therein the singular gifts of the Preacher or some view he hath of the sweet promises of the Gospel contained therein the Redemption by Jesus Christ and the happiness of such as believe in him and that he by mistake doth apprehend he hath a share therein But it works no change at all in him nor is he at all conformed thereunto in his heart and life He doth hear but not doe it he casteth it behinde his back and commonly he hateth it Ezek. 33. 31 32 33. Isa 58. 2. and 59. 2. Ps 50. 16 17. Rom. 2. 13 23. James 1. 22. Jer. 7. 23 24. SECT VIII 7 In their love to Ordinances The true Christian doth love and delight in all the rest the Ordinances of God the Sabboâ—h Sacrament Prayer and the like And some kind of love and delight there may be also in the heart of an Hypocrite but with a great deal of difference The love of the sincere Christian to them is as they are pure Ordinances from God and are by divine institution and serve to his glory and the good of souls and as they serve to bring God and us near together and to maintain our communion with him And it is his meat and drink to use thâ—m Rom. 7. 22. Heb. 8. 10. His Laws are put into their mind and written in their hearts Rom. 7. 22. He doth delight in the Law of God after the inward man And together with his use of them he doth joyn Reformation of heart and life Psal 119. 14 I have rejoyced in the waies of thy Testimonies Psal 119. 10 I have refrained my feet from every evil way Ps 40. 8. But that which is in the heart of an Hypocrite of delight and pleasure in them is very little and short And that is onely for his self ends at the most because he conceiveth there is a necessity of the doing of them in order to salvation And so an Hypocrite may like of and use them as a bridge to goe over to heaven or as men use Physick But commonly he doth account all these things as a burthen and he doth use them as a cloak to his wickedness Isa 58. 2 3 4 c. Isa 59. 2 3 c. Ezech. 33 32. Amos 8. 5. When will the New Moon be gone c. the Sabboth c And he doth continue still in his wickedness at the least of the heart as before Psal 58. 2 3 Yea in heart ye work wickedness c. Mat. 23. 27. Acts 8 22 23. SECT IX 8 In their love to and desire after Grace The true Christian doth and must love and desire Grace And the Hypocrite also as he hath a kinde of love to Gods VVord and to godly men so hath he a kind or appearance of desire and love to Grace But there is a great deal of difference between them For 1 The love desire of the true Châ—istian is a true and natural love arising from his new nature and Gods Spirit in him The love of Grace is Grace and a part of the new creature 2 His love to it is for it self and its loveliness in his eye and the likenesse it hath to God and the agreement that there is between the true Christians changed nature and it and because it makes him like to God But that which is in the Hypocrite is counterfeit and not from a new nature for he is not regenerate neither hath he the Spirit of God in him But that seeming love and desire of Grace which is in him is onely for himself and his own end and so he may have a confused desire of it as apprehending it may be a means to escape the wrath of God and the condemnation of hell and to obtain heaven and happiness for him 3 The true Christians desire after Grace is vehement active and unsatiable Psal 84. 2. 7. Cant. 4. 16. He cannot be satisfied with any measure of it but hungers and thirsts still for more Ps 119. 97. O how I love thy Law c. My soul breakeâ—h for the longing c. Phil. 3. 12. Rom. 7. 24. Luke 1. 53. Mat 5 6. Isa 55. 1 2. But the love that is in the Hypocrite is a weak cold careless and unactive love he thinks he hath enough and cares for no more Rev. 3. 17. Because thou saist I am rich c. Luke 6 25. and 1. 53. Luke 18. 12. But more of this afterwards in the fifteenth Section SECT X. 9 In their faith and trust in God The true Christian doth beleeve and trust in God Iohn 14. 1. Psal 31. 1. And so he must do 2 Chron. 20. 20. Psal 130. 7. The Hypocrite also hath a kind of trust and hope in God Psal 106. 12. Job 8. 14. But there is a great deal of odds between the faith trust and hope of the one and of the other 1 The faith and hope of the true Christian is grounded upon the Word of God and the Promise and Covenant of God in Christ which he doth well understand and wherein he hopes himself to be included Psal 78. 7 8. Psal 119. 42. 94. I am thine save me Psal 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee c. But the Hypocrite doth commonly trust in himself or somewhat else besides God Luke 18. 11. 21. Rom. 10. 3. That which the Hypocrite hath is oft times wrought by something else besides the Word of God Psal 106. 12 13. John 2. 23. and 6. 2. and 4. 48. And
that kind of trust he hath in God is a groundless trust it hath no root Micah 3. 11. Luke 8. 13. 2 The true faith and trust of the true Christian brings forth obedience and submission to all Gods will in doing and suffering Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith Isa 25. 9. Psal 40. 1. But the faith and hope of the Hypocrite is fruitless to himself and others Job 8 14. The hope of the Hypocrite shall fail him and be as the spiders webb Ps 106. 6 7 13. 3 It is a continuing and a growing trust but the faith and trust of the Hypocrite is a temporary and vanishing faith and trust Psal 106. 12 13. Then beleeved they his words c. they soon forgat his works c. Exod. 14. 31. Mat. 13. 6 20 21. Ps 78. 34 35. SECT XI 10 In their Faith in Christ Signs of it The true Christian is such a one as doth believe in Christ and so he must John 14. 1. But the Hypocrite as we have shewed may believe in Christ also John 2. 23 24 25. Luke 8 13. But there is a vast difference between the faith of the true and the faith of the false Christian herein 1 The one the unfeigned faith of the true Christian is a grace of the Regenerating Spirit and alwaies accompanied with Regeneration John 1. 12 13. But as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sons of God even to them which beleeve in his Name which was born not of blood c. Eph. 2. 8. Gal. 5. 22. John 3. 5. 2 The faith of the true Christian is grounded upon the promise and is alwaies accompanied with the knowledge of the promise of the Gospel it doth beleeve Ephes 1. 13 14. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel c. Isa 53. 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. John 17. 3. It is life eternal to know thee c. 1 John 5. 10 11. Rom. 10. 14. 3 He takes accepts and receives Christ for salvation and that upon his own terms Luke 9. 23. If any man will come after me let him deny himself John 1. 12. Acts 6. 31. 4 It is a faith whereby a man takes Christ to him and gives himself up to Christ Heb. 11. 13. Having seen the promises afar off c. and embraced them c. Phil. 3. 12. John 5. 24. and 6. 37 38. Rom. 12. 1. 5 It is a soul melting faith Zach. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. 6 It is a soul-purifying faith Acts 15. 9 Purifying their hearts by faith c. and 26. 18. Which work it doth 1 By application of the VVord against sin John 17. 17. 2 By application of Christs blood Zach. 13. 1. 3 By an inward efficacy and operation so it is a part of sanctification Gal. 5. 22. 7 It is a soul-conflicting Faith it hath many doubts fears and difficulties to encounter with Mark 9. 24. And stratway the father of the child cried out and said with tears Lord I beleeve help thou mine unbelief Phil. 2. 12. Work out your own salvation 8 It is an obedient-making faith it makes a man sincerely obedient Heb 11. 7. 8. 17. and fruitfull in good works Gal 5. 6. But faith which worketh by love Tit. 3. 8. Heb. 11 throughout James 2. 17 20. and ready and chearful therein Gal. 5. 7 9 It is a soul-supporting faith in time of trouble Hab. 2. 4. But the just shall live by his faith Job 13. 15 16. and 19. 26. 27. 10 It is a prevalent and a conquering faith it makes a man able to doe the hardest things to break through all difficulties overcome all temptations part with his dearest interests trample under his feet all the threats pleasures profits and honours of the world and makes a man hang loose from them James 4. 7. 1 Per 5. 9. Heb. 11. By faith Noah c. prepared an Ark c. ver 24. 25. By faith Moses when he came to years refused c. chusing rather c. 2 Thes 1. 11. 1 Thes 1. 3. Acts 17. 32 34. 11 It is a quickning powerful lively and a laborious faith 1 Thes 1. 3. Remembering without ceasing your work of Faith c. Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 2. 20. James 2. 18. 12 It is very apprehensive of unbelief Mark 9 24. Luke 17. 5. And the Apostles said to the Lord Increase our faith 13 It hath with it a spirit of Prayer Rom. 10. 14. Psal 116. 10. 14 It hath with it some peace Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God 15 It is a growing and increasing faith 2 Cor. 10. 15. Rom. 1. 17. 2 Thes 1. 3. Your faith groweth exceedingly But the faith of the Hypocrite is a groundless faith that for which he hath no promise it is either Historical onely as was that of Agrippa Acts 26. 27. and of the devils James 2. 19. that he doth beleeve the things written in the VVord to be true The devils beleeve and tremble Or that of miracles which Judas and others had by which they did miraculous and wonderfull things Mat. 27. 22 23. Or an imaginary fearless and confident faith a meer fancy and dream of the brain whereby a man doth conceive his estate to be good and in Christ and yet is still in his carnal estate without any fruits of faith James 2. 14 17 20 26. And this indeed is presumption Or it is a temporary faith which doth usually vanish like a Comet in time of trial and he that hath it falls away by Apostasie Luke 8. 13. with Mat. 13. 20 21. Mark 10. 17. And is not accompanied with the purification of the heart or reformation of the life or any such lively effects as we have before observed to be in the faith of the true believer but it is like the corn either withered by the Sun or choaked by the thorns Luke 8. 5 6 7 12 13 14. Acts 8. 21 22. SECT XII 11 In their Repentance The true Christian must be convinced of his sin inwardly grieved and humbled for his sin and this before and after his calling and conversion and must be changed and converted in heart and life from it Luke 13. 3. Acts 17. 30. Acts 11. 18. Isa 1. 11. to 29. Tit. 1. 15. Psal 66. 18. Wee find also that there is a kind of grief and sorrow and that there are gripings and affrightings in the heart and some effects thereof in the life of the Hypocrite Mat. 27. 3. Psal 68. 35 36. But there is between the one and the other a great difference 1 In the first conversion and repentance for sin in general And 2 in particular conversions upon particular falls As to the first That of the true Christian is wrought by the VVord of God with the operation of the Spirit discovering to him his sin and
and all over sick And sin in the sincere Christian is in some of these respects fitly compared by some to the dirt in a lively pure spring that will not suffer it to bee quiet bvt will be working it out But it is in the Hypocrite as in the standing pool that gathereth the mud and keeps in when it hath it or as it is in a bad stomack that loves devoureth and feedeth upon trash and retains it to the destruction of the body but a good stomack will not endure it but cast it out one way or other or if it continue till it corrupt the body it pusheth out the corruption by boyls and the like so the good soul cannot wil not endure sin long within it in peace 4 After the sin committed i. The true Christian having sinned doth not rest secure in his sin hee doth not allow or approve of what he hath done much less doth he justifie or defend leest of all doth he glory in it as the Hypocrite doth but finding himself to be polluted and wounded by it hee labours with all speed to be cleansed and cured He is therfore displeased with himselfe and grieved for it repenteth of it is afraid of Gods displeasure by it as a child of the displeasure of a father when he hath done a fault and therefore he is glad of any help herein for his cure For the sin of the true Christian to him is as the cruel service of the Israelites under their cruell Taskmasters in Aegypt was to them Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Or as a man that being fallen into the fire and like to bee burnt is snatcht out of the same and so escapeth the danger so the true Christian he is ready to confess and willing to forsake his sin as David 2 Sam. 12. 13. And doth forsake it 2 Cor. 4. 2. And afterwards make amends to God and man what he can for it Luke 19. 18. and Zacheus stood up c. And Peter Mat 26. 70 72 75. For ordinary and daily frailties the true Christian doth mourn for them daily as hee doth commit and observe them Psal 19. 12. Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me c. Rom. 7. 22. If he fall into greater sins hee is more deeply humbled for them and doth more emineutly repent thereof as Peter Mat. 26 75. David Psal 51. 1 2 3 c. 2 Sam. 24 1 2 c. Job 40. 1 4 5 c. But otherwise it is with the Hypocrite in all these particulars Hee is pleased with his sin and not troubled with it but when it brings him into trouble Otherwise hee is resolved to continue in his sin and his sin in him Psal 36. 2 3. He flattereth himself in his own eyes till his iniquitie be found to be hatefull Takes a special contentment in it is never better but when he is acting of it And he is secure in it and as one that is fast asleep cannot endure to be waked so hee cannot endure to be told of his sin to be troubled about it For he stiffens himself in it is resolved because it serves his turn and sutes with his disposition that he will not leave it and therefore doth deny excuse defend justifie or perhaps glory in it Psal 36. 4. Phil. 3. 19. Whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame Hosea 12. 7 8. Rom. 2. 32. 2 Hee is after his fall into sinne made more watchfull and heedfull than before that he fall not into the like sin again Joh. 21. 15 17. Ps 119. 29. Remove from me the way of lying c. that is let me no more not dissemble with God and Man as I have done but let me be sincere according to thy Law But there is no such thing in the Hypocrite the more he doth the more he may sin and groweth worse and worse And therefore the sin of the true Christian is not at all imputed to him Psalm 32. 2. Vnto whom the Lord imputeth not inquitie and in whose spirit there is no guile SECT XIX In their growth in Grace and the working and appearance thereof The true Grace of the true Christian doth not use to decay but to grow 2 Pet. 3. 18. 2 Thes 1. 3. Revel 219. And the seeming grace of the Hypocrite as we have elswhere hinted doth seemingly grow also But there are these differences herein 1 The true Grace hath root and life groweth indeed John 15. 4 5. I am the Vine ye are the branches c. He thut abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit Psal 84. 7. They goe from strength to strength Rom. 7. 3. 4. Mat. 13. 23. It floweth from the eternal Spirit of God in the soul of a Beleever as water from a lively spring John 4. 14. But the counterfeit Grace of the Hypocrite hath neither root nor life in it and growâ—th but in appearance onely and it is like to a standing poole of dead and corrupt water which will fail in the summer time when there is most need of it Job 10. 16. Mat. 13. 21 22. 2 It is a lively and working Grace 3 Thes 1. 3. Your work of faith and labour of love Heb. 6. 10. Your work and labour of love 2 Cor. 5. 14. The love of Christ constraineth us c. and 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh c. and 8. 24. The proof of your love James 1 4. and 2. 8 2 Thes 1. 11. Gal. 5. 6. But the common Grace of the Hypocrite is dead and without fruit Mat. 13. 22. He becometh unfruitful Jam. 2. 17. 20. 3 The true Grace is a pure and incorruptible Grace and therefore an enduring increasing and immortal Grace 2 Thes 1. 3. Your faith groweth exceedingly 2 Pet. 1. 118. Psal 119. 33. 1 Io. 3 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not sin for his seed remaineth in him c. But the common worke of Grace that is wrought in the Hypocrite is but a wordly carnall and corrupt work and therefore it decaieth withereth and never comes to perfection 1 Iohn 2. 19. They went out from us c. But ye have an unction c. Mat. 13. 20 21 c. But he that received the seed in the stony places the same is he that heareth the Word and anon with joy receiveth it yet bath he no root in himself but dureth for a while c. Heb. 6. 7 8. For the earth c. But that which bringeth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh to cursing c. 1 Cor. 15. 19. 2 Cor. 7. 10. SECT XX. In their Mohtification and Self-denyal The true Christian doth and must mortifie sin keep under his body c. Col. 3. 5. Rom. 8. 13. The Hypocrite he doth something in this also But herein there is this difference between them All or the greatest part of that which the Hypocrite doth herein is upon the outside his care and pains
is only to appear and seem beautiful Mat. 23. 25 27. Ye make clean the outside c. but within are ful of all uncleanness 1 Kings 21. 1 2 3 c. But the maine study and labour of the sincere Christian is to mortifie his evil affections to put out the fire of his lust his covetousnes pride uncleanness envy anger and the like Job 31. 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I think on a maid and v. 24. If I have made gold my hope c. Psalm 19. 12. Cleanse thou me from secret faults c. 1 Cor. 9. 27. But I kee under my body Rom. 8. 3. Col. 3. 15. SECT XXI In their new obedience in the general and the exactness and compleatness thereof The sincerre Christian as he is a new creature so he is to yeeld and perform a new obedience to God in Christ in his doing and suffering of the will of God according to the Gospel Rom. 16. 19. 26. 1 Pet. 1. 22. Rom. 6. 17. The Hypocrite he doth somewhat like unto this for the unclean spirit seems to be cast out of him Mat. 12. 13. But there is a vast difference between them herein also 1 In the person doing 2 In the thing done 1 In the person doing The sincere Christian looks to it that he himself be rightly qualified for the work that he himself be good and accepted of God that he be in Christ by faith so a new creature otherwise his works cannot be accepted Deut. 33. 10 11. Gen. 4. 4 5. God had respect to Abel and his offering c. But the hypocrite hath no regard of this but being stil in his sins without the wedding garment of Christs righteousness upon him his work is not accepted God heareth not sinners Joh 9. 31. Mat. 24. 11 12. Pro. 28. 9. 2 In the thing done The obedience of the sincere Christian flows from the true and right principle viz the new nature from his being renewed by the Spirit of God Phil. 1. 11. But the the obedience of the Hypocrite floweth from corrupt principles 1 Pet. 1. 22 23. 2 The new obedience of the sincere Christian is regular and orderly He is first taught and commanded he heareth what he is to beleeve and doe and then hee is obedient to it Jer. 31. 19. After that I was instructed I smote upon the thigh c. Acts 9. 6. and 16. 30. and 2. 37 38. Isa 2. 2. Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye trusted after that ye heard the word c. Rom. 10. 14 15. But the obedience of the Hypocrite is oft times a blind and irregular obedience not grounded upon and warranted by the Word of God but upon his own or some other mans fancy and opinion Rom. 10. 1 2. They have a zeal of God but not according to knowlege 3 He doth it knowingly and beleevingly he not onely hath a word for what he beleeveth and doth but he knoweth he hath such a word for it and so doth it in faith which the Hypocrite heedeth little and therefore is not accepted Rom. 14. 1 2 3 c. Heb. 11. 4 6. Acts 17. 23. 4 The new obedience of the sincere Christian is an exact and compleat obedience 1 it is universal He is holy in all manner of conversation and yeelds himself to do and suffer all that God will have him 1 Pet. 1. 15. But that of the Hypocrite is lame and defective And the obedience of the sincere Christian it is universal 1 As to the things to be obeyed 2 It is entire as to the man that doth obey As to the first the Hypocrite he is lame and defective in this His obedience is but by halves or in part onely as Jehu Saul and others Mal. 2. 9. And have been partial in my Law Hosea 7. 8. Ephraim is a cake not turned He doth as Herod Mark 6. 20. did many things not all that God commanded But the true Christian he is through paced in his goings herein as were Caleb and Joshua who followed the Lord fully Numb 14. 24. and 32. 12. Deut. 1. 36. and David who had respect to all Gods commandements Psal 119. 6. and Paul who had a conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards man Acts 24. 16. and Zacharie and Elizabeth who walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blameless Luke 1. 6. But more particularly The sincere Christian he ceaseth from doing all that is evil and he doth all that is good Isa 1. 6. The Hypocrite he doth not cease from all that is evil for either he is erroneous in his opinion as those in 2 Pet. 2. and Jude 1 2 c. 1 Cor. 15. 12. or in his practise or in both Or at the most and at the best he doth depart from evil onely in his outside his heart is where it was still psal 58. 2. Yea in heart ye work wickedness Psal 52. 3. And some evill or other hee doth most commonly retain in his life still as Judas he kept his covetousness still Joh. 12. 6. Herod he kept his brothers wife still Mark 6. 18. 20. Iehu whiles hee boasts so much of the zeal he had for the Lord and the uprightness of his heart therein depart not from the sins of Iereboam which made Israel to sin 2 Kings 10. 15 31. Saul whiles he pretends so much tenderness of conscience in smaller matters yet carrieth still within him his murdrous intentent to kill David 1 Sam. 14. 33 44. and 18. 10. and 20. 5. Exod. 16. 28 29 2 Kings 5. 18. Zephan 1. 5. Hosea 7. 7 8 9 10. Isaiah 65. 3 4 5 6. But the sincere Christian hee leaves all that is evil in opinion in practise in heart in life The sin of his love and delight inclination age temper and constitution profit trade office calling that which he is most tempted to his open his secret his greater and his lesser sinnes So David Psal 119. 128. I hate every false way and 101. 3. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes and 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way and 18. 23. I kept my self from mine intiquitie Psal 19. 12. Cleanse thou me from secret faults So Job from the sin of his inclination he would not look on a maid of his calling as a Magistrate he despised not the cause of the meanest of his condition as a rich man hee would not oppress the poor he kept from the sin of his affection occasion and profit Job 31. throughout the chapter And for the second part the sincere Christian as hee doth cease from all that is evil so hee doth all that is good The Hypocrite many of them I mean have not an appearance of some Graces Acts 8. 21. Thine heart is not right c. Mat. 9. 13. Either he is failing in his doing or in his suffering Hee is commonly failing in the doing of some duties or works So the Pharisees Mat. 23. 23
the sincere Christian is compleat and entire also as to him that obeyeth for it is the obedience of his whole man body and soul The obedience of the Hypocrite is commonly counterfeit and not from his heart sometimes with a part of his heart only and never with his whole heart Ezek. 33. 31. There is action without affection the lips are without the heart in it It cometh coldly from him without any vigour or life of the inner man Ezech. 33. 31. their heart goeth after their covetousness Isa 29. 13. This people draw nigh to mee with their mouth but their heart is far from me Ps 78. 34 35 36. They returned and enquired early after God nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth c. for their heart was not right with him c. Jer. 3. 10. And yet c. her treacherous Sister Judah hath not turned unto me with hgr whole heart but feignedly c. Amos 8. 5 6. Hosea 7. 14. But the new obedience of the sincere Christian is a cordial and affectionate obedience of the whole inward and outward man both together That which he beleeveth and that which he doth or leaveth undone it is all frrom his very heart Rom. 6. 17. You have obeyed from the heart the Doctrine c. And it is with the whole heart Ps 119. 10 145 With my whole heart have I sought thee c. So that what he doth he doth with his whole soul mind conscience wil affections all concurring with him therein He doth with all his might and strength desire and endeavour to doe the whole will of God Psal 119. 10. 34. 69. I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart Acts 8. 37. If thou believest with al thy heart c. His grace within and his work without is unfeigned 2 Tim. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 6. 6. 1 Sam. 12. 20. Ezek. 11. 19 20. Rom. 12. 8. 5 As he is careful to doe all God requireth and with the whole man so is he careful to doe no more than God requireth But the Hypocrite hath additions of his own and other mens inventions Jer 32. 35. Ps 106. 39. Mat. 15. 2 3. c. 6 The new obedience of the sincere Christian is a real obedience 1 That of the Hypocrite is onely verbal and complemental Mat. 21. 28 29 30. A certain man had two sons and he said to one of them Goe and work to day in my vineyard And he said I go sir but went not 1 Ioh. 3. 17 18. Let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth Luke 6. 45. And why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the thing which I say But the obedience of the sincere Christian is an obedience that is in deeds as well as in words Rom. 15. 18. Col. 3. 17. 2 That of the Hypocrite is feigned and counterfeit as we have shewed Ps 78. 36. But this of the sincere Christian is as he himself is indeed what he seemeth 7 This new obedience of the sincere Christian as it is exact and compleat for the matter so for the manner of it and the mind of the doer therin The Hypocrite he onely mindeth the worke done and not how it bee done or with what minde hee doth it But the sincere Christian is careful not only what he doth but how with what mind he doth it And for this he doth and suffereth it i. in Christs name where the Hypocrite doth dare adventure to goe to God in his own name and upon his own account without the name of Jesus Christ as Mat. 22. 1 2 13 c. He saw there a man that had not on a wedding garment c. Luke 18. 11 the Pharisee praied and said God I thank thee I am not c. Iohn 6. 64. and 7. 5. or otherwise ask doubtingly Iames 1. 7 8. The sincere Christian he dares not come to God but with Iesus Christ in his heart and mouth and so coming he beleeves that he shall be accepted both in his person and service Hee doth ask in faith his Prayer is the prayer of Faith Iames 5. 15 16. 1 Tim. 2. 8. Iames 1. 6. Heb. 11. 4 6. By Faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain c. But without Faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must beleeve Iohn 16 23 24. 14 6. 2 He doth and suffereth preparedly where the Hypocrites heart in his coming to God in service is altogether unprepared for it as being voyd of the love and fear and reverence of God in it 2 Chron 12. 14 and 20 23. Psal 78. 34 35 36. Isa 29. 13. The sincere Christian his heart is ready and prepared to and for his obedience in doing or suffering as an instrument when set in tune is ready to be plaid upon He loves and fears God hee hath high holy and reverend thoughts of Gods name wayes and worship c. 2 Chron. 30 9. Psalm 108. 1. Psal 57. 7 Rom. 1 15 Mal 1. 6 7 8 17. Deut. 10. 12. Acts 21. 13. 3 He doth it sincerely where the Hypocrite doth it with a double and deceitful heart all that he doth Psal 78. 34 c. James 4. 8. The sincere Christian he doth it with a true plaine heart Heb. 10 22. Rom. 12. 8 9. 1 Pet. 1 2. So the Magistrate ruling Rom. 12. 7 8. The Minister in preaching 2 Cor. 1. 12. 1 Thes 2. 4 5 6 c. but to this we have spoken before 4 He doth it cheerfully and joyfully Where the Hypocrite is in his obedience especially in the service of God unwilling to and unchearfull in it and takes little or no delight but is soon weary of and tyred in it Amos 8. 5. When will the new Moon be gone c. Mal. 1. 15. Behold what a weariness it is Job 27. 10. The true Christian he delights in it it is his meate and drink the yoak herein upon him is an easie yoake to him Psal 40 8. Mat 11. 30. Psal 119 47. I shall delight my self in thy Commandments 2 Cor 8. 19. 1 Pet 5. 2. 2 Cor 9 7. Isa 58. 13. If thou call the Sabbath a delight 1 Cor. 29 9. Heb. 10. 34. Ye took joyfully the spoyling of yourgoods Judges 5. 2. And hence are the sincere Christians said to be a willing people Ps 110. 3. 5 He doth it patiently Where the Hypocrite is commonly in that which he doth and suffereth impatient and complaining against God Mal. 3. 14 15. Ye say it is in vain to serve the Lord c. 2 Kings 6. 33. This evil is from the Lord what should I wait c. Ezek. 18. 25 29 and 33. 17. 20. Numb 14. 17. Psal 106. 25. Mat. 20. 12 15. Mat. 25. 23 24. The sincere Christian hee is patient and doth quietly submit to the will of God therein 1 Sam. 3. 17 18. It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 2 Kings 20. 19
Good is the word of the Lord. Job 1. 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken c. 6 He doth it diligently where the Hypocrite is commonly in his obedience especially in Gods service careless and negligent Mal. 1. 14. Which hath in his flock a male and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing c. Mat. 25. 24. He that had but one talent The sincere Christian is usuually very diligent and exact herein 2 Pet. 1. 12. I will not be negligent c. 2 Cor. 8. 22. 1 Tim. 4. 14. 7 Hee doth it humbly where the Hypocrite doth his work proudly and conceitedly as the Pharisee Luke 18. 11. The sincere Christian doth it with the sense of his sinne and with a broken and contrite heart Luke 18. 13. 8 He doth it fervently where the Hypocrite is cold and perfunctory in his service Rev. 3. 15. The sincere Christian is fervent in spirit and doth what hee doth fervently Coll. 4. 12. James 5 16. Rom. 12. 14. 9 He doth it lovingly where the Hypocrite doth it often with corrupt affections James 15. 16. amd 1. 19 20. The sincere Christian doth it with love to God and man 1 Tim. 2. 8. 1 Cor. 13. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 8. Hee doth it not with the leaven of malice tnd wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sinceritie and truth 10 He doth it purely and holily The obedience of the sincere Christian is not onely pure for the manner but it flows from pure principles and motives and is done by a pure rule and â—o pure ends 2 It comes from a pure heart That of the Hypocrite comes from a filthy heart Acts 8. 21 22. Mat. 23. 25. But this of the sincere Christian comes from a pure heart a heart purified by the blood of Christ and by the Spirit of Christ 1 Tim. 1. 5 2 It is pure in the motives by and from which it is moved and carried That which doth move and carry the Hypocrite in his obedience is his self-love and self-ends and not any thing at all of God he loveth not the commander the command nor the thing commanded for themselves Or if there be any thing of God in it it is so much only as may serve his own ends therein Mat. 6 1 2 c. Mat. 23. throughout So Jehu Saul Judas and the rest Hee may sometimes bee kept from the doing of evil perhaps by the fear of men but very seldom by the fear of God Mark 12. 12. Luke 20. 19 22. 2 John 9. 22. and 7. 17. and 19. 38. Mat. 14. 5. Mark 11. 32. Gen. 39. 9. But that especially which doth move the sincere Christian in his obedience is the love and fear of God And from thence his desire to please and his feare to offend God the goodness of the thing to bee done or suffered the conscience of his duty therein and of his obligation thereunto by the love of God Hee beleeves the promises because God saith and obeyes the commands because God gives them He loves the Law maker that commands the Law or command it self and the thing commanded These and such like things as these doe especially stir up and carry on the sincere Christian to his obedience So Heb. 11. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen moved with fear prepared an Ark c. Psalm 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy word 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us c. 1. 17. Some out of love Psalm 116. 1. I love the Lord c. John 21 15. and 16 17. Ps 119. 97. 127. I loae thy Law Psalm 40. 8. I delight to doe thy will O God Gen 39. 9. Job 31. 4. 14. 23. 2 Chron. 19. 6 7. Ephes 6. 6 7. And this fear of God makes him careless of the commands and threats of men Exod. 1. 17. The Midwives feared God c. Heb. 11. 27. By Faith be forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King 2 It is pure in the Rule by which his obedience is governed The Hypocrite he makes his own fancie and the commands and inventions of other men his rule and warrant for what he doth therein Mat. 15. 2. Why doe thy disciples transgress the traditions of the Elders c. Gal. 1. 14. John 4. 21 22. Acts 17. 22. Mat. 23. 16 17. But the sincere Christian he makes the pure Word of God alone his rul e and warrant for whatsoever he beleeveth doth and suffereth Col. 3. 10. The new man is said to be renewed in knowledge Gal. 1. 9. Gal. 6. 16. Acts 13. 36. 3 It is also pure for the manner of it as is already shewed 4 This new obedience is pure in the ends of it The Hypocrites end in all that he doth and suffereth is himself as he is moved in his obedience from self-love so is he carried to self-ends He seeks himself not God and Christ his main design and intention in all that hee doth and suffereth from the beginning to the end thereof is especially if not only his own glory or praise his own profit or pleasure or some way or other to satisfie his own lusts He lookes no furthan at earthly pleasures comforts and advantages in this world God is not in al his thoughts or if hee be it is onely to thinke how hee may serve himself upon him And if God be in his eye yet he lookes at something beyond above above or before him In shew he seeks God but in truth he seeks himself He seems to follow God and Christ but it is not for God and Christ but for his own sake He follows Christ for the loaves as the nine Leapers to be healed onely Iohn 6. 26. Luke 17. 12. And as the sheep doe follow the shepheard as long as the bottle of hay is in his hand and no longer and not as a childe that follows the father out of love who wil follow him every where The Pharisees did pray and give almes to be seen of men Mat. 6. 2. They made long praiers to the end they might devoure widowes houses Hosea 7. 14. Ye assemble for wine and corn Zach 7. 5. Did ye at all fast unto me c. Micah 3. 11. They judge for ieward and divine for money and yet lean upon me c. Acts 20 30. Phil. 1. 17. Preached Christ out of envy But the sincere Christian in all his active and passive obedience as hee is carryed forth therein especially from the love and feare of God and Christ so doth he act therein for God and Christ as well as for himself And indeed God is his great object motive end and all in all He followeth them as wel for their owne sakes as for his owne sake They are his principal and ultimate end and the center to which he tends in all that he doth and suffereth His main scope and special aim therein to which all is in his intention referred is to glorifie God and advance
obedience to Gods commands and that he doe it in a due manner that he doth preferre the greater before the lesser the first Table before the second c. Fundamentals in Faith and Practice and things absolutely necessary to salvation before lesser things substantial before circumstantial things And it savours of Hypocrisie where a man is preposterous herein Mat. 23. 23. You tythe Mint and Annis and have omitted the weightier matters c. If yet you would see further the signs of such things as accompany sinceritie you shall have them in the next place CHAP. IX The signes of some other things that doe alwaies goe along with or are necessary to make up sinceritie WE are now come to the last sort of signs which are the signs of such things as do accompany or are constitutive of sinceritie and without which there cannot be sinceritie in the heart Such are Christs indwelling in our hearts by his spirit by meanes whereof we are made partakers of sinceritie for there is none in us but what floweth and is fetcht out of this fountain of grace and truth and Regeneration the first work of Christs Spirit which necessarily implyeth Faith and Love Wee have already laid downe the principal signs of Faith and Love It remains onely tha◠we give you the principal signs or effects of our union with Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit in us which are both at once For he that is one with Christ is one in whom Christ dwelleth and hath Christ in him by faith through the spirit 1 John 4. 15. And to have Christ in us and his Spirit dwelling in us is all one or at least goe alwaies together and are never apart The signs of the Spirit will be signs of this union 1 John 4. 13. By this we know that we dwell in him and he in us that he hath given to us of his Spirit Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwel in your hearts by faith Rom. 8. 9 10 11. But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if the Spirit of God dwel in you Phil. 2. 1. These signs of the indwelling of Christ by his Spirit and of Regeneration wee shall give you with relation both to the external conversion of those sincere Christians in whom Christ is and who are truly born again as also to the inward frame of their hearts SECT I. Signs of our union with Christ and of his Spirit dwelling in us Our being in Christ and his Spirit abiding in us may be known by such like signs as these 1 By the death of sin and life of grace in us by holyness in heart and life opinion and practise Rom. 8. 9 10 11. Ye are not in the flesh c. if so be that the Spirit of God dwel in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin But the Spirit is life because of Righteousnes But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwel in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Gal. 5. 24. 1 Joh. 3. 6. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him Ephes 2. 21 22. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Jude v. 19. 2 By the fruits of the Spirit The tree is known by his fruit Mat. 12. 33. The fruit of the Spirit is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. Gal. 5. 5. 22. Eph. 5. 9. 3 By our Regeneration he that is in Christ is a new creature hath a new soul and doth manifest it by a new life 2 Cor. 5. 17. He that is in Christ is a new creature Gal. 6. 15. For in Christ Iesus neirher Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature 4 By the spirit of Prayer an essential part of the work of Grace he that is in Christ hath this in him Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Son crying Abba father Eph. 2. 18. Zach. 12. 10. Rom 8. 15. 5 By a rooted and grounded love to God and his people Eph. 3. 16 17 18. That he would grant to you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the Inner man that Christ may dwel in your hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able c. 1 John 4. 12. If we love one another God dwelleth in us 6 By having of the same mind in us as was in Iesus Christ Phil. 2. 5. Let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Iesus and 3. 9. I account all things but loss that I may win Christ that I may know him c. and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death c. 1 Pet. 4. 1. 7 By a walking and living after the example of Christ 1 Iohn 2. 5 6. Hereby we know that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walk as he walked 8 By a care to keep the Commandments of God and Christ 1 Ioh 3. 24. And he that keepeth his Cōmandments dwelleth in him he in him And hereby we know he abideth in us by the Spirit he hath given us 9 By growth and increase in grace Eph. 4. 15. That we henceforth be no more children c. But speaking the truth c. may grow up into him in all thines which is the head even Christ Eph. 2. 21. 2 Thes 1. 3. Your faith groweth exceedingly c. SECT II. The signs of our Regeneration may be these 1 An understanding heart to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent 1 John 5. 18 20. And we know that whosoever is born of God c. And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us understanding that wee may know him that is true c. Joh. 5. 24. Iohn 17. 3. 2 Faith in Christ 1 Iohn 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Iesus is the Christ is born of God John 1. 12. 3 Holyness and Righteousnesse of life without and puritie of heart within 1 John 2. 29. Every one that doth righteousnesse is born of him 1 Joh. 3. 9 10. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God 1 John 3. 3. He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure 1 Iohn 5. 18 20. 4 Love of God it is as natural for the new born children of God to love God as for children to love their parents Iohn 1. 12 13. 5 Love to the godly 2 Iohn 4. 7. Every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God 1 Iohn 3. 9 10. Whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth
not his brother 2 Cor. 6. 6. 1 Iohn 2. 10. 6 Victory over the world 1 Iohn 5. 4. Whosoever is born of GOD overcometh the world 7 A strong love to and desire after the Word of God and a conformity of heart and life to it Psalm 119. 97. Oh how I love thy Law c. I have esteemed the words of his mouth better than my necessary food Iob 23. 12. Luke 8. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 3. SECT III The summe of all this Head Now of all that wee have spoken as to this point in hand and head of tryal this is then the summe That a man may enjoy all outward Gospel Priviledges such as the manifestations of Gods presence c. all Gospel Ordinances and means of Grace as Word Sacraments Sabbaths all advantages imaginable by parents education society c. Have great gifts and parts and doe much with them as Preach Pray and the like That he may in appearance be converted from the world be changed in his outward conversation cast off all his outward pollutions be so much reformed that hee may appear unblameable in the sight of men have much light from the Word of God be clearely convinced of the truth of it have such a taste of perswasion that the good thereby promised and offered doth belong to him as thereby to bee drawn to come to Christ in an open profession and some inward affections close with his Church be a Church-member bee taken of others and take himselfe to bee a true member ' seemingly own Iesus Christ for his Lord and submit to his Law live orderly with Christians in Church-fellowship and there make a glorious profession of the Gospel proceed to have many singular gifts and seeming graces do many excellent things and so live and dye yea live and dye a Martyr in the defence of the Gospel hee professeth yea he may have such a discovery of the Grace of God in Christ by the Gospel and such a seeming worke of Faith and Love in his soul as that he may bee perswaded that Christ and Heaven is his And upon this have a little love or shew of love to God and his people and live in a kinde of hope joy and expectation of Heaven to his dying day and yet be in his corrupt and unregenerate estate and perish And that he onely that is regenerate renewed by the Holy Ghost and VVord of God in his nature to be like Christ shall bee reputed sincere and so saved at last But to give a shorter account hereof let the summe of all bee this That the most certaine and infallible character of the true and living Christian and one that is a Christian indeed John 1. 47. And that whereby he may bee best known and distinguished from the counterfeit and painted Christian the Hypocrite is by that which is within him where the Kingdome of God is Luke 17. 20 21. Hee is the sincere Christian that is so inwardly Rom. 2. 29. And in him these things following are to bee found The Spirit of God and Christ is given unto him 1 Iohn 3. 24. 1 Iohn 4. 3. Rom. 8. 10 11 15. Galat. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 9. 1 Cor. 2 12. 1 Iohn 4. 13. And according to the new Covenant Isaiah 44 3. and 32. 15. Ezek 39. 29. Ioel 2. 29. Zachar. 12. 10. compared with Acts 2. 17. This spirit hee receives in the Preaching of the Gospel Galat. 3. 2. By this spirit in the Gospel hee is convinced of his own desperate and helplesse case out of Christ and that his help is in Christ alone Iohn 26. 8. And thereupon is drawne to Christ whom hee doth embrace by Faith Iohn 6. 44. Hebrews 11 13. Philip. 3. 12. Ephes 3. 16 17. Iohn 6. 56. 2 Corinth 4. 13. This Spirit and GOD the Father in it abideth and dwelleth in him 1 Corinth 3. 24. 1 Iohn 4. 13. Iohn 6. 56. Ephes 2. 22. And hee in whom this Spirit is abideth and dwelleth in GOD. 1 Corinth 3. 24. 1 John 4. 13. John 6. 56. By this Holy Spirit Christ and the soule are firmely united together and doe become even as Husband and VVife Romans 7. 4. Canticles 1 2 c. and are so joyned as the Tree and Branches Iohn 15. 1 c. Head and Body 1 Cor. 11. 3. Eph. 5. 23. Body and Soul Ephes 2. 5. Hence followeth presently a very great an universal change of the soul within appearing in the life without The change is from darkness to light from bondage to liberty from sinne to grace from death to life c. and is called Regeneration by which here is produced a new creature the soul whereof is this Spirit of God abiding in him compared to the natural generation conception and birth Iohn 3. 6. Iohn 12. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 22. Tit. 3. 5. Galat. 4. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Galat. 5. 15. This Spirit of God being as the soul in the body in this new creature doth animate it Ephes 2. 5 6. Rom. 8. 11. And by it the old man is changed into a new man there is a new nature hee partakes of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. a new life Gal. 2. 20. Col. 3. 21. 1 Iohn 5. 12. This change is from the state of nature to the state of grace from the likeness of the old to the likenesse of the new Adam he hath now in him the minde of Christ Ephes 4. 24. Phil. 2. 5. 1 Cor. 15. 46 47. Phil. 3. 9. Hee now lives the life of Christ 1 Pet. 4. 6. 1 Iohn 2. 5 6. 1 Iohn 3. 24. and according to the Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 3. 18. The Holy Spirit thus dwelling and animating in and acting of this new creature and being in it self a spirit of light life and grace Zach. 12. 10. Rom. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 4. It governs him in whom it is and hee is led by it and walks after it according to the Word of God 1 Pet. 1. 22. 2 Cor. 3. 18. And as the lively pure spring doth worke out the mire and mudde out of it self so this spirit doth work out of the heart the ignorance and corruption thereof and make and keep it pure Acts 15. 9. It killeth sin Rom. 8. 10 13. Destroyeth the workes of the Devil and Flesh 1 Iohn 3. 8. Such as are Adultery Uncleannesse Lasciviousnesse Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulation VVrath Strife Sedition Heresies Envyings Murder Drunkenness and such like Gal. 5. 17. And quickneth inclineth and disposeth the whole heart and consequently the whole man to grace and goodnesse Rom. 8. 10. And such like fruits as these following Righteousnesse Joy Love Long suffering Gentlenesse Faith Goodnesse Meeknesse Temperance and the like Gal. 5. 19. Rom. 14. 17. and the manifestation and exercise thereof in the life are the natural and proper works fruits effects of this spirit Gal. 5. 22 23. Rom. 14. 17. 2 Cor. 5. 13. Rom. 8. 26. 2 Cor. 8. 17. Acts 2. 4. Gal. 4. 6. And
therein from some corrupt or sinister respect and not by or from any love or fear of God at all 1 Cor. 13. 1. 2. Though I speak with the tongue of men and Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymbal And though I have the gift of Prophesie and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have no charity I am nothing See more for this Ps 33. 18. 34. 18. 138. 6. 147. 6 51. 16 17. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 3 That there bee a warrant or rule for the thing to bee done and suffered And for this 1 That the thing to be done or suffered be commanded or at the least not forbidden 2 That it be known too and beleeved by him that doth or suffereth it 3 That it bee done according to this rule or command by him known and beleeved For the first The thing to be done must be good either it must be commanded or at least it must not be forbidden by Gods Word For if so it be that the thing be forbidden be it don never so cordially or that a man be pressed never so much to it by his conscience yet is the thing nevertheless evill And therefore their sin in offering their children to Molech Lev. 20. 2. Jer. 32. 35 36. and in the killing of Christs Disciples was nevertheless sinful for this nor will a good intention or meaning in this case help And therefore we finde in 1 Sam. 13. 8 9 11. Saul and 1 Chron. 13. 8 9 10 11. Vzzah both of them severely punished for the doing and probably with a good intention of that which was good in it self to have been done by another but evill in them because it was a thing prohibited to them And of this nature is their Popish whipping of themselves pilgrimage fasting and such like things amongst them and the imitation of them by others Col. 2. 18. 23. Touch not taste not c. which things indeed have a shew of wisdom in will-worship and humilitie c. And God will say of this as Isa 1. 12. who hath required these things at your hands and as Jer. 32. 35. which I commanded them not neither came it into my mind Deut. 12. 8. 2 The thing done must bee knowingly and beleevingly done that is hee must know it to be commanded allowed or warranted by Gods Word for otherwise be it never so lawful as the eating of flesh yet if a man doubt of the lawfulness of it it is not lawful to him so long as he doubteth For whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne Rom. 14. 1 2 3. c. 23. And it must bee done with a perswasion that God will accept it being so done Gen. 4. 4. Heb. 11. 4 6. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain c. But without faith it is impossible to please God c. For he that cometh to God must beleeve that God is c And for the third It must be done for matter and manner according to the rule of the Word laid down for the doing thereof Gal 6. 16. And to as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them c. Acts 13. 36. But David after he had served his own generation by the will of God c. But the error in this principally is when a man in that he doth and suffereth hath his eye altogether or chiefly upon his own fancy or upon humane Traditions Commands and Inventions Iohn 4. 21 22. Ye worship ye know not what Mat. 15. 9. In vain they doe worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Acts 17. 23. Mat. 23 16 17. And for the manner of that which is done and suffered it ought to be done with Love and Faith and in the feare of God It must bee done in love 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. otherwise i◠is nothing worth In faith 1 to God Heb. 11. 4. For he that cometh to him must beleeve c. 2 In Christ Col. 3 17. and with the whole heart It must bee also willingly and chearfully 1 Pet. 5. 2. Feed the flock of GOD which is amongst you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde Ephes 6. 6. Not with eye-service c. doing the will of GOD from the heart with good will doing service c. Heb. 10. 34. Yee took joyfully the spoyling of your goods c. Psalm 110. 3. Deut. 30. 10. Ierem. 31. 33. Gen. 9. 27. 5 The next great thing to bee looked unto and required in the workes we do and things wee suffer to make our work therein acceptable is the end and designe of the heart in it For as a man may speake good words to an evil end Luke 10. 25. Matth. 22. 15. so one may doe good works to an evill end The great and maine end and designe of the heart in every thing a man doth and suffereth ought to bee to and for God that is to please and glorifie GOD and advance the Name of the Lord Iesus by what hee doth and suffereth and by his chearefull service therein to testifie his love to God For this is primarily commanded Exod. 20. 2 3. I am the Lōrd c. Thon shalt have no other Gods before me And this is primarily to be prayed and laboured for Mat. 6. 9. Hallowed be thy Name that is grant us by thy VVord and VVorkes as thou hast manifested thereby especially by the work of Redemption by Iesus Christ rightly to know thee in thy wonderful nature and incomprehensible Attributes and be brought every way in heart word and deed to acknowledge and by a right inward and outward worship of thee to exalt thee VVhence we may thus argue That which is of God chiefly required and of man chiefly to be desired to this must every work of man bee chiefly intended and directed But that already named is that very thing 1 Cor. 6. 20. Yee are bought with a price wherefore glorifie him 1 Cor. 10. 31. Do all to the glory of God John 7. 18. But he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. John 17. 4. Phil. 1. 21. Cant. 7. 13. Luke 2. 14 20. Col. 3. 23 24 Eph. 6 67. And in the next place his aym and design must bee to do good to the people especially the Saints amongst whom he doth live 1 Cor. 10 31 32 33. Even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor. 9. 19 20. 1 Cor 8. 8 9 10. Luke 7. 5 6. Gal 6. 10. Let us do good to all men especially to them who are of the houshold of Faith But that which maketh the service Hypocritical and unacceptable in this is when he that doth it mindeth himself onely in it
and 2. 12 13. 2 Pet. 3 9. And laying aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us let us run with patience the race that is set before us H. b. 12. 1 2. and 2. 1 2 c. and so much the rather be diligent to adde one grace to another and one degree of Grace to another c. 2 Pet. 1. 6 7. c. And let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. Let us endure the cross despise the shame Heb. 12. 2. Take up the cross and follow Christ Mark 10. 21. Suffer and die with him 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. Leave all for his sake Mark 10. 28. Strive to enter into Heaven Luke 13. 24. and take it by force Mat. 11. 12. Fight the good fight of Faith and finish our course 2 Tim. 4. 7. do the singular things required of us Mat. 5. 47. Afflict our soules Lev. 16. 29. James 4. 9. Put a knife to the throat Prov. 23. 3. Mortifie the deeds of the body Rom. 8. 13. Crucifie the old man the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 21. Rom. 6. 6. Deut. 10 16. Let the fore-skin of our hearts be circumcised and let us circumcise our selves to the Lord and let us break up our fallow grounds Jer. 4. 3. 4. Be crucified to the world and the world to us Gal. 6. 14. Keep down our bodie 1 Cor. 9. 27. Pull out our right eye and cut off our right hand that causeth us to offend Mat. 5. 29 30. Suffer the losse of all things and count them but dung for Christ Phil. 3. 8. 9. Refrain our seet from every evil way Ps 119. 10. Strive for Masterie 1 Cor. 9. 25. and rejoice as not rejoicing 1 Cor. 7. 30. And thus doing we may be sure and certain that we are not cast-awaies 1 Cor. 7. 27 Gods wrath shall not break forth upon us Jer. 4. 4. We shall not come into condemnation John 5 24. nor be cast into hell fire Mat. 5. 29. and 188. that we shall never fall 1 Pet. 1. 10. that wee shall not die but live not perish but have everlasting life and glory John 3. 15. 2 Tim. 2. 9. 10. 11. Mark 10. 30. Rom. 8. 13. And we may be confident that we shall enter into joy Mat. 25. 23. life Mat. 18. 8. rest Heb. 4. 2 Thes 2. 8. live and raign with Christ 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. Rom. 8. 13. Have and enjoy the incorruptible crown of Righteousness life and glory 1 Tim. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 9. 24 25. Rev. 2. 10. be received into everlasting habitations Luke 16. 9. enjoy the fulness of pleasures at Gods right hand Ps 16. 11. and be satisfied Ps 17. 5. Sit down and feast for ever with Christ and his people Mat. 8. 11. and that we shall go into life eternal Mat. 46. And we cannot misse it for ours is the kingdom of heaven we have eternal life and are passed from death to life i. we are as sure of it as if done already Our sixth and last word of Exhortation is to all that now doe or hereafter shall appeare as Christians and follow Christ in the profession of Religion and have a form of godliness To perswade them to Sincerity and against Hypocrisie herein to be pure and upright in heart and life And that they lye not to God and men whiles they pretend to be and have the name of Christians and are not so indeed but counterfeit ones onely To perswade them and oh that we might prevail herein that they would lay aside al manner of guile and deceit herein And labour to be plain simple hearted in thought word deed That they do not compass God about with lyes and flatter and dissemble with him whiles their hearts are not right and perfect before him That they do not pretend to prefer God above all have no other God but him whiles they love fear and trust in themselves and other men and things more than God seeke the praise of men more than the praise of God That they call not God their Father and Master whiles they despise his Name and do not honour him as a sonne his father nor fear him as a servant his master That they doe not teach Gods fear by the precepts of men That they give not to God a worse when they have a better to give him in his service That they do not pretend to enquire after seek serve and obey him with their whole heart whiles they seek themselves and to serve themselves upon God therein That they do not pretend to faith love repentance fear and the like towards God whiles they know there is no such thing but the contrary thereof in their heart That they doe not pretend to draw nigh to God in his worship whiles their hearts are far removed from him it That they do not pretend to form of godlyness whiles they deny the power thereof That they do not say they know him and keep not his commandements That they doe not professe to know God whiles in their works they deny him That they do not say they are Saints whiles they live like not devils That they do name the Name of the Lord unless they depart from iniquity And as for Rulers of Churches Christian Commonwealths and Families Judges and such like men that they say not they rule and judge for God and lean upon him whiles they seek themselves and their own things and not the things of God and the peoples good And for Christian Teachers c. That they say not they are of God sent of Christ Ministers of the Gospel workers with Christ c. whiles they appear to be deceitful workers to speak lyes in hypocrisie to deceive the simple with fair words to seek to please men to seek their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ to serve their bellyes to make merchandize of mens soules to hunt after filthy lucre and so goe themselves and lead others with them to destruction And that neither Heads Priests nor Prophets leane upon the Lord say He is amongst us whiles they judge for reward teach for hire and divine for mony Mic. 3. 11. Ps 50. 16 17. Mat. 23. 27 28. Isa 29. 13. 1 Joh. 2. 4. Mat. 7. 22 23. Is 43. 24. Ps 78. 36 37. But on the other side let us perswade such men professing godlines That they get the new life the immediate principles and habits of Grace and the operations motions effects and fruits thereof And then that they labour for and get a perfect heart a heart perfect with the Lord. 1 Chron. 29. 19. That they walk before God in truth and with a perfect heart 2 Kings 20. 3. 2 Chron. 29. 2. Gen. 17. 1. That they do the thing that is good and right with a perfect heart as in Gods sight 2 Kings 20. 3. 2 Chron. 25. 2. That they draw near to serve seek God with their
whole heart with a perfect heart and willing mind with a true heart in sinceritie and truth 1 Chr. 28. 9. Deut. 10. 12. Heb. 10. 22. Hos 7. 14 15 16. That whatever they do in their profession they doe it to and for the Lord and noâ— to or for themselves or for other men Col. 3. 23. Hos 7. 14 15. That their repentance towards God faith towards the Lord Jesus their love to fear of and joy and delight in God and Christ and their profession and declaration thereof bee unfeigned and with all their heart and soul Prov. 23. 26. Deut. 30. 10. 2 Kings 23. 25. 2 Cor. 6. 6. Ps 78. 34 35 36. That they follow God fully Numb 14. 24. and Christ wheresoever he shall goe or call them Mat. 8. 19. That whatsoever they doe unto men be not done with eye-service as men pleasers but as doing the wil of God from the heart heartily with singleness of heart with good wil as the servants of Christ as serving him fearing God and as unto the Lord. Col. 3. 22. Eph. 6. 6 7 8. That such as pretend to the faith love and obedience of and suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ that they doe it in sinceritie to exalt his honour and the honour of the Father in him Eph. 6. 24. Joh. 5. 23. That whatsoever they speak to men be the truth and from their heart 1 Thes 46 Ps 52. 2. Jer. 9. 5 6 8. Prov. 26. 22 23. c. Gen. 34. 13. 2 Sam. 3 27. Psal 15. And that they talke walk and live like Saints that they be not only hearers and talkers but doers of the Word of God James 1. 2 2. and that their hearts be purified and their hands be cleansed Iames 4. 8. that those as name the Name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. Mat. 7. 22 23. Psal 119. 1 2 3. That the Rulers be Ministers of God for good to the people revengers to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Rom. 13. 2 3. And that they be not a terrour to good works but to the evil That they rule in the fear of God 2 Sam. 23 3. To the glory of God and the good of them that are ruled especially of the people of God amongst them 2 Sam. 23. 2. Ps 78 72. 1 Tim. 3. 4 12. That the Judges professing godlyness be such as feare God men of truth hating covetousness Exod. 18. 21. That in their judgement they doe take heed to what they do and consider that they judge not for man but for the Lord who is with them in the judgement And that the fear of the Lord be upon them and that they doe take heed and doe it as considering that there is no iniquitie with the Lord nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts 2 Chron. 19. 6 7. And that the Teachers and Preachers preach the Truth Feed the Flock of God taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as Lords over Gods heritage but as ensamples to the flock 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. That herein they seek not their own but the things of Iesus Christ Phil. 2. 21. and the good of others 1 Cor. 10. 24. 33. not to please themselves or men but to please God Gal. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 10. 33. that they give no offence to God or man 1 Cor. 9. 20. And that in all they doe God may bee glorified the Name of the Lord Jesus exalted 1 Cor. 10. 31. 6. 20. the peoples souls saved Gal. 6. 10. and they themselves be able to give up their account therof with joy at the last day Heb. 13. 17. And now for our last word to others that do not so much as appear to be the friends but rather the enemies of Christ Let us perswade them onely to lay down their weapons and give over their opposition against Christ for he will be too strong for them It is hard to kick against the priks Acts 9. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than he Mat. 21. 44. And therefore what the Prophet Ps 2. 10 11. said to great men we say to all Be wise now therefore c. kiss the son c. And now having set forth wherein the Christians life doth consist and the difficulty thereof it is high time we lay down some motives or encouragements and helps therein CHAP. XII Arguments to perswade to Sinceritie and against Hypocrisie in the general THE next thing we have to do is to lay down something by way of motive to perswade not only to a Christian life but also to Sincerity and against Hypocrisie therein And this first in general And in the next place in particular services to perswade us to be Christians indeed to the profession of the Christian faith and to sincerity therein And to move us to labour to bee and to keep sincere in our state or in the general Besides what we have before layd down let us take up and use these following considerations 1 Hypocrisie in Religion is a sin we are all very prone to for every man by nature is an Hypocrite and every true Christian hath more or less hypocrisy in him Job 31. 33. If I cover my transgressions as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom Gen. 3. 12. Hence it is that Christ bids his Disciples beware of it Mat. 6. 1. Luke 12. 1. 2 Yea it is much to be feared that Hypocrisie in Religion is now very common and that Hypocrites are very many and that Hypocrisie is now become the general disease of the time because there is now more to breed feed it than in former times Religion is now in request the greatest and most of men be religious Religion is now looked upon with a good eye and religious godly men are now in great esteem with the greatest men of the time so that it is now as in the time spoken of in Esth 8. 17. The Iews had light and gladness and joy and honour c. and a good day and many of the people of the land became Iews for the fear of the Iews fell upon them A false heart will work upon this and the man in whom it is will for his outward advantage in the world put himself into any form of Religion 1 Tim. 6. 5. 3 The sin of Hypocrisie in the nature and working of it is a most dangerous sin For 1. It is a soul-pleasing sin being a part of the old man and natural to us Ps 52. 3. thou lovest evil c. and lying c. Hosea 12. 7 8. Col. 3. 9. 2 It is a soul killing sin Acts 8. 21 22 23. 3 It is of a very infectious nature Gal. 2. 12 13. 4 It is as we have said a very common evill where the contagion of the plague is common the danger is greater 5 It is hardly discerned in him in whom it is It is as
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Psalm 125. 5. And as he is of all sinners the greatest for his counterfeit holyness is in Gods sight a double wickedness so will his punishment in hell be the greatest Mat. 23. 14. Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation Job 20. 5. 23 24 25. God shall rain down the fury of his wrath upon him c. He shall suck the poyson of Asps the Vipers tongue shall slay him c. God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him All darknes shall be hid in his secret places and fire not blown shall consume him c. This is the portion appointed to such a man by God And this portion is the portion of unbelevers expressed in Ps 11 6. Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup they shall be cut asunder and torn in pieces there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Luke 12. 46. compared with Mat. 24. 51. the Lord of that servant shall come c. and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Psalm 50. 16. 22. Now consider this ye that forget God least I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver CHAP. XIII Arguments to perswade to Sincerity and against Hypocrisie in Services AND now to perswade us to Sincerity in our particular Works and Services especially in the service of God we may take up and use these motives 1 God is upright in his work and all that he doth he doth in uprightnesse and wee are to be followers of God Ier. 32. 41. And I will plant them c. with my whole heart and whole soul Ephes 5. 1. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children 2 God requires uprightness in us in all that we doe in his service Heb. 20 22. Let us draw near with a true heart c. Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord c. and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul 1 Sam. 12. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Sam. 12 10. Rom. 12. 8 9. 1 Chr. 28. 9. 3 This sincere service agreeth with the nature of God whom we serve 1 For he is a Spirit Iohn 4. 24. God is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and truth 2 He is a great King Mal. 1. 14. For I am a great king saith the Lord of hosts my name is dreadful c. He is not as man but as far above man as the heavens are above the earth Ps 55. 9. Mal. 1. 6. A son honoureth his father and a servant his master If I then be a father where is mine honour and if I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts unto you O Priests that despise my name Eccles 5. 1 2. Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God c. For God is in heaven and thou upon earth c. 4 This is Gospel service and fit for Gospel times and Gospel worshippers and such service as God doth call for Ioh. 4. 23. The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship him in spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Jer. 24. 7. with 3. 10. Ezek. 36. 26 27. 5 This is the only beautiful and excellent service where there is an harmony and consent between the soul and the body in the work Heb. 11. 4 6. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain 6 By this the meanest service may become a glorious work have much acceptance and reward from God Luke 21. 2. the widdows two mites Mat. 10. 42. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Exod. 1. 17 21 22. Jer. 35. 18 19. 7 Such are the services of the true servants of God 1 Thes 2. 3. Ps 119 7. 2 Tim. 2. 22. 8 The services so done only are accepted and wil be rewarded with God 1 Chron. 28. 9. Neh. 13. 14. Ezek. 18 24. 9 For no outward service can or doth please God or is accepted with him for it self or the work done but as it is joyned with sinceritie in the inward worship of Faith and love to God a desire to please and purpose to obey him Gen. 4. 4. Ps 51. 16 17. For thou desirest not sacrifice c. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Isa 66. 1 2 3. But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word He that killeth an oxe c. Hosea 8. 13. and 9. 4. Amos 5. 21. Micah 6. 7 8. Heb 11. 4. 10 The Hypocritical service is a lye and a lye not to men so much as to God Hosea 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes c. Acts 5. 3. 11 The Hypocritical service albeit it be not despised by men yet God doth know it and will make it known to others to the shame of him that doth it 1 Chr. 28. 9. And then Solomon know thou the God c. and serve him with a perfect heart c. for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understâ—â—deth all the imaginations of the thoughts c. Mat. 6. 5 6. Mat. 19. 29. with Ps 44. 21 22. And it is not onely not accepted but sleighted of God it being a grievous sin a pollution and prophanation of Gods name it is a provocation of his wrath and doth draw down grievous judgements upon men that doe so perform it Mal. 1. 7. 13. 14. Should I accept this saith the Lord c. But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Lev. 10. 8. Ezek. 23. 38. Numb 18. 32. Ob. But here may be objected that hypocritical service hath had a reward 2 Kings 11. 18 19 20. 1 Kings 17. 18 c 27 28 29. 2 Kings 10. 14 15. c. Ans It cannot be denyed but that God may sometimes doth give for an outward hypocritical service for the work done because it is that he would have done a temporal reward But this will not at all preserve him from the punishment of the hypocrisie of his service here nor help to prevent the eternall punishment that will unavoidably come upon him for it hereafter Mat. 6. 5 6. and 23. 33. 2 King 10. 14 c. compared with Hosea 1. 4. CHAP. XIV Meanes or helpes to get and keepe Sinceritie IF any now shall desire and will labour for sincerity and would know by what meanes he may get
and keepe it and prevent hypocrisie We answer by these following meanes 1. Let him labour to be sincere in his state in general for till this it cannot be expected he should do any thing in sinceritie 2. Let him labour to get the Spirit of God into his heart and by this to get a newheart a heart convinced of sin by the worke of the Law Jo. 16. 7 8 9 10. And drawne to Christ by faith and so to become one with him and made a new creature for no man can otherwise bee sincere And hee that is in Christ is and must bee so a new creature assoone as he is in him Jo. 1. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 17. And when there is a full and powerfull change of the whole man by the grace of God then and not till then doth he begin to be sincere For every mans heart naturally is deceitfull above all things and till God hath changed it there is no integritie in it and a mans heart is never plaine and even till it be polished by grace for till this be a man makes himselfe the center and all lines to meete in him Then he will have the cleane right Spirit that David prayeth for Ps 51. 10. Ephes 4. 23. and 3. 19. Phill. 3. 9. 3. Let him get an understanding heart of the things of God for without knowledge the heart cannot bee good without this there can bee no feare of nor love to nor trust in God Prov. 19. 2. 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart c. Prov. 15. 23. A man of understanding walketh uprightly Prov. 2. 10. Phill 1. 9 10. And this I pray that your love may abound in knowledge c. That ye may bee sincere c. Psal 36. 10. and 9. 10. Jo. 10. 38. 4. Let him labour for unfeined faith which is ever accompanied with and never severed from Sinceritie 1 Tim. 1. 5. 2 Tim. 1. 5 7. 5. Let him labour from the sense of Gods love to him to get and increase in an unfeined love to God which will make him sincere Psal 26. 1 2. I have walked in mine integritie for thy loving kindnes is before mine eyes 1 Jo. 4. 19. 2 Cor. 6. 6. 6. Let him labour much in the mortification of his lusts and especially in his lusts of coveteousnes for this inclines a man to hypocrisie Luke 6. 14. And the Pharises also who were Coveteous heard all these things and they derided him Mat. 26. 9. Jo. 12. 4 5 6. Rom. 8 13. Coll. 3. 5. And for the better doing and attainment of all these things 1. Let him thinke much of God his omnipresence and omniscience the fearefull judgements to come upon hypocrites And let the feare of these judgements take hold of him Prov. 14. 2. Hee that walketh in his uprightnes feareth the Lord. 2 Sam. 22. 24. For all his judgements were before me c. I was also upright c. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Know thou the God c. and serve him with a perfect heart for the Lord searcheth all hearts c. Job 31. 4 23. Doth hee not see my wayes and count all my steps Psal 50. 21 22. Thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thy selfe but I will reprove thee c. Consider this yee that forget God least hee teare you in peeces and there bee none to deliver you Mal. 1. 6 7 8 9. Psal 139. 1 2. 2. Let him keepe a narrow watch over his heart and the motions thereof the principles motives intentions ends of every thing that passeth thorough it Pro. 4. 23. Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the Issues of life Marke 13. 37. Psal 134. 24. 8. Let him pray and pray much and earnestly for them to God who giveth them Ier. 24. 7. And who hath promised this very thing Ezech. 11. 19. I will give them one heart c. And put a new Spirit within you c. James 1. 5. If any man want wisedome c. Let him aske of God Mat. 5. 42. Aske and yee shall have Phill. 1. 9 10. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement c. That yee may bee sincere c. Luke 11. 13. 1 Chron. 29. 19. Psal 139. 24. Acts. 8. 23. Psal 119. 80. Let my heart bee sound in thy statutes c. 4. Let him bee much in converse with Gods word And especially with these scriptures we have in this work proposed for a preservative from and cure of this disease This will be as a rule to the Mason in his work yea the Word will not onely discover crookedness but amend it and make a man strait 1 Sam. 22. 23 24. I have kept the wayes of the Lord c. And as for his statutes I did not depart from them I was also upright before him Ps 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee v. 7. I shall praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall learn thy righteous judgements Prov. 15. 21. 2. 10. 5 Let him labour to remove out of his heart all low and undervaluing thoughts and get and cherish a high value and esteem of God his Ordinances and Institutions Mal. 1. 1 2. 6. 14. c. 6 Let him take heed of hearkning to carnal wisdome either that which comes from a carnal fountaine or that which inclineth to or produceth the workes of the flesh or that which rules onely for fleshly motives and carnal ends 2 Cor. 1. 12. James 3. 13. 7 Let him decline the company of such who give vehement cause to be suspected to be Hypocrites For he that toucheth pitch will be defiled therewith And get into the company and call in help from the prayers and counsel of them that appear to be sincere Prov. 13. 20. Hee that walketh with the wise shall be wise We have now done and said all wee have to say There remaineth that onely which we have promised to be added by another hand to the clearing of what we have in our fourth Chapter touching this Question Whether the Saving Grace lye in the Quality or Quantity Nature or Degree thereof or not CHAP. XVI Sr YOu were pleased to require my opinion in that Question Whether the difference between common and speciall or saveing grace be specificall or onely graduall and also what I thought of M. Baxters discours concerneing that particular Now although it signify little what my opinion is and although I am unwilling to censure any mans positions or proofes of them especially M. Baxters whom I highly esteem for his learning and industry his moderation and ingenuity yet in obedience to your command without any further Apology or preface taking the same liberty to judge of other mens discourses which I freely give all men to judge of mine I shall crave leave to tell you 1. That
but humane And I beleive none will say such knowledges are onely gradually distinct especially if it be considered 1. that not onely their objects but the principles too whence they come are as far different as heaven and earth 2. That they have far different Acts the one being a gratious sanctifying Act the other not the one such as may be in any wicked person nay and actually is in the Devil himself for I doubt not but notwithstanding all his badnesse he may be and is a good Mathematition whereas the other never is nor can be in any but a regenerate person 3. Were there onely a graduall difference then the humane and as is supposed the lesse knowledge might be improved into a Divine and saveing knowledge by addition of further degrees But this is absolutely impossible for let our knowledge in Geometry or Arithmerique for instance be improved to the utmost as high as there is any possibility of knowing those objects yet they can never come to be Divine and sanctifying or saveing knowledge but remain still barely humane naturall or artificiall cognitions as is evident and I thinke will not be deny'd Consid 5. When it is said That the understanding and the will are physically the same of the like substance and an Act and an Act are Accidents of the same kind and common love to God and speciall love to God are acts of the same will c. I Answere 1. That the expression sin this paragraph are very improper and incongruous 1. Because the will and understanding cannot in any Philosophicall or Logicall propriety of speech be call'd like substances seing they are not substances at all but Accidents 2. Because admit by substances their natures or essences be meant yet to say they are physically the same in nature and substance and then in the next words that they are of like substance is to say their natures are the same and their natures are like one another which is indeed to say things which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and inconsistent For if they be of the same substance and nature then they are not of the like nature and substauce for sure the old rule in Logique is still true Nullum simile est idem 3. But it being granted as it is that the understanding and will in severall men as in hypocrites regenerate persons are not specifically distinct yet it neither does nor can follow but their acts may and that even about the same object So the same man may at severall times love God and hate him now in this case those two Acts of love and hate are acts of a Will specifically nay numerically the same and yet the Acts themselves are not so but specifically different the one being an act of vertue the other of vice the one actus prosecutionis the other actus fugae aversationis the one a fulfilling the other a violation of the law Further. 4. I am sure 't is not onely a graduall difference 1. Because actus prosecutionis fugae differ more then gradually 2. Those acts may be in the same degree as they are physically considered as if Titius which is possible should love God in the same degree now in which he hated him before And therefore two acts of the same will and degree may be specifically distinguished and so it will not follow that because the will from whence they flowâ—â—s specifically the same therefore the Acts of it are so too 5. The same may be said of loveing and hateing the same sin at severall times in the same degree or any volition and nolition of the same object in the same person which are acts of a will specifically nay numerically the same and yet the Acts themselves specifically different Consid 6. When it is said That the Acts and exercise of common and speciall grace differ only in degree and so the difference between common and speciall grace is only graduall and not specificall I conceave with a willing and humble submission to better judgements that this position is not true nor consistent with the just and known principles of Divinity or true Philosophy My reasons for this assertion are these and such like 1. I suppose actions evangelically good and well pleasing to God may differ specifically sometimes as an Act of saveing faith and an Act of true charity doe differ specifically though both of them evangelically good and well-pleasing to God Sometimes they may differ only gradually as haveing severall degrees of perfection within the same species As the least measure and degree of true justifying faith 't is evident that such faith is capable of degrees differ from the strongest saveing beleif onely in degrees For bonum bonum in eadem specie numericall distinction in this case come not into consideration cannot possibly differ more than gradually But now acts of common grace in hypocrites and irregnerate persons differ more then so from acts of speciall grace in the regenerate For 't is certain that Bonum bonum in eadem specie neither doe nor can differ so much as Bonum malum There being manifestly a greater repugnancy between good and evill then between two good things onely gradually different these standing in a naturall subordination the one to the other the lesser degree to the greater which when it comes consists with the lesse degree and perfects it But those stand in a direct and formal opposition good and evil being inconsistent and naturally destructive of each other As a greater and lesser degree of heate in a naturall way will agree well enough whereas heate and cold are incompatible Isay bonum bonum in eadem specie differ not so much as bonum malum but acts of common grace in hypocrites and saveing grace in the regenerate are such the Acts of saveing grace being evangelically good and well pleasing to God the Acts of common grace in hypocrites unregenerate persons not so being neither evangelically good nor well pleasing to God For what outward speciousness soever they may have yet when all circumstances are considered they are examined by the rules of the law and Gospel 't is certain they are and ever will be found onely Splendida peccata as the Father calls them Splendida perhaps yet peccata and so not pleasing to God And this seemes to me evident enough 1. Because without faith 't is impossible to please God And therefore those acts of common grace in hypocrites who have not such saving faith as the Apostle there speakes of are not pleasing unto God nor Evangelically good 2. Hypocrites and irregenerate persons are not in the sense of the Gospel good trees and therefore cannot bring forth gaod fruit They are thistles on which you may in vaine seeke figs but shall never find any They are crabtrees and though they may beare a faire promiseing fruit which may much resemble an apple yet when you come to tast and try it you will soon see by
the sowerness 't is no such thing 3. Hypocrites and irregenerate persons are if we will belive the Gospel in the flesh carnally minded and have not the spirit of Christ and the same Gospel tels us that a Rom. 8. 5. they that are in the flesh mind the things of the flesh and so b Rom. 8. 7. are enimies to God in c Rom. 8. 6. a deadly and damnable condition such a condition in which they d Rom. 8. 8. cannot please God Which appeares further because while we are irregenerate we are e Col. 2. 13. Eph. 2. 1 2 5 12. spiritually dead in sins and have no spirituall life much less the Acts and exercise of it for that we have solely f 1 Joh. 5. 12. Joh. 15. 4 5. from Christ and his spirit Whence it seemes to me to follow that the Acts of common grace in irregenerate persons are not cannot be pleasyng to God and evangelically good and therefore the Acts of saveing grace in the regenerate being really and evangelically good and well pleasing to God differ from them more then gradually 2. I desire it may be considered that is is and upon evident reason g M. Baxters Saints everlasting rest pag. 225. confessed that the Acts of common and speciall grace as they are morally considered differ specifically and not onely in degrees whence it followes that when the Question is put How common and speciall grace differ the Answere must ever be affirmative that they differ Specie Non gradu solum The reason is because the Acts of the will and understanding are saveing graces in their moral consideration onely and in no other consideration whatsoever And therefore if in their morall consideration they still differ specifically from common graces it can never with any congruity be affirmed that in any other consideration they differ onely gradually For instance when 't is said that in their naturall and physicall consideration they differ onely in degrees I reply that the Acts of the will and understanding in that consideration are not saveing graces at all and therefore if it be granted that in that consideration they differ onely gradually yet it will not thence follow that common and special graces differ onely in degrees such acts of the Will and Understanding So considered being no graces at all For this Argument common and speciall beleife as they are physically considered differ onely gradually go Common and speciall graces differ onely gradually In plaine English is no more then this Things which are no graces at all differ onely gradually ergo Common and speciall graces differ onely in degrees Now this latter argument being an illogical nonsequitur the former which is really the same must be so toe Now that those Acts of the will udderstanding saveing faith and saveing love as they are physically considered are no saveing graces at all will if I mistake not appeare 1. By what is said in the second consideration above 2. Because saveing love and beleife are speciall and saveing graces onely in a morall consideration as is confessed by that a M. Baxter in his Saints everlasting Rest pag. 226. reverend and learned person against whose hypothesis we now reason Who tells us and most truely that those acts of our wils and understandings are graces and vertues formaly in relation to the Law onely and their conformity with it and saveing graces in relation to the promise of God who hath promised salvation upon such conditions Now this is a Morall consideration of them and not naturall for so it followes in that pious and Learned Author The promise giveth not salvation to the Act considered in its MEERE being and NATVRALL Sincerity but to the Act as suited with its object in its essentiall respects That is in plainer English these Acts are not saveing graces in their physicall consideration but in their morall as they carry a conformity with the precept and promise So that he that saith common and saveing graces are specifically distinct in their morall confideration saith they are absolutely and onely so distinguished because they are saveing graces in no consideration but that Consid 8. It is to be considered that common and speciall graces consist not so properly and primarily in the Acts and exercise of faith and love c. As in the habits and principle from whence they come So that the gratiousness which is in them as Suares and some others tell us is not ipsis actibus originaliter intrinseca sed a principio habitu unde fluunt derivata For instance the gratiousnesse of our actuall faith or love doth not consist so much in the substance and nature of the Act physically considered which is the naturall product of the naturall faculty from whence it flowes as in the circumstance the modus and measure of it from which its goodnesse and conformity with the Law ariseth and this it hath from the principle and habit from whence it flowes For as the habit is more intense or remisse more perfect or imperfect So proportionably is the Act which proceeds from it 'T is true to beleive or love or hate if simply considered quoad substantiam actus are naturall effects and physicall products of our will and understanding such as those faculties can and many times doe produce without the helpe of any habit But if the manner and measure of those Acts be considered that we beleive or love modo debito with facility cheerfullness and constancy this in which the gratiousness of the Act consists they owe to the habits or graces superadded to the faculties and naturall powers from whence they proceed 2. And as the habits are common or speciall graces in order of nature allways and mostly in order of time before the Acts these being the effects of those So they are far more consisting and permanent The acts are so transitory and vanishing that a little sleepe or sowneing an inadvertency of that buisinesse about which we are or intention of other buisinesse robbs us of them but the habits are more fix'd and permanent in their inherence and denomination So that from them men are call'd and are truely gratious even when they have no Act of grace to give them that denomination otherwise we should when we go to sleep put of our graces with our clothes he that was a gratious man now immediately be none Seing then that habits doe prins principalius denominate us gratious therefore they are more properly and principally to be esteemed common or speciall graces and then it seemes to me to follow that he that inquires whether cōmon and speciall graces differ specifically or onely gradually should if he will rationally proceed first and principally inquire concerneing the habits of common and speciall grace and then secondarily concerneing the Acts and exercise of those habits The reason is 1. Because the Acts have their gratiousnesse from the habits but not Viceversâ the habits from the Acts
and go the Acts cannot possibly be known distinctly and a priori till we know the habits from whence those Acts as from their cause doe proceed 2. Because if it doe appeare that the habits differ specifically then it will evidently follow that the Acts doe so too seing 'tis impossible that those Acts should differ onely gradually which proceed from habits specifically distinct Consid 9. So that we are now come to the prime hinge and foundation of this controversie to inquire how the habit of saveing grace differs from those we call common graces And here I shall give you 1. A Position 2. The proof of it Posit 1. The Position is this The Habits of speciall saveing grace are not only gradually but specifically distinct from the habits and Acts of all common grace whatsoever 2. For the more methodicall and manifest demonstration of this position I shall proceed by these steps and degrees Rat. 1. Principalis 1. There are many CoÌ„moÌ„ graces dona extraordinaria gratuita which are inherent in the body properly corporeall As for in stance the extraordinary great strength of SampsoÌ„ the beauty of Absolom c. Now for such commoÌ„ graces as these I shall take it for granted that they differ more then onely in degree from the habits of saveing faith and charyty and such other Sanctifying graces For as no man that I know of did ever affirme them to be specifically the same with those speciall graces so rationally none can They being manifestly not in the same but severall species of Quality Rat. 2. There are many common graces of the Soule which facilitate and inable us in the distinct knowledge and comprehension of naturall things sometimes immediately and extraordinarity infused by God as the great and vast knowledge of Solomon and his comprehension of the natures of things from the Hyssope on the wall to the Cedar on Libanus in the phrase of Scripture Sometimes acquired by the helpe of naturall ingenuity industry art and education with Gods blessing thereupon and such other naturall and temporall advantages as some have most want And of this sort I suppose was the very great knowledge of naturall things which was in Plato Aristotle Hyppocrates Galen c. Now such knowledge as this though a common grace I take to be more then gradually distinct from saveing and sanctifying knowledge such as the knowledge of God by a lively faith enlightening and sanctifying our soules This I take to be evident and therefore shall not go about to prove it For as no man can without strange confidence to say no worse so I beleive no man will deny it Rat. 3. Faith of miracles in a common grace which differs from speciall and saveing faith more then gradually This I thinke will be evident enough to any who will without prejudice or partiality seriously consider the great and more then graduall difference between them for 1. They differ ratione Principii the habit of saveing faith being ever an effect of the Spirit of Adoption the Spirit of Christ workeing regeneration and a new life in us the faith of miracles not so Which many times may and de facto has been in those who never had the regenerating Spirit of Christ in them I know well and deny not that both these effects are from the same a 1 Cor. 12. 9 10. c. spirit materially and absolutely considered so that the spirit is the same principium materiale of both but under a severall reason and formality which makes them severall formall principles enough to distinguish the effects that flow from them For the giveing of saveing faith is an Act of the spirit of Christ within and gratiously dwelling in his Saints not so the giveing of the faith of miracles to sinners of which we now speake For in the usual phrase of a Rom. 8. 9. John 14. 16. 17. Scripture the spirit is said to be and dwell in the regenerate in such a peculiar way as he is not in any wicked person So that the giveing of saveing faith is actus spiritus internè regenerantis the giveing of the faith of miracles is Actus externè gubernantis The giveing of saveing faith is an Act of speciall love to that person to whom such faith is given but the giveing of miraculous faith to wicked men for to such it is many times given is an Act of his love to others rather then such person to whom it is given Faith of miracles being one of those gratiae gratis datae which the b Vid. Becanum in Summâ Theologiae Scholast part 2 Tractat. 4. cap. 1. ¶ 4. pag. 719. Aquinat 2. 2. Quaest 178. Axiomate Articulo 1. prefixo Grotius in Math. 7. 22. Schoolmen tell us are given to some Ad aliorum precipuè utilitatem salutem 2. They differ Ratione subjecti Faith of miracles may be in a c Vid. Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Math. 7. 22 23. wicked man even in one who continues so till death and is damned This is not only true but confessed even by the Popish writers who have otherwise little reason to doe it makeing miracles a note of the true Church so d Mart. Delrio Disp Mâ—gicarum lib. 2 Quaest 7. Martinus Delrio A malis etiam perperam de fide sentientibus nonnunquam miracula edita fuisse constat Maldonate tell us that Chrysostome Hierome Euthymius and Theophylact. a Maldonat in Math. cap. 7. v. 21. c. Vid. Socrat. Hist lib. 7. cap. 17. pag. 744. de Paulâ— Novatiano Episcopo Multis exemplis probant etiam per homines INFIDELES vera fieri miracula Nay Card. b Tolet. Commentar in 3. Joh. Annot. 2. c. Vid. Theophylact in Math. 7. pag. 41. C. Tolet goes a little further and saith Daemones multa posse facere supra humanas vires quae miracula videantur Aliquando SINT A miracolous faith then may be in wicked men even while they continue so but 't is manifest justifying faith cannot 2. Justifying faith may be where faith of miracles never was nor will be for all just persons cannot work miracles ergo they differ more then in degrees or as a disposition and a habit For although a disposition may be where the habit is not being alwayes preexistent to it yet 't is impossible the habit should ever be where the disposition is not the habit necessarily presupposeing and intrinsecally including the disposition as Calidum in gradu 6. includes Calidum in 4. gradu 3. They differ Ratione sui Faith that we call speciall and saveing Sanctifies and Justifies that person in which it is faith of miracles c Aquinas calls it gratia gratis data benorum malorum communis 2. 2. Quaest 178. in Axiâ—mate Art 1. Praefixo does not so 2. Saveing faith is premanent and perpetuall the faith of miracles is not so 4. They differ ratione adjuncti saveing faith is ever joyn'd with
true charity as its naturall effect and inseparable concomitant but faith of miracles may want it as is manifest by a Math. 7. 22. that of the Ghospell where though some had cast out Devils and done great miracles in our Saviours name yet our Saviour calls them WORKERS OF INIQVITY and tells them HE NEVER KNEW THEM Never b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophytact in Math. 7. pag. 41. C. no not even then when they wrought those miracles He never knew them i. e. he never loved them as Theophylact on the place or c Grotius in locū Non novi Vos i. e. Notitiâ approbationis Lyranus in loc owned them for his And ergo to be sure they had no true charity for had they loved him he would have shewne more love to them 2. The d 1 Cor. 13. 2. Calvin Instit lib. 3. cap. 2. ¶ 13 pag. 188. Fides miraculorum quâ pollent qui nec spiritu Dei sunt regeniti nec eum seriò colunt Vid. Faust Socinum Epist 3. ad Math. Radecium pag. 121. Vid. Nicol. Lyranum Con. Vorstium in 1 Cor. 13 2. Apostle if he speake de re possibili as most probably he doth evidently sheweth that the highest degree of miraculous faith may be without charity ergo true love and saveing charity is no necessary concomitant of the faith of miracles though it be in the highest degree evē in him that has ALL FAITH So that he can remove Mountaines 5. They differ Ratione Actus for 1. the Act of saveing faith justifies sanctifies that person who is so happy as to have it but the faith of miracles does not so 2. The act of saveing faith is immanent terminated within the subject in which it is without any operation ad extra produceing any effect in any other subject But the act of faith of miracles is transient in this respect terminated ad extra and workeing miraculous effects in other bodies besides that in which it is As when Paul by his faith of miracles rais'd the dead or gave sight to the blind c. Saveing faith gives Spirituall sight to his eies in whom it is but that of miracles gives corporall sight to others 6. They differ ratione objecti for justifying faith is an assent to the whole Ghospell so far as it is sufficiently revealed whereby we beleive not onely Christ's power but his gratious promises and precepts too judgeing them to be just and good not onely in themselves but to us as the best and onely meanes to bring us to heaven So that the understanding illuminated by faith sees such an excellency in Jesus Christ in his promises and praecepts and beleives it so absolutely though sometimes with infirmity more or lesse according to the measure of faith that in comparison of them all other things are but a Phil. 3. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sordescunt reliqua Vile and contemptible whence followes the obedience of faith alwaies accompanied with b M. Baxter Aphoris of Justificatiō Aphorisme 69. pag. 261. 262. c. sincerity though not with a perfect integrity that being onely to be hoped for here and had hereafter desired and laboured for in viâ but possessed in Patriâ But now to subsume the Faith of miracles c Vid. Joh. Calv. in 1 Cor. 13. 2. Mart. Becanum in Summâ Theol. Scholast part 2. Tract 4. cap. 2. Quaest ◠pag. 802. Non comprehendit totum Christum sed tantum potentiam in edendis miraculis So that the faith of miracles includes an assent to these 3. Propositions 1. Quod Deus possit that by his power he can produce miraculous effects 2. Quod velit fide miraculosâ in se credemibus affari That in thesi he will be present and assist those which by such a miraculous faith depend upon him 3. In hypothesi that he will particularly assist me in the working such a miracle Now for the first of these that he can worke miraculous effects all Christians nay all men by the principles and light of nature know because they beleive and know he is omnipotent 2. For the second That in thesi in the generall he will assist all those which by such a miraculous faith beleive in him Christians know by the generall a Math. 17. 20. Luk. 17. 6. John 14. 12. c. promises in the Ghospell 3. But that he will assist Peter or Paul Titius or Semproniu◠you or me in workeing miracles this does and of necessity must depend on b Vid. Jac. ad Portum Bernatem in Defens Fidei Orthodoxae contra Christoph Ostorrodium cap. 30. pag. 377. particular revelatiō All faith must depend upon authority and divine faith such as this of miracles is on divine authority now because this miraculous faith is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a faith as is common to all beleivers thousands of Gods Saints haveing it not even in the primitive times and may be none now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as c Gennadius apud Oecumenium in 1 Cor. 13. 2. pag. 465. Edit Graecae Veron 1532. Gennadius tels us or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Vid. Fred. Baldwinum in 1 Cor. 13. pag. 687. Philip. Melancthon Tileman Heshusium ibidem donum particulore as Calvin Reformed Divines generally call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome and the Greek Scholia Fides particularis a faith particularly relying on the revelation of Gods power and willingnesse to worke miracles and that in some persons onely and at some times and therefore this faith hath a far different object from a true justisying faith Now then he that seriously considers that faith of miracles differs from saveing faith all these wayes that is 1 In its principle 2. It s subject 3. It selfe 4. It s Adjunct 5. It s Acts. 6. It s Object all the wayes almost two Habits can differ in such a one I say will have little reason to thinke that they differ onely in degrees 2. Further if saveing faith and that of miracles differ onely in degree or as a disposition and an Habit then I demand which is the Habit and the higher degree If it be said that saveing faith is the higher degree and so the Habit and faith of miracles the lower degree as a Disposition then it evidently followes that who ever has justifying faith has that of Miracles too which is manifestly untrue for 't is certaine and will not be deny'd by any who understands Philosophy or Scholasticall Divinity that when two Qualities differ onely in degree then that in the higher degree intrinsecally includes that in the lower degree and by consequence all the vertue and natural or moral activity of it so an habit necessarily includes the disposition◠as Calor ad 8. Necessarily presupposeth and includes Calor in gradu 6. So that what ever 〈◊〉 in gradu 6. can doe that caeteris paribus and something more may be done by Calor in gradu 8.
there is no doubt but he and his temporary faith may continue together till death These things premised I shall proceed and that I may doe it with more method and regularity I shall 1. Give you my position 2. The proofe of it The position is this Common temporary or Historicall faith lett them be all one or some way different as a Jac. Vsserius Armachanus in his summe of Christian Religion pag. 197. Zach. Vrsinus part 2. Catech. in Explicat ¶ 2. Quaest 21. pag. 107. c. good Divines thinke rationally enough I shall be content for the Issue will be the same as to my purpose and the proofes I am to bring differ more then gradually from saveing faith which in Scripture is call'd the faith of the b Tit. 1. 1. fidem quam Deus infundit facit credentes quos in prescientia sua elegit Primasius Vticensis in Tit. 1. 1 pag. 182. Fidem electorum i. e. Praedestinatorum qui per fidem salvantur Dion Carthusianus iu locum Elect faith c 2 Tim. 1. 5. vide Calvini Institutiones lib. 3. cap. 2. ¶ 12. pag. 188. unfaigned and an d Gal. 5. 22. effect of the regenerateing Spirit of Christ in his true members Now before I come to the proof of this I must acknowledge that the e Mart. Becan in Compend Manualis lib. 1. cap. 16. Quaest 3. pag. 335. in Summa Theol. part 2. Quaest 8. pag. 802. Maldonatus in Joh. 9. c. Jesuites and some f Pet. Bertius de Apostasiâ Sanctorum pag. 42. 43. Actâ— Synodalia Remonstrant in Defens Arteculi 5. de Perseverant Sanct. pag. 230. 231. Remonstrants c. are in this particular my adversaryes who tell us that the faith we cal common or temporary is not onely specifically the same with saveing faith but even gradually too so far as to justify those persons that have it and would if they continued in it save them This they affirme as subservient and useful for them in the maintenance of a worse error the final Apostasy of the Saints The arguments they bring to establish their position seeme to me very weake and inconsequent such as deserve coÌ„miseration pity rather then a solution as may in due time shall be made appeare and therefore I shall passe them by The rather because the learned and ingenuous person with whom I have to deale goes not so far if I mistake not nor beleives Common Temporary Historicall or miraculous faith to justify However that Common faith be it call'd Temporary Historical miraculous or what else you will is not the same with special or saveing faith nor justyfies them that have it which the Jesuits some Remonstrants say may I conceave be manifestly evinced from many circumstances of the sacred a Math. 13. 5 6 21 22. Text. For that common faith we speake of is described in the Parable by 4. Conditions or circumstances which cannot possibly agree to a lively and justifying faith 1. The ground or heart in which it is is hard and stony v. 5. 20. And that in opposition to the good ground vers 8. 23. and therefore the faith which is in that ground that heart cannot be Justifying faith It being impossible that Justifying faith shold grow in a stony heart or so great and good a vertue in bad ground seeing saveing faith necessarily presupposeth the Spirit of Christ from whence onely it springs and is perpetually accompanyed with saveing hope and a Terra petrosa significat duritiam cordis arescit semen qui caret radice charitais Ven. Beda in Math. 13. pag. 42. charity So that Cor molle si non invenit presentia sua facit 2. The text tells us vers 6. 21. that common faith had no roote and therefore it was not justifying faith For that never does nor can want a roote Christ himself and he onely being the b Col. 2. 6 7. Vid. Eph. 3. â—7 roote from whence it springs the true c Joh. 15. 4 5. Vine on which alone this branch can grow It is the fruit of the d Gal. 5. 22. Spirit of Christ in us and cannot possibly come from any other principle and ergo cannot want a roote True beleivers are implanted and ingrafted into Christ the true Vine and from him receave a perpetual supply of sapp and moisture so that they cannot wither for want of a roote or moisture Christ is our a Col. 2. 19. Col. 1. 18. 19. head certainely of all those who saveingly beleive from which all the members receave nourishment Now it is neither an unusuall or insignificant metaphore to call the head in the body natural or mystical the roote of the body Aristoteles calls a man Arbor inversa makeing the head the roote for as sapp and moisture is convey'd from the roote to all parts of the tree so is nourishment to all the members from the head Christ then being and dwelling in his members by his Spirit and being the head or roote from whence they receave all their graces and the nourishment and supplyes of them it is impossible that true saveing faith should waÌ„t a roote ergo that faith in the parable call it what you will which wanted a b Gloss Interli nearia non habent radicem i. e. charitatem Non fundatur semen in humore fidei devotionis Ita Nicol. Lyranus in Math. 13. Ideo fides vera viva non erat charitate destituta roote was not true justifying faith 3. The temporary faith in the parable brought forth no fruit therefore it was not a justifying faith which works by love and never does nor can want fruit 'T is said indeed that the stony ground or heart receaved the seed with joy i. e. was pleased with the word and beleived it but that 's all nothing of any fruite that 's the property of the good ground onely and ergo ' t is emphatically said of it that it brought forth fruit And indeed how could it beare fruit haveing no roote to beare it at least not the true roote Jesus Christ without whom 't is a Joh. 15. 5. impossible to bring forth any fruit Hence b Chrisost Homil 46. in Math. pag. 450. Edit Savil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ita Pareus in locum aliique passim Chrysostome and the Greek Scholia and Divines generally truely tells us that three parts of the seed perished 1. That by the way 2. In the stony 3. In the thorny ground and brought forth c Quarta pars tantum fecit fructum Nicol. Lyranus in Math. 13. parte stres infructuosae Euthemius in Math. 12. pag. 177. Tres Semin is partes pereunt quarta sola fructificat Aretius in locum Ex pugillis 4. tres redduntur inutiles no fruit but had the faith which receaved the word been a true saveing and justifying faith as they say it was for the time it continued that is did
seeing common beliefe may be many times is in Hypocrites who doe not cannot while such so accept and love Christ For I reason thus That beleife and love which is said to be essentiall to saveing faith must either be 1. A love and beliefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beliefe and love inapperance onely without truth and reality I confesse common beleivers may have such a faith and love as this but this is not it which is essētiall to saveing beleife as I take for granted the assertiō of the contrary being not onely ridiculous but impious 2. Or such a love and beleife as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 really and truely such which of necessity must be meant and then I deny that Hypocrites or any irregenerat person whatsoever let him have what common faith he will hath any such beleife in or love to Christ 1. For common faith such as is in hypocrites and irregenerate persons Calvin saith thus a John Calvin Institut lib. 3. cap. 2. ¶ 9. 10. Fidei Vmbram obedientiae speciem solum Rectè nam irregeniti fidem amorem Christi verum non habent Nam qui non sunt verè Christiani Christi discipuli fiden veram non habent cum a fide verâ veri Christiani denominantur ficut non est verè sciens qui scientiam veram non habet At irregeniti non obstante fide communi quam habent aut habere poterant non sunt verè Christiani ergo Minor sic constat John 8. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e Si praecepta mea observatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opponūtur 2 Epist Joh. 9. est autem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesychius ergo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est observare facere obedire Vide Grotiū Theophylactum in loc Cum ideo irregeniti non obediunt Evangeli◠ergo non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vere Christiani per consequens veram fidem non habent Hypocritae fideles solum sunt per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obedientiae speciem solum prae se ferunt fidei umbram solum habent seu Imaginem fidei appellatione indignam a Rob. Baronius exercitat 3. de fide scientia Arr. 30. pag. 280. 281. c. Rob Baronius and others generally have many things to the same purpose I confesse Hypocrites may have so much common faith as really to beleive the whole History of the Scripture to be true as they beleive Livy or Thucydides and even Devils doe as much but that Christ hath actually satisfyed for their sins so as the debt is pay'd and they freed that he hath reconciled his father to them that their sins are pardon'd or they justifyed that they are sonns of God here or shall be heires of Heaven hereafter all these and such like which regenerate men by saveing faith beleive they neither doe nor upon any just ground can beleive but rather that the b Rom. 1. 18. wrath of God lyes upon them and will so longe as they continue in that condition Hyprocrites and such irregenerate persons qui res mundi curant non Christi may have a sceptique speculative and floateing faith such as may beget disputes and opinions in their head by not Christ in their heart fides c Vide Epistolam Eubuli Cordati Monreseosuo dat Romae 1529. Inter Opera Nicolai de Clemang part 2. p. 2. syllogismos in capite non Christum in corde progeneratura 2. The acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Saviour which is here affirmed to be essentiall to saveing faith is not in hypocrites and common beleivers and therefore common and saveing faith are not essentially the same For if they were then every common beleiver though otherwise an impious irregenerate Hypocrite should as such accept of Iesus Christ for his Lord and Saviour But this is manifestly untrue For. 1. The a Rom. 6. 16. Apostle tells us that he is our Lord and we his servants whom we obey it being manifest that we accept him for our Lord to whose commands we obediently submit Now if irregenerate persons submitted themselves to the Ghospell or obeyed the Lord Jesus then indeed they might be said to accept him for their Lord but seeing 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 point blanke contrary seeing they b Ibid. Rom. 6. 12 13 14 16 17 18. obey sin and Satan as their soveraigns which raign over them seeing either their c Phil. 3. 19. Rom. 16. 18. belly or d Col. 3. 5. money or some thing of this world is their e 2 Cor. 4. 4. God and of necessity must be so while they are irregenerate such f Rom. 16. 18. serve not the Lord Jesus saith the Apostle and. ergo accept him not as their Lord. and if so let them have what common faith they will then they not the essence of saveing faith and then it evidently followes that common and saveing faith are not essentially the same Quod erat demonstrandum 2. Christ is offered to us a Lord and Saviour not absolutely but on a M. Baxter Aphorismes of Justification Thes 14. 15. c. pag. 89. c. condition of faith and repentance and erge He that doth not performe the condition receaves him not As if Sempronius tell Titius he will receave him into his seruice and be a good Lord and Maister to him if he will first pay 5l or doe some such thing If in this case Titius pay the 5l and fulfill the condition be what it will 't is evident he accepts the offer and takes Sempronius for his Maister and not otherwise Now I subsume that irregenerate persons notwithstanding any common faith they have or can have doe not performe the b Mark 1. 15. 6. 12. c. conditiō upon which Christ is tendered to them as their Lord and Maister and ergo accept him not And by consequence though they have common faith yet they have not the essence of justifying faith and then common and saveing faith will not be as is pretended essentially the same 2. When 't is said a M. Baxters Aphorisimes of Justifcation In Explicat Thes 69. pag. 266. That love to Christ as our Lord and Saviour is essentiall to justifying faith I subsume But common beleivers such as have onely common faith being indeed hypocrites and irregenerate have no such love to Christ and ergo though they have common faith yet they have not the essence of true saveing faith whence it necessarily followes that common and saveing faith are not essentially the same for if they were he that had one had the essence of both That common beleivers have no such reall love to Christ as their Lord and saviour appeares 1. Because in Scripture onely regenerate and penitent persons are b Exod. 20 5 6. said to love God all others are haters of him For by haters there the
to the person beloved 1 Pet. 3. 8. Be of one mind c. Love as brethren 9 It is a transcendent supernatural love 1 Iohn 3. 16. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren John 13. 35. James 2. 15 16. 10 It is a lasting and continuing love 1 Cor. 13. 8. Charitie never saileth c. Heb 13. 1. Let Brotherly love continue And this love doth yet further appear by such like effects and operations as these which follow 1 It desireth to be united to the person beloved and to have as much of his company as it can Psal 119. 63. I am companion of them that feare thee c. and 16. 3. But to the Saints c. in whom is all my delight 2 It turns into mercy when the person beloved is in misery 1 John 3. 17. Whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth up his compassion c. How dwelleth the love c. 1 Pet. 3 8. Love as brethren be pittiful c. Heb. 9. 10. James 2. 15 16 But for the further opening of the properties of this love see 1 Cor. 13 4 5 6. 7. Charity suffereth long i. it will suffer much and long for the sake of him it loveth what cause soever is given and it makes a man of a patient spirit And is kind i. It is open hearted and this makes it open handed ' ready to distribute tender and compassionate and ready to do any kindness to others that it can doe it is easie to be made use of and ready to communicate itself and what it hath to do any good offices it can doe for tothers it is as tender of others as it is of its own good it rejoyceth at the good and not at the hurt of another and it spends itself and is spent for the good of others It envieth not i. It is very well pleased at and contented with the happiness of others and doth not grudge it It vaunteth not it self is not puffed up i. It keepeth the man from vain ostentation insolency and scornful thoughts against and ill demeanour towards others Doth not behave it self unseemly i. It will not disgrace another nor suffer him that hath it to use unseemly words or gesture towards another Seeketh not her own i. It is communicative and cannot content it self to doe good to it self but it must be doing good to others also It is not easily provoked i. It will dissemble injuries and swallow down wrongs it is slow to wrath and not quickly angry what cause soever be given And when it is angry it is not extreamly and irreconcilably angry Thinketh not evill i. As it doth not speak or act so it doth not imagine mischief against others Rejoyceth not in inquity but in the truth i. It takes no pleasure in doing or speaking evill it is glad to see the good and sad to see evil in others or it is glad when it seeth others falsly accused to be cleared or it taketh part with good men and good things Beareth all things i. It helpeth to bear others burdens their weakness and wants by contribution to their help Beleeveth all things i. It is not lightly credulous nor easily suspitious but it is candid and ingenuous it beleeveth all the good it hears or can have any ground in charity to beleeve it will cover as much as it can the faults of others and therefore doth charitably interpret the words and deeds of others It will make the most of the good and the least of the evil another saith or doth and is apt to construe all things in the best sense and as far as may be it will conceal the evils of others for their good Hopeth all things i. It hopeth the best where there is no apparent reason to the contrary It hopeth all the good it can hope and that which cannot be well beloved And it doth never so far despair as not to use means Endureth all things i. It will bear the greatest rather than doe the least injury it will bear all things it may bear with a good conscience it will suffer much evil it self to doe a little good to others But otherwise it is in this particular also in the heart of an Hypocrite For either he doth hate envy or contemn the true Christian and this is most common 2 Chron. 18. 7. Or else he doth dissemble love 1 John 3. 17 18. Or if there be any love in him towards them it is but towards some of them or he loves the wicked as much as them or he loves the godly coldly or but a little while or he loves them onely out of respect to himself and for self ends and to serve his own turn by them because they are or may be of use to him or at the best because they are harmless men or men of fine parts or because the time favours them or they are beloved of most men or for some such like cause Nor is there such evidence and demonstration of his love as there is of the love of the true Christian for he commonly is proud scornfull censorious harsh hasty and the like Isa 66. 5. Your brethren that hated you c. Joh. 15. 18 24 25. They have both hated me and my father c. Psal 39. 19. Them that hate me without a cause Luke 19. 14. Isa 1. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 22 23. Ps 41. 6. compared with Ps 35. 16. With hypocritical mockers in feasts c. SECT VII 6 In their love of the Word of God The true Christian doth love the Word of God Psal 119. 13. And so he must But the Hypocrite hath a kind of love to the Word also The differences lye in these things 1 The true love of the true Christian ariseth from his love to God and Christ whose Word it is and from the excellency of it as having his likeness upon it Psal 119. 129. Thy testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my soul keep them Psal 19. 7 8. 2 It is a natural love arising from the new creature within him as he is a new born childe of God and hath a new life whence ariseth hunger and thirst to this Word the proper food apointed of God to feed it and maintain the life thereof 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word c. 3 It is a pure love he loveth it for it self and for the puritie and perfection of it Rom. 7. 12. 22. Psal 19. 7. The Law of God is perfect c. 4 It is a vehement love as that of a childe to the mothers breast he hath an high esteem of the Word a strong desire after it cannot live without it no more than the childe without the breast and will not part with it for the whole world 2 Pet 2. 2. Psal 119. 97. 20. 72. O how I love thy Law c. My soul breaketh for the longing c. 5 It is an universal and impartial love