any one of them though you should labour to find them all you may rest with comfort in the safety of your condition though at present you may not discern the rest for that where there is one Integraâ—… member of the new man there is the whole though not apparent But let not one Character pass your eye without a faithful tryal Is it thus with me that you may know your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you and then you are not reprobates SECT IV. I. THe first Character of an upright man is He really approves himself to God 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved to God This is the care and business of every upright man In all business and companies his chiefest care is that the words of his mouth and the thoughts of his heart may be pleasing to him Famous is that story of Bernard who after a curious Sermon among the general applause was found dejected and in his dumps and after a more sincere plain discourse the day following exceeding chearful told one of his friends that inquir'd the reason Heri Bernardum hodie Jesum Christum praedicavi yesterday I preach'd Bernard but to day I have preached Jesus Christ. When you can say Lord others know my actions but thou knowest my ends others may lift me up too high or cast me down too low but I am satisfied if thou art pleased with me For not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commends And this is to walk worthy of the Lord in all Pleasing When a mans great aim is at God and not to please or exalt himself or others Whereas an hypocrite he is quite another man Mat. 23. 5. For all their works they do to be seen of men and therefore they chose Trumpets to distribute their alms with and corners of Streets Streets would not serve but corners of Streets that so two full Streets might view them in their prayers and so poor creatures they paid themselves before the great Pay-day Verily I say unto you they have their reward Their thought is how will this or that man like this word or action If such and such commend me and applaud me I have enough But the upright man looks at God and a smile from him gives him content He may endeavour to compass the good opinion of men but he will serve God first and hate any base courses to procure the praise of men It s part of his Character Rom. 2. 29. Whose praise is not of men but of God II. The second mark of an upright man is He chiefly loves God To love the Lord our God with all the heart with all the soul with all the strength is an infallible Character of an upright man When it comes to be a disputable case between God and Mammon God and the Belly God and Relations God and a right Eye or Hand if thou cannot find at least for the most part thy soul determining for God over-ruling the case in his behalf and that thy love to him can make thee contemn the world and all that is in it fear nothing thou hast an upright heart Try now do you use the World to enjoy God or do you make use of God to enjoy the World Do you love him for himself do you love him like himself in every thing above every thing Object But how should I know I love him best Answ. Hath he if not the most yet the heartiest of your thoughts When your ends are raffled to the bottom do they end at him or self do you love the hours and duties that tend towards him Are not you troubled that you can love him no more is not Heaven it self desirable to you on this account because there you will love him and hate sin perfectly and eternally can you delight in your mercies when you fear they come not in love can you live contentedly under the sence or fear of his absence or displeasure in a word doth that please you best that tends and ends in his honour though it shame your persons or cross your other designs do you dearly affect his blessed word and those parts thereof that have nothing to commend them to you but their holiness not only the Histories of the Bible but the Doctrine the Precepts of the Bible Can you taste more sweetness in a Sermon of Christ an Epistle of Paul the hundred and nineteenth Psalm than in any human writings in the world Doth the remembrance of your communion with God and communication from him more refresh you than the review of other delights Cant. 1. 4. We will remember thy love more than wine the upright love thee That is a sign of love this is a sign of uprightness III. A third sign of an upright man is He willingly obeys God 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son serve thou the God of thy Fathers with a perfect heart and a willing mind What he does his will is in it He will do what he can yea more than he can An hypocrite doth more than he would He acts not but is acted by profit credit and the like and when this wind blows not he stands as the Windmill stock still Love to God oyls the wheel of obedience and then a man runs the way of his Commandments when the Lord hath inlarged his heart Psal. 119 32. Amor meus pondus mcum Happy for ever that man whose principle of motion is within An hypocrite he hath no hearty good will to the very duties he performs he prays but he hath no good will to prayer he gives but his will is another way his obedience is against his mind his interest draws him one way his mind goes another and what a wretched life must he live the generality of whose visible actions go against the frame of his mind and so neither God nor himself hath pleasure in them 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and doth Try your selves therefore do you find that your wills are prest for God do you obey your Master as your servants should obey you with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men 'T is true you will find another Law another will drawing the other way but if you can say with Paul Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man your hearts are upright you grieve for your unwillingness you bring your wills to every ordinance and use the means to make them better and cordially desire to do his will on earth as it is done in Heaven The crossness of your will is your greatest burden and you are getting ground herein are you not then your case is good IV. The fourth Character of an upright man is He can Judiciously appeal to God I call God to record on my soul saith Holy Paul And this not only in a crowd and before others
is left as the Epiâ—…me of the General history of Davids life It is twice recorded in the Scripture 2 Sam. 22. and in this Book of Psalms for the Excellency and Sweetness thereof surely that we should take double notice of it Holy David being near the shore here looks on his former Dangers and Deliverances with a thankful heart and writes this Psalm to bless the Lord As if each of you that are grown into years should review your lives and observe the wonderful Goodness and Providence of God towards you and then sit down and write a modest Memorial of his most remarkable mercies for the comfort of your selves and your posterity An excellent practise What a comfort would it be for you to read how good your God was to your Father or Grandfather that are dead and gone So would your children rejoyce in the Lord upon the reading of his Goodness to you and you cannot have a better pattern for this than holy David who wrote this Psalm when he was threescore and seven years old when he had out-liv'd most of his troubles and almost ready for his journey to his Father in heaven he resolves to leave this good Report of him upon Earth And I pray mark how he begins he setâ—… not up Trophies to himself but Triumphs in his God I will love thee O Lord my strength As the love Of God is the beginning of all our mercies so love To God should be the end and effect of them all As the stream leads us to the spring so all the gifts of God must lead us to the giver of them Lord thou hast saved me from sickness I will love thee from Death and Hell I will love thee on me thou hast bestowed Grace and comfort I will love thee O Lord my strength And after he had heaped on God all the sweet names he could devise vers 2. As a true Saint thinks he can never speak too well of God or too ill of himself then he begins his Narrative I. Of his Dangers verse 4 5. Snares of death Flouds of ungodly men Sorrows of Hell Hell and Earth are combin'd against each Holy man and will trouble him sufficiently in this World if they cannot keep him out of a better II. Of his retreat and that was earnest prayer to God verse 6. I called upon thâ—… Lord and cryed unto my God When our Prayers are Cryes ardent and importunate then they speed my Cry came before him â—…ven into his ears The mother trifles while the child whimpers but when he raises his note strains every nerve and tries every vein then she throws all aside and gives him his desire While our Prayers are only Whispers our God can take his rest but when we fall to crying now will I arise saith the Lord. III. Of his Rescue verse 7. to 20. By the powerful and terrible Arm of the Lord who is in a lofty strain brought in to his servants help as if he would mingle Heaven and Earth together rather than leave his Child in the Lyons paws IV. Of the Reason of this gracious dealing of God with him verse 20 c. He was a righteous Person and he had a righteous Cause And thereupon he turns to God saying Thou hast dealt with me just as thou art wont to do For with the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful and with the upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright SECTION II. ANd so we are arriv'd at the Text itself which being resolv'd is an intire Proposition containing 1. A Subject aâ—… Upright man 2. A Predicate or what is spoke of him to or with him God will shew himself upright For Explication With or before him unto him An Upright The same word is oft translated Perfect hec's good throughout though not throughly not one that personates Religion but that is a Religious Person He is perfect because he would be so So Noah is termed Gen. 6. 9. Noah was a just man and perfect i. e. upright in his Generation he was a good man in a bad Age. He was like a glowing spark of fire in a Sea of Water which is perfect goodness and therefore the Holy Ghost doth so hang upon his Name as if he could not give over It is an excellent Preachers observation verse 8. But Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God And Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the Generations of Noah Noah begat three Sons Noah Noah Noah I love the sound of thy name and so are all your names precious to God though hated by men if the Name of God be dear and sweet to you 'T is also sometimes translated Plain Gen. 25. 27. Jacob was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a plain that is an upright man dwelling in Tents Esau was a cunning hunter but Jacob was a plain man without welt or gard you might know his heart by his tongue save once when Rebeccah put a cunning trick into his head otherwise he was a most upright downright man And the plain meaning of it is a simple cordial unfeigâ—…d and exact man this is the man we are looking for Man This Substantive the Hebrews use to drown in the Adjective but here the Holy Ghost exhibits a word and a choice one too signifying a Strong Valiant man the same word Psal. 45. 3. O mighty man that 's meant of our Lord Christ who was a most strong and valiant man that could meet the wrath of God the malice of the Devil and the sin of man in the face and come off with triumph And so the Dutch translate this clause in 2 Sam. 22. With the right valiant person thou behavest thy self upright In short if the words were literally translated they run thus a man of uprightnesses that is every way you behold him an upright man like an even Dye cast him which way you will he will be found square and right A stiff and strong man to tread down both lusts within and temptations without An Athanasius contra mundum A Luther contra Romam this is a man of an an excellent spirit and such is our upright man Thou wilt shew thy self upright or wilt be upright with him for one word in the Hebrew makes all these six thou wilt upright it with him If men will deal plainly with God he will deal plainly with them He that is upright in performing his duty shall find God upright in performing his Promises It is Gods way to carry to men as they carry to him If thou hast a Design to please him he will have a Design to please thee if thou wilt Eccho to him when he calls hee 'l Eccho to thee when thou call'st On the other side if a man will wrestle with God he will wrestle with him if thou wilt be fast and loose with him and walk frowardly towards him thou shalt have as good as thou bringest if thou wilt provoke him with never-ending sins
he will pursue thee with never-ending torments if thou wilt sin in Tuo Eterno thou must suffer in Suo Eterno and every man shall find like for like SECT III. ANd now 't is time to be gathering something for our instruction and let this be the Lesson hence to be learn'd namely Doctrine Where God doth find an upright man he shews himself an upright God True he finds none but whom he makes he finds them of his own making but where-ever such a man is found on the Throne or in a Prison or on a Dunghill he shall find a God of his own that will deal uprightly with him However he is an upright God let men be what they will whatever contrary motions the lower spheres have yet the Primum mobile keeps its even and constant motion and is never diverted out of its course at all so is it with our God let vain hypocrites walk never so crookedly yet the holy God will be justified when he speaketh and clear when he judgeth He will be upright with you in executing his threatnings if you hinder the current of his uprightness in performing Promises The filthy Dunghill cannot infect the glorious Sun that shinesall day upon it nor can any mans Evil cause him to cease from being Good But the meaning of the Point is to the upright man he shews himself a graciously upright God a true-hearted man on earth shall find a true-hearted God in Heaven The most proper and profitable way I â—…an think of for the handling of this Doctrine within the intended limits is 〈◊〉 By shewing wherein stands the uprightâ—…ess of a man 2. By declaring how God â—…hews himself an upright God 3. By drawâ—…ng out some inferences and uses thereof And first of the first SECTION IV. THere are Four words especially whereby Uprightness is exprest 〈◊〉 Scripture which being considered will give us some view of this Orient â—…ewel 1. It is called Truth 1 Sam. 12. 24. Serve him in truth Now Truth moral is â—…he conformity of the mind and heart to â—…hings said and done when therefore the â—…eart prayes with the tongue when the â—…eart obeys with the hand when we do â—…he things of God heartily as to the Lord. â—…his is to serve him in truth and upâ—…ightly And this sure is the sense of that Heb. â—…0 22. Let us draw near with a true heart â—…t is our sin and folly to keep at distance â—…rom God both in and out of his service afraid or loth to come up It is Gods wâ—… that we should draw near and nearer yeâ—… and that with a true heart a true-hearteâ—… man at a Prayer does the work when mâ—…ny of great appearances do but beat tâ—… Air. So when we come to men 1 John 3. 1â—… Let us not love in word or in tongue only but in deed and in truth having a Princip of unfeigned love in our hearts to everâ—… body and thence producing words anâ—… deeds of pure Charity This is an uprigâ—… man whose heart within doth not give tâ—… lye to his word and actions Survey hâ—… duties to God and men they are pious juâ—… and charitable open his heart Piety Rigâ—… teousness and Love are written there Like him that professed if he might haâ—… had the molding of himself Light shouâ—… have been his Body and Truth should haâ—… been his Soul 2. Another word for this is Sincerity 〈◊〉 word taken from Pure Honey that is siâ—… cera without wax unmingled When thâ—… New man hath as little as may be of thâ—… Old man mingled with him This word 〈◊〉 us'd Phil. 1. 10. That ye may be sincere Thâ—… Greek word there signifies that which 〈◊〉 Sun-proof as wares that can abide to 〈◊〉 tryed between you and the Sun suâ—… 〈◊〉 an upright man bring him to the Scripâ—…ure he is sound bring him to any solid â—…arks he can stand before them put â—…im into the scales he is weight however he is right Gold though he may want some grains of allowance He is of a right Eagle breed though haply young or weak yet he can look at the Sun â—…nd not be daunted An hypocrite can â—…ook men in the face but an upright man â—…he can look God in the face As for me I will behold thy face in righteousnoss This â—…one but a righteous upright man can â—…do 3. There is another word of this import and that is Singleness of heart Acts 2. 46. They did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart that is with a cordial chearfulness and bounty And to this referrs that Luke 11. 34. When thine eye is single when thy heart is singly bent to honour and serve God then the whole life will relish of that principle the whole body will be full of light but if the heart double with God the life will be no way uniform with men And this is taken to be the meaning of the Oneness of heart promised Ezek. 11. 19. whereas the hypocrite hath an heart and an heart and an heart and an heart for every lust an heart A double minded man is unstable in all his wayes He is unresolved in the end he drives at and so unfixed in his desires and actions that tend thereunto Now the upright mans heart is one he goes all one way he is what he seems one intention one delight one face one tongue in a word he is all but one man Psalm 103. 1. Bless the Lord O my soul and ALL that is within me praise his holy Name And to this purpose is the fourth word that signifies uprightness and that is Integrity 1 Kings 9. 4. And if thou wilt walk before me as David walked in Integrity of heart and in uprightness And that is when all the soul in every faculty is resolv'd and bent for God and his glory In an hypocrite the Judgment is against the Will the Conscience against the Affection the Reason against the Appetite but in the upright all the faculties agree and combine within themselves and the opposition is onely outward against a common enemy He is a whole man for the whole will of God So then you see an upright man is a True hearted a sincere-hearted a single-hearted and a whole-hearted man SECT V. THis Uprightness 1. Respects God 2. Respects Man The former may be called Uprightness of heart the latter Uprightness of Life and both these must be explained and where they meet there we find an upright man Concerning uprightness of heart we must assert that it is not so much a distinct Grace a grace by its self as it is all Grace t is that which stamps a Reality on every other grace Without it Nec amanda est ipsa Charitas nec ipsi Fidei fidendum nec bene sperandum de ipsa spe We cannot believe our Faith nor love our Love nor hope well of our Hope it self Uprightness and Watchfulness are Catholick graces of a general necessity the former to wit Uprightness
day long yea all thy life long which is but a long day The Religion of an hypocrite is like a tireing horse which may go apace in the morning and shew much mettal for a while but the upright man though more soberly yet goes more constantly and in this sense that is most true Prov. 10. 9. He that walks uprightly walks surely You shall finde this man with savoury thoughts in his heart at noon with Ejaculations at his work and there is a coherence between his duties and his life In a word and so I 'le end this point the Upright man hath four Walks towards God which will set him forth to the life 1. The upright man walks Before God Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect or upright And that is whereby the upright man habitually alwayes and actually as much as in him lies Sets the Lord alwayes before him and still thinks and speaks and acts as if he lookt on weighing not only the matter but the manner and motives of his wayes acquitting himself still to his God 2 Cor. 2. 17. As of sincerity as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ. Happy for ever that Minister that can call God to record on his soul that as no errours corrupt his Doctrine so no base ends corrupt his heart but that he preaches Christs will sincerely as if the Lord himself look'd on 2. The upright man walks with God So Enoch Gen. 5. 22. And Enoch walked with God That is so to live as if the Holy God were in person walking with you on Earth or as if you were walking with him in Heaven If God should visibly walk with you on earth as he was a while with Abraham O with what humility sanctity watchfulness love and fear would you continually live what an humble and serious regard would you have towards him much more if you were to walk a while with him in Heaven what a frame would you there be in why this sence hath walking with God which no man hath skill in save the upright man he is constantly religious 3. The upright man walks After God Deut. 13. 4. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his Commandments and obey his voice Where he can see his God walk before him like a dutiful child he will though not aequis passibus walk after him as fast as he can This was the praise of Caleb Numbers 14. 24. that he followed God fully That word I am the Lord thy God makes every Thou shalt of his and every Thou shalt not acceptable to an upright man Come sayes God here 's a work I must have done here thou must give here forgive here 's a Saint must be loved for his own sake here 's a sinner must thou love and pity for my sake Ready Lord saith the upright man by thy Grace it shall be done this is to follow God fully this is to walk after God 4. The upright man walks Like God 1 John 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked Now how did our Lord Jesus walk when he was upon earth why a mirrour and pattern of all humility justice charity meekness self-denial Think often when you are eating how did Christ order his meales do I give thanks like him discourse at table like him think often when you are hearing and praying did he hear and pray in such a manner as I do How would he carry himself among such neighbours how would he instruct and guide this Family how would he bear and improve these reproaches wants and troubles how would he appear for God is in such company how would he sanctisie the Sabbath how would he deal with such parents such children if he were in my place how quiet when provok'd how chast when tempted how just and true in his dealings how cautious of others names and how content with his own estate Put him often into your case and remember if ever you will live with him you must live like him And by this fruitful and good life you shew that God is upright and that there is no unrighteousness in him Psal. 29. last SECTION X. ANd thus I have opened in some poor measure an upright heart By all which dearly Beloved you may see the Absolute necessity of Regeneration I mean the through change of the heart from the state of nature to the state of grace For certainly mans heart by nature is false and far from this uprightness described How can the soul receive Christ Jesus as he is offered in his Gospel or resign it self to him without Regeneration how can the heart of a sinful child of Adam be either single or sound or pure or perfect or plain without Regeneration what man will study or practise Inward Universal and constant Religion till he be Regenerated Who will walk Before God With God After God Like God before his heart be changed Alas these things are neither conceived by the mind nor received by the will of a natural man He is ignorant in them and an enemy to them O Sirs you must be new creatures else all our treatie stands for nothing we must still begin here and can parly no further with you unless you yield in this Will ye be renewed in the Spirit of your mind Would you give all the world for a new Heart till then you are but rotten at the heart you walk in a vain shew for all your talk against hypocrites you are errand hypocrites and shall be condemned as such when those you have so reproach'd shall be your judges and openly honoured before Angels and men Those poor Mordecaies shall be royally arrayed and you like proud Haman shall see it to the breaking of your hearts To prevent this O learn this one Lesson Sound Conversion which is but restoring that image you lost in Adam Your bones were all put out of joynt by that fall this is the painful pluck that puts them in joynt again Would not any man abide a painful pluck to set one bone in joynt O Sirs abide one pluck to bring all your soul into frame again you must be new men else you cannot be upright men you must be in Christ before you can walk like him Your Religion is but skin deep till the Holy Ghost hath made an holy change And therefore for the Lords sake and for your souls sake study this point into practise Give no sound sleep to your eyes while you are such near neighbours to Hell your temperate just and honest behaviour may make your fall the softer but without holiness you must never see the Lord and a carnal heart can never be holy and upright without Regeneration And so far concerning the first part of uprightness which respects God uprightness of heart SECT XI THe second part of Uprightness respects Man which is Uprightness of life which 1. Must be with the
lye you will he likes it not his heart rises against it Psal. 119. 163. I hate and abhor lying two words for failing to shew his great hatred of this sin Be it with him or against him the upright man will speak the truth Whereas an hypocrite as he is nothing else but a Lye so he can swallow them as fast as occasion serves Poor man thou wouldst not speak it if the man that stands by thee saw into thy heart and how darest thou speak it when the holy and true God sees into thy heart and can choke thee with thy dissembling words 3. An upright man hates all Equivocations and mental Reservations That is he speaks his words in a sense that he would have them construed in and keeps no part of a sentence in his mind to contradict what he pronounced with his mouth especially with an intent to injure another Such was that jugling trick we read of Cydias that being betrusted by Archetimus with a sum of mony afterwards flatly denies it There being no witness to prove the truth Cydias is summon'd to his Oath before the Altar and a great Assembly he quilts the mony in his staffe and going to take his Oath gives Archetimus his staffe to hold the while and then confidently swears he had given him back his money But this deceit lasted not long for Archetimus seeing his perjury in a rage throws down his staffe it breaks and the fraud is found And such is the usual issue of such Equivocations The upright man hath no skill at this he knows if the plain truth will not bear him out these cunning shifts never can My brethren it beseems not the plain-heartedness of a Christian to speak like the Delphian Oracle to be understood in two contrary sentences The Romans themselves would not so much as hear those Embassadors that were painted saying how shall we believe them whose very face and looks do lie An upright man if he do not speak all his heart yet will speak according to his heart He loves not to walk with a dark lanthorn much less to deal with false lights but plain genuine are his expressions without and fair and candid is his heart within 4. An upright man greatly hates promise breaking whether it be to God or men A great note of integrity in Jephthah Judg. 11. 35. I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot go back It was a rash vow but conscience of the obligation brake all other considerations which in his case might have been many and he chose rather to have his very heart broken than his word It is enough for a subtile Polititian to have Distinctions and Evasions ready to help himself out of the straightest bonds the upright man delights not after vows to make inquiry Well advised every man should be before he binds himself in any thing to the Lord but when his soul is fast let him be very well advised how he releases himself for there is nothing doth more prostitute the Conscience and utterly undo men than being fast and loose with God in sacred vows and promises The same abhorrence hath the upright man of breaking his word with men and thereupon his word is as good as his bond If he bids so much for a commodity he seldom shrinks but gives it if he bargain to his prejudice yet he changes not the scarceness of the thing the rising of the market cannot prevail with him to rescind his punctual agreement whether he gain or lose he will not lose his honesty nor his reputation O what a Golden age would return unto us if men were but plain in their dealing and punctual in their performances and unworthy is it for a man a Christian man to be so vile that no body can believe him nor trust him How will that Atilius Regulus rise up in judgment and condemn this generation who being prisoner at Carthage and assur'd of his own death if he fail'd in his negotiation was set at liberty to effect a peace at Rome upon the single security of his own word to return if he fail'd to procure it but such was his publick spirit that he effectually disswaded his Countrymen from a peace assuring them of a certain conquest and such the integrity of his spirit that after this he fairly return'd and accepted of a cruel death rather than infringe his word Ten thousand pities such heroick acts should be lost for want of a right principle and ten thousand shames that Christians should break their word for a groat while Pagans will not do it for their lives SECT XIV SEcondly An upright man is sincere in his Deeds or Actions Isa. 33. 15. He walketh righteously as well as speaketh uprightly As his words are a true Commentary upon his heart so his actions are a true Exposition upon his words Whatsoever Office or Relation he stands in he adorns it with integrity The upright Judge when he puts on his Robes puts off his worldly relations The upright Justice of the Peace disdaining to be drawn by favour or driven by fear besides his duty The upright Counsellour will not plead when his Tongue is confuted by his Conscience The upright Juror without all by respects esteems the least grain of Evidence more weighty than a Talent of Ophirs Gold The upright Atturney when he perceives the cause to be a drop blown up by malice into a bubble sounds a retreat to his Client though he lose thereby The upright Physician will rather go with an empty purse than torture either the body or purse of his Patient without cause The upright Tradesman will be upright in his words upright in his weights and upright in his wares and upright in his rates And the upright Minister will put on his Thummim that is uprightness a word derived from that in my Text as well as Urim and rather lose the love of ten by his plain dealing than the soul of one by dissimulation and unfaithfulness Thus uprightness like a silver thread is drawn through the whole course of the sincere Christian and he that is upright is upright every where And that I may set out this holy course by its most proper Opposites 1. An upright man is a great enemy to Craftiness or Subtlety Though he studies to be Wise yet he delights not in Cunning. Craft is wisdom degenerated it is wisdom devested of honesty A tang of this was in that practise of Rebecca Gen. 37. 35. to procure the blessing for Jacob by a wile But it cost him many a sweating day and many a frosty night Guile and guilt go hand in hand Job 15. 5. Thy mouth utters thy iniquity and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty Carnal policy was never friend to inward piety though it sometimes wears Lambs wool without yet it is alwayes lin'd within with the Foxes furre But the true and holy God disappoints the devices of the crafty and drives the counsels of the froward
Foelix trembled on the Throne And they say the Apostle James was so chearful at his Martyrdom that one that drew him to the Tribunal was converted by it For Death that King of terrours that dismounts the proudest spirits the most effectual refuter of all Atheists and Surprizer of Hypocrites is disarm'd of all its terribleness by an upright heart Isa. 57. 2. He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in their uprightness The Bed of an hypocrite is a Grave wherein he lyes rotting in his sins the Grave of an upright man is a Bed of spices wherein his body is at rest whose soul hath walked before God in his Uprightness O be of good chear then all ye single-hearted ones The handkerchief of Gods love shall wipe away your tears his cordials shall stay your faintings The Lyons shall roar and the young Lyons suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall want no good thing If wants be good for you look for them if sickness be good for you be content with it if prisons if losses if crosses come they shall do you no hurt A summo Bono nil nisi Bonum Every stream of Providence how fierce soever is turn'd through that Promise All things shall work together for good to them that love God His Properties his Promises his Providences do all smile on the true-hearted man Poor men your straits may be great Poor women your pangs may be sharp but All 's for good yea for the best God is with you the great wise and holy God And is this nothing Are the Consolations of God small with you If he give quietness who then can make trouble Heaviness may indure for a night but joy cometh in the morning The story alwayes ends well to the sincere-hearted man Psal. 112. 4. Unto the upright ariseth light in the darkness Dark providences may well be born when clear promises are sealed upon the heart This was noble Hezekiahs comfort when all forsook him Isa. 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect heart I have done uprightly with thee now deal uprightly with me now remember and the Lord hath too good a memory to forget such a man in his needs he gives him a Lease gratis of fifteen years both of Life and Kingdom Who would not intirely love and serve such a God The poor mans Friend the sick mans Doctor yea and Bed-maker the prisoners Companion the true-hearted the unwearied the everlasting God a very present help in trouble Name that strait wherein God hath not supported or relieved his people Ask thy Fathers and they shall tell thee how in six troubles and in seven he hath been with them All the Patriarchs can prove this Abraham and Job and Daniel Speak we only with David was he not very poor when he sent to crave of Nabal God gave him Content and at last Plenty Was he not in dreadful hazard in Keilah in Gath in Mahanaim but he came off well and dyed in his bed Was he not upon a time very sick so that some said An evil disease did cleave to him yet God remembred him and made him safe and sound All the Saints will bear witness for God that he is no flincher of his friends yea at last all men shall say Psal. 58. 11. Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Though things seem to go cross with his poor children yet take one thing with another he deals very uprightly with them In very faithfulness thou hast afflicted me If they want a fuller table yet they have a lighter heart if they have not such costly clothes yet they have more healthful constitutions if they reach not such vast treasures yet they can injoy the light of Gods countenance which is far better Artabazus thought himself wrong'd when Cyrus gave him a Golden cup at a feast and to Chrysantas only a kiss of Respect deeming thereby that he had a lesser portion of kindness than the other and shall not we much more value his glorious smiles above the greatest earthly gifts Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth For his love is better than Wine Though you be not delivered from your straits yet being upheld in them you are well It was all one to the three Worthies to be kept in the fire as to be kept out of it One way or other light shall spring to the righteous and joy to the upright in heart SECT VI. VI. THe Lord shews himself upright to the upright man In directing him in his doubts Prov. 11. 3. The integrity of the upright shall guide them Many an upright man is under great doubts and knows not what to believe or what to do Arguments and pleas on both hands Great men on one side and Good men on another for seldom are they both on a side likely reasons court his Assent either way The commands of men sometimes countermanded by his Conscience and he wants parts learning and judgement to cleave an hair and state the case exactly either of Faith or Fact Now in this case when he hath us'd the means of resolution that he is capable of the integrity of the upright shall guide him His plain honest heart is neither suspicious of more evil to be in men or things then evidently appears nor on the other side doth he study extricating Salvo's or subtle evasions to sleep with a whole skin and salute the upper party but according to his best knowledge he fixes his faith and orders his actions by the Rule of Gods Word which he knows will best bear him out An upright man sometimes meets with Doubts in matters of Faith but herein he stands fairest for that promise which Christ hath made to lead his into all truth Though his integrity may not secure him from Error that it will not yet 't will secure him from being an Heretick He hath Doubts sometimes about things to be done towards God in his Worship towards men in his Life In the former he studies the will of God in his Word knowing that nothing which is offered to him will please him unless directed by him And for Men he is relieved in most of his doubts by that golden Rule Mat. 7. 12. What soever ye would that men should do to you do ye to them And lastly he is perplexed with some Doubts about the Love of God and the salvation of his Soul but here also his Integrity so guides him that he is far from presuming though he be loth to despair and the Lord gives him Comfort from his Sincerity though he want the joyes from Assurance And is not uprightness a choice Jewel to lay claim to this guidance Psal. 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners in the way This conducting a poor sinner in the way flows from his Goodness
down other mens faults as well as his and lend to them a mantle as well as to others If pride be bad or covetousness or passion why do you not blame them where-ever you find them Object Perhaps you 'l say they are bad its true in any but they are intollerable in one that professes more Sanctity than others Answ. His sanctity or profession are neither faults nor faulty but these you have an aking tooth at and though they do aggravate his Sins before God yet I hope with men he may pass better that hath but one or two faults than he that hath an hundred And if you be not haters of God you ought to love him better that hath a few errors and those bewailed for so all upright men do though you see them not than him that abounds in them and rather glories in them than mourns over them Object I know your usual saying you dislike none but hypocrites an upright man you could love in your heart Answ. Can you prove all them hypocrites whom you distast and can you justifie your suspicion where you can make no proof I think there is no greater a sign of an hypocrite than easily to judge others so But for all your professions I am perswaded if Christ himself were now on earth and should be so severe in his life as never to laugh so impartial in reproof as to spare neither Prince nor Priest so heavenly in his discourse as alwayes to draw it to some spiritual matter abundance of Christians would utterly dislike him never consort with him but pursue him to his cross again Alas it is integrity and honesty you hate and the affront is to God more than to men herein And is not this hatred without a cause Is not this to rage at Beauty and to have an Aversion to Innocency it self Are not these men such as I have describ'd the best husbands the best parents the best children the best servants the best subjects publick Goods Prov. 11. By the blessing of the upright the City is exalted but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked O relent towards them and let your love and pity run in the stream with Gods Carry your selves to them as you think David Paul or Christ would do if they were here and judge in your own Consciences whether they would sort with vile swearers in an Alehouse or with upright mourners in a Chamber you cannot have a better coppy than Him in the Text and therefore with the upright man shew you your selves upright SECT III. THe third Use of this Doctrine leads unto Tryal and Examination of our own selves I report me to your own Consciences how needful this is Needful for your comfort here needful for your salvation hereafter And pray be exact and serious herein 1. Because mans heart by Nature is false and froward Deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17. 9. The Nature of God the Love of Christ and the Heart of man are things inscrutable It s true Eccl. 7. 29. God made man upright at first Our faces were directly upon God our hearts uniform but we got a fall and now the whole man is turn'd quite another way He that sayes I have ever had a good heart that man never had a good heart we are estranged from the womb from our God and from our best selves No cheat so cunning as the heart of man 't will cry out as the Pharisee I thank God I am not as other hearts are when seven abominations are therein And not only false but froward in other diseases the diseased party is called the Patient and patient they are to abide the Physicians order but here the Patient is the greatest Disease Quid miserius misero non miserante seipsum What greater misery than a miserable man not commiserating himself Having to do therefore with such a Piece what need have you of the strictest care that you may not be bankrupt before you feel your decay and broken for want of bruising 2. A man may proceed very far and yet prove rotten at the heart He may go nineteen steps and for want of going one other step fall short of Heaven Mat. 19. 20 21. That young man had gone far in keeping six commandments where is the young man that can come forth and truly say the like yet one thing was lacking and that lost all the rest Consider well how many changes may pass upon thâ—… heart without a through saving change A moral change from debauchery to civility a formal change to the profession of Godliness a partial change a temporary change but uprightness of heart lyes in a hairs breadth you may hit the Butt and yet miss the Mark and by considering how far Herod Saul Judas and others of our acquaintance have gone and yet fallen away we see need to sift our selves to the bran and put our Integrity to the tryal 3. A man may verily think he 's upright and yet not be right Prov. 30. 12. There is a generation that is abundance in all Ages that are pure in their own eyes shine illustriously as the Hebrew word signifies in their own opinions and judgments and yet are not cleansed from their filthiness were never truly regenerate That River of God the blood of Christ never run through their hearts you have heard he that long deceives others at last deceives himself Deceiving and being deceived Plain in the foolish Virgins Mat. 25. who thought their case was good till the gate was shut A dreadful case to be damn'd just at Heaven gates and to feel a Hell before we fear it How blank would a man look that hath a sum of money to pay and when it comes to the touch it proves all Counters all his money Counters even so will many a formal hypocrite look at the last day when all his graces prove spurious 〈◊〉 name to live but dead at heart When the great Judge of Heaven and earth shall come with his Mene Tekel c. put this glistring Professor into the Balance alas he is too light weigh that mans Faith then his Repentance then his Love in the Balance they are all too light Alas thy kingdom is departed from thee thou art 〈◊〉 lost man world without end Now I say if a man may verily think he 's upright and yet prove naught it is high time to come to tryal And though the Description which you have had wiâ—… much supersede this work and that wheâ—… all is said a man that is really upright may most clearly by reflection and spiritual sensation find and feel the integrity of his heart as the mother knows she iâ—… with child when she feels it leaping iâ—… her womb yet for your further assistancâ—… I shall here with much plainness and brâ—…vity the which I study give you somâ—… clear characters of uprightness and sâ—… hasten to an end with this Advertisement that if you can lay a sound claim to
in trying our selves To doubt of sincerity is one thing to try it is another When they charge the State of hypocrisie upon us we should mourn for the Habits of hypocrisie in us and bless God that their opinion for substance is not true they do but say what you might have been And when your estate is question'd never so unjustly 't is a good way to pass a Fine upon it and make it surer And so you will be gainers not losers by such surmises 2. While your heart is right with God heed not the censures of men Who more upright than Job yet hypocrisie was his charge an hypocrite was his badge so David so our dear Lord Jesus himself The malicious world will be sure as was said to charge those faults on you whereof there is no clearing in this life Resolve with Paul 1 Cor. 4. 3. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgment but he that judgeth me is the Lord. We shall at last fall to an equal sentence and till then we have reason to rejoyce that we are counted worthy to suffer this reproach for his Names sake Nazianzen saith we must be dung'd with reproaches that we may be more fruitful Doubt 3. The cry of my own Conscience And if a mans heart condemn him who can acquit him this hath alwayes been my fear and who can clear him that is condemn'd of himself Resol 1. You must distinguish between Hypocrisie dwelling and Hypocrisie reigning where it only dwells it is as grâ—…vel in the shoe as the mote in the eye as the Souldier in his Quarters you are weary of it it makes you halt you give it no rest you are very sick of it where it reigns you cannot indure to be touch'd or searchâ—…d and it orders your life and actions your main design is to cloak with God and to cheat the world 2. Conscience rightly inform'd may go far in this decision But Conscience is not Regula regulans but Regula regulata It s like the Dial that must be set by the Sun of Gods word and rightly determines only by vertue of that And sometimes such pangs and terrors overwhelm the Conscience that then it is not a competent Judge of the cause If every man whose Conscience pricks him were an hypocrite God help the greatest part of Conscientious Christians Doubt 4. My sad Experience 1. of my Dryness in secret Duties I am better in the assembly than in my family better in my family than in my closet and there an upright man is best He that is enlarged and enlivened with others and straitned in his own bowels cannot be upright Resol 1. The more company we have in Ordinances the more inlargement we may expect and yet upright withall Our Saviour himself when he saw the multitudes it opened his mouth Mat. 5. 1. and we read but few such Sermons from him as that was for besides that the numerousness and seriousness of others is a rational means to quicken us that are about the same work we may expect more of the manifestations of the Divine Presence where the persons and graces of so many are that are dear to God 2. But yet every upright man will be serious and hearty in secret and earnest withall He would not be hired out of his secret devotions and a little truth and zeal in a closet is more than the larger expressions of them with a multitude what is done in secret provided you do it of choice and in Conscience to God hath more genuine features of real integrity than much more in publick for that must needs proceed from the love of God and of his service O but 2. I have experience of Decayes in my soul and no growth The path of the just is like the shining light that shines more and more to the perfect day I â—…eel my self rather worse every way but not better Resol 1. It is not easie to determine of spiritual growth or decayes For its object is various some grow more visibly in zeal others in knowledge others in stability some more in the roots some more in the bulk some more in fruit And then to discern growth is a work of time our progress in grace is not so discernable as our entrance for the change here is specifical there only gradual and the younger children are the more is their growth discerned 2. A sensible sight of your decayes is a true sign of growth the clearer the sight the less motes are discerned when there is joyn'd withall a grief for our defects Descendendo ascendimus we grow higher in Gods esteem by growing lower in our own Corruption doth not usually discover corruption nor decayes decayes If therefore you find that you hate sin as heartily and can wisely prevent it that you can be fully as serious and spiritual in your duties as wise in reproofs though perhaps not so frequent as heretofore you have no just cause to charge your self with decayes much less with dissembling in Religion Yea but 3. I have experience of Inconstancy my soul is in a perpetual Ague one while burning hot another while key-cold unconstant in avoiding evil and more unconstant in the performance of what is good and this is an hypocrites temper and this is mine Resol 1. A perfect setledness is not to be expected in this life Our day will have a night our Sunshine will have eclipses suavis hora brevis mora hath been an old complaint Grace that dwells in such a soul a soul that dwells in such a body a man that dwells among such variety of business companies and temptations cannot escape much variableness and daily alterations Though thou art upright in the way yet thou art but in the way viator not comprehensor Heaven is the only state of invariable holiness and happiness 2. The inconstancy of an hypocrite iâ—… about the choice of the end about the very object of the soul whether he shall chusâ—… Christ or Corruption God or Mammon The upright man is fully resolved in this and his inconstancy is only in the use of means not whether he should pray or not pray meditate or no but he hath not alwayes the same degree of love to them heat and delight in them and comfort from them And this must be mourn'd for here but can be cur'd only in Heaven Doubt 5. The Deceitfulness of the heare this is so great that after all my tryal I may be mistaken there are lamps that may delude a man even to the gates of Heaven And I am sure my heart is one of the worst of the kind and so most likely to deceive and be deceived Resol 1. Though the Heart be deceitful in its self yet it is discernable by the help of Gods spirit Jer. 17. 10. I the Lord search the heart and he can and will lead every diligent self-searcher into the darkest corners thereof God and man together may