degrees of sinne euen the very beginnings and the first risings thereof in heart as our Sauiours more narrow interpreting of the Law declaring the scantling of a godly mans endeauours aboue the Pharisies doth manifestly conuince Hee looketh to the motions and desires of his heart and suffers not the lesser euils to goe vnobserued and vnlamented So the difference is manifest in the first part of a good life freedome from sinne Now in the second-part care of wel-doing wee will tracke the dissembler The hypocrite often excels in ciuill righteousnes and bounty c. and take him halting First he doth oftentimes excell in ciuill righteousnesse and abound in workes of bountie and mercy Who more liberall in great doles than the Pharises yea haue not many Heathen men and an hypocrite may surely attaine as much good as an infidell been famous for diuers morall vertues and by name most exact obseruation of iustice in their dealings yet here the defiance is not hard to find out if a man could looke into the heart of him that is hollow at heart The hypocrite in his deeds of mercy c. aithem at applause the true Christian reiecteth such fancies First in regard of the end of doing good this way the hypocrit doth serue himselfe in vaineglory seeking the credit and applause of men and to be commended in the world and therefore for the most part he is carelesse of doing such good deeds if there bee no witnesse present nor no likelihood of their being knowne abroad Mat. 23.5 This our Sauiour noteth and taxeth in the Pharisies who did all things to be seene of men and euen cherished in themselues those fond and foolish conceites and desires of being so commended so respected so well thought of and so full of glory for their good deeds but the true Christian is earnest to withdraw his heart from listning vnto the worlds plaudit he laboureth to approue himselfe vnto God and for the thoughts of worldly esteem hee is ready to fall out with himselfe for making account of such foame of mens mouthes He can say of himselfe in other things as well as Paul of himselfe in one thing that hee seeketh not to bee commended he doth not goe a wooing for credit So they shoote both with one arrow but aime at a farre different marke and this difference is plaine enough to be discerned Againe The hypocrite will deale well with a friend and one that is not a foe but the true Christian with his presently professed foes the hypocrite will shew kindnesse and mercy and charitie to his friends or such as haue neuer done him any great matter of wrong or if they haue made him amends and repayred the breaches of amitie by some proportionable submission or benefit But for his enemy that hateth him that persisteth to wrong him that for the present seeketh to doe him hurt he cannot finde in his heart to do him good and scarce to practise righteousnesse not at all kindnesse and mercy to such an one yea with the Pharisie such is his modell and square of liuing that hee will loue his quiet neighbour but hate his troublesome enemy as Christ doth taxe them for peruerting the meaning of the Law The true-hearted Christian standeth farre otherwise affected he remembreth Matth. 5.43 that God did loue him when hee was an enemy and therefore also for his sake hee will neuer leaue pressing himselfe till he haue brought his heart to loue his enemy and to do good to them that doe euill to him and not alone to deale squarely but louingly kindly mercifully and if need be bountifully with his bitterest and most causelesse aduersaries If his enemy hunger he feedeth his enemy if his enemy thirst he giues drinke to his enemy if his enemy be falne he lifts him vp if wronged he defends him and so doing good there where nature and reason is most auerse from doing good he shewes himselfe perfect as his heauenly Father is perfect as our Sauiour Christ exhorteth Thus the extent of a sincere mans goodnesse doth distinguish it from the hypocrites and in one word in such cases and to such persons as he doth not nor cannot expect reward from men yet the true Christian will execute mercy and iudgement The hypocrite euer faileth where humaue motiues faile And so for workes of mercy and iustice wee haue shewed what ods betwixt the sincere and guilefull there are also exercises of piety and religion wherein the hypocrite is often very forward Let it not seeme out of place that I here speake what I forgat before The hypocrite maketh no bones of the smaller degrees of euill the true Christian striueth against the smallest degrees Math. 5. For of the close and grosse hypocrites there are two kinds that must be distinguished each from other because their differences are remarkable There are cold hypocrites that are carried forward in the vessell of the time and loue not to ouerrunne the common pace in matters of religion as your ordinary ciuill man who yet is a very hypocrite euen in that which he doth attaine vnto others be more forward and feruent and carrie then selues with a shew of more life in matters of religion such was Paul before his calling such were the Pharisies in their times such were Ananias and Saphira Now these latter sort of hypocrites doe not alone as the former abound in workes of mercy and iustice An hypocrite may be very forward in duties of religion but also in duties of religion and pietie they loue preaching and praying and take delight in the company of men renowned for pietie they haue a very greene blade of being forward in Gods seruice to the keeping of prayer in their families and accustoming to repeate Sermons and other like commendable acts of deuotion The thorny and stony ground you know did yeeld some more than common shewes of goodnesse And the wicked Simon conuersed with Philip yea the sinfull Iewes were as abundant in sacrifices and fat beasts as their godly forefathers Paul was zealous of the Law and there were many very forward Preachers in Pauls time also whom a man would haue thought feruent for the spreading abroad of the Gospell yet they did it not sincerely And did not the Pharisie keepe his weekely fasts and other like obseruations yea and did not Iehu also professe speaking as hee thought in his heart that hee was zealous for the Lord Mark therefore the difference which stands in two things First in the end The hypocrite in all duties of religion serues himselfe either in vaineglory or superstitiō or licentiousnesse the true Christian aimeth at God in his seruices Galat. 4.17 then in the matter of their workes of piety they stand farre asunder one from the other For the hypocrite he doth alwayes serue himselfe either in vaineglory or in superstition or in both So the false teachers in Galatia were zealous ouer the Galathians but it was with an
weepe loe how affliction griefe sighs teares be the ingredients of this medicine that will kill hypocrisie Saint Paul after God had met him going to Damascus tooke this medicine carefully and in the space of three dayes it healed him cleane almost and made him of a proud hypocriticall persecuting Pharise to become a most true-hearted and sincere Apostle and Preacher of the Gospell For comming to Damascus he neither ate nor dranke for three dayes but gaue himselfe to mourne for his hollownesse bloodinesse vnbeliefe and other sinnes and so was healed of all at once O happy medicine O speedy and blessed cure O blessed griefe O the most gainfully spent three dayes that euer were spent to worke such an alteration in such a soule Wilt not thou take the same course that did good to one so farre gone with guile O now settle thy selfe to mourne for thy guile that thou maist be healed and maist be comforted But some man may perhaps say that it is not so easie a matter to soften an hard heart I answere It is not indeed but it is a possible matter and that it may bee effected through Gods blessing with carefull indeuours from which Gods blessing will neuer bee kept backe 3. Meanes of mollisying a guilesull heart I will therefore shew you two or three meanes to mollifie euen a guilefull heart and to make it if not weepe yet mourne earnestly and let euery man know for his comfort that mourning may be accepted before God though teares be away The Lord will not reiect dry sorrow if he see it hearty and true and such as a man is euen out of conceit with himselfe because he cannot make it greater and wetter too Vnderstand then that there are three things that will helpe euen the man that hath been hitherto but an Hypocrite to lament and mourne for his hypocrisie The first is 1. To consider seriously of the danger in which he stands to lay open before his mind in some settled and serious meditation the infinitenesse of that euill which shall surely come vpon him for his hypocrisie vnlesse by lamenting it he doe preuent the same Put thy selfe in minde of the certainty of thy being damned if thou continue an Hypocrite and of the intolerablenesse of the punishment of damnation Say O how ineuitable but by repentance whereof sorrow is a necessary companion and how extreme is the perill wherein I stand If I cast not out this guile out of mine heart it will certainly keepe me out of heauen if I keepe it still in my soule it will surely cast me downe to hell I must I must of necessity because of the truth of God that hath said it and his iustice that hates this sinne be damned euerlastingly and for euer fry in those vnquenchable flames which none can suffer without being swallowed vp of their torment vnlesse I be changed and of an Hypocrite as I haue bin become sound at heart This cannot bee without bewailing mine vnsoundnesse and ah then shall I not bewaile it Tell thy selfe againe and againe and many times in what excessiue danger thy soule standeth of being for euer tormented with the intolerable sense of Gods anger a thousand times more scalding then the worst fire that can be made of any artificiall matter vnlesse by lamenting thou preuaile against thy sinne and this will helpe thee to lament thy sinne Muster vp all the threats and menaces of Gods Word against hypocrisie and against Hypocrites and laying them close to thine owne soule say Vpon me shall all these bee fulfilled if by mourning I free not my selfe from them Faith in Gods threats wil make the heart ake and prick and much pressing them vpon a mans soule and considering the author and firmenesse of them will cause them to be beleeued and so thou hast one way of melting thy selfe To this adde a second 2. To consider seriously of Gods gracious readinesse to accept and pardon him also and the effect shall follow without doubt and that is consider of the certainty of Gods accepting euen thee also graciously in Christ Iesus vpon thy so mourning and confessing The Lord of heauen is so good say thou vnto thy selfe that euen an Hypocrite and my selfe the worst of Hypocrites may be and shal be accepted into fauour for all his grosse dissembling and frequent abusing of Gods goodnesse and resisting of his Spirit Hope of pardon will turne the hardest hardnesse into softnesse I say hope of pardon well and firmely grounded vpon the promise of the Word for false and presumptuous hope that beareth it selfe bold in the false application of the promise looking for the benefit promised without respecting the condition whereupon pardon is promised doth rather adde to the hardnesse of the heart and make it more stony Speake thus therefore vnto thine owne soule and say Well for all I haue been but an Hypocrite hitherto yet I may be pardoned and I may bee saued if I lament for mine hypocrisie and therefore I will bewaile it and striue for that breaking of the heart with griefe which will cause the Lord to bind it vp with mercy and with comfort Lastly 3. To stirre vp anger and dislike against himselfe for his hardnesse fall downe before the Lord and if thou dost not feele the sensible motions of sorrow yet stirre vp anger and dislike against thy selfe for thy too much hardnesse now and too much folly in former time that tookest paines to delude thy selfe and to delude him that was too wise to be deluded say with the Psalmist Ah why haue I been so very a foole yea a beast before the Lord as to please my selfe in a bare shew of goodnesse and in a meere outside of piety how could I bee so farre hood-winked all this while doth not the Word of God plainly enough shew this folly haue not I receiued many warnings in many examples What got Saul by dissembling What did it profit Iudas to deale with guile and what auailed it Ananias and Saphira to dawbe and counterfeit Ah wretched creature I why haue I followed the paterne of such vnhappy persons where was my reason all this while and what was become of vnderstanding Ah Lord I am ashamed of my folly of mine vnthankfulnesse of my presumption of mine abusing thy sweet and gracious proffers of mercy And thus continuing for one houre in a day together to blame and shame and condemne thy selfe and to quarrell with thy selfe for thy guile at length thou shalt finde thy selfe with labouring cast into a kindly sweat as it were of holy griefe for this thine hypocrisie which will so open the pores of thy soule that this ill humour will euacuate and be much reformed Now hauing seene and striuen to lament thy guile proceed to stir vp hearty desires 3. The third meanes to ouercome hypocrisie earnestly to desire and pray for the Spirit of truth and make feruent prayers vnto God for his spirit of truth
must double and redouble the desires and grones of our heart thinking within our selues O heauenly Father thou seest I am weake and I feele I am yeelding and sinne is ready to get the vpper hand O strengthen me with grace strengthen me with thy power and let thy Spirit rule in me crush downe these foule passions for thy mercy sake and if yet the euill thought follow him as oft it will he must not be weary of renewing the same requests saying O I must not yeeld I will not yeeld but Lord without thee I cannot resist Lord beat downe for me these wicked desires and inclinations according to thy promise and so still though it cannot be without exceeding much wearisomenesse of Spirit continuing to raise vp holy wishes and holy affections seeking and taking the first opportunity of getting alone to his solemne prayers he shall be made strong in Iesus Christ and in the power of his might and shall bee a conqueror ouer the tentation For brethren we must conceiue the case to stand thus with all the members of Christ without him they can doe nothing and all their sufficiency is of him he doth indeed implant in their soules at their first regenerating an ability of turning away their wills from euill things and of departing from iniquity but yet so that there is necessary to their performing of these holy actions a speciall cooperation of his sanctifying Spirit and they must know that they doe good and shunne euill by a borrowed power not a power originally in themselues and by a borrowed power giuen of grace aboue nature not dwelling in their nature of it selfe And whilest they doe acknowledge this dependance vpon the Lord by making him their refuge in the time of tentation and therefore doe not alone stirre vp their owne strength and set their owne good affections and desires on working but withall send to heauen for aid and as vtterly distrusting themselues implore present assistance from God because they doe indeed giue honour vnto God they seldome faile to get the victory but when in these spirituall encounters they satisfie themselues with their owne endeuours and thinke it sufficient to set their owne spirituall strength on worke forgetting to beg helpe of Gods holy Spirit because this is a manifest demonstration of selfe-confidence and of a spirituall kind of selfe-conceitednesse therefore the Lord to make them know themselues doth withdraw his speciall grace and so after a few faint resistances because they renew not their strength by running vnto him their strength they are in some degrees or other plainly foyled and ouerthrowne Wherefore we must know that when wee finde the flesh to abate nothing of his forwardnesse to euill by our opposing good purposes and thoughts against it yea rather that it seemeth to grow more violent as water the current of which is stopped then I say we must know that the Lord doth now of purpose turne Satan with our corruptions vpon vs that we might find our frailty and betake ourselues wholly to him and his might and then as hauing a speciall calling to seeke to God we must as I said aboue not waxe faint but double and redouble our desires and if that will not serue so soone as wee can possibly get opportunity addresse our selues to solemne inuocation Thus doing wee follow the example of the Apostle Paul who when he was molested with a thorne in his flesh me thinkes that should denote some troublesome corruption of his owne heart which is said to be giuen vnto him because euen poyson may be giuen in a receit by the skilfull Physician did presently apply himselfe to God in prayer for the remouall of it and so was answered that Gods grace should bee sufficient for him Wherefore neither let thy thoughts and first motions of thy soule passe away vnobserued or vnresisted neither yet resist them alone in thine owne strength but spy them out speedily and presently oppugne them partly by setting on worke the grace already receiued partly by requiring a new supply of grace and hee that will make this practice familiar and easie to himselfe by vse of doing shall finde by proofe the vnspeakeable good that will come of it to his soule Lastly 4. Deny to our selues things otherwise lawful that doe occasion our corruptions to grow strong the Christian man that would preuaile against his corruptions must deny to himselfe those things which being otherwise in themselues lawfull doe yet become vnto himselfe through his corruption occasions of euill in any kinde For such is the finfulnesse of mans euill heart that euen that which is not in it selfe sinfull may giue an aduantage to his sinfulnesse and draw him to the committing of sinne These things when his experience hath discouered vnto him hee must carefully shunne and auoyd and not suffer his ouer-free vse of his liberty to become a snare vnto him Diuers exercises sports meetings times places and other like there are of which a man cannot say precisely that they bee sinnes yet they doe so strongly worke vpon the naughtinesse of the heart that they doe euen tempt and draw the heart vnto euill these hee that will not restraine himselfe from shall neuer be able to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world but shal be euen with a kind of force violence haled to the committing of wickednesse against his firmest resolution to the contrary In vsing thē a man doth euen lay himselfe open tempt lust and Satan to tempt him and tempt the Lord of heauen through his vnbridlednesse of heart to deliuer him vp into the hands of tentation and then how shall he chuse but bee vanquished and ouercome thereof Wherefore our Sauiour tels vs that if our hand or foot offend vs we must cut them off and cast them from vs yea if the very eye offend vs we must pull it out and fling it away His meaning seemeth to be not alone that all euen the dearest things that are sinnes must be abandoned but euen also that things which allure prouoke and sollicite vs to sinne because of the weakenesse of our soules must bee likewise renounced and forsaken for all their delightfulnesse or profit For hee that doth not so much loue holinesse and innocency that for the attaining thereof hee can be content to abridge himselfe of some part of his lawfull liberty shall neuer reach to any soundnesse and perfection of holinesse Euen as a weake and crazie body if hee make no choyce of his food but will indifferently fill his stomack with any kind of meate that liketh his appetite shall so increase the ill humours of his body and so strengthen his naturall diseases that it will bee impossible for him to escape diuers terrible pangs of them as experience shewes vs in bodies subiect to the Gowt or Collick or to a consumption or to the like malady so rightly fareth it with our infirme and sicke soules some sinlesse sports some company not in it selfe
damnation For the thing in regard of which he doth hate sinne and would faine bee rid of it is neither onely nor chiefly this that it is like enough to bring his soule to hell but this also yea this chiefly that it is offensiue to God and displeaseth his louing Father and makes him vnable to hold such familiar and friendly society with God as else he might haue So that the misapplying of this consolation to nourish security presumption and boldnesse in sinning is a sore signe of a man that is farre enough off from any truth wherefore we desire that none of you should so abuse the sweet comforts of Gods Word But make the right and true vse of this comfort and lay it like a good plaister discreetly and seasonably to thy wounded soule and when thy doubting heart by Satans crafty prompting shall tell that thou art none of Gods because of such and such faults that thou hast committed and dost often fall into and that to this end that thereby he may cause thee to giue ouer all hope and cast off all care of praying to God and humbling thy soule in confession and suing for pardon in Christ and so to frame thee either to vtter desperation or vtter loosenesse one of which things must necessarily-follow vpon the beleeuing of that conclusion When I say Satan is busie thus to turne thy sinnes to the ouerthrow of thy faith and to the turning thee quite out of the way of godlinesse and peace now answere by the seasonable remembring and due applying of the present poynt No no. O mine vnbeleeuing heart I am full of sinnes but I confesse them and am troubled with them I fall often but I euer rise and euer resolue to rise to goe to the Lord and acknowledge and striue to bewaile them and to craue and beg his helpe against them more and more earnestly Wherfore I am sure that those sinnes cannot disproue my being a true Christian and a child of God and therefore I will both call vpon him and stay vpon him and resoluing still to striue to bee more free from sinne will rest vpon Christ for what I cannot but acknowledge to bee wanting in my selfe To see our sinnes so as to grow vile in our owne eyes and more and more contemptible in our owne account and more and more to labour to haue our soules contrite and broken for them this is a good sight of them and we must be perswaded to it but to see them so as to giue ouer hoping in Gods mercy for their pardon and labouring against them in his strength because our often foyles and failings do make vs conclude it is in vaine this is no way allowable As good scald as burnt the Prouer be saith As good not see our sinnes at all as make so bad an vse of the sight of them But now O all ye that are fruitfull branches keepe fast your title and interest into that name and let not your many superfluities so long as you finde them in pruning and cutting off make you deeme your selues vncapable of that honour CHAP. XI Containing the third poynt of doctrine that God will prune the fruitfull branches that is helpe true Christians against their corruptions ANd that you may the better inioy and not abuse this comfort proceed we now to the third of those foure poynts which wee propounded to speake of viz. Gods goodnesse in purging his seruants This pruning must needs import some act of God which is the same to the soule of a Christian man that cutting off the superfluities of the Vine-branches is to them and this can be nothing else but the helping of them against their corruptions For looke what superfluity of leaues twigs or the like is to a branch the same are corruptions of all sorts to the Christian man and therefore pruning is the taking away remouing strengthening them against these corruptions Know then for a surety that as a good and husbandly Gardener wil take away from the Vine all out-shooting and ouer growing things that might make it yeeld him lesse increase of Grapes Doct. 3 so the Lord will lessen weaken redresse the disorders of all sorts that are in his seruants The Lord will more and more weaken the corruptions of his people euen their ignorance their blindnesse their pride their passion their selfe-love their worldly-mindednesse and the like The Lord is very carefull and ready to helpe his seruants against the sinnes of their hearts and liues and against all the euill of their corrupted nature The most High is a partner with a Christian in his combate against his lusts yea the chiefe workman in this businesse of reforming what is amisse in him He will bestow dressing on his sheepe whiting on his linnen weeding on his garden and on his field Those sinnes that are in the people of God not raigning with their good liking but vsurping without their allowance haue Gods holy eyes bent vpon them indeed to obserue and take notice of them not to hate the person in whom they be for he lookes vpon the person through Christ and as Paul saith It is no longer they but sinne in them but to helpe and assist the person against them euen as a good and louing father obserues the spots of his childs face to make him wash them off and his scabs or itch to prouide him a medicine or as a kind Chirurgion lookes on a sore to search and dresse and heale it not to kill the man for it As he that meeteth with an Apple rotten at core though it look soundly on the outside casts it away from him to the dunghill so the Lord meeting with those in whom sinne hath dominion cuts them off and reiects them vtterly but as a man meeting with an Apple a little specked heere or there pickes out that is naught and pares and eates it so the Lord finding men in whom sinne is dwelling in some degree but is not predominant pickes out that sinne and preserues them for the vse of his glory The Apostle saith that God will tread Satan vnder our feet shortly and it is out of question that Satan can neuer be troden vnder foot if sinne be not yea sinne saith the same Apostle shall not haue dominion ouer your mortall bodies Can wee desire a more expresse promise The same thing we may note in the words of the Prophet I will take away the heart of stone out of your bodies and giue you an heart of flesh And againe I will deliuer you from all your vncleannesses We see the Lords intention plaine enough hee will helpe his seruants not alone against one or two but against all their filthinesses So doth the Prophet Isaiah foretell saying The Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughter of Sion and purge the blood of Ierusalem from the middest thereof with the spirit of iudgement and the spirit of burning All these places put the truth of the poynt out of doubt and