Joy in Tribulation, Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. Differencing the zeale, and desires after Christ in the hypocrite, and faithfull.
ANd yet further even in godly zeale, and earnest longings after Christ the hypocrite wil seem to hold pace with the soūdest, & best Christian: he can be very zealous in divers things: Ieh… had a zeale …or the Lord; yet a transparent dissembler: See 2 King. 10. 16. 28, 29, 31. Hee tooke no heed to walke in the law of the Lord with all his heart.
Paul before his conversion, and other Iewes, all persecutors, yet zealous of the Law of God, Acts 22.3. Rom. 10. 2. And certainly for tha… holy Apostle, it is hard to say, whether before, or after conversion hee were more fervent against, or for Christ, and his truth. How zealous was the Pharises in the observation of their fore-fathers Traditions? How zealous of old those false Teachers in abstinence: Touch not, taste not, handle not, Colos. 2. …1, 23.how seemingly humble, neglecting the body, and giving it no honour, &c. So the Papists …t this day, with much shew o… zeale, maintaine their traditions, abstinence from flesh, from marriage, lying in hairecloth, &c.
But where is the difference? 1. The Dissembler is very hot in some particulars, which concerne Gods glory, but hath his owne ends in them all, and therefore when those ends faile, is as cold in other things, which are as, or more needful than the former. How zealous was Iehu against Ahabs Idols? He rooted out the Baalims. Not so much warme against Ieroboams Idols, but served the Calves of Bethel; whereby hee plainly uncovered his dissembling heart, and manifested his hypocrisie to every eye.
2. The hypocrites zeale is all externall, flaming out in bitter termes against some other who dishonour God, but never moved to see God dishonoured in his owne heart and actions. But the faithful, as they cannot but grieve, and burne when they see others grosly offending, blaspheming and provoking God, so are they most vexed with their own (though farre lesse) rebellions and failings.
3. Lastly, the dissembler spends his heat in matters of no moment; his indignation wil be much more kindled in the use or disuse of matters of indifferēcy, then in the weightiest things of the Law or Gospell. But the upright heart knowes well, that there are some things in which he must contend earnestly;Iude 3… for matters of faith, even to losse of life; and therefore will not faile to strive, & wrastle for the truth of God (the faith given to the Saints) but spēd al his strength in such contention, live and dye in defence of it. In other things hee must not strive: 2 Tim. 2.23.for Gods Church hath no such custome (1 Cor. 11.16.)Tit. 2. 8,9.
In the last place, as in zeale, so in earnest desires an hypocrite will seeme to run as fast to Christ, to thirst & long for him, as the most faithfull: For when the hard skin of his seared cons…ience is flayed off, by those knives of circumcision (the sharp law of God) and the terrours of hell gate upon his galled soule, in the sense of these agonies he will value Christ as highly, desire him as heartily (as wel to the sight of others, as to his owne sense) as any true member of Christ: What in the world would hee not give, nay, a whole world to purchase one drop of that precious bloud?
This goes very farre (will some say) can any Christian goe further? Yes verily: For the faithfull soule, in the day peace, continues still as highly and dearely to esteeme the Lord Jesus, even after reconciliation: when he heares the blessed Spirit speaking peace to him,Phil. 3.8. then hee esteemes all things dung and losse in comparison of the knowledge of Christ. Here the hypocrite leaveth him. In the storme hee will runne as fast to Christ, (the rocke and refuge from the tempest of Gods wrath) as any:Psal, 32.2. in faire weather hee makes no hast, hee goes backe, or stands still. The one esteemes Christ as medicine onelyonly, and therefore in extremity of paine, when he is sicke at heart, whither wil he not send for him? and though the pocion and prescription be grievous, yet then it is forced down, though hee send it up againe: but as soone as he is a little cheered, he loathes his Physicke: The other knowes him to bee as well his meate as medicine, and therefore in health (when he findes his heart assured of salvation) longues, and hungers for him and his righteousnesse.
The one desires him for justification in the day of wrath, to wipe off his reckoning, and enter him into glory: The other also for sanctification to clense him from sinne, and beautifie his soule in the glorious image of God: If the Lord would give the hypocrite free leave to take his pleasure in sinne, without feare of judgement, how would he rejoyce, as in a great and speciall privilege? hee would account himselfe as happy in his liberty to sinne, as in his exemption from the reward of sinne. But oh how wofull a captivity, how lothsome a grave, how base a drudgery, & miserable thraldome would a faithfull soule account of such a licence? as much ha…ing the filthinesse of sinne, as the punishment; the spirituall death, as the eternall.