The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 59
Section. 59.
Others againe ſeeme, (and but ſeeme) to put on Chriſt,2 By putting on Chriſt (ſeemingly) but not putting off ſin. but put not off their ſinne. Such are they, as making ſhew of a great change and reformatiō wrought in them, yet neuer either truly ſaw & conſidered their former ſinnes and errours, or ſorrowed for them. And what is this but a building without a foundation, and ſuch as arguing much folly in the builder, will quickly fall: they hauehave not digged deepe in their hearts,As 1 In vnſound conuerts, who put on Chriſt, but put not off Sinne. and ſo builded, neither plowed vp the fallow ground of their hearts, by godly ſorrow, and ſo ſowed: and therefore they being vnſound at the heart, the building falls when any blaſt comes, and ſuch corne as ſo growes, withers when any heate of perſecution lights on them, if not ſooner. Gods order is, we firſt put off, and then put on: firſt put off ſin, in the iudgment, will, and affections, and by a change in all theſe; and then put on Chriſt, in the ſame. So that there muſt be firſt, 1 By conſideration.Conſideration of ſinne and errour, and diſtaſt thereupon, with ſorrow for ſinne, hatred of it, and turning from it, and then a turning to God and goodneſſe. Pſal 119.59So Dauid, I conſidered my waies, and turned my feete into thy Teſtimonies; which conſideration doubtleſſe was accompanied with godly an hearty ſorrow, vponupon fight and diſcouery of his ſinne, as in the 51. Pſalme, and other penitentiall Pſalmes.Deut. 30.1.2 1 King. 58.47.48. Ezek. 18.28 The ſame Method God lookes wee ſhould vſe, and true conuerts vſe it. But the hypocriſie of many appeares in this, that they will turne to God, before they turne into themſelues by good conſideration of their ſinnes, or true ſorrow for the ſame; or if there bee any ſorrow,2 By ſorrow it is not in the ſight properly of ſinne, but of the puniſhmēt, which only they would put off,without which no ſound ioy. & therefore, ſo farre, as it ſtayes there, it is vnſound, as in Ahab and Iudas. And if there be any change or turning, it is on by-reſpects, hope, feare, &c. as in ſuch as daily turne Papiſts, in hope, I take, the ſtate alſo will turne, (but for euer be they fruſtrate) or for ſome other ſiniſter reſpects; not in a true ſight, conſideration or conuiction of errour in which they liued (which can neuer truly bee ſhewed them). Or howſoeuer, it is without that true ſorrow and humiliation which ſhould be; and therefore many make faire ſhews of great profeſsion, and receiue the word of God, with greedineſſe and with Ioy, and none ſo forward as they: but can they ſay that their reformation hath proceeded from true humiliation; that their Joy (wherewith many on a ſudden in hearing ſeeme rauiſhed) hath come from true ſorrow for their former profaneneſſe, and the many diſhonours done by them to God, and ſeruice done to Satan? or from a true touch of ſinne, and remorſe for the ſame, in the ſight of Gods diſpleaſure, and the curſe of the Law againſt it? for aſſuredly, no ſound Chriſtian Ioy, (ordinarily) but ſuch as iſſues out of true ſorrow for ſinne. I trow not; the euent often makes it plaine. Their ſorrow (if any) and ſo their ioy, proues like the morning dew, which the Sun dryeth and draweth vp: not like water in the fountaine, which cannot be drained as it is with the godly mans both ſorrow and ioy: they are all for Ioy and rauiſhments, nothing for ſorrow at all, neither before, nor after their pretended conuerſion, and therefore their ioy, which ſhould hauehave begunne with ſorrow, ends with ſorrow: before that harueſt of Ioy (which in this life is only ſowne for the righteous and vpright in heart) doe come, all is withered, and they become vnfruitefull. They, as one ſaith well, began not in humilitie, and therefore end not in glory: nay, they began in pride, and therefore end in ſhame. They cloath themſelues with the honour of Chriſtiās, before they hauehave couered themſelues with the ſhame of their ſinnes. Whereas the ſound Chriſtian begings with a ſight and ſorrow for his ſinne, and though he ioy daily, as he hath cauſe, in his Sauiour & in the light of Gods countenance; yet that is ſolidly and ſoberly, and ſo that hee can alſo daily ſpend ſome ſighs at leaſt, if not teares, for his daily faylings, he can euen then fill his ſoule with laughter & inward ioy, when his heart and eies are fulleſt of ſorrow for his ſinne; he can mourne for his ſin, and at the ſame time reioyce for ſuch mourning, as an argument of the ſpirit and grace of Chriſt in him.
2 In groſſe Hypocrites.But to ſpeake more generally of this poynt: very many there are (the moe, the more pitie) who clothing themſelues with the glorious name of Chriſtians, & many of them making great, yea more then ordinary ſhewes of profeſſion, (I ſpeake not againſt profeſsion, we muſt profeſſe, elſe wee are none of Chriſts, but for the ſinceritie of it) yet vnderunder that cloake, liue, not onelyonly without all true ſorrow of heart for ſin, but in the ſecret practiſe of ſin, not putting off their night-clothes of former ignorance and darkneſſe in this Sun-ſhine of the Goſpell, but leading a profane life vnderunder a holy profeſsion, inwardly in heart affecting euill, whiles in the tongue and outward cariage often (though not alwayes) no ſuch thing appeares. Thus is Chriſt to them but a cloke to couer their hypocriſie, not to couer their ſinnes from the eyes of God, as in the godly and faithfull, but only from the eyes of men; the olde man is not put off, but onelyonly hid and concealed vnderunder a ſhew of newneſſe, euen as ſome filthy puddle, or dangerous quickſand couered ouer with ſnow; or as ſome leprous, pocky & filthy body ſhould be clothed in ſilkes and fine aray; I ſpeak not chiefly of ſuch as whoſe wayes ſeeme right in their owne eyes, and through deceitfulneſſe of heart, and as ſome call it, formall hypocriſie, deceiue themſelues as well as others, (though it be true of them alſo) but eſpecially of ſuch as pretending outwardly much holineſſe, yet inwardly intend nothing but euil, and deceiue others more then themſelues, though in the end, at the day of accounts, they deceiue themſelues moſt of all. Of this ranke are all politike Atheiſts, As politicke Atheiſts.and Papiſts (who are no better) who make religion but a cloke to couer their impieties and hypocriſie, & clothe themſelues with the Lambes skinne, to hide and couer their woluiſh affection, outwardly arraied in ſheeps clothing, inwardly being rauenous wolues. Such were they, that faining themſelues holymen, came to our Sauiour with an intent to intrap him, and like Judas, with a kiſſe to betray him. Such are they alſo as clothe their Treaſons and diſloyaltie to their lawfull Soueraigne,& Papiſts. in the habite of Catholike zeale, and the Catholike cauſe. In the ranke of ſuch hypocrites, are not only all Papiſts, who profeſsing the name of Chriſt, doe vnderunder that name ſerue Antichriſt, & caſt not off his yoke, whileſt they profeſſe to take on them the yoke of Chriſt; and eſpecially the Monkiſh crue, whoſe profeſsion makes not a Chriſtian, no more then a Cowle makes a Monke, but that a man may goe to hell, though hee bee a Franciſcan, or die hauing on him S. Francis Cowle, &c. but alſo thoſe amongſt our ſelues of our owne profeſſion, who vnderunder pretence & colourable profeſsion of Chriſt, doe inwardly and ſecretly ſerue ſin and their owne luſts;& others. and particularly ſuch as in buying & ſelling abuſe the honeſt ſimplicitie of their Chriſtian brethren, whileſt being frequēt hearers of Sermons, and vſing good words, they ſo, by ſeeming religious, get their ſhops better cuſtomed, their words better credited, and their falſe wares and weights better truſted, and ſo accordingly deceiue ſuch honeſt minds, as becauſe of their profeſſion of holineſſe, repoſe truſt in them.
Of all theſe I may ſay; HaueHave theſe men put on Chriſt indeed? no verily. Chriſt wil be no cloake for wickednes, where it is not put off by acknowledgement, hatred, and loathing of it, ſorrow for it, & care to auoyd it. No man can put on Chriſt, that in theſe regards at leaſt, puts not off ſin; no man can beare his image by regeneration, who retaines ſtil in him the image of Satan by ſinne. As thoſe that worke in waxe, cannot frame any new impreſsion in it, till the olde be defaced: ſo muſt the image of the deuill bee firſt defaced, before Chriſt Ieſus and his image can be formed in vsus. Sound Chriſtians hauehave Chriſt ſealed and ſtamped on their ſoules, and they weare him alſo as their vpper garments in a holy profeſsion: ſo that he is ſeene euen in their attire, which is comly not vaine, in their ſpeech which is graceful, not (vſually) idle, vaine or impertinent, in their behauiour, and in all the actions of their life; yet ſo, as that they weare no other garment, either vnderunder him next the skin and heart, by cloſe hypocriſie, nor aboue & ouer him, by open profaneneſſe; but as they are not aſhamed to profeſſe him outwardly, ſo are they ſpecially carefull to be clothed with him inwardly in their hearts, louelove & affections: though their profeſsion want not ſome blemiſhes, ſo that they appeare worſt in the face and out-ſide; yet their in-ſide is all glorious, as the Kings daughter, Pſal. 45.or true Church which they are. Their worſt is outward, and they are euer better then they appeare (eſpecially to the blinde eyes of the world,) wheras it is contrary with hypocrites, whoſe beſt ſide is outward, and vpward, being like Ephraim, Hoſe. 7.8.like a cake (on the hearth) not turned, hote perhaps, and ſcorched with heate and zeale on that ſide which is toward the world, but plaine dough and rawneſſe, on that ſide which God lookes to, namely in heart: like painted and guilded ſepulchres, glorious without, but full of dead mens bones; ſo they, dead in ſoule by ſin, whilſt they liue in the body, yea ſeeme to others to liue ſpiritually alſo: iuſt like ſtageplayers, from whence they hauehave their name of hypocrites, acting to the eye of man, the part of Kings, Prieſts, and Prophets, in one word, of Chriſtians, but being indeed very baſe rogues and runnagates (like thoſe other) and wanderers from God; who appeare what they are, when their borrowed robes are taken off thē; as their hypocriſie ſhall appeare at the day of Iudgement, when all vailes ſhall bee taken away: nay, for the preſent, theſe garments of colourable profeſsion cannot ſo hide their hypocriſie, but that the aſſe, though he hauehave on the Lyons skin, will bewray himſelfe by his long eares; ſo their ſecret vices can no more be hid vnderunder ſhew of Chriſtian profeſsion, then a bunch or crook'd-backe can conceale it ſelfe vnderunder a cloſe and ſtrait garment. But ſuch is this garment;Par. 3. §. 60 it is without fold or plaits, without ſeame and doublings in; and any deformitie, whether ſwelling of pride, or any other redundancy, or defect of any member or neceſſary grace, may ſoone bee ſeene through it.
Now to conclude this third point alſo, do thou, whoſoeuer, try and ſeriouſly ſift thy ſelfe by theſe forenamed deſcriptions, and as thou findeſt (vnpartially iudging) ſo bee comforted, or inſtructed what to doe, &c.
And thus much of this third particular, and ſo generally of ſuch trials as may be made by conſidering the Nature of our putting on Chriſt.