Mans Active Obedience, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
Further differences betweene hypocrites and ſound beleeuers, in their aſſurance to be ſaued: and firſt, in the whole building thereof; as alſo of the builders themſelues.
NOw to proſecute my former ſpeech, and to ſhew ſome further differences that are diſcernable betweene the aſſurance of hypocrites and miſ-beleeuers, and ſuch as ſoundly and truly doe beleeue. As therefore there hath been ſhewed a manifeſt difference to bee in the foundation and ground worke of either of their aſſurances; ſo is there as cleere a difference to be diſcerned in the whole frame and manner of the building and working vp of ſuch aſſurance; the workmanſhip being asDifference in building aſſurance. differing, as are the workmen that do build theron, euen the maſter workmen themſelues, & chiefe builders, who hauing drawn the plot, giuegive all the direction how things are to be caried; who are as clean oppoſite in their doings each to other (one working one way, & another working another) as good is to bad, and right is to wrong; as lightDifference in builders. is to darkneſſe, or God is to the diuell. For indeed it is God that hath the diſpoſing of all the buſineſſe about the one; and the diuell beareth all the ſway, giueth all the direction, hath the whole command, and all the controlment about the other. The Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of truth, beareth rule in the heart of the one; and that lying falſe ſpirit, euen the ſpirit of the diuell, who rulethEpheſ. 2. 2. mightily in the children of diſobedience, and was a lying ſpirit in the mouthes of the falſe prophets to deceiue1. King. 22. 22. Ahab; it is he that carrieth all the ſtroke, and hath the whole gouernment in the other, (for queſtionleſſe all hypocrites hauehave vncleane ſpirits breathing in them) the Lord hauing ſo in heauie iudgement mingled amongIſa. 19. 14. them ſpirits of errour, which doe cauſe them to erre in eueryevery part of their worke.
We know it is meet in eueryevery building, from the ground to the roofe, to hauehave eueryevery thing ſo ordered, as the houſe may be well contriued for vſe, made beautifull for view, and ſubſtantiall for continuance. Now as for vſe and continuance, that lying falſe ſpirit who guideth and directeth2. Cor. 11. 13. theſe falſe and deceitfull workers that worke vponupon this frame, as hee intendeth not either of them himſelfe, ſo doth he not ſuffer them to ſtrike one right ſtroke to further ſuch a buſineſſe; but indeed his aime is for the cleane contrary, in ſetting them a worke to doe all to no purpoſe in ſuch reſpects. His whole drift is, to hauehave matters carried ſo, as all may ſhew as faire, and be as beautifull and goodly to behold and looke vponupon, both in their owne eyes, and view of others, as that which is beſt and trulieſt wrought of them that are moſt skilfull in their working, and doe all that they doe moſt ſoundly and ſubſtantially indeed; but as for vſe, his deſire is to hauehave all ſo bungled vp, and ſo confuſedly wrought, as none may know what to make of ſuch worke, nor what good vſe to put any thing vntounto when all is done: no other order or method being obſerued for the framing of things to any purpoſe, but ſuch orders and methods as the Apoſtleforeign Eph. 6. 11. giueth vsus warning of, and willes vsus to take heed of, that are vſed by the diuell, but all to deceiue by. In which reſpect he vſeth art and skill enough, and none ſo much as he in that kind of profeſſion. Hee is the greateſt Artiſan that is in the whole world beſide; he is moſt orderly and methodicall in his wilie working, to catch men by deceit, & ouerthrow them in perdition; he is therin both male artifex, and mille artifex, if one way ſucceedes not, he will fetch about another, till hee hauehave gained his purpoſe in that hee goes about: yea, hee train…s vp men this way and teacheth them cunning, till as perfect workmen, they hauehave got the skill how to deceiue others, and moſt of all themſelues, that being become euill men and ſeducers, Epheſ. 4. 14.they may waxe worſe and worſe, deceiuing, and being 2. Tim. 3. 13. Iſa. 28. 15.deceiued, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of thoſe that hauehave made lies their refuge, and that v…der vanitie hauehave hid themſelues.
And as for continuance, this whole frame is ſet vponupon ſo ſandie a …oundation, and ſo ſlightly & falſly is wrought beſide, as it will ſtand no ſtorme nor ſhower that ſhall happen; but be as a caſtle of come downe, that ſhall fall vponupon the heads, and about the eares of them that dare venture to abide therein.
Temporary beleeuers and hypocrites that are theſeHypocrites. deceitfull workers, who for their double-heartedneſſe carrying (as we vſe to ſay) two faces in one hood, may not vnfitly be likened to ſome two faced pictures, which on the one ſide ſhall be ſeene to laugh like a man, and on the other ſide like a monſter: they can make as faire pretences of holineſſe as who ſhall make beſt, and goe as farre in the externall and outward practice of all religious duties, as who ſhall goe furtheſt: they will come to ſermons, they will bee at good exerciſes, they will pretend great holineſſe, they will ſeeke the Lord daily, and delight Iſa. 58. 2to know his waies, as a nation that did righteouſneſſe, and forſooke not the ordinances of their God: they will aske of God the Ordinances of Iuſtice, and they will take delight in approching to God. Hearing the word of God, and that with ſome kind of ioy; as our Sauiour ſheweth in the parable, in ſo much as many, by meanes thereof, come to be greatly inlightened, and to taſt of the heauenly gift, to bee Heb. 6. 4. 5.made partakers of the holy Ghoſt, to taſt of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come: yea, they will be found not onelyonly to ſerue God with others, in the ordinary religious exerciſes of Gods daily worſhip, but in the extraordinary alſo; if there bee any more excellent then other, they will therein alſo be found as forward, as who ſhall be formoſt; they will faſt and humble themſelues; they will afflict their ſoules, and bow downe their Iſa. 58. 5.heads like a bulruſh: and make (as Paul ſaith) a faire ſhew Gal. 6. 12. Coloſ. 2. 18.in the fleſh, and in a voluntary humility: they will not ſtick with the Phariſie, to faſt twice in the weeke, pay eueryevery man Luk. 18. 12.his owne, pay tithes of all they hauehave, giuegive almes to the poore: and with the rich young man in the Goſpell, (who came to our Sauiour Chriſt, to know what hee might doe toMat. 19. 20. gaine eternall life), keepe after his manner, all the Commandements of God euen from their youth. And thus much for any to do, is the moſt that Satan their captaine will allow the beſt hypocrites of them all to doe: which yet to doe, is to ſet vp a very faire outſide of a Chriſtian-like well framed life and conuerſation, which for ſight and outward view ſheweth as beautifull, and as comely as doth the beſt; and yet neither profitable for any vſe, nor ſubſtantiall for continuance. Hence is it that this ſort of men are not onelyonly well thought on of others, but they hauehave high thoughts of themſelues, and reckon vponupon great things that they are to receiue at Gods hands: they make no doubt but to be ſaued for euer; they looke to bee in heauen before their feet bee cold; whoſoeuer ſtand out, they promiſe to themſelues that they ſhall bee receiued in: there are none more confident heerein then they: though there ſhould but two in a countrey bee ſaued (ſaith ſuch a one) yet I hope that I ſhall be one of them: yea they dare chalenge God himſelfe for not doing right, if ſuch perſons as they ſhould not bee well regarded of him: Why (ſay they) hauehave we faſted and thou ſeeſt it not? Iſa. 58. 3.why hauehave we afflicted our ſoules, and thou takeſt no knowledge of it? And our Sauiour Chriſt telling vsus of ſuch ſort of men how it will bee with them in the day of iudgement, bringeth them in before vsus, comming to heauen gate as though they were in haſt, and calling earneſtly to hauehave the gate opened vntounto them, as maruelling they ſhould be let to ſtand without ſo long; crying, Lord, Lord, open vntounto vsus: hauehave not we propheſied in thy name: and Luk. 13. 25. 26. 27.haſt not thou taught in our ſtreets? vntounto whom, for all this, it will be anſwered, depart you away, I know you not, yo… hauehave been workers of iniquitie. Though the worke of prophecying and ſo of hearing, reading, praying, faſting, and the like, were, and are in themſelues holy actions, yet the doers of them not doing them holily, may be workers of iniquitie: for doing vniuſtly, that, which otherwiſe in it ſelfe were iuſt to be done. Prayer, and propheſying are ſpirituallIſa. 1. 13. actions, but they may for all that be carnally performed, and ſo turned to ſinne vntounto them that are the doers of them. He is an euill worker, or a worker of iniquitie, firſt, that doth that which is in it ſelfe euill: ſecondly, that doth not that which is good, being the good that he ought to doe: thirdly, that doth that which is good, but doth it not well; as doing it in ſome ſiniſter reſpect of an euill mind, vain-gloriouſly, or hypocritically, and the like. And thus all that before hauehave been mentioned, that temporary beleeuers and hypocrites may doe, or poſſibly can doe, not being ſoundly and ſincerely done, in ſuch truth and vprightneſſe as God doth require, all is but loſt labour that ſo is done, and (according to the prouerbe) As good neuer a whit, as neuer the better. When holy things in themſelues are thus hollowly done, and in in ſo great hypocriſie by the doers of them; the things which were otherwiſe moſt excellent, are now moſt vile, and whatſoeuer ſhewes they hauehave, they are but beautifull abominations; the faireſt workes are then become the fouleſt faults, and their beſt deedes, their worſt ſinnes. Things thus done by ſuch deceitfull workers, in their ſo doing of them, they hauehave but marred (as wee vſe to ſay) good matters in the handling; and all that they hauehave ſo wrought, euen in the working will crumble away as betweene their fingers, and come to nothing. They may deceiue others for a time, but they will finde by wofull experience, that they hauehave moſt of all deceiued themſelues in the end, that they hauehave toyled themſelues in vaine, and that they hauehave but wrought as in the fier, which as quicklyHaba…. 2. 13. did conſume it, as they could worke it and bring it off their hand. Hypocriſie is ſaid to bee ſpunne vponupon a fine thred; but for all that, it will make no good cloth nor garments that will couer them; they may weaue it who that will, but (as the Prophet ſpeaketh) they ſhall weaue but the ſpiders webbe: their webbes will be no garments,Pſal. 59. 5. 6. neither ſhall they couer themſelues with their workes. Such builders as theſe that hauehave builded but after this faſhion, when they hauehave ſet vp all this goodly frame, they may leane vponupon their houſe (as Iob ſpeaketh) but it will Iob 8. 15.not ſtand; they may hold faſt by it, but it will not endure. And becauſe it is ſlightly built aboue, it is as vnſoundly and vnſetledly founded below, being ſet vponupon ſo vnſteadie and ſo ſandie a foundation, when the raines ſhall deſcend, Mat. 7. 26. 27.the flouds come, and the windes blow and beate vponupon that houſe it will all come downe and be ouerthrowne, it will ſurely Iob 11. 20.fall, and the fall thereof will be great. Then ſhall the eyes of theſe men faile, and they not eſcape, and their hope ſhall bee Iob 18. 14.euen as the giuing vp of the Ghoſt. Their confidence ſhall then be rooted out of their tabernacle, and they be brought themſelues to the King of feare. Yea, terrours will then (for all this great boaſting of ſtrong aſſurance) take hold of them as waters and tempeſts will carry them away by night. The Eaſt wind will carrie them away and they ſhall depart, and as a ſtorme it will hurle them out of their place: then will God caſt vponupon them and will not ſpare, Iob 27. 20 21. 22. 23.though they would faine flee from vnderunder his hand: men ſhall then clap their hands at them and hiſſe them out of their place: as Iob doth thus ſpeake: time and experience will ſhew what manner of workmen theſe hauehave been; the day will declare it, and the fier will reueale it, of what ſort this whole worke is; namely, that they hauehave builded vponupon a tottering and rotten foundation, no better ſtuffe then timber, hay, and ſtubble, and therefore all in the end1. Cor. 3. 12. 13. will be conſumed, wholly ouerthrowne and brought to nothing.
On the other ſide, the Spirit of God, which is the ſpiritSound builders. of truth, and leadeth vntounto all truth, hath a cleane contrary working in the hearts of true beleeuers, who are ſaid to be good and true in heart, and ſuch, as in whoſe ſpirit Pſal. 125. 4. Pſal. 3…. 2.there is no guile: like thoſe worthies of the Tribe of Zebulon that came to Dauid to Hebron, who are commended1. Chron. 12. 33▪ to hauehave been men that were not of a double heart, they are guided to doe that they doe with innocent Pſal. 24. 4. Pſal. 119. 1. 6.hands, and vpright hearts, not lifting vp their minds to vanitie, nor ſwearing deceitfully, but to bee vndefiled in their way, which way ſo euer they ſhall walke, ſtill hauing reſpect to all Gods commandements. In their behauiourPſal. 101. 2. 3. at home, to walke in the vprightneſſe of their hearts in the middeſt of their houſe, without ſetting any wicked thing before their eyes. In their outward behauiour towards men, or in the carriage of themſelues towards God in his worſhip and ſeruice, to follow the Apoſtles practice, in endeauouring euermore to keepe faith and a good Acts 24. 16.conſcience both towards God and man. In their dealings with men, to doe no ill to their neighbour, to ſpeake eueryevery onePſal. 15. 2. 3. the truth from his heart, as children that will not lie: in comming to ſerue God, to cleanſe their hands in innocency, Iſai. 63. 8. Pſal. 26. 6.and ſo to compaſſe Gods Altar; not as doe hypocrites, to draw neare to God with their lipps, when their hearts in the Iſai. 29. 13.meane while being remoued from him: but ſo as they with Dauid ſay and profeſſe, euen vntounto God as did hee, O God Pſal. 57. 7.my heart is prepared, my heart is prepared; I will now ſing and giuegive praiſe. In giuing God thankes, they awaken their Pſal. 103. 1.ſoules to praiſe God, and call vponupon all that is within them to magnifie his name: they prayſing God with their words, Pſal. 47. 7.praiſe him with their vnderſtanding alſo. When they come to make prayers vntounto God, they lift vp their hearts withLament. 3. 41. 1. Tim. 2. 8. their hands vntounto God in the heauens; and holding vp their hands, they hold vp pure hands in their prayers without wrath and doubting. In comming to heare the Word of God, they with an honeſt and good heart heare it, and keepLuke 8. 15. Pſal. 119. 11. it, holding it vp in their hearts with Dauid, that it might keepe them from ſinne. As God loueth truth in the inwardPſal. 51. 6. Iohn 4. 24. parts, ſo doe they worſhip God in ſpirit and truth. They doe not deſire to ſeeme to doe any thing better, then indeede they doe it: neither doe they deſire to ſeeme to doe that, which in truth they doe not; but as God is truth, ſo are they found in all their waies to walke in truth. They beleeuing3. Iohn 4. Iohn 14▪ 1. God, doe beleeue alſo in Chriſt, their hearts therefore neede not to feare, nor at all to be troubled, they know with the Apoſtle whom they hauehave beleeued, and that he is able to 2. Tim. 1. 12.keepe all they hauehave committed vntounto him ſure and ſafe vntounto the day of his appearing. This therefore is the victory whereby1. Iohn 2 13. & 5. 4. 5. we ouercome that euill one, and the whole world with him, euen their ſtedfaſt beleeuing: ſuch as doe thus, may indeede be aſſured of vndoubted ſafety and ſaluation for euer. They thus beleeuing, and thus liuing, may know aſuredly themſelues to be in Chriſt Ieſus, becauſe they walk not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit: they hauehave good warrantRom. 8. 1. Cant. 2. 16. to ſay, that Chriſt is theirs, and they are his; and therfore laying hold of Chriſt, they may bee aſſured moſt certainly to bee ſaued for euer by him. They may bee fully perſwaded, there ſhall bee no condemnation to them, being Rom. 8. 1. 38. 39thus in Chriſt Ieſus; neither ſhall any thing be euer able to ſeparate them from the louelove of God, which is in Chriſt Ieſus. They in this caſe may lay themſelues downe in peace with Pſal 4. 8. Pſal. 3. 6.Dauid, and take ſweetely their reſt; for the Lord is hee that will now make them to dwell in ſafetie, not fearing though ten thouſand had beſet them round about; they need not bePſal. 112. 7. 1. Iohn 4. 28. afraid of any euill tidings, but caſt away all feare that hath painefulneſſe, and let their hearts bee ſetledly fixed, and truſt in the Lord: for ſuch hauehave their warrant made them out of Gods Word, that doing theſe things, they ſhall neuer Pſal. 15. 5. 2. Pet. 1.be moued: and as the Apoſtle Peter ſaith, they ſhall neuer fall. Theſe hauehave laid for themſelues a good foundation for eternall life, and as good builders indeed, hauehave wellProu. 10. 25. 1. Tim. 6. 19. Iſai. 26. 1. builded a ſure habitation for themſelues to dwell ſafely in. Saluation may bee called the walls of this building, and ſafetie it ſelfe the bulwarkes thereof. They that dwell in ſuch a defenced Caſtle, they dwell to high for any to pull them downe, their defence is the munition of rockes (as the Prophet ſpeaketh), they hauing thus built their faith vponuponIſai. 33. 16. Chriſt, that is a rocke ſo ſtrong and ſure, as neuer can be moued, it is impoſſible that the gates of hell can euer preuaile againſt the ſame: ſuch as theſe are ſurely out of allMat. 16. 18. danger, and as one ſet vponupon a high rock, and ſtanding vponupon a ſure and inuincible Tower, they may look and laugh at al their enemies below, not caring what they al cā poſſibly do againſt them, how fiercely and how furiouſly ſoeuer they ſhal aſſaile them. Theſe therefore (ascleane contrary to the other) being thoſe that heare the ſayings of Chriſt, and do them, that truly do beleeue, and thus holily doe liue, they are moſt wiſe men, and good builders that hauehave built their houſe vponupon a rocke; and therfore when the raine deſcends, the flouds come, the winds blow and beate vponupon the houſe, it doth not fall, becauſe all is founded vponupon a rocke; and ſo the whole worke of their building (they thus building vp themſelues in their moſt holy faith) is not onelyonly made beautifull for view, but wiſely and well contriued for neceſſarie vſe, and made ſtrong and ſubſtantiall for continuance. They hereby in all their workes thus wrought, ſhewing themſelues to hauehave been workemen, that need not be aſhamed of that they hauehave done: as the ApoſtleMat. 7. 24. gaue counſell to Timothie for the diſcharge of his dutie. Their worke in time ſhall alſo be made manifeſt, the day will declare it, and the fier will reueale, that vponupon a moſt2. Tim. 2. 15. ſure and pretious foundation they hauehave builded gold, ſiluer and precious ſtones, and that their worke hath been1. Cor. 3. 12. wrought according vntounto God, and therefore of him they may looke to receiue their reward, and ſo to hauehave praiſe ofIohn 3. 21. God.