A Crystal Mirror, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Of the Hearts Treachery as to your Spiritual ſtate.
1. HAving made ſome Diſcoveries of the Deceitfulneſs of your Heart in reſpect of your Temporal ſtate (whether Proſperity or Adverſity,) we come now to your Spiritual ſtate, which is of mighty importance, and upon which your everlaſting weal or wo in the other world dependeth; Therefore muſt you keep your heart with all keepings, and with your utmoſt Care and Caution, that you put not an everlaſting Cheat upon your own Immortal Soul, in this matter of ſuch weighty and eternal conſequence.
1. The Malady.
2. The Remedy.
Firſt, The Malady: And this cheat may befal you two ways. (1.) Your own Heart may deceive you, in falſly conceiving What you are in Gods thoughts. And (2.) in falſly conceiving what you are in your own thoughts. Firſt of the firſt. You may be deceived in conceiving what you are in God's thoughts; to wit, that you are predeſtinated to Life and Salvation, whatever you be, and however you live in the world: Even all people have a natural proneneſs to bleſs themſelves with a falſe hope of their Predeſtination to life, Deut. 29. 19. and that they ſhall have peace. Now the thoughts of God are in thoſe two unchangeable Decrees of Election and Non-election; which the great Apoſtle exemplifies by Jacob and Eſau, [Jacob have I loved, and Eſau have I hated, before they were yet born, or had done either good or evil,] Rom. 9. 11, 12, 13. There is no doubt but Eſau bleſt himſelf in his own heart, and came preſumptuoſly to his Father for the Bleſſing, thinking with himſelf that he had merited his Fathers Bleſſing, for hunting him ſuch ſavory meat; whereas (alas) neither Merit-mongers, nor profane perſons (ſuch as he was, Hebr. 12. 16.) can have any room in the Lambs Book of Life, or any ſhare in the true bleſſing, [quâ…tales] as ſuch.
2. Effectual Vocation (which is Gods Counterpart to eternal Election) muſt demonſtrate to you this great ſecret, and undeceive your heart herein, 2 Pet. 1. 10. [Make your Calling ſure, and thereby you make your Election ſure.] For there can be no demonſtration of your Election [à priori] from any thing that goes before it, becauſe it is [ab aeterno] an eternal purpoſe, Epheſ. 3. 11. and before the foundation of the world, Eph. 1. 4. It muſt therefore be demonſtrated [à poſteriori] from ſomething that comes after it, and that is, the infallible fruit and effect of it, Acts 13. 48. [As many as were ordained unto life, believed.] You muſt not think to go up to the [Ʋniverſity] of Election, before you have been trained up in the [Grammar-School] of Vocation: You muſt begin your climbing work at the loweſt ſtep of Jacob's Ladder, if you would aſcend to the top of it, and come to know the thoughts and counſel of God concerning you; you muſt ſpell out your eternal Election in your effectual Vocation, and in your real and actual Sanctification: You may not conceive that you have a room in the thoughts of God from all Eternity, though you cannot experience any heart-changing, and life-changing work upon you; for the Word of God (which is the tranſcript of the Book of Life) ſpeaks quite contary, Deut. 29. 19, 20. Pſal. 69. 27. Job 34. 37. John 3. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 10, 11.
3. Secondly, in falſly conceiving what you are in your own thoughts; you may conceit your ſelf to be as good as any, as godly as the beſt, yea and better than the moſt, when (indeed) it is otherwiſe, and 'tis your own heart that deceives you: Thus the proud Phariſee bleſt himſelf with a conceit that he was as godly a man as walked upon the ground, Luke 18. 11, 12. [He was not as the Publican.] 'Tis true he was not, for he was worſe than him, becauſe he thought himſelf better, and becauſe he comes proudly and preſumptuouſly to God, [velut dignus qui cum Deo colloqueretur,] as one that thought himſelf worthy to hold a parley with God himſelf; unto whom he ſhewed not his wants, but his worth, and before whom he ſtood not only on his Compariſons, but on his Diſpariſons, as if he alone had been the whole piece, and all others but the remnant only: Thus the Pride of his own heart deceived him, (as Obad. v. 3.) and made him think himſelf a None-ſuch, prizing himſelf far above the juſt price of the true Market, although his (pretended) Godlineſs conſiſted moſtly of the [Negatives [in his, I am not, not, not, &c.] and but of the formal part of the poſitives (in his, I faſt, and I pray, &c.) of right Goſpel-Holineſs.
4. As your great Grand-mother [Eve] deceived herſelf in her ſaying, [I have gotten a man from the Lord,] Gen. 4. 1. or, as the Hebrew may be read, [I have got that famous man, the Lord] as if ſhe had brought forth the Man (Chriſt Jeſus) who was that promiſed Seed of the woman, that ſhould break the Serpents head, Gen. 3. 15. thoſe were [verba ſpei, non rei] the words of hoping, but not of having the thing hoped; for that Son of hers [Cain] was [truely] of that wicked one (the devil,) 1 Joh. 3. 10, 12. So you may deceive your ſelf, ſaying, [I am begotten a new man by the Lord.] Thus thoſe conceited cavillers (at Chriſts Perſon and Doctrine) preſumed to call God their Father, Joh. 8. 41. as if they had been all new men begotten and born of God, (as idolatrous Iſraelites had done before them, Jerem. 3. 4, 5.) yet Chriſt tells them, [Vos infernales eſtis,] Ye are from beneath, or from Hell, verſ. 22. and of your father the Devil, verſ. 44. who hath ſet his very limbs upon you, as his brand or mark. God is no Father to ſuch as have not him (1.) in their Heads, Pſal. 10. 4. (2.) Nor in their Hearts, Pſal. 14. 1. (3.) Nor in their Words, Pſal. 12. 4. (4.) Nor in their Works or ways, Tit. 1. 16. How dare ſuch call God, Father?
5. As Joſeph was but the ſuppoſed Father of Chriſt, ſo God was but the ſuppoſed Father of thoſe Phariſaical Juſticiaries, that did ſay of themſelves [they were never in bondage,] when (indeed) they were never out of bondage to ſome Adverſary or other; and even then when they ſaid ſo, they were at that very time Vaſſals to the Roman Caeſar. And no better than theſe were thoſe counterfeiting Cheats [who feigned themſelves to be juſt men,] Luke 20. 20. in their acting upon the ſtage of the world the reſemblance of Saints, juſt like Players (in a Play-houſe) do act the parts of Princes, or of perſons of Quality, although when the Play is over, they prove no better than certain ſcoundrel-fellows, as above.
6. Thus Jacob (which ſignifies deceitful) played Eſau's part to his blind Father, Gen. 27. 15, 16. with verſ. 19. (putting on rough garments to deceive,) as too many do at this day, Zech. 14. 2, 3, 4. but it ſhall not be ſo for ever, for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it; ſuch cannot deceive an All-ſeeing God, though they may deceive both themſelves and others, yet this is for a time only, 1 Tim. 5.24. and 2 Tim. 3. 8, 9. Saul under a diſguiſe cannot hide himſelf from the Witch of Endor, 1 Sam. 28. 8. Nor Jeroboam's Wife (though diſguiſed) from the Lords Prophet, 1 King. 14. 2-6. how much leſs can thoſe hide themſelves from the knowledg of the Lord himſelf? Proverbs 5. 21. 2 Chron. 16. 9. Ahab diſguiſed himſelf when he went down into the battle, yet Gods Arrow findes him, 1 Kin. 22. 30-34. Things that are contingent and caſual as to man, are yet ordered by a divine Providence, and ſo become neceſſary and unavoidable as to God: Jehoſaphat was (indeed) endangered by Ahabs diſguiſe, yet inaſmuch as he appeared what he was both to God and to man, the Lord was well-pleaſed with him, and both helped and ſaved him, 2 Chron. 18. 29. 31. When Ahab's ſin (in Gods Arrow) found him out, (Num. 32.23.) under his diſguiſe. David by feigning himſelf a madman, may eſcape the hands of Achiſh; (even then) when the Kings Champion's (Goloahs) Sword was in David's hands to diſcover him, 1 Sam. 21. 9. to the end, and chap. 22.1. But none can eſcape Gods hands, by feigning themſelves good men, if they be not good to God, as they ſeem to be good to men. All theſe (Men and Women) well knew, that they were not the very perſons which they ſeemed to be.
7. But now the firſt and great Queſtion to be anſwered is, Whether in this Hiſtrionical Hypocriſie (which is the greateſt cheat in the world) a man may be an Hypocrite, and not know himſelf to be ſo? Anſwer firſt in general: This Hypocriſie is the grandeſt and greateſt Cheat of the cheating heart of fallen Mankinde, as it is 1. A Cheat endeavoured to be put upon God himſelf. 2. A Cheat accompliſhed upon a mans precious and immortal Soul. 3. A Cheat for Eternity. 4. A Cheat in things of greateſt importance, and not in trifles, &c. Therefore you have need to keep your heart with all diligence, that you be not cheated thereby in this worſt kinde of Cheatery. Secondly, I anſwer in particular. 1. Zanchy (who is called a Magazine of all Divine Literature) makes two forts of Hypocrites. 1. Such as know not themſelves to be Hypocrites, but think-themſelves ſound, and good enough; and he inſtanceth it in that proud Phariſee, that thought himſelf as good as the beſt, Luke 18. as I have already ſhown you in the foregoing pages. His ſecond inſtance is in Paul before his Converſion, who thought he did God very good ſervice in perſecuring the Church, … 22. 7. John 16. 1. and concerning the Righteouſneſs of the Law he was blameleſs, Phil. 3. 6. although his blinde Zeal (which is as high metal in a blinde horſe, or as fire in a Chimney-top) all that time tranſported him to perſecute the Saints; all this he did ignorantly in unbelief, 1 Tim. 1. 13. alas, thoſe Seales (of Errour and Ignorance) were not as yet done away from his eyes, Act. 9. 18. 'Twas not his purpoſe, but his miſtake; hence he found mercy; and when he had done ſo, he became as mad for Chriſt, as ever he had been againſt him, Acts 26. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 13. and his word [foreign] Phil. 3. 14. ſhews he had as much eagerneſs in preaching and preſſing after the prize, as he had in perſecuting Chriſts poor Saints and Servants.
8. There be others alſo, that bring a (third) Inſtance, to wit, Simon Magus, whom not only Philip took for a Beleever (and baptized him) but he might take himſelf for one in his Hiſtorical Faith, while he continued with Philip, Acts 8. 13. And when the holy Simon (Peter) had detected this wicked Simon (Magus) of Hypocriſie, yet was he not ſo wicked, but he begs the prayers not only of Peter, but of the other Apoſtles, unto God for him, and that for the pardon of his ſin, that he might not be miraculouſly ſlain (as Ananias and Sapphira had been, Acts 5. 5. 10.) Pray ye to the Lord for me, Acts 8. 24. The ſecond fort are ſuch as know themſelves to be Hypocrites, and their hearts are privy that they do but diſſemble in all that they either ſay or do in the ſervice of God; thoſe be Hypocrites indeed, that know well (all along) themſelves not to be what they ſeem to be, and not to be unto God, what they ſeem to be unto men. As concerning the firſt ſort of theſe, whether they may (properly, and by a genuine Idiome of Speech) be called Hypocrites, ſome Learned do doubt, ſaying, A man cannot well be an Hypocrite, and not know it; and their reaſon is this, becauſe the true and proper notion of Hypocriſie is, to pretend one thing, and to intend another; or to intend one thing, and act another.
9. The ſecond particular Anſwer is this, That (notwithſtanding what is ſaid above in the firſt Anſwer) I cannot but affirm, (in a ſound ſence) A man may be an Hypocrite, and not know himſelf to be one, upon theſe following Grounds and Reaſons. The firſt Reaſon is, As Sincerity may be in a man, and yet the man may not know it, (the moſt ſincere Saints are ever moſt ſuſpicious of their own Sincerity;) even ſo (according to the Rule of contraries) Hypocriſy may be in the Soul, and yet the Soul may not know it. That the former is true, is manifeſt; inaſmuch as the ſoundeſt hearts are evermore the moſt ſelf-ſuſpecting hearts: No ſooner had Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples, [One of you ſhall betray me;] but immediately all the true-hearted of them were filled with holy jealouſie, and each of them ſuſpecting himſelf, ſaid, [Maſter, is it I?] whereas the falſe-hearted Judas came lagging (all behinde) in this ſelf-ſuſpecting work: None are more filled with Jealouſies (about the ſoundneſs and unſoundneſs of their hearts) than the ſoundeſt and ſincereſt Souls; but the Hypocrite is that fool of Solomon's, that truſts in the truth of his own treacherous heart, Prov. 22. 26.
10. The ſecond Reaſon is, There is a natural Sincerity, and Plain-heartedneſs, (that ariſes from ſome mens natural Conſtitution) which may beguile the Soul, and make them think they are Evangelically ſincere, when they are (in Gods account) no better than Hypocrites: You may obſerve ſome natural men ſo candid and ingenuous in their common dealings betwixt man and man, that they would not (for a world) deceive their Neighbour in any thing: This was the Sincerity of the Heathen King (Abimelech,) Gen. 20. 5, 6. who had not any purpoſe to wrong Abraham, or to enjoy Sarah any otherwiſe than as his Wife; what he did otherwiſe, was done out of Ignorance. This was indeed a good Second-Table Sincerity. This deceives many a Soul, although they (altogether) be ſtrangers to the Firſt-table Sincerity: a Sincerity as to man, may be in man, without a Sincerity as to God: This is (it muſt be acknowledged) a good Nature; but alas, 'tis no better than a bad Grace.
11. The third Reaſon is, There is likewiſe a Moral Sincerity (as well as Natural,) to wit, a good Nature, and a ſweet natural Diſpoſition notably improved, ſuch as was in Socrates and Seneca (thoſe two great Luminaries in the Heathen world) eminently improved by a ſtrict Education in the Liberal Arts and Sciences: How much more may ſuch a ſweet candid Diſpoſition from Nature be higher improved, by a ſtrict Education under the Adminiſtration of the Law of Moſes, (than could be attained unto by any heathen Theology) ſuch as Paul had (while a Phariſee) at the feet of Gamaliel, Acts 22. 3. and 26. 5. Moral Vertues, which are not infuſed (as Theological Graces be) but are acquired by a continued Inſtruction, and highly improved by a ſtrict Education, may deceive many Souls; and ſuch may conceive themſelves ſound perſons, and in a ſafe Spiritual ſtate and condition, yet ſtand upon a ſandy foundation, and not upon the ſure rock (that Rock of Ages, Iſai. 26. 4.) Jeſus Chriſt, Acts 4. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 11. And hence Auguſtine calls the beſt products of this Moral Vertue, [ſplendida peccata] but ſhining ſins. You ſee ſome things ſhine in the night, and yet that ſhining doth but proceed from Rottenneſs. [Sordet in ore Judicis, quod fulget in conſpectu Judicantis,] that which is highly eſteemed amongſt men, is no better than [ſhining …otton-wood, or] abomination unto God, Luke 16. 15. There may be [malum opus in bona materia,] Actions materially good, yet Aims and Ends formally bad; as Jehu's zealous actions, which were not wrought in God, Joh. 3.21. either quoad fontem, or quoad finem; his works neither flowed from a right Principle, nor tended to a right End.
12. The fourth Reaſon is, This ſweet natural Diſpoſition may yet be moſt highly improved under the Adminiſtration of the Goſpel of the Meſſias, (more than under the Adminiſtration of the Law of Moſes) which hath nobler Enticements, and better Promiſes, Hebr. 7. 19. 22. and 8. 6. and 9. 23. the Goſpel hath a better Hope, better Promiſes, a better Sacrifice, and is a better Teſtament, a better Covenant than the Law: This Goſpel-Adminiſtration may therefore bring ſome men to high Illuminations, to delightful taſtes of Spiritual things, yea and to ſome inferiour Gifts and Operations of the Spirit alſo, as thoſe in Hebr. 6. 4, 5. all which may ſatisfie the ſouls of men, and make them think themſelves ſound and ſincere Saints and Servants of God, yet no better than Hypocrites in God's eye: Alas, there is ſeeming Grace, as well as ſaving Grace: There is no true Grace wrought by God, but Satan may have his counterfeit to it; he is God's Ape, and hath oftentimes imitated God. If God's Servants work Miracles in Egypt, Satans Sorcerers can do ſo with their enchantments: As there is a falſe Faith, and a falſe Hope, as well as a true and lively one, (every true Grace hath its Mock-grace) ſo there may be a ſeeming Sincerity, which is not a ſaving one.