Gods Husbandry, Sermon 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Shewing that there is a mixture of hypocrites with true Chriſtians in the Church, and why.
FIrſt then let vsus marke, that our Sauior diſtinguiſheth the branches in the Vine into two ſorts; fruitfull and vnfruitfull. Queſtionleſſe wee may conclude from hence, that Chriſt meant to teach vsus, that in his viſible Church, there ſhould be a mixture of true-hearted Chriſtians and hypocrits. In the ſocieties of men profeſſing the true Chriſtiā religion; neither are al true, neither are al falſe: but ſome honeſt, ſound-hearted, vpright Chriſtians; other-ſome, hollow, diſſembling, hypocriticall actors of Chriſtianitie. Some are in very deed and ſubſtance, that that they are called and taken for: others hauehave a meere and bare name of Chriſtianitie, and nothing within them anſwerable to that name.Matth. 13.1.24.47. This is the point which our Sauiour teacheth alſo in the Parable of the Grounds, whereof among foure kinds, one alone prooued good. So in the Parable of the field which had Tares ſowed in it, together with good Corne: in the Parable of the Draw-net, that gathered not good Fiſh alone, but much vnprofitable filth withall. So much alſo doth Paul ſignifie, when he telleth vsus, that all are not Iſrael,Rom. 9.6.2.28. which are of Iſrael; and that hee is not a Iew, which is one without, but he which is one within. And againe, of the Congregation in the wilderneſſe, hee affirmeth, that though all did eate of the ſame Spirituall meate,1. Cor. 10.5. and drinke of the ſame Spirituall drinke, yet God was not well pleaſed with them all. And Saint Iohn affirmeth in plaine tearmes,1.Iohn 2.19. that all are not of vsus (in truth of heart) which are amongſt vsus, in ſhew of profeſſion. To this truth the continuall experience of all Ages yeeldeth a manifeſt and lamentable teſtimony. In Adams family (the mother Church of all the world) there was Caine as well as Abel, both offerers to God: but the former in a falſe ſemblance of pietie; the latter, in the truth of faith and deuotion. In the Arke were accurſed Cam, and bleſſed Shem. In Abrahams houſe, ſcoffing, wilde Iſmael, and religious Iſaac. In Iſaacs houſe, plaine-hearted Iacob, and the murdering-minded Eſau. So in the wilderneſſe, gaine-ſaying Core, with his accomplices Dathan, Abiram and the reſt, as well as Moſes, Ioſhua and Caleb. In after-times, Elies ſons (a paire of prodigious dunces, ill liuing and dumb Miniſters), as well as faithfull Samuel, the Lords true Prophet. A Saul and a Dauid; an Achitophel and an Huſhai; and ſo vpwards euen to Chriſts family, and there was a Iudas and a Peter. What Church can be free from diſſemblers, if this little domeſticall Church, that had ſuch a Paſtour and ſuch members, had yet a Diuell lodging within it? Wherefore it was ſo too in the times of the Goſpell; halting Ananias and Saphira, as well as iuſt Barnabas; Corinthian flaunters, as well as true Teachers: yea, and which is more to be wondred at, falſe Apoſtles as well as true, diſperſed here and there in all Churches. Loe, how Chriſts floore hath chaffe, as well as wheate lying in it; and his field hath Goates as well as Sheepe feeding in it.Reaſons why ſome be hypocrites. Let vsus inquire a reaſon of this mixture, both why ſome be falſe, and why ſome be true. Of the former, we muſt fetch reaſons from Man, from Satan, and from God. From Man;1. From Man. becauſe hypocriſie is one of the euill weeds that doth naturally grow in his corrupt ſoule, it being verie agreeable to his naughty heart, to diſſemble goodneſſe in ſome caſes; and hauing ſeene the truth, to make ſhew of yeelding, though in heart he yeeld not vntounto it. For oftentimes the truth is laid open ſo clearely before the eyes of his minde, partly through the euidenee of outward proofe, partly through the inward light of illumination, as hee cannot but acknowledge it, as the eye cannot chooſe but ſee ſuch obiects, as are ſet in conuenient manner and diſtance before it. Yea, many times cuſtome, education, and bringing vp in commonly receiued truths, doth ſo accuſtome and wont the minde vntounto them (as vſuall eating doth the pallate vntounto ſome kinde of foode), that hee cannot tell how to deny them; yea, that for his credit ſake, and out of a deſire to be well reſpected amongſt his neighbours, he cannot but bee forward in declaring his opinion of them. Nature therefore will attaine to the knowledge and profeſſion of diuine truths, with the bare helpe of a common grace of inlightning: but the true doctrine of godlineſſe, is ſo contrary to the moſt beloued luſts of men, ſo oppoſite to their naturall corruptions, and tendeth ſo wholly to beate them out of themſelues, and to bring them in ſubiection vntounto GOD, that through the ſtrength of theſe corruptions, and that voluntarie ſlauerie wherein they remayne willingly enthralled vntounto ſinne, they neither will nor can (indeed they cannot, becauſe they will not) giuegive a dutifull and ſubmiſſiue entertainement thereunto, and ſo become but hypocrites at the beſt. So that it is no more wonder, to ſee a man prooue an hypocrite, then to hauehave a Crow proue blacke: for the Crow doth not more naturally bring blackneſſe into the world with her, than a man doth bring with him guile and diſſimulation; ſeeing hee hath in him ſo much imperfect goodneſſe, as will make him receiue the forme of godlineſſe, but withall ſo much tyrannizing badneſſe, as will not giuegive him leaue to receiue the power of it.
Againe,2 From satan. the diuell is very buſie to water and cheriſh the ſeedes of guile, that are borne and bred with vsus, and within vsus: for out of his malice, he is very deſirous to keepe men from ſaluation, and to hold them vnderunder his owne command and tyranny. Wherefore if hee cannot retaine them ſtill, as his abſolute and profeſſed vaſſals, yet hee takes great paines to maintaine a more ſecret dominion ouer them, and to become the Lord of their hearts, in a more priuate and vndiſcernable manner.
Wherefore when hee is caſt out from a manifeſt domineering ouer them, by the ſhining of the Lampe of true religion within them,Iohn 12.31. as Chriſt ſore told that he ſhould; yet ſtill he ſtriueth by craft, and pollicie, to keepe poſſeſſion of the turret of their hearts, as being loath to bee beaten out of his old and long vſurped kingdome, ſo long as any one defenſible fort remaineth. Now the diuell worketh effectually in the children of diſobedience (as the Apoſtle teſtifieth),Epheſ. 2.2. and ſo finding them full apt to diſſemble, and making the matter worſe by his forcible tentations, and ſubtill inſinuations, it is no maruell if many come no further than to bare ſhewes; eſpecially ſeeing men are vſually ſo careleſſe in ſearching themſelues, and in reſiſting his tentations.
Laſt of all,3. From God. the Lord of Heauen doth moſt iuſtly puniſh a number of men, that liue within the viſible Church, by giuing them ouer to the diuell, and their owne hollow hearts, to be beguiled and deceiued with outward appearances of goodneſſe, ſo to auenge himſelfe vponupon their careleſſe or wilfull contempt, or neglect of the offers of grace made vntounto them: for where the doctrine of ſaluation by Ieſus Chriſt is in any degree made manifeſt; there doth God proffer the ſpirit of grace withall, and is readie for his part to beſtow it. But when men doe neglect or reiect this goodneſſe, making more account of the baſe vanities of this world, then of thoſe moſt pretious treaſures, offered vntounto them by the Lord; then doth hee moſt righteouſly depart from them, and turne them vp into the hands of Satan, to be blinded and hardned by him, and of their owne corruptions to be kept vnderunder, and vanquiſhed by them, that ſo hee may moſt holily accompliſh his moſt wiſe and eternall purpoſe, of glorifying himſelfe in their iuſt damnation at the laſt. And thus there is a kind of working of God, as well as of Satan and men, in the hollowneſſe of them that bee hollow; the Lord carrying himſelfe moſt righteouſly and wiſely: the diuell and men moſt wickedly and fooliſhly: he intending and attaining his owne holy and good ends, they following and ſeeking after their owne abominable and vnholy deſires. And thus we may plainely ſee how it comes to paſſe, that many hypocrites are found in Gods houſe.
Now vponupon what reaſons ſtands it,Reaſons why ſome be true hearted. that all be not as bad as any, but that ſome doe ſincerely imbrace Chriſt? the reaſon of this alſo muſt be taken from Man,1. From man. and from God. From Man; becauſe hee is in his very making, capable of truth, and a ſubiect of that nature, as may hauehave truth wrought in it by good meanes; euen as the blind mans eye, becauſe it was a mans eye, was capable of hauing the power of ſeeing wrought in it. For it is a very falſe and cauilling exception, that is taken to the doctrine of mans ſeruitude to ſinne, when it is inferred hence, that a man is turned into a ſtone or trunk. Nay, man hath a ſoule indued with thoſe naturall faculties, which may receiue the impreſſion of grace, by meanes which God doth ſanctifie for that purpoſe. Indeede ſo farre is he ſubiected to the dominion of ſinne, that hee wanteth all actiue power of conuerting himſelfe to God; but yet ſuch naturall faculties remaine within him, as that hee wanteth not a paſſiue power of being conuerted, if God conuert him. Let a mans leg bee cut, and though of it ſelfe it will nor heale or knit together againe; yet it hath a power of being healed and knit againe, by the meanes of ſome playſter or medicine skilfully applyed: but cut a ſticke of wood, or breake it in peeces, and no playſters will make vp the wound, or knit the broken peeces together againe. So is it with corrupted mankinde; and this is all, that the truth of Gods Word will giuegive vsus leaue to aſcribe to man, as a reaſon of his being truely ingraffed into Chriſt, he is capable of ſuch a worke of Gods Spirit.
But the Principall and onelyonly actiue cauſe,2. From God. is Gods power and goodneſſe, that cauſe, beyond which, it is a madneſſe to enquire for any other cauſe. The Lord doth pleaſe to beſtow effectuall grace vponupon thoſe, whom he will receiue to merciemercy; whereby they hauehave not alone their mindes inlightned to ſome perceiuing of the truth of Gods word, but alſo their wills, by the mighty operation of the holy Ghoſt, ſubdued to the obedience of the ſame. So by the infuſing of a new life into them, they are inabled to become ſuch, as hee doth wiſh them to be, and as themſelues deſire to be accounted. Were it not for this grace, all in the Church would be hypocrites as well as any: but it pleaſeth the Lord to beſtow that grace vponupon one (whom he hath inabled to deſire it, that hee may gratiouſly beſtow it), which to another hee giueth not, but leaueth him to his owne careleſneſſe of it; that (miſſing it by his owne default) his blood may bee vponupon his owne head. So the perdition of hypocrites is of themſelues, becauſe they willingly refuſe the goodneſſe of God, which hee doth offer them; the ſoundneſſe and happineſſe of the Saints of God, is of his free grace, that breakes the yoake of ſinne which held them vnderunder; and makes them willing of vnwilling, and able of vnable, to turne themſelues vntounto him. For to imagine (as ſome will needes doe) that the Lord doth deale no more bountifully with one, than with another, of the members of the Church; but that the cauſe why one becomes an hypocrite, the other preuaileth to vprightneſſe, is meerely and wholly in themſelues, is a fancie (I thinke) ſo contrary to all, both Scripture, and experience of Gods Saints, that hardly can any be deceiued with it, but hee that neuer felt what it was to be vpright, and whence it came. And thus hauehave we laid before you the truth of this point