Gods Husbandry, Sermon 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. How the hypocrite agrees with the true Chriſtian in knowledge, and withall alſo how they differ.
THere are foure chiefe graces; and (as I may call them) Cardinall vertues, which the holy Ghoſt doth worke in the hearts of all the true members of Chriſt: theſe are Knowledge, Faith, Repentance, good Conuerſatiō, or obedience. In each of theſe, the hypocrite doth ſomewhat reſemble the true Chriſtian, and yet in each the diſſimilitude is as true & euident, as is betwixt gilded copper and pure gold.An hypocrite may be as abundant in knowledge as a true Chriſtian, and more than many a true Chriſtian. Let vsus ſee the ſimilitude and diſſimilitude in Knowledge: Now it cannot be denyed, but that the falſe-hearted man may conceiue as many diuine truths in his mind, as the trueſt Chriſtian that is; yea, many times it falls out, that the knowledge of the hypocrite doth in quantity much exceed that of the true Chriſtian. Who can doubt, but that the Phariſies were better ſeene in the Law, and in all points of Diuinity, than the poore blind man? yet he was true; they hypocrites. An hypocrite may hauehave a better wit, a better memory, a quicker conceit than the vpright: hee may hauehave better education, more means, more teaching than the vpright; & conſequently may much excell him in knowledge. Nay, no doubt, but that a very diſſembler may be ſo abundant in the knowledge of the Word of God, that he may be able to diſcourſe and talke admirably, of any truth in Diuinitie: yea, to make a moſt excellent prayer, with exceeding good words, and exceeding good matter; and alſo to preach the Word moſt plauſibly, and moſt fruitfully, ſo as to gaine to himſelfe the name and eſtimation of a worthie and a godly preacher too. Who can make any doubt, but that Iudas did preach, and preach very worthily? and is it not manifeſt, that there ſhall be ſome, who will pleade prophecying, and caſting out diuels in the name of Chriſt? who muſt yet bee reiected with this grieuous (and yet righteous) anſwere, Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie. Did not diuers alſo preach Chriſt at Rome, not ſincerely, but of contention? yea, and that ſo, as the Apoſtle reioyced in their preaching? Wherefore it cannot be denied, that their preaching was ſound and orthodoxe for the matter of it, and alſo fruitfull and profitable, for the euent of it: for elſe it could not hauehave occaſioned the Apoſtles reioycing. You ſee then moſt euidently, that a very diſſembler may hauehave ſo much knowledge, as to be a commendable and profitable Miniſter of the Goſpel; when many a man and woman, that is ſincere and ſound in their very ſoules, may come farre ſhort of the twentieth part of that knowledge.
But where then is the difference of the ſanctified, and of the vnſanctified knowledge, ſeeing in matter and degree it may be the ſame in both true and falſe perſons? I anſwere: In two things;The knowledge of an hypocrite doth ſwell him, of the true Chriſtian doth abaſe him. 1. Cor. 8.1.2. in the effect, and in the extent. Firſt, for the effect: the hypocrite is puffed vp with his knowledge; it ſwells him, and makes him bigge with conceit of himſelfe, and diſdaine of others. The Apoſtle Paul is plaine in that point; knowledge (meaning it of vnſanctified knowledge, ſuch as is that of hypocrites) puffeth vp. And againe;Iohn 7.49. If any man thinke that hee knoweth any thing (that is, be conceited of his knowledge), hee knowes nothing as hee ought to doe. You may ſee this point apparantly in the Phariſies; This ignorant people that know not the Law are curſed. And againe; Thou art altogether borne in ſinne, and doeſt thou teach vsus? Loe how the vnderſtanding of hypocrites doth make them inſult ouer others, whom they thinke to vnderſtand leſſe than themſelues; how it fills them as with conceit of themſelues, ſo with contempt of others, as it were ſimple fellowes, and very punies, in compariſon of them. For why? the hypocrite knowes onelyonly to talke, not to practiſe: hee makes his knowledge a rule for his tongue and lippes in diſcourſe, not for his life and deeds in conuerſation: hee neuer vſeth his inſight into the Law, to examine himſelfe thereby; and to marke, how farre ſhort his practice commeth of his knowledge: but alone imployes it (if neede be) to diſcourſe, to teach others, and reprooue others. Hence it comes, that his knowledge doth heaue him vp, and like meate ill-digeſted, begets the wind of ſelfe-conceitedneſſe; becauſe he will needes imagine himſelfe ſo much the better, by how much he conceiueth more things, and can diſcourſe better: for he with his knowledge will lay heauy burdens vponupon others, but himſelfe will not touch them with one finger; that is, hee is a great exactor of duty from others, and here hee ſtraineth himſelfe to the vtmoſt; but he takes leaue to himſelfe to be careleſſe enough of doing after his knowledge, as a man that holdeth a lant-horne in his hand before others to guide them right, himſelfe not heeding the light that is in his owne hand, nor caring where he ſets his foote. But how now the true Chriſtian? Why he, the more he knowes, the more hee diſcerneth how ſhort he comes of his dutie, and ſo is hee the more meane in his owne eyes, and the more humble, and the more ready to learne of others, and to take directions from them. His vnderſtanding doth depreſſe him, rather than exalt him in his owne conceite, becauſe hee vſeth it as a ſtraite rule, to diſcouer to himſelfe the crookedneſſe of his owne actions, and to make himſelfe ſee his owne exceeding great defectiueneſſe in thoſe things, wherein hee ought to bee farre more plentifull and forward. The neerer his knowledge comes to perfection (becauſe hee vſeth his knowledge as a Lant-horne to his feete, and a light to his paths), the more hee perceiueth how farre ſhort himſelfe commeth of perfection; for as hee knowes much, ſo is hee euer calling vponupon himſelfe to doe what he knowes, and falling out with himſelfe, for not ſtriuing to doe more, ſeeing God hath pleaſed to make him vnderſtand ſo much. You may ſee this moſt euidently in the Apoſtle Paul; there was not in all the earth (whileſt hee liued) a man of a larger heart, more richly and plentifully adorned with the knowledge of all the myſteries of godlineſſe, and of a more deepe vnderſtanding in things diuine; and yet there did not walke on the face of the earth, a more humble man, a more meane in his owne eyes, more willing and ready to ſubmit himſelfe to all baſeneſſe, to beare any thing, and endure any thing, and to bee made and accounted as the refuſe of the world, as an abiect, of no reputation. To conclude therefore, the knowledge of the hypocrite doth ſwell his heart, and lift him vp with conceit of himſelfe; the knowledge of the vpright doth abate the conceit of himſelfe, and makes him viler and viler in his owne eyes: and this is a moſt ſenſible difference. The true Chriſtian, the more hee knowes, the more ready hee is to learne of any man, out of his humbleneſſe; for he knowes as well the imperfection of his knowledge, as any other thing. The falſe Chriſtian, if hee hauehave any more than common quantitie of knowledge, doth euen almoſt ſcorne to learne of any body, becauſe hee ſtill conceiueth his knowledge to bee more than it is.
Further,The hypocrite will winke againſt ſome truths: the true Chriſtian is ready to yeeld to eueryevery truth. for the extent of knowledge, the difference is cleare; the hypocrite for all his large knowledge, great learning, quicke-ſightedneſſe, is yet almoſt alwayes wittingly ignorant of ſome one or other duty, ſinne or truth, that he might know, if hee would but vſe his eyes to looke about him. It may be euer ſaid of him in ſome, or other point, as it is ſaid of them in Peter, 2. Pet. 3.5.This they know not, and that willingly. What duty for feare of loſſe, diſgrace, or the like inconuenience he hath no wil to performe; that he will not ſee to be a duty, leſt his conſcience ſhould checke him, for not performing it. And ſome fault, that hee doth not reſolue to leaue, becauſe it is profitable, delightfull, or otherwiſe beneficiall; that, he cannot perceiue to be a fault, that he may not bee inforced to fault himſelfe for not amending it. In what truths it would bee againſt his credit (as he ſuppoſeth) to change his opinion, thoſe he will not ſee to be truths, though hee doe ſee them:Matth. 13.15. yea, hee winketh with his eyes (as the Scripture ſpeaketh of the Iewes and Phariſies) and will make a ſhift not to know in the very ſun-ſhine of cleareſt light, in ſuch points. The Phariſies ſaw enough to perſwade them, that Chriſt Ieſus, the ſonne of Mary, was the true Meſſiah:Rom. 1 18. but yet they could not be perſwaded of it, they would not yeeld vntounto it, and they could not ſee it at length, becauſe they would not confeſſe it. This is to detaine the truth in vnrighteouſneſſe, a plaine fruit of hypocriſie, when the light beateth vponupon a mans ſoule, and hee beginnes to be conuinced, and to thinke within himſelfe, ſure this is a truth; yet becauſe the following of that truth would make againſt his commoditie, or his credit, or ſome other carnall deſire of his, therefore hee will caſt about againe, and ſet his wit vponupon the tenters, and neuer giuegive ouer plodding, till he hauehave met with ſome tricke or other that may delude himſelfe, and hide the truth from his eyes, and (if it may be alſo) from the eies of others. This is, in ſeeing, not to ſee, and to hoodwinke ones owne ſelfe; yea, to giuegive ones ſelfe ouer to the God of this world, to hauehave his eyes blinded by him; and ſo blinde will the hypocrite be for all his knowledge, making himſelfe alſo, as Chriſt telleth the Phariſies, a blind leader of the blinde. But the vpright-hearted man is quite contrarily diſpoſed; He is willing, deſirous, ready, to know all that God teacheth, and to ſee all that the Lord reuealeth vntounto him. If the light begin to ſhine vponupon his eyes, he is carefull to open his eyes, and let in the light; for he knowes how harmefull it is, to turne day into night, by ſhutting the windowes (as it were) to ſtop out the ſun-ſhine. If the Lord pleaſe to offer the knowledge of any thing formerly not knowne vntounto his conſcience, and he finde himſelfe beginning to be perſwaded, that this is doubtleſſe ſo or ſo, by ſuch proofes or reaſons out of the word of God: hee doth not ſtruggle and ſtriue againſt his owne thoughts, becauſe of inconueniences which he ſees will follow him, if he ſhould yeeld: but ſetting aſide all ſuch reſpects, and little accounting of any inconueniences, in compariſon of ſmothering vp the light of his owne ſoule, he reſolueth to be conuinced, what euer come of it, and ſo betakes himſelfe vntounto God, and prayeth, and ſeeketh knowledge, and findeth it, as you ſee in Cornelius. A good man vſeth his knowledge to guide his affections; and therefore will yeeld to know that, that may make againſt him in diuers reſpects. An hypocrite ſuffers his affections to ouer-rule his iudgements, and therefore will not know that, that may croſſe his affections; the one guides his foote by his eye, and hee will ſee any thing that is offered to his ſight; the other guides his eye by his foote, and if he can poſſibly make any ſhift, will not ſee what hee mindeth not to follow. How quickely was Peter, and (by him after) the godly Iewes, conuinced of the calling of the Gentiles? but how wilfully did the wicked Iewes (which were but hypocrites) reſiſt this truth, and forbid the Apoſtles to preach to the Gentiles? And thus wee hauehave ſhewed the likeneſſe and vnlikeneſſe of the true and falſe-hearted in knowledge. Wee will now enquire, how they differ and agree in faith.