Gods Husbandry, Sermon 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Containing a ſecond vſe of the poynt: viz. A terrour vntounto all diſſemblers.
SEcondly, Vſe 2 this poynt ought to adaunt the Hypocrites that are amongſt vsus, and if it were poſſible,The miſerable eſtate of diſſemblers. euen cauſe their hearts to melt like wax within their bodies. And verily, were not Hypocriſie alwayes accompanyed and attended on, yea fortified and maintained by two naughty and deſperate companions, vnbeliefe, and hardneſſe of heart, it could not bee but that the hearing of this poynt, that ſhewes how ſharpe God will bee in taking vengeance vponupon the diſſemblers, ſhould caſt them downe into ſuch an extremity of amazement, as ſcarce any comfort would lift them vp againe. Oh what tongue can expreſſe, what wit imagine the moſt extreme wretchedneſſe of all diſſemblers? They loſe all their good words, and all their good prayers, and all their good hopes, and all their good deeds, (for ſo they account them) and all their painfull ſeruices. Though they appeare moſt excellent to men, and to themſelues, and oftentimes performe things that win them in the world honour, applauſe and admiration; yet are all theſe deeds like ſo many worme-eaten nuts, or apples rotten at the core, euen ſcorned and reiected of the Lord; and after all this, their finall and certaine doome ſhall be cutting off, and burning, euen eternall damnation. Hearken and giuegive eare, all ye well painted Hypocrites. Let this terrible tidings be admitted into your very ſoules, and if it may be, by maine force ſhake you out of your hard-heartedneſſe and preſumption. Not alone Pagans and Turkes, not alone Infidels and Iewes, not alone Heretickes and Schiſmatickes, not alone the open ſwearer, drunkard, whoremonger, belly god and profane beaſt, in whoſe faces all ciuill men are ready to ſpit ſhame and contempt, but euen the vnfruitfull branch alſo muſt be cut off. The Hypocrite muſt periſh, the hollowhearted profeſſor of Chriſtian Religion, (who is alſo in ſome, and in many things a follower and practiſer of that Religion) euen hee, I ſay, hee that ſo much magnifieth himſelfe, and is ſo much magnified of others, he muſt paſſe into hell. Hee that is very ſorry for diuers faults, and mendeth diuers. He that comes to Church forwardly, and gladly heareth, and gladly practiſeth many things he heareth. He that loueth preaching, and Preachers, and will bid both Miniſters and godly men welcome to his houſe and table. Hee that can pray in his family, and likes well to reade in the Bible: he that can weepe at a Sermon, and bee much moued at the reproofes of ſinne: hee that liues vnrebukeable to the worldward, and feareth not the face of any accuſer: hee that is counted zealous for the Lord, and is hot againſt diuers diſorders and abuſes of the times: hee whom almoſt all men take to bee in the way to heauen, and that accounts himſelfe euen ſure of comming into heauen, and cannot be driuen from thinking that he ſhall aſſuredly bee ſaued, euen this man, I ſay, ſuch a man as this, that doth all theſe things, may be damned for all this; and vnleſſe he doe more then all this, muſt needs be damned. Oh hard ſpeech will ſome man ſay, and who can receiue it I confeſſe indeed, it is an hard ſpeech vntounto the diſſembler whom it concerneth, but not leſſe true then hard; and therefore all ye that be but Hypocrites, will ye not ſtand amazed at the hearing of theſe tidings, and euen tremble before the Lord, and before his Word? You may perhaps deſire to bee informed more particularly who the men be, that muſt bee thus horribly & fearfully deſtroyed, euen as a dreame when a man awaketh, and that notwithſtanding their doing of all the forenamed good things. I anſwere you out of that, that you hauehave formerly heard, all that are conceited of themſelues, and deſpiſe others, turning the knowledge and goodneſſe they hauehave, into matter of pride and lifting vp themſelues. All thoſe that neuer blinch at euill thoughts within, if their ſinnes come no further then to thought, and euen pleaſe themſelues in wicked imaginations which they dare not act: all that are bold to ſinne in ſecret, and care not for it, ſecurely and ſorrowleſly committing the ſame things in the darke, which they would not for a world ſhould bee knowne vntounto the world. All that are bitter in crying out againſt the ſinnes of other men, and in aggrauating the wrongs and vnkindneſſes they hauehave receiued: but hauehave little enough to ſay againſt themſelues, and their owne ſinnes, and the iniuries and vnkindneſſes that themſelues hauehave proffered vntounto God. All that hate their enemies in their hearts, and cannot abide to forgiue and doe good vntounto their wrongdoers: all that hear much, and it may be alſo repeare it with others, but like vncleane beaſts that chew not the cud, neuer care to muze and ponder vponupon it alone, and to turne it into a prayer, and apply it vntounto themſelues: all that hauehave not the diſpoſitions of their hearts changed, and their affections ſet vponupon God, though their outſide ſeeme neuer ſo much altered: all that allow themſelues in any knowne ſin, extenuating it as little, and flattering, and excuſing themſelues, and neglecting to take care of amendment, becauſe they thinke that no man can chuſe but doe as bad as that commeth vntounto. And in one word, all that ſee not, feele not, lament not, reſiſt not, and purge not away the guile and deceitfulneſſe of their owne hearts. All, and each of thoſe that are found ſuch, for all their many prayers, much hearing, faire blade, and good hopes, ſhall ſooner or later, by tentations, or afflictions, or allurements of pleaſure, profit, or credit, or fame, or other meanes, be drawne away from the goodneſſe they make ſhew of, and at laſt be ſurely and irrecouerably damned. It is in vaine to flatter your ſelues, and ſay, you hope the matter is not ſo bad as I would ſet it forth to be, and that God will be more mercifull then ſo. Nay brethren, the Lord will not bee more mercifull, then may ſtand with his iuſtice and truth, he ſhould be vnrighteous and vnholy, if hee ſhould not caſt into hell fire any of thoſe kindes of men to whom any of thoſe things agree that I hauehave ſet downe vntounto you. He ſhould be vntrue, and falſifie his word, if hee ſhould not bring damnation vponupon all, each of thoſe that I hauehave ſaid. Princes often threaten, meerly to terrifie, and pronounce harder ſentences in publike, then they meane ſhall be executed, as they doe with vsus in caſe of thoſe that are adiudged to bee preſſed to death. It is not ſo with the Iudge of all the world, not one tittle of a word more is to be found in his ſentence, then ſhall be felt in his execution: his blowes ſhall bee as terrible as his threats, and his iuſt menaces as exactly accompliſhed, as his moſt gracious promiſes: not one tittle of the Word of God ſhall faile, (and therfore no part of the miſery denounced againſt Hypocrites) till all bee fulfilled. Marke then, I pray you, the preciſe and punctuall dealing of our Lord in this place: hee ſaith particularly, eueryevery branch, loe, eueryevery one, without any partiality and exception: and (He) the God of heauen, that hath a ſtrong arme, and (no queſtion) a knife ſharpe enough for this buſineſſe, and cutteth off, taketh quite away, vtterly remoueth from the root, and all the benefits of the root, euen to his endleſſe deſtruction, as it muſt needs be granted: for what but damnation can betide him that is ſeparated from Ieſus the author of life, by whoſe Name alone ſaluation is to be found? Wherfore take no more paines to flatter thine owne ſoule, and make thy ſelfe hope to ſpeed better then thou haſt heard; whoſoeuer thou bee whom the forenamed things hauehave diſcouered to bee but a diſſembler, thou ſhalt ſurely hauehave thy portion without, amongſt the ſearefull, and dogs, and inchanters, and theeues, and whoremongers, in that fiery, and yet darke Lake, that is prouided for the faireſt Hypocrites, as well as for the blacker, and more infamous ſinner: there is no eſcaping, there is no getting out; no one Hypocrite ſhall bee able to ſhun the eye and hand of God, hee will picke out eueryevery one by himſelfe, and eueryevery one ſhall be cut off, and vtterly deſtroyed; the Word ſhall proue an axe, affliction ſhall proue an axe, proſperity ſhall proue an axe, and all Gods ordinances, and all that thou doeſt, and all that thou ſeeſt and heareſt, and is done to thee, ſhall be but in the nature of a ſharpe cutting knife, by little and little to take thee off from Chriſt, and ripen thee for vengeance. In comming to Church, thou haſteneſt towards hell; in preaching, thou ſpeedeſt towards death; in giuing almes, thou runneſt forwards to hell; in liuing as thou calleſt it, iuſtly, thou doeſt but ſtep a ſtep neerer to hell; all that thou doſt, and all that betideth thee, helping to increaſe and further thy damnation. O miſerable man, and beyond all conceit wretched, vnleſſe thou wilt heare, and feare, and prepare thy ſelfe to come out of this miſery, by feeling it! Be thou cut off from the Vine, be thou ſpiritually excommunicated from Chriſt; let thy ſinnes bee bound vponupon thee as a bundle, and be thou bound ouer to the great Day of the vengeance of God Almighty, what ſhould we adde to that that wee hauehave already ſpoken againe and againe? The caſe of the Hypocrite, not alone the groſſe hypocrite, that knowes himſelfe to be ſuch, & cares not, but euen of the cloſe hypocrite, that takes himſelfe to be far better, is moſt wretched, hidious, & intolerable. O that you could beleeue it! O that the deceitfulneſſe of ſin might not harden your hearts, & that the effectuall working of Satan might no longer blind your eyes, but that you may ſee and feele your ſelues to be, if you be diſſemblers, and withall, to be ſo vnhappy, and ſure and certaine of ſuch an vnhappy end! I feare, brethrē, leſt in laboring thus mainly to affright the hypocrite out of his guile, I may perhaps againſt my will and purpoſe, ſcar the trueharted out of the preſent fruitiō of their comfort; as if a ſhepheard ſet his dog vpō a Goat, feeding amongſt a flocke of ſheepe, all the ſheepe will runne and bee afraid. But I hope. I hauehave ſo plainely deciphered this child of hell, this ſonne of Satan, the Hypocrite, as that I hope none of Gods true Saints ſhall catch any harme, by hearing them thus proſecuted with feares, and terrours, and threats, from whom they may perceiue themſelues to bee thus manifeſtly differenced. I ſay, not eueryevery one, in whom much, and very much hypocriſie, (and many very bad effects of very much hypocriſie) is to be found, ſhall be damned; but eueryevery Hypocrite in whom this ſin ruleth, and ſhewes it ſelfe to beare-rule, by not being ſeene and bewailed, and oppoſed, and the other notes before ſet downe; eueryevery ſuch one, I ſay, and ſay it againe, vnleſſe hee become new, ſhall ſurely be damned. But if the true-hearted, out of his weakneſſe, ſhall be put into ſome feare, by the hearing of this terrour, (ſo that hee doe ſeaſonably returne to inioy comfort) it will doe him good, and not harme, to bee ſo feared: for theſe cauſeleſſe feares of the vpright, proceed from the want of vprightneſſe, though not from the vtter abſence of it, and from the too much hypocriſie, though not ouer-ruling hypocriſie that is in them. And ſo, if for a while they bee euen almoſt out of conceit with themſelues as with Hypocrites, till theſe doubts hauehave made them more bitterly to lament, and heartily to confeſſe, and mightily to fight againſt their hypocriſie, they ſhall receiue none other euil by hauing been ſo frighted, then the being purged from that, that was the cauſe of their feares. And if through the ſmalneſſe of the quantity of truth and ſincerity, they cannot ſo euidently perceiue it at the firſt, but that they ſee cauſe to become ſuſpitious of themſelues, the grieuing for the want of truth, and labouring and praying for increaſe of it, which the holy Ghoſt will work in them, by meanes of ſuch ſuſpitions; will bee helpfull (though accidentally, as the beſieging of a City to its fortification) to the growth of their vprightneſſe. But the truth is, that this aptneſſe to fall into iealouſie of ones ſelfe, and when ſuch terrours are deliuered to feare, leſt they belong to him, and ſo framing ones ſelfe to be humbled, becauſe ſo many fruits of much hollowneſſe are ſeene in him as doe miniſter matter to ſuch feare: this aptneſſe, I ſay, to feare, is euen as ſure a ſigne of one that is not an Hypocrite, as can bee named. I would not wiſh a better proofe of ones not being dead, then to heare him complaining, that ſure he is but a dead man: neither can one likely finde a truer note of one that is not dead in this ſinne of hypocriſie, then when the worke of the Word, in the reprehenſions and menaces thereof, doth driue him to complaints and feares of his owne guilefulneſſe, onelyonly ſo, that he be driuen to prayer and confeſſion heereby, and ſo to ſeeke ſtrength againſt the miſchiefe feared. But on the other ſide, a worſe, and more likely ſigne of a man wholy ſold ouer into the hands of guile, we can ſcarce meet with, then this, to be vnmoued in the hearing of ſuch threats, to hauehave no riſings of feare, and doubt, and ſuſpition, nor no troubleſome conceits of his owne eſtate: either ſuch man is ſo abundantly and extraordinarily ſanctified, as that the ouer-euident proofe of his vprightneſſe, doth preſently ſecure him from ſuch thoughts, or elſe he is wholly buryed and bound hand and foot in the hollow graue of guile; and therefore cannot feele it, becauſe hee is altogether vnderunder the power of it. For this is the nature of theſe darke and hidden vices, they are euer the leſſe felt, by how much they doe more ſtrongly preuaile, euen as the pangs of death are leaſt troubleſome, when they hauehave quite ouercome the ſtrength of nature. Wherfore, nothing fearing any danger that may come vntounto ye true hatred by this earneſtnes, let me yet once againe ſettle vntounto thoſe that be diſſemblers, & adiure & proteſt, and call Angels & men, and Chriſt & God, and their owne ſoules, and all things that are, to witneſſe againſt them, that vnleſſe they wil open their eyes, & ſee themſelues to be in a damnable eſtate, they ſhall ſurely be damned. You may perhaps maruel that we ſhould preſſe the poynt ſo hard: but the cauſe is, we know the Hypocrite to bee the moſt noyſome weed in Gods garden, and faine would we make him ſee his danger, that he might eſcape it. Yea, we know that hypocriſie doth harden, and deadden the hart aboue all other ſins, & that nothing in the world is more difficult, then to make him ſee and feele his perill, who will rather thinke any man, yea all men Hypocrites, then himſelfe, (although by this his ouer-aptneſſe to thinke ſo hardly of others, & hardnes to be made conceiue ſo hardly, though truly of himſelfe, he might, if he were not blind, diſcerne himſelfe to be as hee is.) But now if thou beeſt ſuch, and ſo proued by what hath been formerly ſpoken, how good ſoeuer thou haſt been to ſee to, and beeſt ſtill: how full ſoeuer of knowledge, and of zeale, blazing outward: how glad ſoeuer to God, and heare Sermons: how able ſoeuer to pray, and to repeat Sermons: how well ſoeuer accounted of by others, and by thy ſelfe: and how ſtrongly ſoeuer perfwaded, and in that perſwaſion ioyed of thy being Gods child, and being ſaued: (as all this may befall thee, and yet the former notes diſcouer thee to be but hollow.) I doe now in Gods name adiudge thee, and preiudge thee, vnleſſe thou repent, to cutting off, to burning, to eternall death, lo, here is the portion of thy cup: At length Gods arme and axe ſhall fell thee, and grub thee vp by the roots, if thou wert as tall as the Cedar of Lebanon, and as tough as the Oakes of Baſhan, and as ſtrongly rooted, as the tree that groweth neere a rocke.