Jewish Hypocrisy, Chapter 7
CAP. VII.
1. The ſins that we forſake muſt never be again embraced. 2. And without this perpetual forſaking, all our ſtrictneſſes about Religious performances will not avail us, though done out of conſcience. 3. Let every man make a judgement of himſelf by what hath been ſaid.
1. AND now I might ſhew, that as God expects a through reformation in all things (which I have already often ſuggeſted, and ſhall more fully ere long demonſtrate) ſo we muſt continue in that ſtate, and not put away our ſins only for a ſhort time, till we think that Gods anger is paſſed over us, and will not fall down upon us. To be good for a while, after we have faſted, confeſſed our ſins, and prayed, will not quite turn away his wrath, though it may deferr it. That which God expects, is an eternal divorce between us and our ſins, and that we ſeek him with our whole heart, ſo as to continue in well doing. For elſe with our return again to folly, the ſtripes which are for the back of fools will return alſo. And commonly the caſe is more dangerous, and the diſeaſe harder to cure when we do relapſe, after we were pretty well recovered; and the rods which before were prepared for us, will be turned into ſcorpions. But the holy Story is ſo clear in this, that he muſt be much unacquainted with the condition of this people in all thoſe times, that doth not ſee it; and therefore knowing every one can furniſh himſelf with proofs enough, if he do but read any one Book of their Hiſtory, I ſhall herein ſpare my further labour.
2. I might take occaſion likewiſe here to ſhow, that though all this be done out of conſcience, and we would not for any good omit theſe performances, but out of a kind of honeſty we obſerve dayes of faſting, times of confeſſion, and conſtant prayer, and have pious intentions in the buſineſs, yet this will not procure our good acceptance. But it is plain enough in the temper of this people, as I noted in the beginning of this diſcourſe. You could not have hired them to have laid down theſe Faſts; and when they could not offer ſacrifices at the Temple, they were very conſtant in their prayers at thoſe times that they uſed to be offered; And becauſe they could not in their captivity offer thoſe ſacrifices that are commanded to be added on the eight dayes of the Feaſt of Tabernacles to the conſtant ſacrifices, Numb. 29. they uſed certain peculiar prayers (which they retain to this day) which they recited at that time that thoſe ſacrifices uſed to be offered at the Temple, calling the time wherein they recited them Muſaph, V. Buxt. in voc. foreigni. e. an additament to their ordinary devotions. And they were very ſcrupulous in their conſciences alſo (a thing that many pleaſe themſelves in very much, as a mark of piety) and they came to the Prophet, as men do now to the Miniſter, for to be reſolved. Very loth they were to diſpleaſe God, by the neglect of ſuch good duties, and if it were his pleaſure they would ſtill perform them; but alas! poor ſouls, this was the hypocriſie the Scripture ſo much ſpeaks of, the finer ſort of hypocriſie, that carries ſo many to Hell in a pleaſing belief that they are going to Heaven. They were ſerious and zealous in ſome things, but not in all; and ſo they did but in good earneſt (as we ſay) and in a more ſober way ſet themſelves to cheat their ſouls. They faſted very ſeverely, they mourned very bitterly, knocked their breaſts heartily, confeſſed devoutly, and prayed earneſtly, and ſacrificed plentifully; but yet they did not ſearch and try their wayes, to turn again unto the Lord; they did not every one put away the evil of their doings; and ſo all their zeal in the former things, inſtead of doing them good, wrought their greater miſchief, by making them confidently to account themſelves Religious perſons, and to be angry with the Prophets, who would perſwade them to the contrary.
3. It were well now, if every one (before he read any further) would examine his own heart, and give himſelf an account whether he have done thus much, as the peple of the Jews did, and then whether he have done any more. There are not many, it is like, that have thus faſted, and wept, and prayed, either for their own good, or the good of their Nation; and at what a vaſt diſtance are they from Gods favour, who are not come to the porch of his houſe, no are not in the way to become his ſervants? But I doubt they are very hard to be found (one perhaps of a thouſand) that make a conſcience not to ſin, and to keep a Faſt every day to God, by the conſtant practice of mortification, and holy living. If railing and ſwearing againſt their enemies, if damning and curſing thoſe that are the cauſe of our troubles, were the things that would cure our Nation, we need not light a candle to find a multitude of ſuch Saviours, their deeds of darkneſs being ſo open and manifeſt: And if praying, faſting, and ſuch like things, had been plaiſters broad enough for our wounds, they had been long ſince cloſed by many pretenders: But as for thoſe who pray for their enemies, and live all their prayers, and exerciſe daily denyal of themſelves, though they are not ſo few, but we can ſee their light ſhining before men, yet they are ſcarce enough to teſtifie to all men that their deeds are evil, nor have they been able hitherto, to daſh the out-ſide Religion out of countenance, and to prevail for ſalvation to be brought to us. I leave it to the private ſcrutiny of every mans conſcience, to find whether or no he be in the number of thoſe that are healing their wounds ſlightly, or of thoſe that thoroughly amend their wayes and doings. And I have ſaid enough to let him know the ſtate of his ſoul, if he will impartially ranſack his heart, and have no mind to put a cheat upon himſelf. If it be neceſſary further to aſſiſt him, the explication of the ſecond thing which I propoſed to be conſidered, will I hope, contribute ſome further help to his ſincere ſearch, both into his own, and the whole Nations condition, unto which I ſhall now betake my ſelf.