The Hypocrites Ladder, Treatise · Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
CHAP. III. Many Reaſons of the point.
SEcondly, having cleared this Truth by many ſad Inſtances, wee ſhall come to ſhew the Reaſons of it.
Reaſon 1. You may often finde as bad people at Capernaum as in any part of the world, worſe than at Sodome; our Saviour tells us here, The Sun that whitens the Cloath, tans the Blackmore; the Goſpel to ſome the ſavour of life, is to others the ſavour of death to death. As by the Law, ſo by the Goſpel, in this ſenſe is the knowledge of ſin, it worketh wrath, Law and Goſpel enter to ſome place among Rom. 3 20. Rom. 4. 15. Rom. 5. 20.ſome perſons, that the offence might abound.
There was a Sodome found in Iſrael in 2 King. 23. 7. 2 King. 17. 9.Joſiahs dayes. The children of Iſrael did ſecretly the things that were evill. There is many an Achan goes out with the Hoaſts of Iſrael, many a Satan preſents himſelf before the Lord among the Sons of God; Many a curſed Doeg detained before the Lord, many a Judas with his hand in the ſame diſh with Chriſt; ſuch as partake of the Lords Table, and of the table of Devils. Among my people are found wicked men, the Lord complains: Yea they Over-paſs the deeds of the wicked: none ſo bad as they. Among great pretenders to extraordinary piety, ſuch as devoure widows houſes, and live in monſtrous ſins, and prodigious luſts. They are nigh God in their mouths, far off in their reines, Jer. 12. 2. They ſit before mee as my people, but their hearts goeth after their covetouſneſs. As once there was not found ſo great faith, no not in Iſrael, as in a heathen Captain, ſo oft Matth. 8.not ſuch unfaithfulneſs, and horrid impieties in a heathen Nation as in Iſrael, 1 Cor. 5. 1.ſins not ſo much as named among the Gentiles, were once found, to their ſhame, in a Chriſtian Church.
Reaſ. 2. All at Capernaum are not called; The outward and inward Call, go not alwayes together; mans teaching, and Gods; Grace and the means of Grace; The word of Grace, and the work of Grace; Ordinance, and Obedience, are oft great ſtrangers. They who are well acquainted with the grace of truth, are utter ſtrangers to the truth of Grace. All are not called: There is no univerſal Redemption, for there is no univerſal Election, no univerſal Vocation. There was many a widow in Iſrael that Elias never was ſent to, but to one in Sarepta; Many Lepers in Iſrael, not cured by Eliſha. All among whom the Goſpel is ſent, are not ſaved by it. There are ſome that hear, and do not underſtand, as the high-way ground; ſome that underſtand, that do not beleeve (like that blaſphemous Pope Leo the Tenth, that called the Goſpel a profitable fiction) many that beleeve, that do not obey. Now none are called effectually, called according to the purpoſe, but ſuch as obey. There may bee many in Capernaum, who ſee more mighty works, hear more powerfull preaching, receive more Sacraments, have Sabbaths better ſpent, and joyn in many Faſts, who know, …ear, profeſs more than others; yet what ſingular thing do they? they repent not, beleeve not, obey not; they are in heaven as to profeſſion, but in hell as to converſation, as proud, worldly, prophane, ſenſual, brutiſh as any other; therefore after this lifting up to heaven in a vain preſumption, follows a ſad throwing down to hell in deſperation.
3 All that are called, are not choſen, as our Saviour often ſaid, Many are called, few choſen. Salvation, and Election are of equall latipatency and extent; ſalvation, Rom. 8. 30.and effectual calling, but not ſalvation, and external calling: All that are called, are not called and choſen, and faithful, as Gods people are, Rev. 17. 14. All that are among the Iſraelites, are not of Iſrael, (as the mixt multitude called outwardly, or moved inwardly, yet not with right aims and principles) all that are of Iſrael, are not the Iſrael of God. There is a Jew outwardly, and a Jew inwardly. And there is a Jew without, who is a Samaritan within, ſworn enemies to the Church and people of God, as thoſe perfidious ones, who were in confederacy Neh. 6. 18.with Tobiah, againſt Nehemiah. There are ſuch who profeſs to know God more than others, that in their lives deny him more than others, Tit. 1. 16. ſuch who have more of the form, than many, …ho have leſs of the power of godlineſs, than any other, 2 Tim. 3. 3. Like Judas, an Angel in his ſpeech, a Devil in his heart; his expreſſions were heavenly, his affections helliſh.
4 The caſe of ſuch is worſe than other mens, becauſe the greater mercies offered, and means afforded (if ſleighted) the greater Jo. 15. 22, 24.is the ſin and danger. If I had not come amongſt them, they had had no ſin. The more light, the more love, the more ſtrivings, the more convictions, the more offence; what makes the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt the unpardonable ſin? but becauſe it is committed after ſo much light, and love, and conviction, and experience, committed againſt Law and Goſpel, and promiſes, and is a pure deſpite of the Spirit of grace, and a trampling under foot the blood and Covenant of Chriſt, Sodome had no ſin at all, comparatively none. To him that knoweth to do well, and doth it not, to him it is ſin, Sodomes brimſtone burnt not ſo extreamly, and is not ſo bad as Goſpel duſt. What made the Angels fall irreparable? Adams offence inexcuſable? Elies ſons ſin inexpiable? The Talent-receivers neglect unanſwerable? Jeruſalems ſin paſt remedy of old, and their ſin filled up to the full at laſt? The wrath of God came upon them to the very uttermoſt. But the abuſe and contempt of ſo much grace: This fills up the Ephah: This puts in the Zach. 5. 8.Talent of lead (when the golden Talent of grace is rejected:) This makes the ſcarlet ſin. The blood of Chriſt trampled upon, ſpeaks worſe things than the blood of Abel. This made God call Iſrael the people of his wrath. How ſhall wee eſcape, if Iſa. 10. 6. Heb. 2. 3.wee neglect ſo great ſalvation, ſaid the Apoſtle. This adds the great figure to the other Cypher, and raiſeth the reckoning to thouſands and millions, for by theſe mens ſins; 1 Religion is reproached. 2 Gods name blaſphemed. 3 Wicked mens mouths opened. 4 The mouths of the godly ſtopped, their hearts are ſadned as Jacobs, their name, and way, and profeſſions Gen. 34. 30.ſtinkes, men cry out, Here are your Profeſſors, Sermon-hearers, they have the Bible often in their hands, more in their mouths, but the world, fleſh and devil is in their hearts; They have a Crown of twelve Stars on their heads, but are cloathed with the Moon, not the Sun, but the Sun trod under foot, unlike that Woman deſcribed, Rev. 12. 1. This makes Sion ſit in the duſt, and the heart of Gods people mourn in ſecret. But wo to them by whom this offence comes. Theſe are the ſinking, drowning, damning ſins▪ the milſtone ſins.
CHAP. IV. Containing other Reaſons, viz. That all this while they are out of a Right State.
THe formal Profeſſor, after all his fair proceedings, and high attainments, falls ſhort of heaven, becauſe hee fal…s ſhort, and is miſtaken in three principal points; 1 In point of his Eſtate. 2 Of Duties. 3 Of Graces.
Firſt of all, hee is miſtaken in point of his Eſtate, an hypocrite may bee out of many a ſtate, yet not out of a bad ſtate, and may bee in many ſtates, yet not in a ſafe ſtate.
1 Hee may bee out of a ſtate of Ignorance, 2 Pet. 2. 20.
2 Of Error, 2 Pet. 2. 18. Hee may bee orthodox enough in his Tenents, hee may hold the truth, yet hold it in an unrighteous heart, and life of his own, Rom. 1. 19.
3 Out of a ſtate of open prophaneneſs, 2 Pet. 2. 20.
4 Of oppoſition, and perſecution; Gamaliel would have no hand in moleſting the Apoſtles for preaching their conſcience, nor would hee with his good will ſuffer others, Act. 5. 38.
5 Hee may bee out of a ſtate of unbeleef, Act. 8. 13.
6 Out of a ſtate of ſpiritual ſecurity, and unſenſibleneſs, Cain, Saul, Judas, were ſenſible (with horror enough) of their unhappy condition. And many an hypocrite beſides, Iſ. 33. 14, 15.
7 Hee may bee out of a ſtate of horror alſo, Luke 11. 25. have nothing but peace within. But hee is never out of a ſtate of unregeneracy.
2 Hee may bee in a ſtate again on the other ſide, 1 Of Knowledge, Rom. 2. 20. Joh. 9. 41.
2 Of great Profeſsion, Tit. 1. 16. An hypocrite may bee a Profeſſor of the higheſt Name and Note; the greateſt Hypocrite in the world, is the greateſt Profeſſor, viz. Antichriſt, who ſits in the 2 Theſſ. 2.Temple of God, as the Vicar of Chriſt; There are ordinary Profeſſors who call the themſelves Jews, but are not, Rev. 3. 9. And there are Profeſſors above them, who ſay they are Apoſtles, but are not, Rev. 2. 2. And there are ſome far above them, who ſay they are Chriſts, the Meſſias, &c. but are curſed Impoſtors, Mat. 24. 24.
3 An hypocrite may bee in a ſtate of Civility, Matth. 23. 27. be a whited Sepulchre.
4 Hee may bee in a ſtate of Reſtraining grace, Gen. 20. 6.
5 Hee may bee in a ſtate of Common ſanctification, Heb. 6. 4. and 10. 29.
6 In ſtate of Faith, Act. 8. 13. Luke 8. 13.
7 Of Repentance, as Judas, Matth. 27. 3.
8 Of Confidence, 1 Theſſ. 5. 3. crying, Peace, peace, Job 18. 13.
But no hypocrite in the world, is in a ſtate of Grace, of Converſion, Regeneration, and Renovation, in the ſpirit of his mind, no hypocrite can make out his new birth, the new creature, the Divine nature, his implanting into Chriſt, his living in Chriſt, Chriſt living in him, his being in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, hee may bee one ſtanding in the outer Court, or one of the houſhold of faith, hee is not got ſo far yet as to bee of the middle Temple, or the Church myſtical on earth, or to bee one of the houſhold of truth, therefore is never like to bee one of the inner Temple, or the houſhold of love (in a Right ſenſe) as all the bleſſed ones are.
Hee may as the Camelion take all colours but white, bee in any ſtate but the right. Such are ſaid Jeremy the ſecond, to try many concluſions, take up, and lay down many courſes, yet never the nearer.
1 They are ſaid, verſ. 23. To traverſe their wayes.
2 Then to mend the matter as you would think, to trim their wayes, verſ. 33. And after verſ. 36. to gad about, and to change their wayes. But after all this traverſing, and trimming, and gadding, and changing their wayes, no reforming their wayes.