Hypocrisy Discovered, Sermon 3
SERMON III. Beware of the Leaven of the Phariſees, which is Hypocriſie.
I Have endeavoured to ſhew you in general what Hypocriſie is, and the laſt time gave you a hint of ſeverall ſorts of hypocrites; for hypocriſie lies not in one ſtraine.
Now we will lay this down as a foundation, (which was named before) that looke as many ſorts of tempers as there are, and humours, and conſtitutions of men, and deſignes that men have in Religion, and as many waies as there are, ſo many common workings as God may have upon men; ſo many ſorts of hypocrites may you have entring upon Religion on thoſe grounds; for looke as it is with grace, where it worketh effectually, it changes not the faculties, nor conſtitutions: A melancholly man is ſo ſtill though he have grace, and ſo you ſhall find; his actings will ſhew ſomething of his temper and nature, ſo as to hypocriſie and demonſtrations of hypocriſie, ſo many ſorts of tempers as there are in the world, when men enter on the ways of Godlines upon unſound grounds, not being wrought upon throughly by God, ſo many ſorts of hypocrites you will have. I told you of foure Sects the laſt time; now I ſhall go on and ſhew you more.
Looke as a man is by nature of a duller and heavier constitution, and hath got the outward forme of Religion, he will be a meere formaliſt, drudging on in duties, and no more: nothing of the ſpirituall nature of it, taking abundance of paines without ſenſe, go on in his waies, and his duties without any power at all, and that was the meere formall hypocrite I told you of, he hath had ſome little touches upon his ſpirit that moves him, and together with education hath gone on as in a Tract.
If a man be of a hot temper and conſtitution, fiery in his nature, and enter on Religion upon ſuch common grounds and ordinary frames (as the moſt do) he will be a zealous man, exceeding zealous: Some opinion or other, ſome particular forme his heart is moſt in, and he is the zealous hypocrite I ſpake of; he will ſtick to his opinion and hazard all, and never care for the other part of Religion if they can but maintaine that; ſo it is with many in theſe times, never care how the work of God goes on in the world, or their own ſoules, ſo they have their opinion. So if a man be of a facile and eaſie nature to be perſwaded, and enter upon Religion, he will eaſily conclude that all the promiſes are his, Take every thing for granted in the Goſpell, and apply it to his own ſoule, as if he had a peculiar intereſt to all the promiſes, and ſo grows in a confident ſecure frame, and that is the hypocrite I told you was confident, that out of the eaſineſſe of his nature takes all things in the Goſpell as his owne, though he never ſaw the need and want of them, and never knew the worth of them; for I told you, that ſelfe-love is the ground of all hypocriſie in a mans ſpirit: If a man can get any thing for himſelfe, as ſelfe-love acts, ſo a man gets into ſuch and ſuch a frame, as it was with a mad man that ſate at a Port, that when all the ſhips came by, ſaid, this is mine, this is mine: ſo doth all men ſay, without either Religion, or the knowledge of the nature of the promiſes of the Goſpell, challenging them without a need of them, or a knowledge of the glorious deſigne of God in them.
Then againe, if a man be of a more forward and daring ſpirit, and if he get into a profeſſion of Religion, he will prove a preſumptuous hypocrite, to preſume exceedingly upon the Goſpell, and the things of it; he will vent the opinions he hath taken into his conſideration, and that he ſees moſt ſutable to the world.
If a man be of a more grave and ſober temper, and hath got ſuch a cuſtome of Religion and duties, and taken up the profeſſion of it with a ſecret inward deſire of applauſe to be ſomewhat in the world, he will be moſt curiouſly exact in all his frames, ſuch a man will cut to a hair, and he will obſerve the leaſt thing in others that may be as a blot in them, and him I called a ſtately and curious hypocrite, he will not be blamed in the world, that is all his deſigne; he will keep all plots and ſpots off him, if out of miſtake he be wrung, he will mend it next time; his name lies at the ſtake for it, and all his comforts lies only in a faire handſome neat carriage in his duties to the Sons of men, that he may be able to be blameleſſe in his reputation in the world, and ſome men have been ſo curious in their actings and obſervances, that they have ſhamed many precious people; that was Pauls temper and care alwaies, that he might be without blame to the world; as to the Law he was blameleſſe, Phil. 3. and it is as great a thing as a man can ſpeake, and doubtleſſe the Phariſees had a handſomneſſe and neatneſſe in all their obſervances, that they were very much admired by the People: A ſtrictneſſe, that they looked at a Point, at a Latchet, though the great and eternall things lay with no weight on their ſpirits: ſuch kind of hypocrites will go on ſmoothly in the world, that a man ſhall admire them, and check his own heart, & ſay, I am a hypocrite, certainely I never came up to thoſe frames; This man dazels the eyes of men, and all his deſigne is to carry on a handſome garbe, and go for ſomebody in the world. Oh! this is that, that many in theſe times had need looke to their own hearts in; Tithe mint and cummin, and neglect the moſt weighty things of the Goſpell; they have handſome apparell without, but never look within to the eternall workings of their poore ſoules, and that ſtate that muſt be before God for ever.
And againe, If a man be of a crafty cunning temper, of a naturall ſubtilty, and he begin to profeſſe the Goſpell, he will play the part of a hypocrite to purpoſe, he will ſhift at every turne, and change every time; he will not be found at any time unſutable, he will tell you he muſt change with providence; he will be ſure to mannage all that naturall ſubtilty in Religion to his owne deſigne perfectly: and truly there are no perſons ſo perfectly hypocrites as theſe, that out of craftineſſe begin to be hypocrites; upon ſubtle principles are privy to their own deceits, they are out of intention hypocrites, and they know they can ſhift and comply with any occaſion; there are thouſands of theſe hypocrites in theſe times in England, that conclude with the times, that make uſe of the time and occaſion, and have no more grace in them than Heathens. So take it as to any other temper, whatever you will, if a man be not throughly converted and enter upon Religion; looke as his temper is naturally, ſo will his hypocriſie be; and that I may go on a little clearer, take it now as to the temper of feare on a man, and the workings of God upon him: If a man be apt to feare, and God lay any thing upon a mans conſcience, (for God ſometimes keeps ſuch all their life-time in feare) you ſhall find that there will abundance of hypocriſie appeare in thoſe actings, and ſuch a man ſhall be a terrified hypocrite; he ſhall live under terrours, and make abundance of worke through his feares, [for feare may put a man exceedingly on to duties] and be but a hypocrite all this while: Now of theſe there be two ſorts that live under terrours, and I will eſpecially ſpeake to theſe; for many thinke if they be under trouble of conſcience and terrour, they are paſt the worſt, and in the beſt frame that can be: Therefore,
Firſt, there are ſome that are but more generally touched with the ſenſe of ſome ſin that God meets them with, and laies upon them, and at every turne checks them for, and lets in glimpſes of his wrath now and then upon his conſcience, and they get into a ſtrange kind of temper, of complaining, and whining, and whimpering in their owne ſpirits, and go on in their duties, (for they dare not but go to duties) but yet it doth not worke ſo much upon them as to cry out with hideous noyſes of damnation, yet are kept under feare, and bondage of ſpirit, and cannot get out of it, and all their deſign is to whine at it, and complaine of it to others abroad: that as we ſay in griefe, (to open a mans mind is a mighty eaſe) ſo you ſhall find them open their hearts, and ſay, they are under theſe and theſe ſins, talking of their corruptions, telling how they are under ſuch trials, under ſuch feares of their paſſions, and tell you of hypocriſie, and thus they go from doore to doore, and from Profeſſor to Profeſſor, and all to no purpoſe, for they never knew, nor never found the weight and power of the Goſpell lying upon their ſpirits, never ſee the depth of a deceitfull heart for all this; But only ſay, alas! I have ſuch and ſuch corruptions, I am afraid of my eſtate and condition; and ſo take a pleaſure in their complaining. Now there are three waies wherein they ſhew their hypocriſie.
Firſt, By this way of complaining they thinke to get off from ſuſpition of hypocriſie: Such Soules, ſuch creatures are alwaies complaining of their conditions; and ſo they thinke to be free of hypocriſie by this kind of whining, though they never knew what the hatred of ſin was, never knew what it was to be pierced through with the darts of the Goſpel for ſin.
Secondly, they thinke by this to get the pity and compaſſion of other Saints, to pitty and bemoane them, and we ought (ſay they) to ſpeak a good word to comfort them: Though Saints nor Angels cannot ſpeake a good word to ſoules, yet they looke for it.
Thirdly, they ſhew their hypocriſie by this, They looke upon themſelves by it as poore in ſpirit, alwaies in ſenſe of ſin, and under a ſenſe of their loſt condition, and would have others thinke ſo too: there is a poore ſpirit, nothing but poverty of ſpirit, never come to him but he hath low eſteeme of himſelfe.
Fourthly, But the great ſtraine of hypocriſie lies in this, they perfectly rest in this ſtraine of complaining, and never look after Chriſt, they get eaſe by opening their minds, and if they can but get a good anſwer to quiet them for the preſent, they go away content; I have abominated this frame of any frame in Profeſſors; A ſtrange ugly whining frame of ſpirit conſtantly upon a ſoule, which ſhould not be upon a Profeſſour but in the abſoluteſt caſes of neceſſity, and extraordinary occaſion, for he ſhews he hath not been at Chriſt and opened his condition to him, but he muſt have this and that outward help firſt, and if he cannot help himſelfe, then go to him. It is common, you ſhall find people complaining and ſpeaking ſtrangely of their condition, and by a poore common word ſpeaking to them they go away content, though they never had the thoughts of Chriſt in their hearts, many make a trade of it; you ſhall find an old Profeſſour ſay, I am of a ſtrange paſſionate ſpirit, and have been ſo many yeares, of a ſullen, ugly, peeviſh ſpirit, that none can deale with me, I have ſuch and ſuch a corruption, and I am afraid that I am a hypocrite. [Aye, ſo thou maieſt know thou art one.] They will complaine, Oh! what a wicked wretch am I; give him but one word of comfort in an ordinary manner, they are content, though the corruption be lying ſtill, be living in the heart ſtill; I told you the laſt time, I would pawne my life that he was a hypocrite that lived ſo long time under the Goſpell under the power of one corruption, having no power againſt it, having no grace to ballance his corruption, and though the corruption might act, yet a ſoule might ſee there are other glorious graces beſides; and do you thinke, that complaining of your corruptions, can that ſerve your turnes? you will come to a Miniſter, or a ſerious Saint, and ſay, thou art troubled for thy ſin or corruption: Art thou troubled with thy corruption? Then thy trouble would be known, the very bowels of thee would be ſeene working out, one way or other; thou wouldſt never let Chriſt reſt, but get pardon, and power to kill thy corruption, and if it ſhould breake out, it would be the conſtant ſhame of thy ſoule night and day before all the Saints; Never tell me of Religion if it lies not in the vitals of men, and kills the vitall corruptions, and actuates the ſoule into the eternall workings. And a man may be found to be a hypocrite for all theſe things: Art thou troubled with a corruption and complaineſt of it, canſt thou be quiet with complaining? Can any word comfort thee but the death of it, and the ſence of the death of it every day? Can any promiſes comfort thee, but as they tend directly to deſtroy thy corruption? Is it poſſible if a ſoule have any reality of grace in his own heart: I had rather [ſaies a gratious heart, ſaies a poore ſincere ſoule] go to the funerall of that corruption, and ſee it buried, than be the greateſt Emperour of the world, or in the glorious frame in the world, be it Pride, Paſſion, Luſt, or whatever it be in a mans ſoule. But this is the miſery of men taken up with meer complainings: of all Profeſſors this ſort goes on moſt cunningly, for we commonly judge of men by their ſence and ſight of ſin, and thinke they are in the moſt fundamentall way of the Goſpell; and they have the root of the matter, and God hath touched them indeed; and yet God hath done nothing for all this.
Secondly, there is another ſort that lie under terrours ſharply, flaming terrours, and are ſcorched, in their conſciences for ſome ſpeciall ſin; and mighty violent in duty: they will run here and there, and ſay, I am damned, I am damned, what ſhall I do, I am loſt for ever, they will come with ſuch hideous noiſes and cries to men, and run any where, the flame is ſo hot; yet all this while ſin not diſcovered, nor the ſence of Chriſt taken in upon the ſoules of men.
Now know theſe two things:
Firſt, That the greateſt unbeliefe is hid under the greateſt terrours.
Secondly, that the greateſt hypocriſie is under the ſights of ſin, and greateſt terrours, [for a man will do any thing to avoid that] that if he be mightily terrified he will be any thing, do any thing to take off that ſin: herein lies
Firſt, the hypocriſie, that he does nothing but to eaſe himſelfe, quiet his conſcience, and he lets ſin alone: that he may but live quietly, he deſires no more.
So I have known ſome Profeſſors that have been in mighty terrours for one halfe yeare, and the other halfe yeare been as joyfull as could be: Going to others, ſaying, pitty me, ſave me, do any thing with me and ſave me, and when God hath withdrawn the violence againe from them, when any conſiderations have come in, they have falne to their old corruptions againe.
Secondly, Their hypocriſie lies in this, they will ſnatch at any thing to comfort them, take any hand as ſoone as Chriſts. But a truly touch'd ſoule will not be comforted; a poore ſoule indeed cannot be quieted or comforted by any but Chriſt, or the manifestations of his love; but as for this terrified hypocrite, he will ſnatch at any thing as ſoon as Chriſt; give him but a Promiſe [though it no more concerne his condition than if it were never named, yet he will have it as if it had been made for him,] he will be ſure to catch at it, if you can divert his thoughts, it ſhall be as much to him as Chriſts bloud: take off the ſtrength of his terrours he is pleaſed. And the truth is, moſt kind of hypocrites are under ſome kind of terrours or other; they would never have ſuch twangs of conſcience as they have, but that they are under ſome terrours of conſcience from God upon their ſoules: But as for this kind of hypocrite, he may be ſo carried on, that he may do all duties with the moſt zeale and violence: he may pray with great paſſion, and bemoane his condition, that it would make a mans heartake [if you could but heare him praying] ſometimes, if you could but be privy to his cryings, which ſometimes he makes loud ones, and every man may heare him; but ſtill his conſcience grows more inſenſible and his heart hardened, and grows common to him at laſt. And ſuch a hypocrite will live in the fire, if he can but get off the violence of terrours, his heart ſhall be as black as hell, with the very burnings of corruption, and certainly that which the Apoſtle ſaies of a conſcience ſeared with a hot Iron may referre exceeding much to this, that God may with terrours ſeare up a mans heart, for the devill is the greateſt hypocrite, and he lives under the greateſt terrours, the flame of wrath hath hardened his heart infinitely againſt God, that there can be no place of repentance; ſo theſe hypocrites goe on by degrees, and only in a generall manner find the terrours of God upon their conſciences, and never ſee the nature of ſin and vileneſſe of it to the ſoule. So that this I ſay, do not thinke, that becauſe you are troubled in your conſciences, or under terrours, that you are free from hypocriſie; nay, there is moſt hypocriſie there; plainneſſe of heart is under cleare light, when a man is free from advantage of feare, or terrour, and too much comforts, then is the beſt time to try a mans heart.
Secondly, Take one in the ſecond place as to Gods workings, one of a naturall capacity, that is, he is capable of underſtanding of things; he begins to profeſſe the Goſpell, and comes under a kind of enlightning of God, God giving a man [as he may] a common gift of grace by common notions of the Goſpell, here is one will come to be a moſt glorious hypocrite; I call a hypocrite, becauſe the fundamentall worke is not done, becauſe he is not what he ſhould be, nor what he ſeemes to be. Now as the former ſort his conſcience was enlightned with flames, this man he is enlightened with more calme and ſun-like beames; this man can now ſee into the Rules of the Goſpell, he can be able by degrees and time to forme and worke in all the notions of the Goſpell into his head, that he now comes to be a profitable hypocrite unto others, comes to be able to ſpeake very great things of the Goſpell, and can tell you as perfect truths as any experienced Saint in the world can do; and eſpecially if he have education, and time, and acquaintance to communicate them to: he will come to be able to delude any Saint in the world, for now he is not a meere out-ſide man in ſight, but one that brings out of his treaſury things new and old, that hath got a vein of diſcuſſing and ſpeaking as reall things as any man can ſpeake in the Goſpell; how far may this man go? and yet here lies his hypocriſie.
Firſt, All theſe things goe no further than the head; they were never ſtamped upon the heart, never upon the breaſt, they are Artificially formed in the underſtanding, never come down to be imprinted in the ſoul, upon the will & affections, never had thoſe heavenly influences dropping in the favour, the ſweetneſſe, the power, and the virtue of that knowledge, proportionably working in their ſpirits: and there lies their hypocriſie, that all thoſe things are but artificially formed in the underſtanding.
Secondly, All that ſuch a man doth act in the expreſſion of any knowledge he hath, it is with ſecret glory; he joyes, he takes himſelfe to be ſomewhat now, and makes all theſe things to be his own, as though he received them from Chriſt, he glories in them, there is all, ſhame him, there you make him miſerable, if you hit him there you cut upon his heart veine. And that is the way of God commonly with thoſe ſorts, their parts die, and God withdraws by degrees, and lets knowledge dye, letting corruption come in ſo much upon them as they loſe all at laſt. But it is wonderfull to conceive how far theſe convictions will carry a man, when he hath a Candle lighted by God how far he may walke in the Goſpell; when God ſhall ſhine in (as it were) upon nature, how it will appeare before the Sons of men: It lies in the head, and ſelfe is commonly advanced, not Jeſus Chriſt; that Chriſt may have all the praiſe and honour, as it is ſaid in Job of the hypocrite, the heart of him is little worth; he may have ſome fine parts and be ingenuous in his underſtanding, but his heart is the worſt, there is nothing but ſin and ſelfe together, and inward ſecret contradicting and working againſt God, and the power of Religion; ſo it was with the fooliſh Virgins, they went on gloriouſly, but at laſt they ſaid, our Lampes are gone out, we have loſt our light, we have ſlumbered and ſlept away our time, we depended upon our gifts and endowments, and our faire actings in the world, and our Lamps are gone out, and now we have nothing to ſhew for all our profeſſion. I will a little ſet home this with a word or two of Uſe.
Uſe. Firſt therefore, if this be ſo, that there may be ſo many ſorts of hypocrites and ſtraines, I beſeech you examine your own hearts, and put your ſoules upon it, find out this Leaven; I told you why hypocriſie was called Leaven, becauſe of the ſpreading nature of it, none knows how it ſpreads; Hypocriſie hath many vizards, many waies, you may go on ſo fairely, and ſo painted, that no man, nor your own hearts can diſcerne you: But looke ſeriouſly, looke every day what is within you, aske your owne ſoules what is within; bring your ſelves before a divine eye, looke to every part, to every motion, let nothing paſs you without a divine and exact ſcrutiny, never be quiet till you have get a through definition of your owne eſtate, ſtand Sentinell to your own hearts; ſay not, I am a Saint till you have found clearely, both by Law and Goſpell, till it be written with the beames of the Sun upon your own hearts; Oh! I am afraid the moſt Profeſſors will be found hypocrites at the laſt day; that thoſe that have the faireſt faces to us will have the fouleſt rippings up before the Lord; many that go ſo neately now will have a black Character at laſt; Oh! for Chriſt to ſay, go you curſed, at the laſt day, to a glorious Profeſſor, what a word will that be? Appeare to what you are indeed, and ſtrive to be what you ſhould be; take not up ordinary and common things in your owne ſpirits; lay not the weight of God upon thoſe things that are not reall, that are but meere gilt upon Copper, that will not endure; men are apt to take themſelves up with profeſſion if they have but a faire face, if they have but a handſome carriage in the world: Oh! that Christ would have charity to you at the laſt day, as we muſt have now: Chriſt loves thoſe that are holy, and he loves to make them holy: He muſt judge you as you are, no charity after the Goſpell is paſt, therefore look to your own ſoules; there is a day when every thing that is hid ſhall be revealed, there is no halting before the Almighty, he hath an eye on you: Chriſt will find you out in the croud of Men, Devils, and Angels, and pick you out with his eye, and ſay, Friend, how came you hither? You never had the power of the worke of God upon your heart: do not thinke to deceive your own ſoules by theſe pretences.
Object. But you will ſay, What ſhall I do then? You make all men hypocrites, how ſhall I know whether I be a hypocrite yea or no?
I gave you three things the laſt time in the generall to conſider of:
Firſt, I told you my deſigne was to preſſe you on to try your ſelves, and to ſecure your own eſtates.
Secondly, Grace will lye in a little roome, in a very little compaſſe, it lies not in the flaunting garbes and modes of the times, it is like a Diamond, little, but of great prize.
Thirdly, I would have no man taken up with ſhews: It is not my deſigne to make you Hypocrites, but to diſcover Hypocriſie to you: Therefore looke to your own hearts that you be not Hypocrites. I would not diſcourage any poore ſoule that is panting after Chriſt. Therefore
Firſt, know in generall, though thou maiest be no hypocrite, yet thou maieſt ſuſpect thy ſelfe for hypocriſie every day, in every duty, though thou beeſt none ſo called, nor ſo accounted by God, yet thou muſt ſuſpect thy ſelfe.
Secondly, know this in the generall, Thou ſhouldſt not charge thy ſelfe to be a Hypocrite for every ſight of Hypocriſie: And the more ſpirituall you grow under the Goſpell, the more you will ſee of the deceitfulneſſe of your heart every day.
But I will give you theſe ſix Characters, that no hypocrite can ever have in their hearts, nor attaine to: and I hope ſome poore ſoules will be comforted, and they are the pooreſt things you would thinke to fleſh and bloud in the world: thoſe things that a man would never imagine, eſpecially thoſe high-grown men in Notion.
Firſt, Can you hate ſin as ſin, that is, in its whole nature, in every appearance of it, in its firſt motion, in the firſt hints of it, in the ſins that are moſt deare, that I tooke moſt pleaſure in? Hypocriſie in its actings towards ſin picks and chooſes here and there, it may be angry with ſome ſin that diſturbes it, but it never hates it, no hypocrite can have a hatred of ſin as ſin; hate the firſt of the firſt as it were, though it comes never ſo glorious, never ſo ſet as it were, hates it as ſin upon no other conſideration; not becauſe it troubles my conſcience, and brings me to hell and wrath, and renders me unſutable to my relations and deſignes in the world: He is a Saint, looke to it, the very Embryo of ſin, the ſincere ſoule hates, it hates it as ſin.
Secondly, No hypocrite can delight to be aſhamed by God in his duties, in his actings, lye under the ſhamings of God, and made purely nothing in its own eyes and others, that the Hypocrite cannot do; and yet a poore ſimple ſincere ſoule can do it, a poore ſoule, that may be can hardly ſpeak two words with ſence, and ſutableneſſe of expreſſion, yet he can do it; he can delight as well to ſee God ſhaming his ſoule, bringing him to nothing, humbling of him to the duſt, as if he were to be in the Armes of the Lord, taking pleaſure in his humbling acts; ſuppoſe God deny him any aſſiſtance in a duty, or in the opening of his heart, that if he be in company, he is aſhamed to looke upon his own heart, here the ſoule takes pleaſure to be aſhamed, no hypocrite can endure that, to be aſhamed in his actings and relations; for ſelfe-love is the principle of hypocriſie in the heart of a hypocrite: He cannot endure to be out-ſhined, that is the wicked frame of him; if a Saint go beyond him in grace, and communion with God, he cannot endure it, and therefore cannot endure to be aſhamed; Oh! how do the Saints love to be laid low before God, that they may have the pure glory of him ſhining upon their ſoules. Then
Thirdly, know this as a ſpeciall one, No hypocrite can bleſſe God, and love him from his heart, when God ſmites him in his deareſt enjoyments, or neareſt luſts, wherein he hath delighted; take away his comforts, take away thoſe things he hath enjoyed formerly, and he cannot love Chriſt, nor bleſſe him in his heart; ſtrike him in any thing that the eye and heart of him hath been upon, he ſecretly hates Chriſt: Now a Saint can cling to Chriſt, love him ſecretly in his own ſoule, though he ſeeme to be as an enemie to him, he cannot but love him for all this; no hypocrite can do this; take away what pleaſes his nature, and he cannot love him. Try your hearts by theſe things.
Fourthly, know this, No hypocrite can love the perſon of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, nor a Saint as a Saint, I put theſe both together; he cannot love the perſon of the Lord Jeſus, for he never had the glimpſes of his glory on his heart, he only loves to be pardoned, and have ſome comfort from him, but he never finds his heart to worke in love to the Lord Jeſus; and have an union with him, as the fundamentall ground of all his comforts, for love you know it longs for union: Nor he cannot love a Saint as a Saint purely: but a Saint ſo tempered, ſo conditioned, he cannot love a poore ſaint, nor a weak Saint, he cannot purely cloſe with him, and have his bowels working towards him purely as a Saint.
Fifthly, No hypocrite can go on in any ſpirituall worke or ſervice for Chriſt with any contentment, with any pleaſure, without ſenſible comforts, or outward reſpects; pray obſerve; for if he want inward ſenſible comforts, yet the wind of men will fill his ſailes; but a poore Saint can take pleaſure in the meere mention of Chriſt, in the pooreſt worke of Chriſt, wherein he is leaſt ſeene, wherein he hath hardly a name, only with ſhame and reflection: this will try a man, if I had time to open it throughly.
Sixthly and laſtly, No hypocrite in the world can long to be like Christ, as to be reſpected by Chriſt, either as to inward comforts, or trade in the world. Or thus, No hypocrite can love the holineſſe of Chriſt as the good things he gets of Chriſt; he cannot abide to be out of his owne forme, and in the forme of the nature of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; but a Saint, if he have never ſo much comfort and ſweetneſſe, and his ſoule alwaies drawing honey, with marrow and fatneſſe, yet if he have not the likeneſſe of Chriſt, and be like Chriſt, he is not pleaſed; no hypocrite can love the holineſſe of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt with a pure love that may deſtroy his corruption, that may unbottome him, bring him perfectly out of ſelfe, and transforme him into that glorious Image.
Try your ſelves by all theſe things; I had thought to have ſhewn you wherein the ſtraines of hypocriſie lie to all ſorts of duties, and the ſpirituall workings of it in the hearts of men, but I muſt leave that to ſome other time.