The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. 5. Some Symptomes of Hypocriſie, from the carriage towards Gods Ordinances. The firſt of theſe, blind Hypocrites pretend they want light. Partialitie in Ordinances.
COncerning the wholeſome and bleſſed Ordinances of God, which in much wiſdome and goodneſſe he hath ſet up, to carry …s a long to Heaven, we have ſome things to obſerve for the diſcovery of Hypocrites.
1. Whereas the diſeaſe lies in their owne hearts, Blind hypocrites pretend want of light.they impute the fault unto the want of meanes, and with the blind woman, who was Seneca's wives foole, find much fault that the windowes are not opened, and that the light comes not in. They pretend a darkneſſe and uncertainty in the diſpenſation of ſacred truths, when the truth is, they will not diſcerne the things belonging to their peace, the time of their viſitation. Mat. 16.1, 2, 3. Vid. Alphonſ. Toſtat. in lo… qu. 6, 7, 11.They were ſuch whom our Saviour dealt with, who when they asked a ſigne, he ſaid, When 'tis evening, yee ſay t' will be faire weather, for the skie is red; and in the morning, it will be foule weather to day, for the skie is red and lowring. Yee can diſcerne of weather, though the ſignes be but conjecturall; but yee will be wilfully dull and blind in things clearer and more nearely concerning yee; O yee hypocrites, yee can diſcerne the face of the Skie, but can yee not diſcern the ſignes of the times? Is it not cleare enough unto you, that all the predictions of the Prophets are fulfilled in me? that I am the Meſſiah, the Saviour that was looked for to come into the world? Yee are a wicked and an adulterous generation to ſeeke a ſigne. There's enough now delivered, without ſignes, if onelyonly yee had faith to receive what is delivered. Ex Aegypto popu…us exivit. Neſciebat viam quae ad terram duceret ſanctā. Miſit Deus columnam ignis, ut per columnā populus viā diſceret Miſit etiam per diem icolumnam nubis, ut ne que ad ſiniſtrā, ne que ad dextram declinaret. Sed non es talis, homo, ut merearis & tu ignis columnam. Non habes Moſen, non accipis ſignum Nunc enim poſt adventum Domini, fides exigitur, ſigna cōduntur. Time Deum, & prae ſume de Domino, Ambroſ. in Luk. 12. Mat. 23.3.Iſrael knew not the way to the holy Land, as St Ambroſe ſpeakes, and therefore had a pillar and a cloud; but now is the time when faith is required, ſignes are gone. Gods way to life is a plain way, but men that will not mind ſalvation, pretend either want of meanes, or that they are not cleare, or that they are not powerfully adminiſtred. The method is perplexed, the notions are cloudy, the Preacher wants life, the matter is not wholeſome, the delivery is with affectation, Somewhat or other it is, if they knew what, that lies in their way; when indeed 'tis their owne unſoundneſſe, they will not underſtand, they will not obey. They ſhould doe well and thrive, if they were under another Miniſtery; a more powerfull Miniſtery, a more godly Miniſtery. I grant 'tis a great helpe, and the people are happy that have a powerfull, a godly Miniſter. But it may be poſſible that a lame man that ſits ſtill himſelfe, may with his very crutch point out to thee the right way; take heed that hypocriſie lurke not in thy ſoule, when being unwilling to take paines to goe, thou complaineſt thou art not ſure of the way. Examine thou the doctrine thou receiveſt, though thou receiveſt it from a Phariſees mouth, and if it be good obey it. If thy ſuit be neatly made, and fit thy body, put it on, though the Taylor that made it, be crook'd backt and an unhandſome fellow. Take heed of ſhifts and excuſes. But if my Miniſter were a man of abler parts, clearer notions, richer gifts, I ſhould profit by him. This is but the colouring of thy proud hypocriſie. It is God whom thou heareſt, thou drinkeſt of his waters, what if they runne to thee through an Earthen pipe. 't is God who opens the heart, the Miniſter is but the key, what if the key be not made of gold. An Iron key wil unlocke, if there be not ſome fault in the wards and ſprings within.
2. Hypocrits give not due honour to all the ordinances.Hypocrites give not their due honour unto all Gods ordinances; they make a difference of them; they are for ſome, and others they neglect. Many regard preaching, but they care not for prayer. Others are for prayer, but they ſlight the preaching of the word: yet theſe two different branches, doe both ſpring from the ſame ſtock. 'Tis hypocriſie that makes men all for hearing, which is (to ſome) the eaſie duty, while they know not how to frame their ſpirits to prayer, which requires the labour of the ſoul, the exerciſe of humiliation and brokenneſſe of ſpirit. 'Tis hypocriſie which makes other men all for prayer, which is (to ſome) the eaſie duty, while they make it but as the repeating of a leſſon; while they regard not preaching, which brings the ſearching word too much home unto them. Dr. Packſon, Juſtif. Faith. ſect. 2. c. 15. par. 9.Thus out of the ſame ground both ſorts make choice to uſe extraordinary diligence about ſuch ordinances as may not much diſpleaſe them, or prejudice their ſweet delights. Some againe like well enough of preaching, they have occaſion to make ſale of their eloquence; but are weary of the profitable but plain and deſpiſed way of Catecheſing; Exercit. on Malach. Digreſ 7. on ch. 2.7.but I have ſhewed elſe-where that this is the wholſome way of teaching. So alſo for the people, many can indure to bring their families to the Church, but ſubmit not to Gods order, to repeat at home what they heare, nor to take paines in the tillage of their own fields, Deut. 6.7.in catechiſing or (as the word is in Moſes) in Whetting their children and ſervants. Others again there are, that will heare oft, but care not for the Sacrament, never come at that but when the force of the Law, or the cuſtome of the time of yeare bring them unto it. Not conſidering that St Pauls foreign implies a foreign, when he ſaith to the Corinthians; As often as ye eate, 1 Cor. 11.26.he meanes they ſhould eate often. I have obſerved this in many good Church-men and women (as they call themſelves) that is, ſuch as ſcarce ever omit a day or an opportunitie of hearing, who are yet ſo ſtiffe in the cuſtom of receiving but once in the yeare and that at Eaſter, that nothing will perſwade and invite them to more frequencie. This deformitie argues ſome unſoundneſſe at the roote. The old Chriſtians communicated as oft as they heard, then afterwards weekly, after that monethly, after that thrice in the yeare, which is that at which our Church Canon ſticks at, D. H. Spelm. Conc. ad An. 1032. inter leges Canuti. teg. 19. Dr. Buckr, at Funer. p. 21.according as it was alſo in our old Canons; and at laſt it came to once a yeare, as in the cold dead Romiſh Church, and among our heartleſſe Proteſtants. For my part, I will account it among the juſt praiſes of Dr Andrewes, that he received the Communion in his own Chappell Monethly, beſides occaſions abroad. The people of Chriſt have been wont to manifeſt their faith, their hunger, their deſire, In Capit. incertae edit. which I gueſſe to have been, cica An. 1052. we have one Canon with this title, 44. Ʋt populus excitetur ad crebram corporis & ſanguinis Domini ſuſceptionem. See Wrens profane Articles.by their forwardneſſe and frequencie about this duty; till ſuperſtition and formalitie and coldneſſe crept in and choakt up the ſpirits of lively devotion, ſo that Canons were faine to be made, for the ſtirring up and exhorting the backward.
I will adde unto theſe one other inſtance, There are ſome forward enough in publick, but care not to ſet up the Ordinances at home, I meane, in family-prayer, and that happy but much neglected and much diſcountenanced exerciſe of mutuall conference, of ſpeaking oft together, as it is in Malachy, and exhorting one another to love and to good works. A practiſe ſo conſonant to the Apoſtles doctrine, that I wonder any ſhould be ſo profane as to diſlike. And truely this is one of the great diſcoveries of unſound and unfruitfull hearers, that no fruit at any time appeares in their diſcourſe. And here I will take occaſion to give his due honour to him who gave me life, that among many other graces that made him ſhine in his private condition, this was one, that he was conſcionable of, and moſt profitable in private conference. He and ſome ſelect friends, judicious and godly private Chriſtians, kept conſtantly one day in a fort-night, in courſe, at their ſeverall houſes, to conferre ſometimes about wholſome Caſes of conſcience, ſometimes upon choſen heads of Divinity, ſometimes upon controverted Points, according as they propounded the matter to be treated upon ſtill at their next meeting, and then had a Supper together under a law of temperance, and a penalty if any ſhould exceed in his proviſions. This practiſe I obſerved in my Father and his Friends for many yeares, and I note to commend it unto the imitation of others, as a notable meanes of their ſpirituall thriving. I am ſure his profit by it was great, I find the fruits of it among his papers, where many queſtions are ſo judiciouſly, ſo fully, ſo clearely reſolved, that they were worthy to be communicated; as verifying that Aphoriſme of Solomon in a ſpirituall ſenſe, The diligent hand makes rich; and that of the Apoſtle, God giveth grace to the humble; and that of the Pſalmiſt, God reveales his ſecret to them that feare him. This courſe I ſuppoſe he took from the counſell of that reverend Father and much experienced Divine, old Mr Ezekiel Culver-well, whoſe practiſe alſo it was, and his advice to others. I will ſhut this up with his words, M. Culverw. Time well ſpent. p. 48.and the counſell of another godly man. Its a principall part of the communion of Saints, to be moſt carefull either to be doing or receiving good. The other that I meane, is St Greenham as I remember Dr Hall calls him; whoſe counſell is: In good meetings, 1. M Greenb Com. pl. publiſht by M. Holland, p. 36.Stay not for others to begin good ſpeeches, but if God give us any thing in our minds, let us in all humbleneſſe put it forth to be examined. 2. If we feele nothing, let us complain of our dullneſſe and deadneſſe, and ſo give occaſion. In deadneſſe among good men, one good word may quicken many. 3. If we can ſpeake of nothing, let us ask ſomewhat. But I will not enlarge this, becauſe I have ſome thoughts to publiſh ſomewhat towards the advancement of Chriſtian fellowſhip.