The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The preparative to the medicaments for the cure of Hypocriſie. The praiſe of Sinceritie.
I will offer nothing to be taken for preparative before the applying of other medicaments, The preparative to the cure of Hypocriſie.but only that I deſire a ſerious conſideration of the loathſomneſſe, deadlineſſe and danger of the diſeaſe, and the ſweetneſſe, comfortableneſſe and preciouſneſſe of the health of Sinceritie. Concerning the former of theſe, I will ſay no more, but to ſend back my reader to the Symptoms, but eſpecially the prognoſticks already declared. But for the other, what can be ſaid ſufficient to commend health, I meane ſinceritie. We may breake forth in this as he did; Tho. a Kempis, de I mit. Chriſti… l. 3. c. 10.I will ſpeake once againe unto thee O Lord and will not keep ſilence; I will ſpeake in the eares of my God, my Lord and my King who dwells on high. O what ſweetneſſe O Lord haſt thou provided for them that feare thee, for them that ſerve thee with their whole heart? 'Tis great honour, great glory to ſerve thee, and to contemn all things for thee. They ſhall find the moſt ſweet conſolation of thy holy Spirit, who for thy love caſt away all carnall delight. They ſhall obtain great freedome of ſpirit who for thy ſake enter the narrow way and neglect worldly cares. O acceptable and ſweet ſervice of God, whereby a man is made truely both holy and free. O holy ſtate of religious ſervice, whereby man is made equall to Angels, acceptable to God, terrible to Devils, welcome to all the faithfull. O much to be deſired and embraced condition, whereby we attaine the chieſe good, and joy never to end. Sinceritie is the very Queen of virtues, ſhe holds the throne and will be ſure to keep it. The calme bright day ends at night, the brave freſh roſe withers and dies in his hand that holds it, but as Mr Herbert ſweetly ſings,Divine Poems, p. 80.
Only a ſweet and vertuous ſoul,
Like ſeaſon'd timber never gives,
But though the whole world turne to coale,
Then cheifly lives.
Sincerity is ſo acceptable and pleaſing unto God, that he loves all them in whom he finds it, and paſſeth by many failings in them for it. Gen. 5.22. Gen. 17.1. Lepama. LXX. foreign Joh. 3.21. Col. 1.10. Pſ. 119.80. 2 Cor. 11.3. 2 Cor. 1.12.King Aſa was a man full of infirmities and ſome groſſe ones too, yet God counted him a perfect man; he had a good and honeſt heart. God loves them; for they walke with God, or before him, in his face, as both the Hebrew and the LXX. expreſſe it; They doe the truth, as Chriſt phraſeth it, or as the Apoſtle, They walke worthy of the Lord; their hearts are ſound in his precepts, ſo that they need not be aſhamed; They follow the ſimplicity that is in Chriſt, that is, they looke at the truth of Chriſts Goſpell, apprehend and judge of it without all mixture or corruption of fleſhly conceit and wiſdome. They have their converſation in the world, in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity; doing good without ſquinting at ends of credit, eaſe, gaine or content. Rev. 2.13.Though they dwell where Satans ſeate is, they hold faſt Chriſts Name and deny not his faith. And ſuch as theſe he truſts, as we uſe to ſay, we dare truſt a faithfull ſervant with untold gold, that is, in the midſt of great temptations; for they will not betray that truſt, Act. 16.15. foreign. Adag. ſeu aenigma quod Plutarchus tribuit Numae. Judg. 9.13.nor revolt from him. Hee cauſeth his ſervants and people to reſpect them and judge them faithfull. They offer unto God the pure Grapes of a pruned Vine, and ſuch wine cheareth both God and man. How God accepts it appeares by all that I have ſaid, how precious the name and memory of ſuch a man is among men, though I might fetch many examples out of the holy Scriptures and other Hiſtories, I will only content my ſelf with that one of that renowned Poet Francis Petrarch; Hieron. Squar. Zaphicus in vita Petrarche.he had a very beautifull ſiſter about 20. years of age, whom Pope Benedict the 12. did moſt vehemently affect, and ſollicited her brother Francis to procure for him, promiſing him many honours, yea and the dignity of a Cardinall, but he having God before his eyes (ſaith mine Authour) to whom nothing is hid, before whom nothing can be diſſembled, told the Pope with indignation, That he would not weare an hat bought with ſo foul a price. And when afterward the Pope being impatient in his luſts, bribed her other brother Gerard, & by his means obtained her, he left Avinion where then the Popes Court was, and his preferments too, and all his hopes, rather then he would endure to have his conſcience ſtained. Me thinkes this one Act of preſerving his integrity makes him more to ſhine then all his famous verſes and other bookes though excellent in their kind. Sincerity is a mans honour, and who would not be ſpiritually ambitious of this honour. Whereas on the contrary, the hypocrite when he is diſcovered is odious both to God and man. I will only ſhew it in one example. Epiſt. Calv. ad Grynaeum.Peter Charles, being expulſt the Sorbonne, came firſt to Geneva, then to Lauſanna and other places; but being found out every where that he came, that he was not right, and ſo receiving no encouragement, he went backe and reconciled himſelf to the Romiſh Church; but yet after this ſtept over to our ſide, but then preſently falling foule upon Farel, Calvin and Viret, and nibling at their doctrine, a Synod held at Berne condemned him as a ſlanderer. Hereupon he betakes himſelfe into the parts of Brabant, where he fell to open rayling againſt the Protestants. Upon which ſervice he went to Rome, in hope of a fat morſell, as the reward of his barking and ſnarling, but there he was received with ſcorne and contempt, and being oppreſt with extreame poverty, and the loathſome French diſeaſe, with much adoe obtain'd roome to die miſerably in an Hoſpitall. Thus we have before our eyes a wretched ſpectacle of a man neglected both of God and man, received of no ſide, becauſe not conſtant to himſelfe. They ſay Roſes grow the ſweeter when they are planted by Garlicke; let the odiouſneſſe of hypocriſie make us more ſenſible of the excellency of ſinceritie. Dan. 1.4.The ſincere ones are thoſe men without blemiſh that are fit to ſtand before the King of Heaven; when thoſe others hee will not endure in his ſight. The world takes notice that the upright are Gods favourites. Luther was knowne to pray oft with intention of mind and zealous fervency, that ſo long as he lived Germanie might be quiet; and had often profeſt that he firmly believed it would be ſo, that Gods word might have a little ſpace and freedom to ſpread it ſelf; wherupon one Nicolas Mark a godly Citizen of Frankfort was wont as often as he heard any rumours of war, to ſay, I feare it not ſo long as Luther lives. See what an eſteem there was of honeſt hearted Luther, men thought God would deny him nothing. But for the hypocrite he will doe nothing, his very prayers are an abomination. Let theſe two conſiderations be firſt taken down by way of preparative.