The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 2 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. The firſt Medicament. Faithfull attendance upon wholeſome Preaching. A powerfull and ſearching Miniſtrie.
1. Hypocriſie cured by an wholſome and ſearching Miniſtry. Hoſ. 6.5. Ezek. 3.17.BEcauſe hypocriſie is cauſed by an unſound entrance into the profeſſion of Religion; attend upon the Ordinance appointed for thorough Converſion, the word in the powerfull Miniſtry of it, which ſerves for the convincing of the ſoule; the word in the mouth of the Prophets, which cuts and hewes the conſcience. The Lord hath ſet his Prophets to be watch-men to receive the word at his mouth, and to warne men from him, that they may ſave their lives; 1 Kin. 6.7.to be worke-men to uſe their hammers and axes and tooles of iron, for men are not as the ſtones for the Temple made ready before, but muſt be hewed and ſmoothed by their miniſtery. Submit your ſelves to their miniſtery, to the edge of their word, Rom. 7.7.to the ſharpe law preached for the awaking and rowſing the ſleepy conſcience, the unbroken heart. Wait on the Ministry of the Law, which will worke in you the knowledge of your eſtates and of ſinne, that the ſecrets of your hearts may be made manifeſt, that yee may fall downe on your faces and worſhip God, 1 Cor. 14.35. Heb. 4.12.and report that God is in them that ſpeake. Receive the wound of that ſharpe and two-edged-Sword, which pierceth between the joynts and marrow, which pricketh the heart; Act. 2.38.that Word which beates the ſoule from all her ſubtill ſhifts, waſhes off her colours and dawbings, convinceth her thoroughly, ſhews her what a deſperate ſervice ſhe is in while ſhe ſerves ſinne, but that the ſervice of God is perfect freedome. The man that is thus convinced knows what he doth, when he enters into Chriſts ſervice, and having his eare bored will abide with him for ever.
Wait alſo upon the entruſting word, that yee may learne skill in the trade you take up and profeſſe, that ye may thrive in it. Reſolve to follow the counſell of the word, as David did, Pſal. 73.24.Thou ſhalt guide me with thy counſell, and afterward receive me to glory. Our owne counſels will be our confuſion, his counſels will bring us to glory. Pſal. 106.13. Pſal. 107.11.But proud and ſelf-wiſe hypocrites, will not wait for his counſels; nay more, they contemne the counſell of the moſt high. That people whom the Lord ſo complaines of, were the Jewes who had and boaſted of the Law, it was read daily in their eares, they would come and ſit before the Prophets, Ezck. 33.30, 31and ſay to one another, Come I pray and let us heare what is the word that commeth forth from the Lord; but they are like Princes that have a Councell of State, but they count that but a meere formalitie of estate; but they have a Cabinet councell, a cloſet councell beſides, a Councell of Privado's of men in all things under the ſame intereſts, and theſe only have their eare and their adviſe is obſerved. So it is with hypocrites; and while it is ſo, that men have their whispering, privy-ſtaire Councellours, Satan and the world, men will be hypocrites. But as Elihu excellently to Job, Surely it is meet to be ſaid unto God, That which I ſee not teach thou me, if I have done iniquity I will doe no more. Lord doe thou direct my errours, doe thou correct my miſcarriages, that which I miſſe and faile in doe thou give me light in, and ſet me right; I reſolve to follow thy adviſes, and if I have offended, yet it diſpleaſes me that I have done ſo, when thou reclaimeſt me I will doe ſo no more, and if I miſtake the way, when thou telleſt me of it, I will turne and take the other path. This is the mind of the ſincere, & this will keep a man in the path of righteouſnes. A learned Divine reports it of Sr Thom. Thin, that he was ſo tender that he would undertake no buſines before he was fully perſwaded of the lawfulneſſe of it, both by cleare Texts of Scripture and the approbation of moſt learned, and conſcientious Divines, he made ſcruple not only of committing the leaſt knowne ſinne, but of imbarking into any action which was questionable among thoſe that love the truth in ſincerity. This ſhew'd him to be ſincere, and made and kept him ſo, and preſerved him in the integriry of his wayes. O take heed that ye be anſwerable to your profeſſion and to the word that ye are hearers of; as ye carry a Bible in your hands, ſo let that be your Maſter, as St Cyprian was wont to call Tertullians works, and while ye hold that in view, liſten not to the cloſe whiſperings of the Jeſuite at one eare for matters of Religion, nor to Nicolas Macchiavel at the other for buſineſſes of policy. Forraignes when they come into any Court uſe to informe themſelves of two things eſpecially in a State, of the Counſell of State, and of the Kings foole: if the counſell be wiſe and vertuous, and the foole ſimply plaine and honeſt, thence they gather evidences of a well-governed State: but if the Counſell be ſhallow and corrupt, and the foole more knave then foole, thence they collect the weakneſſe of the State. Your ſoule-ſtate cannot be ſafe, if ye hearken to the foole and to rotten counſell that follow private Intereſts. Thoſe counſels will deſtroy a man, D. The Mori Ʋtopia l. 1.though they have the ſhews and colors of profit, as Sr T. More in his pleaſant and witty fiction, makes his friend Raphael diſcourſe concerning thoſe counſels that are given to Princes to enrich themſelves by the enhanching and imbaſing of coynes, queſtioning upon old and forgotten penall Statutes, ſelling of licenſes for Monopolies and the like. They will make the people poore first, and then afterwards the Prince too. Gods counſels are counſels of equity and righteouſneſſe, and enriching and eſtabliſhing counſels. Walke therefore after the word, credit it, eſteeme the wiſdome of it, honour the Soveraigntie and Royalty of it, ſet up no law againſt that law; maintaine not a cloſe counſell to contradict the reſults of this counſell; keepe in your boſomes the Aviſo's of this holy and wiſe boord; locke up the maximes of the Scripture in your breaſts. See my Exercit. on Mal. Digreſ. on Ch. 4.4.Remember the Law of Moſes, delight and meditate in it. It will adviſe you againſt the conſultations, and preſerve you from warping to the corruptions of the Malignant; as David found it in his experience; Pſal. 119.23.Princes did ſit and ſpeake againſt me, but thy ſervant did meditate in thy Statutes. Let your ſecret meditation exceed your table-talk diſcourſes. You ſhall praiſe your counſell beſt by following his adviſe. Believe not the prating-ſollicitor who takes you off from the courſe preſcribed by your learned counſell, as if he had found out a more compendious and expedite accommodation; aſſure your ſelfe he will gull you, and leade you a great way about. The ſtraiteſt way is the neareſt way, I mean the equall and upright way; and all Gods wayes are equall. If Jacob had been content to have kept that way, and kept his honeſty, he had ſooner and more eaſily obtain'd the bleſſing, which he was like to have loſt, through too much haſte and greedineſſe to catch it. He hearkned to his mothers counſells, and it would have had a deſperate iſſue, but that God was carefull of him, and turned all to the beſt.