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ANd yet further even in godly zeale, and earnest longings after Christ the hy∣pocrite wil seem to hold pace with the soūdest, & best Chri∣stian: he can be very zealous in divers things: Ieh•• had a zeale ••or the Lord; yet a transparent dissembler: See 2 King. 10. 16. 28, 29, 31. Hee tooke no heed to walke in the law of the Lord with all his heart.
Paul before his conversion,
and other Iewes, all persecu∣tors, yet zealous of the Law of God, Acts 22.3. Rom. 10. 2. And certainly for tha•• holy Apostle, it is hard to say, whe∣ther before, or after conver∣sion hee were more fervent a∣gainst, or for Christ, and his truth. How zealous was the Pharises in the observation of their fore-fathers Traditions? How zealous of old those false Teachers in abstinence: Touch not, taste not, handle not, how seemingly humble, negle∣cting the body, and giving it no honour, &c. So the Papists ••t this day, with much shew o•• zeale, maintaine their traditi∣ons, abstinence from flesh, from marriage, lying in haire∣cloth, &c.
But where is the difference?
1. The Dissembler is very hot in some particulars, which concerne Gods glory, but hath his owne ends in them all, and therefore when those ends faile, is as cold in other things, which are as, or more needful than the former. How zealous was Iehu against A∣habs Idols? He rooted out the Baalims. Not so much warme against Ieroboams Idols, but served the Calves of Bethel; whereby hee plainly uncove∣red his dissembling heart, and manifested his hypocrisie to every eye.
2. The hypocrites zeale is all externall, flaming out in bitter termes against some o∣ther who dishonour God, but never moved to see God dis∣honoured in his owne heart
and actions. But the faithful, as they cannot but grieve, and burne when they see others grosly offending, blasphe∣ming and provoking God, so are they most vexed with their own (though farre lesse) rebellions and failings.
3. Lastly, the dissembler spends his heat in matters of no moment; his indignation wil be much more kindled in the use or disuse of matters of indifferēcy, then in the weigh∣tiest things of the Law or Go∣spell. But the upright heart knowes well, that there are some things in which he must contend earnestly; for matters of faith, even to losse of life; and therefore will not faile to strive, & wrastle for the truth of God (the faith given to the
Saints) but spēd al his strength in such contention, live and dye in defence of it. In other things hee must not strive: for Gods Church hath no such custome (1 Cor. 11.16.)
In the last place, as in zeale, so in earnest desires an hypo∣crite will seeme to run as fast to Christ, to thirst & long for him, as the most faithfull: For when the hard skin of his seared cons••ience is flayed off, by those knives of circumcisi∣on (the sharp law of God) and the terrours of hell gate upon his galled soule, in the sense of these agonies he will value Christ as highly, desire him as heartily (as wel to the sight of others, as to his owne sense) as any true member of Christ: What in the world would
hee not give, nay, a whole world to purchase one drop of that precious bloud?
This goes very farre (will some say) can any Christian goe further? Yes verily: For the faithfull soule, in the day peace, continues still as high∣ly and dearely to esteeme the Lord Jesus, even after re∣conciliation: when he heares the blessed Spirit speaking peace to him, then hee esteemes all things dung and losse in com∣parison of the knowledge of Christ. Here the hypocrite lea∣veth him. In the storme hee will runne as fast to Christ, (the rocke and refuge from the tempest of Gods wrath) as any: in faire weather hee makes no hast, hee goes backe, or stands still. The one esteemes Christ
as medicine onely, and there∣fore in extremity of paine, when he is sicke at heart, whi∣ther wil he not send for him? and though the pocion and prescription be grievous, yet then it is forced down, though hee send it up againe: but as soone as he is a little cheered, he loathes his Physicke: The other knowes him to bee as well his meate as medicine, and therefore in health (when he findes his heart assured of salvation) longues, and hun∣gers for him and his righte∣ousnesse.
The one desires him for justification in the day of wrath, to wipe off his recko∣ning, and enter him into glo∣ry: The other also for sancti∣fication to clense him from
sinne, and beautifie his soule in the glorious image of God: If the Lord would give the hypocrite free leave to take his pleasure in sinne, without feare of judgement, how would he rejoyce, as in a great and speciall privilege? hee would account himselfe as happy in his liberty to sinne, as in his exemption from the reward of sinne. But oh how wofull a captivity, how loth∣some a grave, how base a drudgery, & miserable thral∣dome would a faithfull soule account of such a licence? as much ha••ing the filthinesse of sinne, as the punishment; the spirituall death, as the eter∣nall.
Colos. 2. ••1, 23.
Iude 3••
2 Tim. 2.23.
Tit. 2. 8,9.
Phil. 3.8.
Psal, 32.2.