§. Sect. 2 The second meanes is to meditate on the excellen∣cy, profit, and necessity of integrity and sincerity.
The second meanes is, to meditate on the excellency, profit, and necessi∣ty of this sincerity and vprightnesse of heart. The excellency heerein ap∣peareth, in that the Lord so highly esteemeth it, that he approueth them as perfect, who serue him with this integrity, though they bee neuer so full of wants and weaknesses, and neglecteth, yea seuerely punisheth the most glorious workes of Hypocrites which are done without it. It is most profitable, seeing God withholdeth nothing from them that walke vp∣rightly; for he is vnto them a Sunne and a Shield; a Sunne for consolati∣on, a Shield for protection; a Sunne to giue them life, a Shield to defend life giuen; a Sunne to make them fruitfull in all good, and a Shield to preserue them from all euill; and hee will giue vnto them grace in this life, and glory and happinesse in the life to come. Finally, the necessity of this integrity and sincerity hereby is manifest, seeing the best graces which are without it, are false and counterfait, our wisedome diuellish, our faith dead, our repentance fained, our loue worldly and carnall, our zeale dissembled, our Religion hypocrisie, and all the seeming good duties which we performe, of no esteeme in Gods sight. For if sincerity be wan∣ting, our prayers are but lip-labour, our preaching a kind of merchan∣dizing for the hire of worldly gaine, as the Apostle implyeth; our recei∣uing the Sacraments no more accepted in vs, then in Iudas, and Simon Magus; our giuing of almes, not being done with vpright hearts to please God, but to be praised of men, shall haue the hypocrites reward; that is, glory before men, and eternall shame before God, his Saints and holy Angels.