The husbandmans companion containing one hundred occasional meditations reflections and ejaculations : especially suited to men of that employment : directing them how they may be heavenly-minded while about their ordinary calling / by Edward Bury.

Upon the prating of a Parrat.

65. Med.

HEaring a Parrat talk and prate, and counterfeit mans voice, and utter words which yet he understood not; when I had considered of it, I thought it was a lively embleme of an hypocrite, for as this bird doth imitate man, and coun∣terfeits his voice, so doth an hypocrite imi∣tate a true Christian, both in words and gestures, speaks as he speaks, and acts as he acts, for what action or what duty can a Christian perform, as to the external part of it, which an hypocrite cannot, doth not do? As there is no hearb in the garden, but there is some counterfeit of it in the field, which resembles it, so there is no grace in the heart of a believer, but the devil hath its counterfeit, and therefore it is a cun∣ning thing to be a Christian, and an easy

thing to be deceived: for what can a true Christian do for the bulk, and materiality of duty, but a hypocrite can do also, yea, sometimes seems to exceed him? and as in duty, so in conference and discourse, it is hard to discern the one from the other; hypocrisy may be spun with a fine thred, and hardly discerned either in the cloath or colour from sincerity, but it is often found out in the wearing to be but a cheat; in storms and tempests it is apt to change co∣lour, and will not hold out, but shrinks in the wetting: there is indeed a difference now both in garb and language, the one is truly beautiful, the other is but paint and varnish, which time makes to fade: they speak (it is true) the same things, but the one speaks what he knows, and the other by hearsay: both may discourse the deep mysteries of Religion, as the parrat may mysteryes of state, if taught, but under∣stand not what they say: Can a true Chri∣stian discourse of redemption, regeneration, conversion, adoption, sanctification, &c. so can the other also, but the one speaks what he feels, the other not: the Christian findes the marks and tokens of it in his own soul, the other not: can the one discourse of the workings of the spirit in the heart, of a believer, the actings of grace, of com∣munion with God, &c. so can the other?

can the one speak out his experiences of the goodness of God, the vanity of the crea∣ture, the bitterness of sin, the comforts and directions of the spirit, the beauty of holi∣ness, &c. the other can counterfeit this al∣so? but all this while, the hypocrites heart and tongue agree not: he disclaims against that sin which he loves, and pleads for the holiness and integrity which he secretly hates, and abhors, and speaks well of God and his laws, his ordinances and his people, which in his heart he abhors: The knowledge of the one, and the other differ, like that of a traveller, that hath been at Rome or Venice, or Jerusalem, or Constantinople, and hath seen those places, and known those inhabitants, and dwelt among them, and his who hath only heard, or read of them, or spake with those that have seen them; the latter per∣haps may speak as much, nay, more of the scituation of the place, the manners of the people, the government, customes, and laws they are ruled by, then the others can; yet is not their knowledge alike: the one is assured by ocular demonstration, of what he speaks, the other not; these eyes saw it, (saith one) these ears heard it, saith the other; so it is here, one speaks what he knows, the other what he hears: Or it is like the difference between the knowledge of a diseased person, and that of a physiti∣an,

the latter can speak more of the causes, signs and symptomes of the disease, and more learnedly describe it, but the other feels what he saith, and knows the working of the disease in another manner of way then the physitian who hath only read of it, or heard of it from others: this is the diffe∣rence of the knowledge between the sincere Christian and the hypocrite, the one speaks knowingly, experimentally, feelingly, tru∣ly, the other speaks by rote, like the par∣rat only, what is taught him dissemblingly, hypocritically, and falsly, pretending to ex∣perience that they do not: oh my soul take heed of contenting and satisfying thy self with a bare notional knowledge, with∣out experimental heart-knowledge, it is not that which floats in the brain, but that which sinks down and seasons the heart and life that will do thee good; the former a man may carry along with him to hell, yea, the devils have it in a greater measure then the most knowing man, though bad words may, yea, will condemn thee, if not repen∣ted of, yet good words (if any such can be) without good actions, and good hearts, cannot save thee; yea, thou wilt be guilty of self-condemnation in justifying what thou dost not labour after; if godliness and a holy life be good, why dost thou not live thus? if not, why dost thou speak thus?

why doth not thy heart and tongue agree? sincerity is the true philosophers stone, it turns all into gold, and makes weak per∣formances acceptable: hypocrisy turns all into dross: oh my God, grant me heart-knowledge as well as brain knowledge, lest I go to hell with a candle in my hand: such knowledge may serve to sink me, not to save me; to talk of the way and not walk in it little profits; to speak of heaven and not enjoy, will do me no good: Lord, let me be in substance what I am in shew; yea, Lord, make me such as I ought to be in truth.