A gospel-glasse, representing the miscarriages of English professors, both in their personal and relative capacities ..., or, A call from heaven to sinners and saints by repentance and reformation to prepare to meet God.

CHAP. XVIII. Their Hypocrisie.

11ly. HYpocrisie is another piece of Ungodli∣ness, which like leaven, hath dif∣fused it self through the whole body of Profes∣sors. It is the greatest ungodliness, that can be, to rob the Lord of his dominion over the Conscience, and therefore Hypocrisie is called Blasphemy. I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not. God is not honoured unless he be acknowledged as the supream Authority, not only over the life, but the heart; and therefore his Authority is never more undetermined than by a meer form of godliness. Hypocrites are clouds without rain, wells without water, trees without fruit, though not without leaves: Yea (to use Christs simili∣tude) they are garnished tombs: they appear to be one thing, but are another thing: they appear to be the greatest Worshippers of God; but are the greatest dishonourers of God: They profess that they know (worship) God; but in works they deny him, being abo∣minable, and dis-obedient, and to every good work reprobate. The Hypocrites piety is not piety, his religion is not religion; but dou∣bled

and trebled iniquity. Should not this make us to tremble at the greatness of the hypocrisie of this age? O! How many Apo∣thecaries-boxes are there, that have golden titles and nothing in them? How many curi∣ous pictures drawn to life; but look be∣hind them, and there is nothing but dust and cobweb? How many have glorious signs, but within ill customs: an Angel for a sign, a Lamb for a sign, but within are Devils and Cheats?

How many have taken up Religion under pretence of its being an help to Heaven, when they have made it a means to get earth, to get custom, credit, &c. Hence when they cannot compass, but rather obstruct their worldly designs, Farewell to Religion: if it contribute not to their private ends, they give it up again. O! How few have embra∣ced Christ and Truth, for Christ's sake, for Truth's sake? Have not most embraced Christ and his Gospel, as they have Servants, for what they can do for them? and adhered to Profession as the Ivy to the Tree, not because it loves it, but sucks from it, and is succoured by it? Have they not alwayes worshipped the rising, and not the declining Sun? How few own the declining sinking cause of Christ? How hard is it to perswade men to stand for truths, that stand not with their advancements and accommodations? Hence many now stand idle, as the people in the Market place, who would not go into the Vi••••y••••d 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they were hired. How few will own any way 〈◊〉〈◊〉

be Christs, till they see how it stands with their secular advantages? How many New∣ters now, who once were forward Profes∣sours? If we entertain him (saith they) the Romans will come, and take away our place and Nation. We find the truth of a learned mans Assertion: He that will serve God for the world, will serve the Devil for the world: He that serves God for a little, will serve the Devil for more: where he can mend his wages, he will give his service. How many Professours have with Absolon gone to Hebron to worship, but all the while have promoted their own ambi∣tious designs, raising even sedition in order to their earthly advantages?

In how many hath the tongue prayed, when not the heart? These have been much in fasting and prayer, and have thought them∣selves much wronged that they were not heard: but God gives them a reason: Ye shall not fast as ye do to make your voice to be heard on high. The Hypocrite may lift up his voice strongly, and yet never be heard: his voice for want of the heart therein may never come up to Gods dwelling place: his Prayers ma∣ny times fall back upon his own face, like spittle against the wind. How many have u∣sed Prayer as an hook to draw in outwards from God and Man; but not as a sword to de∣stroy their lusts? How many have cryed ve∣hemently unto God for assistances in their du∣ties, chiefly, if not solely, to get themselves a Name in the Earth? How many tell God with a brazen face that they love him, yea

that they love him with all their hearts, whereas they love not God, but God's, some∣what of God: they flatter God with their lips: they delight not in his presence: yea all the while they are serving their turn on God? Fain they would partake of Gods boun∣ty, of Gods protection, and Gods pardons, but they love neither God nor his Image: when God puts them to express their love by self-denyal, then you shall see the graves to be full of rottenness: they hate to spend and to be spent for God. How many tell God that they are troubled for offending him, when they are only troubled that he is displeasing them, and about to correct them for their a∣buses of him? They will cry out in Prayer, O my carelesseness! &c. But alas! It is not Sin, but the Judgements of God, and the con∣sequents of Sin that disturb them. How ma∣ny will tell God twenty times over they are ashamed of their Sins, and within one hour after they are not ashamed to commit them a∣gain, no more ashamed are they, than the Sow is to lye tumbling in the Mire? How will many tell God they fear him, and his Judgements, when indeed and intruth they fear neither, witness their frothy loose spi∣rits and conversations? How will they tell God that all the world is but as a drop of a bucket in comparison of his Majesty, and that all flesh is contemptible, when weighed with him, and yet they fear the wrath of Man more than the wrath of the Almighty God? How many will tell God that they are contented

with all his will, and yet their hearts are full of inward risings against the Providence of God? How many tell God they believe in him, trust to his Mercy, depend on Christ, and O! forsooth all their cares are cast on Christ, when God knows, their care and work, like Bees, is to get honey to their hives? They mind earthly things, and are scraping the dust of the Valleys to themselves, as if they thought it their wisdome rather to lean to their own providing, than to be beholding to the Lord and dye beggars? How earnest are some in their cries to God for victory o∣ver Sin; but secretly hate it not? And doth it not appear in this, for that having direct∣ed their Prayers to the Lord, they do not look up, to see whether the corruption be more mortified, and their love to it abated yea or no?

How have the speeches of many in their converse one with another bewrayed their hypocrisie? How do many covet mightily to insist on the refinements of hypocrites, and thereby they escape (as they hope at least) from being judged such themselves? How have some studied to disgrace Sin to the ut∣most, and yet secretly cherished that, which they laboured to make odious to others? In company they cry down self-love, hypocrisie, formality, earthlyness, and pride, but private∣ly they keep up these, and make them their companions. How Zealous have some been in discourse for the Protestant Faith? How have they cryed out against errours, and for

a reformation; but can tell no more of a work of God upon the heart than an Heathen? How have some contended for opinions, and have put a jus divinum upon such and such a way, and counted others as little better than Pagans, that would not submit to their way, and yet by fear and flattery have soon faced a∣bout.

How will some cry up such and such for most eminent in grace? and O how doe they love them! when all the while self-love acts them, and if they gain not by them, they will surely have an howbeit to blot them? They are as the foreman to praise the rich, from whom they hope to squeeze some of their gold; but bring up the rear, are the last to commend them, from whom they ex∣pect nothing of advantage by their glavering tongue. How much Hypocrisie hath appear∣ed in our declaimings against others sins? O! we must not suffer this: the House of God must be kept clean: it must not be made a Den of Thieves, an Hog-sty, and cage of un∣cleanness: and all this while their zeal is no∣thing but revenge; a secret grudge there is against the Delinquent, and now that an ad∣vantage offereth, they will have their penny∣worth out of him.

How many are alwayes finding faults, bla∣ming Magistrates, Ministers, all but them∣selves? This man wants courage, and ano∣ther wants another grace, whilst they them∣selves want all grace, as being meer pieces of pageantry. How many whining Hypocrites

have we, that will in all companies, especi∣ally where Ministers are, be crying out a∣gainst the baseness and treachery of their own hearts, and the wickedness of their own lives, and rest in their lazy complaints, but reform not?

How severe are some in their censures of sin in others, as Judah against Thamar, she must be burnt? who will now suspect Judah to be unclean? How ready have we been to judge and censure others, rather than our selves? To behold a mote in others, but not the beam in our selves? How many censure Ministers for too seldome preaching in pri∣vate, and yet are themselves Sermon-glutted, as yet they have not got a stomach, so great was their surfeit with the former plenty; yea, when they have Sermons, neglect them; or if they attend with their Bodies on them, yet have no fellowship with Christ in them? We are just like Consumption people, apt to be angry, and fret, if we have not our wonted meals, and the Cooks are blamed for negli∣gence; and when the meat is brought before us, we are even weary of the smell of it. How many censure others for being to talk a∣tive, and therefore would impose silence up∣on others, because they have neither heart nor tongue, to vindicate God, and to promote Religion?

How many are full of perswasions of the love of God, and of the grace of God, and yet ignorant of the first Principles of Christi∣anity; neglecters of Family-Prayer, or Clo∣set-Duties?

They think well of themselves, because in their Duties before men they are devout and zealous, and carried forth to the wasting of much time; but in their Closets they are straightned, and put the Lord off with a short Collect. How many, like your City Maids, goe in their best, are neat, cleanly, and in gorgeous apparel, when walking in the views of others; but if you follow them home to their houses and cham∣bers, how nasty, how foul are they! How many are there whose Religion lies in their face, habit, gesture: seem demure, humble; walk with their eyes looking downwards, bow with Absolon to the people, and yet their hearts full of pride and loftiness? How oft e∣ven on Fast-dayes have you had sour faces, and inwardly light, frothy, and unserious hearts? As an evidence observe when the day ends, the Dog returns to his vomit, the heart becomes vain, or rather, the vanity that was smothered and pent up in the day breaks out as soon as the duties are over: We can hang down our heads like a bull-rush, we can rough cast our faces, but it is hardly for a day.

How hath Hypocrisie followed thee from the corners of the streets to the very closet? Thou hast shut thy door, as if thou wouldst shut out World and Devils, and there hast fall'n asleep, or (which is as bad) hast par∣lied with the Devil, and pampered thy lusts: Hypocrisie, like the Frogs of Egypt, hath crept into thy most secret retirements.

How few can pretend to Uniformity in their obedience? How many will be ashamed, be∣cause they respect not all Gods Commande∣ments? still they clip the Law: still some re∣serves: they will let go profaneness, so they may but reserve covetousness: they will pray, hear, &c. so they may cheat their Neighbour under a demure behaviour: or they will be strict to rules of Justice and equity among men: but they will rob God of his honour: some of them are punctual to a day, to a far∣thing (Blush, Reader, if thou art short of the Hypocrites stature) they will not cheat you with a brasse Shilling; but rob God of his due, of his due in the Closet, and in the Family too.

How frequently do we hear some desiring to know the least measure of saving Grace, and why? because they would sit down there∣with. There is not a surer note of an un∣sound heart, than to be contented with the least degree of grace, and not to press for∣ward.

How generally do men hate to be examined and tried about their state? This is a sure sign of a rotten heart, of a painted-Christian; paint will not endure the fire: Hypocrites hate lancing and piercing work. How many continue in a course of Religion, and yet their hearts are hardned more and more, and they know it, and yet will hardly consult with Ministers about their sad condition? or if they do, yet practise nothing more than before? I am confident there are many who

make it their business to keep up their reputa∣tion among the Saints, but have lost (and know they have) their credit at the throne of grace; and though they have their reward, the Saints embrace them for Precious, yet Christ neglects them, and when they spread out their hands all the day long to the Hea∣vens, they have no welcome with God. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord, I am full of the burnt offerings of the Rams, and the fat of fed beasts, and I delight not in the bloud of Bullocks, or of Lambs, or of He-goats. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea when you make many Prayers, I will not hear.

O! What a Controversie hath God with England for its great Hypocrisie? We have called our selves of the Holy City, and have maede mention of the God of Lrael, but not in truth, not in righteousness. Though you have past for Saints in the account of blind, and short-sighted men; yet you are but Devils in Christs account: So was the arch-Hypocrite Judas, One of you is a Devil. Of all Devils none so bad as the Professing Devil. Re∣member the vengeance which fell on Bel∣shazzar, when he carouzed in the Bowls of the Sanctuary. Their damnation slumbereth not, who through covetousness make use of the covering of faigned words. O! When will ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness, and True holiness? Believe it, if thou art a whited wall God will

smite thee. Though thou get some present glory or profit by thy outside holiness, yet God more abhors thee, than the bleer and imperfect observing World can applaud thee. Will a King indure it, that thou take his Robes, and cloath a Swine with them? or that thou take his Crown and set it on the head of a base Varlet? God is coming against the Hypocritical Nation. And he accounts it a disgrace, for thee to voice thy self to be the Son of so great a Prince, whilst thou art a Slave to Hellish lusts. All you do for God will not profit you, you lose all you have wrought, whilst acted by self, and corrupt in your ends and aims. Though you trust in ly∣ing words, in your outward shews, yet I will declare thy righteousness, and thy words, for they shall not profit thee. What shall I say? There is no acceptance for you to be had without the Benjamin of sincerity with you. A day of trouble is hastning, and you think then to pray, but will God hear your cry when trouble cometh upon you? If you deny God your heart, never expect his ear. Quails you may have, but with a vengeance, with leanness in your souls. That which God desireth and looketh for, is truth in the inward parts. God and Religion have received so much dis∣honour by pretenders to Christ and Truth, and so many Atheists have been made, con∣firmed, and hardned in England, by the Observations they have made on Professours hypocritical pretensions, that I fear the stains will hardly be wash'd away without blood,

and some probably will be called forth to seal to the Truth of Christ by their death, to con∣vince men, that there are some real Christi∣ans, who will spend, and be spent for Christ; and that whilst many have but a Name to live, yet there are a few in our Sardis, who are not defiled with hellish Hypocrisie, but love Truth in their inward parts.

Notes

• Professors Hypocrisy
• Rev. 2.9.
• 2 Tim. 3.5.
• Abscondit quod est, quod non est menti∣tur. Bern.
• Tit. 1.16
• Quis non itascatur videns homines, ore Deum confiten∣tes: ne∣gantes moribus? Seculum verbis, et non factis renunci∣antes? Aug. Eviden∣ced, in their Pro∣fessing.
• Speaking to God.
• Isa. 58.4.
• To men, concern∣ing things.
• Persons, Others.
• Them∣selves.
• Censu∣ring.
• Mat. 7.3.
• Acting, better a∣broad than at home, in publick than in seeret dit∣ties.
• Seeming to be more in secret du∣ties than they are.
• Being not univer∣sally obe∣dient. Psal. 119.6.
• Desiring to know the least degree of saving grace.
• But not to be ex∣amined, nor to consult with Mini∣sters a∣bout their condition, much less to follow their di∣rections.
• Isa. 1.11.
• v. 15.
• Conside∣rations a∣gainst hypocrifie Isa. 48.1, 2.
• 2 Pet. 2.3.
• Eph. 4.24.
• Jer. 7.8. Isa. 57.12.
• Job. 27.9. Psal. 106.15. Psal. 51.6.