Sincerity and hypocricy. Or, the sincere Christian, and hypocrite in their lively colours, standing one by the other.: Very profitable for this religion professing time. / By W.S. Serjeant at Law. Together with a tract annexed to prove; that true grace doth not lye so much in the degree as in the nature of it.

SECT. V.

In his self-opinion as to his own Righteousness.

It savours much of sincerity, and it is very much the signe of a sincere Christian when a man is apt to look of, and forget the good that

is in him, and hath been done by him, and when he is apt to think of, and doth look much upon the evil that is in him, and hath been done by him, when a man looking upon himselfe, and his own vilenesse by nature and practise, he is very much displeased with, and despaires of himselfe, and lookes to the grace of God in Christ onely for Righteousnesse. He hath low thoughts of himself, and of his own worth and works. Rom. 7. 18, 23. 24. In my flesh dwelleth no good thing. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Sinners of whom I am chief. Psalm 51. 3. my sinne is ever before me. Luke 18. 11. Lord be merciful to me a sinner. Psalm 49. 12. Innumerable evils have taken hold on me, &c. Phil. 3. 13. I forget the things that are behinde. Ezek. 20. 43. And ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. And when hee is apt to judge of others better than himselfe, and to speak the best of them and their actions, and the worst of himself and his own actions. He looketh upon and accounteth the moats in his own eye as a beam, and the beam that is in another mans eye as a moate. Mat. 7. 3. But on the other side it savours as much of Hypocrisie, and is very much the signe of an Hypocrite, when a mans eye is alwaies upon the better, and not at all upon the worser part of his heart and life, when he can see his virtues, and not his vices, when he shall brag as the proud Pharisee, Luke 18. 9, 10, 11. I am

I am not as other men, &c. or as this Publican, &c. and as in Isaiah 58. 3. when they said, where∣fore have we fasted, and thou seest not, &c. and Isa. 65. 5. Come not near mee, I am holier than thou, &c. 1 Sam. 15. 13. And when a man out of a self conceit and opinion of his own excellen∣cy shall trust to himselfe that hee is righteous, and thinks himself better than others, and de∣spise and censure them that perhaps are better than himself, and without any cause at all, Luke 18. 9. And he spake this parable unto certain men which trusted in themselves that they were righteous. Two men went up into the Temple, &c. Luke 16. 5. Ye are they which justifie your selves, Prov. 20. 6. Most men proclaim their own goodness. Mat. 12. 2, 3, &c. Mat. 23. 30, 31. &c. Luke 7. 39. and 5. 30. John 7. 48, 49.