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.

CHAP. X. (Book 10)

The trial of the sinceritie of works. And what is requi∣site to make a work good.

ANd now from the tryal of the sincerity of Persons and hearts we come to the tryal of the sinceritie of Workes and Services. And for this we are to know, That there are many things required, whereunto the sincere Christian hath respect, for the making of a service and worke good, or a suffering acceptable. There is some thing repuired in the person doing or suffering. And some things there are required in the thing to be done and suffered. 1 In the person doing or suffering it is requisite, that he be rightly quali∣fied.

2 In the thing to be done or suffered. 1 It is requisite it be done by a right rule or warrant. 2 In a right manner. 3 And to right ends. For the qualification of the person doing or suffer∣ing, it is requisite that hee be in Christ by faith, and so one with him, and thereby become a new creature, a childe of God. John 1. 12, 13. and so accepted in his person, for otherwise his worke cannot be accepted. For God must first have respect to him, ere he will have respect to his offering or service. Dent. 33. 10, 11. They shall teach Iacob, &c and accept the works of his hands. Gen. 4. 4, 5. And the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering. But God heareth not sinners. Iohn 9. 31. Prov. 15. 8. 21. 27. And of all sinners the Hypocrite is the greatest sinner. Mat. 22. 11, 12. one not having on a wedding garment. And he said, Friend, how comest thou in here? Rev. 19. 8. Zach. 3. 1. Psal. 45. 13, 14. 2 For the thing to bee done and suffered. 1 It must come from a right prin∣ciple, from the Spirit of God in this new man, and from his renewed nature. 2 As a consequent of the former, it must be done by him out of a pure heart (that is) a conscience that doth not know of any guilt or of wilfull wickedness to∣wards God or man upon it, but that it doth in al things desire to live according to the Word of God. Acts 23. 1. & 24. 16. Heb. 13. 18. 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart,

and good conscience, &c. And there is no work that any prophane man doth, that therefore can bee good, because it comes from an evil heart, and the fountain and tree being corrupt, the streames and fruit must be so also. Mat. 12. 34, 35. Iames 3. 11. Prov. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord. Prov. 28. 9. And hee must be moved and carried forth in his doing and suf∣fering by and from right and true considerations and motives. As from a love and respect to God that commandeth the work, arising from the sense of Gods love to his person, a love to the command it self, a love to the thing command∣ed. 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us, &c. 1 Iohn 5. 13. For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements. And by, and from a sense and apprehension of Gods Greatness, Mercy, Goodness, Iustice, Holyness, and Wisdome, and his royal command upon him, his Soveraignty over him, as his Creator, Lord and King, and the Conscience of his obedience due to God, and the danger of disobedience, Iob 31. 1, 2, &c. I made a covenant, &c. Is not destruction to the workers of iniquity? &c. Doth hee not see my waies? &c. What then shall I doe when he riseth? &c. By reason of his highness I could not endure. Heb. 11. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God, &c. moved with reverence, Rom. 7. 12. The Commandement is holy, just, and good. Psal. 19. 7, 8. The Law of God is perfect, &c. From

the fear of God, a desire to please, and feare to offend him. Exod. 1. 15, 16, 17. The Midwives feared God. Gen. 42. 18. this doe and live, for I fear God. From a sense of the wrong he hath done to God by his sin, and the plyableness of his heart therein to make what amends to God it can, and from the great reward there is promised to the obedient. The work I say and service to be done and thing to be suffered, when well and accep∣table must bee undertaken upon these, or some such like motives and considerations. Ps. 44. 21. Eph. 5. 14. Col. 3. 22. Heb. 11. 4, 5, &c. But the mis∣carriage herein is when one is moved or carried forth herein out of self-love only, for fear that he may have hurt by the not doing or suffering, or out of hope that he may have good by the doing or suffering; or when it comes from some erro∣neous conceite or opinion of God and his owne service to God, that he cannot be without his ser∣vice, or is much beholding to him for what hee doth, or that it is accepted with God for it selfe however it be done or the like. Is 66. 1. 2, &c. The heaven is my throne, &c. (i. e.) doe you think that I so much care for your Temple service: But to this man wil I look, i. e. that is him and his service shall I favour and accept [that is poor and of a contrite spi∣rit that trembleth at my word] that is him that is sen∣sible of his emptinesse of grace, and guiltiness of sin, and hath his heart broken for and from sin.

This is the soul which is the temple wherin I wil dwel, and these are the sacrifices in such a soule that I shall accept. He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man (that is) all these outward perform∣ances and services, without these inward dispo∣sitions and affections of soul, are no better than the services and sacrifices of an heathen than the most vile and horrible crimes committed against my Law, when he that doth them is moved and carried forth therein from some corrupt or sini∣ster respect, and not by or from any love or fear of God at all. 1 Cor. 13. 1. 2. Though I speak with the tongue, of men and Angels, and have not Charity, I am become as sounding brasse, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of Prophesie, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have no cha∣rity, I am nothing. See more for this Ps. 33. 18. 34. 18. 138. 6. 147. 6 51. 16, 17. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 3 That there bee a warrant or rule for the thing to bee done and suffered. And for this, 1 That the thing to be done or suffered be commanded, or at the least not forbidden. 2 That it be known too, and beleeved by him that doth or suffereth it. 3 That it bee done according to this rule or command by him known and beleeved. For the first. The thing to be done must be good, either it must be commanded, or at least it must not be forbidden by Gods Word. For if so it be that the

thing be forbidden, be it don never so cordially, or that a man be pressed never so much to it by his conscience, yet is the thing nevertheless evill. And therefore their sin in offering their children to Molech. Lev. 20. 2. Jer. 32. 35, 36. and in the killing of Christs Disciples was nevertheless sin∣ful for this, nor will a good intention or mean∣ing in this case help. And therefore we finde in 1 Sam. 13. 8, 9, 11. Saul, and 1 Chron. 13. 8, 9, 10, 11. Ʋzzah, both of them severely punished for the doing (and probably with a good intention) of that which was good in it self to have been done by another, but evill in them, because it was a thing prohibited to them. And of this nature is their Popish whipping of themselves, pilgrimage, fasting, and such like things amongst them, and the imitation of them by others. Col. 2. 18. 23. Touch not, taste not, &c. which things indeed have a shew of wisdom in will-worship and humilitie, &c. And God will say of this, as Isa. 1. 12. who hath re∣quired these things at your hands? and as Jer. 32. 35. which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind. Deut. 12. 8. 2 The thing done must bee knowingly and beleevingly done (that is) hee must know it to be commanded, allowed, or warranted by Gods Word; for otherwise, be it never so lawful, as the eating of flesh, yet if a man doubt of the lawfulness of it, it is not law∣ful to him so long as he doubteth. For whatso∣ever

is not of Faith is sinne, Rom. 14. 1, 2, 3. &c. 23. And it must bee done with a perswasion that God will accept it being so done. Gen. 4. 4. Heb. 11. 4, 6. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excel∣lent sacrifice than Cain, &c. But without faith it is impossible to please God, &c. For he that cometh to God must beleeve that God is, &c And for the third. It must be done for matter and manner accord∣ing to the rule of the Word laid down for the doing thereof. Gal, 6. 16. And to as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them, &c. Acts 13. 36. But David after he had served his own generation by the will of God, &c. But the error in this principally is when a man in that he doth and suffereth hath his eye altogether or chiefly upon his own fancy, or upon humane Traditions Commands and In∣ventions. Iohn 4. 21, 22. Ye worship ye know not what. Mat. 15. 9. In vain they doe worship me, teach∣ing for doctrines the commandements of men. Acts 17. 23. Mat. 23 16, 17. And for the manner of that which is done and suffered it ought to be done with Love and Faith, and in the feare of God. It must bee done in love, 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2. other∣wise i•• is nothing worth. In faith, 1 to God, Heb. 11. 4. For he that cometh to him must be∣leeve, &c. 2 In Christ. Col. 3 17. and with the whole heart. It must bee also willingly and chearfully. 1 Pet. 5. 2. Feed the flock of GOD

which is amongst you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready minde, Ephes. 6. 6. Not with eye-service, &c. doing the will of GOD from the heart: with good will doing service, &c. Heb. 10. 34. Yee took joyfully the spoyling of your goods, &c. Psalm 110. 3. Deut. 30. 10. Ierem. 31. 33. Gen. 9. 27. 5 The next great thing to bee looked unto, and required in the workes we do and things wee suffer to make our work there∣in acceptable, is the end and designe of the heart in it: For as a man may speake good words to an evil end. Luke 10. 25. Matth. 22. 15. so one may doe good works to an evill end. The great and maine end and designe of the heart in every thing a man doth and suffereth, ought to bee to and for God (that is) to please and glorifie GOD, and advance the Name of the Lord Iesus by what hee doth and suffereth, and by his chearefull service therein to testifie his love to God: For this is primarily com∣manded, Exod. 20. 2, 3. I am the Lōrd, &c. Thon shalt have no other Gods before me. And this is primarily to be prayed, and laboured for, Mat. 6. 9. Hallowed be thy Name (that is) grant us by thy VVord and VVorkes as thou hast ma∣nifested thereby, especially by the work of Re∣demption by Iesus Christ rightly to know thee in thy wonderful nature and incomprehensible

Attributes, and be brought every way in heart, word, and deed, to acknowledge, and by a right inward and outward worship of thee to exalt thee. VVhence we may thus argue; That which is of God chiefly required, and of man chiefly to be desired, to this must every work of man bee chiefly intended and directed. But that already named is that very thing. 1 Cor. 6. 20. Yee are bought with a price, wherefore glorifie him, 1 Cor. 10. 31. Do all to the glory of God. John 7. 18. But he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true. 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2. 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15. John 17. 4. Phil. 1. 21. Cant. 7. 13. Luke 2. 14, 20. Col. 3. 23, 24 Eph. 6, 67. And in the next place his aym and design must bee to do good to the people, especially the Saints a∣mongst whom he doth live. 1 Cor. 10 31, 32, 33. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. 1 Cor. 9. 19, 20. 1 Cor 8. 8, 9, 10. Luke 7. 5, 6. Gal 6. 10. Let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the houshold of Faith. But that which maketh the service Hypocritical and unacceptable in this is, when he that doth it, mindeth himself onely in it, when he doth it, either to still the noyse of his own conscience, or to get him a name, or to procure himself some outward advantage in the world thereby. Joh. 6. 26. Ye follow me for the loaves, &c. or at the most to save his soul by it, and be∣cause that cannot be done otherwise. And with∣out

any love to God to whom the work is done, or love of the work done. And without any re∣spect at all to Gods glory, or the good of other men. Ephes. 6. 5. Col. 3. 22. Not with eye service, as men pleasers. Matth. 6. 2, 10. Ye doe it to be seen of men. Mat. 23. 14. That ye may appear to men, &c. Or for a worse end, James 4. 3. Ye ask amiss, that you may consume it on your lusts. Phil. 1. 17. 2 Cor. 4. 2. 5. 12. See more for this in Chap. 7. Sect. 21.

Object. It may be asked, whether a man in the good he doth, and evil he suffereth, may not have an eye also to his own good, a temporal reward here, as wel as to his eternal salvation hereafter.

Answ. To which we answer: Yes doubtlesse: 1 For God doth set this before him to encourage him in it; and no Scripture motive can draw out any unlawful affection, and whatsoever Gods VVord requireth, the Spirit of God worketh by degrees in the heart of the Beleever. 1 Pet. 5. 4.

2 The servants of God it is true have within them an ingenuous and supernatural principle, whereby they love God, and holy things because of the excellency of them; even as a carnall man loveth sin, because of the sutablenesse of it with his own heart. And yet Gods servants in the things they have done and suffered, have had an eye, yea a fixed and constant eye upon their owne temporal and eternal good also for their encouragement therein, Heb. 11. 14, 26. For

they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Country. For hee had respect unto the recompence of re∣ward. 3 Our Lord Jesus in that he did & suffer∣ed had an eye to this. Heb. 2. 2. Looking unto Iesus, &c. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, &c. And therefore all amor mercedis is not amor mercenarius. Some make Gods glory and our happiness to differ as the supream and sub∣ordinate ends, some as coordinate ends one∣ly; but to be sure GOD hath so infallibly eonjoyned them together, that one cannot bee without the other. So that by all this now wee may try our selves as to our workes, and our works themselves whether they be such as God will approve; whether they be wrought in God. Gal. 6. 4. But let every man prove his own works, and then shall he have rejoycing, &c. The more they doe answer to these rules, the more perfect they are; and the more they swerve from them, the more they savour of Hypocrisie in them.

VVee shall now in the next place make some other uses of, and infereuces upon all that wee have sayd, and therein a little enlarge our selves upon the whole matter before layd down.