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. XIII. (Book 13)

Arguments to perswade to Sincerity, and against Hypocrisie in Services.

AND now to perswade us to Sincerity in our particular Works and Services, especially in the service of God, we may take up and use these motives. 1 God is upright in his work, and all that he doth he doth in uprightnesse, and wee are to be followers of God. Ier. 32. 41. And I will plant them, &c. with my whole heart, and whole soul. Ephes. 5. 1. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear chil∣dren. 2 God requires uprightness in us in all that we doe in his service. Heb. 20 22. Let us draw near with a true heart, &c. Deut. 10. 12. And now Is∣rael what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to

fear the Lord, &c. and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 1 Sam. 12. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 1 Sam. 12 10. Rom. 12. 8, 9. 1 Chr. 28. 9. 3 This sincere service agreeth with the nature of God whom we serve. 1 For he is a Spirit. Iohn 4. 24. God is a spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit and truth. 2 He is a great King, Mal. 1. 14. For I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts, & my name is dreadful▪ &c. He is not as man, but as far above man as the heavens are above the earth. Ps. 55. 9. Mal. 1. 6. A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master. If I then be a father, where is mine honour, and if I be a master where is my fear, saith the Lord of Hosts unto you. O Priests, that despise my name. Eccles 5. 1, 2. Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God, &c. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, &c. 4 This is Gospel service, and fit for Gospel times, and Gospel worshippers; and such service as God doth call for. Ioh. 4. 23. The hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship him in spirit and truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Jer. 24. 7. with 3. 10. Ezek. 36. 26, 27. 5 This is the only beautiful and excellent service where there is an harmony and consent between the soul and the body in the work. Heb. 11. 4, 6. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. 6 By this the meanest service may become a glorious work,

have much acceptance and reward from God. Luke 21. 2. the widdows two mites. Mat. 10. 42. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones, a cup of cold water onely in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. Exod. 1. 17, 21, 22. Jer. 35. 18, 19. 7 Such are the services of the true servants of God. 1 Thes. 2. 3. Ps 119 7. 2 Tim. 2. 22. 8 The services so done only are accepted, and wil be rewarded with God. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Neh. 13. 14. Ezek. 18, 24. 9 For no outward service can, or doth please God, or is accepted with him for it self or the work done, but as it is joyned with sin∣ceritie in the inward worship of Faith, and love to God, a desire to please, and purpose to obey him. Gen. 4. 4. Ps. 51. 16, 17. For thou desirest not sa∣crifice, &c. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart: O God thou wilt not despise: Isa. 66. 1, 2, 3. But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an oxe, &c. Hosea 8. 13. and 9. 4. Amos 5. 21. Micah 6. 7, 8. Heb: 11. 4. 10 The Hypocritical service is a lye, and a lye not to men so much as to God. Hosea 11. 12. Ephraim compas∣seth me about with lyes, &c. Acts 5. 3. 11 The Hypo∣critical service albeit it be not despised by men, yet God doth know it, and will make it known to others, to the shame of him that doth it. 1 Chr. 28. 9. And then Solomon know thou the God, &c. and

serve him with a perfect heart, &c. for the Lord search∣eth all hearts, and underst••••deth all the imaginations of the thoughts, &c. Mat. 6. 5, 6. Mat. 19. 29. with Ps. 44. 21, 22. And it is not onely not accepted, but sleighted of God, it being a grievous sin, a pol∣lution and prophanation of Gods name, it is a provocation of his wrath, and doth draw down grievous judgements upon men that doe so per∣form it. Mal. 1. 7. 13. 14. Should I accept this, saith the Lord, &c. But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing. Lev. 10. 8. Ezek. 23. 38. Numb 18. 32.

Ob. But here may be objected, that hypocritical service hath had a reward? 2 Kings 11. 18, 19, 20. 1 Kings 17. 18, &c 27, 28, 29. 2 Kings 10. 14, 15. &c.

Ans. It cannot be denyed but that God may & sometimes doth give for an outward hypocriti∣cal service for the work done (because it is that he would have done) a temporal reward. But this will not at all preserve him from the punishment of the hypocrisie of his service here, nor help to prevent the eternall punishment that will una∣voidably come upon him for it hereafter. Mat. 6. 5, 6. and 23. 33. 2 King. 10. 14, &c. compared with Hosea 1. 4.