prayer, to the great weakening of his body; and being asked by a relation why he did fo, and prayed to favour himself, he returned this anfwer, O I must die, I must die; plainly intimating, that fo great is the concernment of dying in a clear affured condition, that it is richly worth the expence of all our time and strength to fecure it.

You know alfo that after death the judgment, Heb. ix. 27. you are haftening to the judgment of the great and terrible God. Death will put you into his balance to be weighed exactly; and what gives the foul a louder call to fearch itself with all diligence, whilft it ftands at the door of eternity, and its turn is not yet come to go before that awful tribunal: O that these confiderations might have place upon our hearts!

CHAP. XII.

Containing divers helps for the clearing of fincerity and difcovery of hypocrify.

YOU

SECT. I.

OU fee of what importance the duty of felf-examination is, and how many things put a neceffity and a folemnity upon that work. Now, in the clofe of all, I would offer you fome helps for the due management thereof, that is as far as I can carry it: the Lord perfuade your hearts to the diligent and faithful application and use, of them. The general rules to clear fincerity are these that follow:

Rule 1. We may not prefently conclude we are in the fate of hypocrify, because we find fome workings of it, and tendencies to it in our fpirits: The best gold hath fome drofs and alloy in it. Hypocrify is a weed naturally fpringing in all ground, the best heart is not perfectly clear or free of it: It may be we are stumbled, when we feel fome workings or grudgings of this difeafe in ourselves, and looking into fuch fcrip-i tures as thefe, John i. 47. " Behold an Ifraelite indeed, in whom "there is no guile :" and Pfal. xxxii. 1. " Bleffed is the man unto "whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whofe fpirit there is "no guile."

This I fay may ftumble fome upright foul, not understanding in what an allayed and qualified fenfe thofe fcriptures are to be underftood: For by a fpirit without guile, is not understood a person abfolutely free from all deceitfulnefs and falseness of heart; this was the `i fole prerogative of the Lord Jefus, who was feparated from finners, in whofe mouth was no guile found: In whom the prince of this world, in all his trials and attempts upon him, found nothing: But we must understand it of reigning and allowed hypocrify; there is no fuch guile in any of the faints: diftinguifh the prefence from the predominance of hypocrify, and the doubt is refolved. 4 G

VOL. V.

Rule 2. Every true ground of humiliation for fin is not a fufficient ground for doubting and questioning our eftate and condition.

There be many more things to humble us upon the account of our infirmity, than there are to ftumble us upon the account of our integrity: It is the fin and affliction of fome good fouls to call their condition in queftion upon every flip and failing in the course of their obedience. This is the way to debar ourfelves from all the peace and comfort of the Chriftian life: We find that Jofeph was once minded to put away Mary his efpoufed wife, not knowing that the holy thing which was conceived in her was by the Holy Ghoft. It is the fin of hypocrites to take brafs for gold, and the folly of faints to call their gold brafs: Be as fevere to yourselves as you will, provid ed always you be juft: "There is that maketh himfelf rich, and yet "hath nothing; and there is that maketh himself poor, and yet hath "great riches," Prov. xiii. 7. Hiram called the cities Solomon gave hini, Cabul, Dirty, for they pleafed him not, 1 Kings ix. 13. It is but an ill requital, an ungrateful return to God for the best of mercies, to undervalue them in our hearts, and be ready upon all occafions to put them away as worth nothing.

Rule 3. A fronger propenfion in our nature, and more frequent inci dence in our practice to one fin than another, do not presently infer cur hypocrify, and the unfoundness of our hearts in religion. It is true, every hypocrite hath fome way of wickednefs: Some peccatum in deliciis, iniquity that he delights in, and rolls as a fweet morfel under his tongue; fome luft that he is not willing to part with, nor can endure that the knife of mortification fhould touch it; and this undoubtedly argues the infincerity and rottennefs of his heart: And it is true alfo that the nature and conftitution of the most sanctified man inclines him rather to one fin than to another, though he allow himself in none; yea, though he fet himself more watchfully against that fin than another, yet he may ftill have more trouble and vexation, more temptation and defilement from it than any other.

As every man hath his proper gift, one after this manner, and another after that, as the apostle fpeaks, 1 Cor. vii. 7. fo every man hath his proper fin alfo, one after this manner and another after that. For it is with original fin as it is with the juice or fap of the earth, which though it be the common matter of all kinds of fruits, yet it is fpecificated according to the different forts of plants and feeds which it nourishes; in one it becomes an apple, in another a cherry, &c. Juft fo it is in original corruption, which is turned into this or that temptation or fin, according to this or that conftitution or employment it finds us in; in one it is paffion, in another luft, in a third covetoufaefs, in a fourth levity, and fo on. Now I fay the frequent affaults of this fin, provided we indulge it not, but, by fetting double guards, labour to keep ourfelves from our own iniquity, as David did, Pfalm xviii. 23. will not infer the hypocrify of our hearts.

Rule 4. A greater backwardness and indifpofedness to one duty rather

than another, doth not conclude the heart to be unfound and falfe with God, I provided we do not inwardly diflike and difapprove any duty of religion, or except against it in our agreement with Chrift, but that it rifeth merely from the prefent weakness and distemper we labour under.

There are fome duties in religion, as fuffering for Chrift, bearing fharp reproofs for fin, that even an upright heart under a prefent diftemper, may find a great deal of backwardnefs and lothness to; yet ftill he confents to the law, that it is good, is troubled that he cannot comply more cheerfully with his duty, and defires to ftand complete in all the will of God: Perfection is his aim, and imperfections are his forrows.

Some Chriftians have much ado to bring their hearts to fixed, solemin meditation; their hearts fly off from it, but this is their burden, that it fhould be fo with them. True, it is a very dangerous fign of hypocrify, when a man's zeal runs out in one channel of obedience only, and he hath not respect to all God's commandments; as phyficians obferve, the fweating of one part of the body, when all the reft is cold, is fymptomatical, and argues an ill habit: But whilft the foul heartily approves all the will of God, and fincerely defires to come up to it, and mourns for its backwardness and deadness to this or that duty, and this is not fixed, but occafional, under fome prefent indifpofition out of which the foul rifeth by the fame degrees as fanctification rifeth in him, and the Lord comes in with renewed ftrength upon him; this, I fay, may confift, and is very ordinarily found to be the cafe of upright-hearted ones.

Rule 5. The glances of the eye at felf-ends in duties, whilst self is not the weight that moves the wheels, the principal end and defign we drive at, and whilft thofe glances are corrected and mourned for, do not conclude the heart to be unfound and hypocritical in religion: For even among the moft deeply fanctified, few can keep their eye fo fteady and fixed with pure and unmixed respects to the glory of God, but that there will be (alas! too frequently) fome bye-ends, infinuating and creeping into the heart.

Thefe, like the fowls, feize upon the facrifice, let the foul take what pains it can to drive them away: It is well that our High-priest bears the iniquities of our holy things for us. Peter had too much regard to the pleafing of men, and did not walk with that uprightnefs towards the Gentile Chriftians and the believing Jews, in the matter of liberty as became him, Gal. ii. 13, 14. for which, as Paul faith, he ought to be blamed, and he did blame him: But yet fuch a failing as that in the end of his duty did not condemn him. In public performances there may be too much vanity, in works of charity too much oftentation; thefe are all workings of hypocrify in us, and matters of humiliation to us; but whilft they are difallowed, corrected, and mourned over, are confiftent with integrity.

Rule 6. The doubts and fears that hang upon, and perplex our fpirits about the hypocrify of our hearts, do not conclude that therefore ave ure

3

what we fear ourselves to be. God will not condemn every one for a hypocrite that fufpects, yea, or charges himself with hypocrify. Holy David thought his heart was not right with God, after that great flip of his in the matter of Uriah; and therefore begs of God to renew a right fpirit in him, Pfal. li. 10, 11, 12. his integrity was indeed wounded, and he thought defcroyed by that fall.

Holy Mr Bradford fo vehemently doubted the fincerity of his heart, that he fubfcribed some of his letters, as Mr Fox tells us, John Bradford the hypocrite; a very painted fepulchre: And yet in fo faying, he utterly misjudged the ftate and temper of his own foul.

W

SECT. II.

ELL then, let not the upright be unjuft to themselves in cenfuring their own hearts; they are bad enough, but let us not make them worfe than they are, but thankfully own and acknowledge the leaft degrees of grace and integrity in them; and poffibly our uprightnefs might be fooner difcovered to us, if, in a due compofure of fpirit, we would fit down and attend the true anfwers of our own hearts to fuch questions as these are.

Queft. 1. Do I make the approbation of God, or the applause of men, the very end and main defign of my religious performances, according to Theff. ii. 4. Col. iii. 23. will the acceptation of my duties with men fatisfy me, whether God accept my duties and perfon or not?

Quest. 2. Is it the reproach and fhame that attends fin at prefent, and the danger and mifery that will follow it hereafter, that reftrains me from the commiflion of it? Or is it the fear of God in my foul, and the hatred I bear to fin as it is fin? according to Pfal. xix. 12. and Pfal. cxix. 113.

Quest. 3. Can I truly and heartily rejoice to fee God's work carried on in the world, and his glory promoted by other hands, though I have no share in the credit and honour of it, as Paul did? Phil. i. 18.

Quest. 4. Is there no duty in religion fo full of difficulty and felfdenial, but I defire to comply with it? And is all the holy and good will of God acceptable to my foul, though I cannot rife up with like readiness to the performance of all duties; according to that pattern Pfal. cxix. 6?

Queft. 5. Am I fincerely refolved to follow Chrift and holiness at all feafons, however the afpects of the times be upon religion? Or do I carry myself fo warily and covertly as to fhun all hazards for religion; having a fecret referve in my heart to launch out no farther than I may return with fafety; contrary to the practice and refolution of upright fouls? Pfalm cxvi. 3. Pfal. xliv. 18, 19. Rev. xxii. 11.

Quest. 6. Do I make no confcience of committing fecret fins, or neglecting fecret duties? Or am I confcientious both in the one and the other, according to the rules and patterns of integrity? Matth. vi. 5,6. Pfal. xix. 12.

A few fuch questions folemnly propounded to our own hearts, in a calm and ferious hour, would found them, and discover much of their fincerity towards the Lord.

A

SECT. III.

ND as upright hearts are too apt to apply to themfelves the threats and miseries of hypocrites, fo hypocrites, on the contrary, are as apt to catch hold of the promifes and privileges pertaining to believers.

To detect therefore the foul-damning mistakes of fuch deceived fouls, O that thefe following rules might be studied, and faithfully applied to their conviction and recovery.

Rule 1. It is not enough to clear a man from hypocrify, that he knows not himself to be an hypocrite. All hypocrites are not defigning hypocrites; they deceive themfelves as well as others: "Many will fay "to me in that day, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy name," &c. Matth. vii. 22. Hell will be a mere furprifal to multitudes of profeffors: a man may live and die in a blind, ungrounded confidence of his fafe condition, and not fear his ruin till he begin to feel it.

Rule 2. Zeal and forwardness in the cause of God, and for the reformation of his worship, will not clear a man from the danger of hypocrify. Jehu was a zealous reformer, and yet but a painted fepulchre. In the year 1549, reformation grew fo much in reputation, even among the nobles and gentry in Germany, that many of them caufed these five letters, V. D. M. I. E. being the initial letters of these words, Verbum Domini manet in æternum: i. e. The word of the Lord abideth for ever, to be wrought, or embroidered, or fet in plates, fome upon their cloaks, and others upon the fleeves of their ments; to fhew to all the world, faith my author, that forfaking all popish traditions, they would now cleave to the pure doctrine and difcipline of the eternal Word.

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gar

And no doubt they would have been as good as their word, if what was embroidered on their cloaks, had been engraven on their hearts; but, Come, fee my zeal, mars all.

Rule 3. It is no fufficient evidence of a man's own integrity, that he hates hypocrify in another: for, as one proud man may hate another, and he that is covetous himself, will be apt to cenfure another for being fo; lutts may be contrary to one another, as well as all of them contrary to grace; fo may an hypocrite loath that in another, which yet he alloweth in himfelf: Nay, it is the policy of fome to declaim against the hypocrify of others, thereby to hide their own. Hypocrites are none of the most modeft cenfurers of others, Pfal. xxxv. 16. A falt jeft feafoned their meat.

Rule 4. The mere performance of private duties will not clear a man from hypocrify. The influence of education, or fupport of reputation, or the impulfe of a convinced confcience may induce a man to

John Wolfe, Lect. Menor, Tom, z. ad Annum 1549.