A DISCOURSE ABOUT THE STATE OF TRUE HAPPINESS:  
DELIVERED IN CERTAIN Sermons in Oxford, and at Paul's Cross:  
By ROBERT BOLTON.  2. CORINTH. 13.5. Prove yourselves whether ye are in the faith: examine yourselves: know ye not your own selves, how that jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 
AT LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for EDMUND WEAVER, and are to be sold at his shop, at the great North-gate of Paul's Church. 1611.   

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, HIS VERY GOOD PATRON, SIR AUGUSTIN NICOLS, Knight, Sergeant at the Law; the glorious comforts of Grace here, and the blessedness of immortality hereafter.  
SIR, I having been often and much solicited with variety and iteration of strong importunity, to publish and let pass into the eye of this censorious world, these, thevery first fruits and essays of mine employment and business in the ministery; did apprehend and embrace this season with better contentment, and with more cheerfulness address and compose myself thereunto: because I did see opportunity offered thereby, to let appear abroad my thankful acknowledgement of your respectful and more than ordinary favour unto me; and a public testimony of your worthy and exemplary integrity, in discharging your hands, and faithfully disposing that portion of the Church his patrimony committed to your trust and conscience. An affair (though in these desperately sinful times, fearfully and accursedly abused) of high and weighty consequence, and of great power, as it shall be discharged with conscience, or corruption, either further to ruin our Church, and bring it to more misery and desolation, or to repair and advance it to better state & more happiness. For mine own particular, it hath so pleased God to guide your heart in this business, and to bless me with his providence, that whereas too many patrons now adays; either by detaining sacrilegiously Gods portion, against all grounds of equity both divine & human; or by furnishing Church-livings simoniacally and corruptly, do certainly pull upon their own heads, souls and bodies, goods and posterity, an heavy and horrible 
* W●ll a man spoil his gods? yet have ●e spoiled me. But ye say, wherein ●aue we spoilt thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: ●or ye have spoiled me, even this whole nation. Malach. 3.8.  curse, and shall thereby make their account to be without favour at the last day: and whereas many worthy men, after they have wearied and wasted their bodies and minds, their spirits and patrimony in study, and worn out their hopes with long and tedious expectation, pursuit and dependence; come at length, with much ado, to no great matters, and when all is done, it is well if they escape all galling and gash of conscience, such is the strange iniquity of the times: yet I say, so worthily have you dealt with me, & so uprightly in the Church his cause, that upon your own first motion you sent unto me to accept the place I now enjoy from you, and offered me a fair, a free and comfortable passage to the exercise of my ministery abroad; which next unto the salvation of mine own soul, I hold most dear and precious; when I neither sought after, nor thought upon preferment. This your rare and singular bounty, did at the very first affect me with a secret sense of an extraordinary obligation, for all inward affectionatnes, and with a desire of representing it in some visible form of outward testification. But when I did after further consider, first how that Sacrilege and Simony, that damned couple of crying sins, like two ravenous Harpies, and the two insatiable daughters of the Horseleech, had seized even upon the Heart of our Church, ready to rend and tear in pieces her very heartstrings, and to suck out the inmost blood and last life of our dearest Mother: when I looked above me in this famous University where I have lived, and saw many reverend and learned men, full of the light of divine truth, and of the water of life, able gloriously and comfortably to enlighten many dark places and dry souls in this land, ready to expire and power out their souls in the bosom of this their famous Nurse; not brought up by her to die at her breasts, but if they might have honest and lawful passage, ready and resolute to enlarge Christ's kingdom abroad, and to oppose with all their power, against the bloody torrent of Popery and rage of Antichrist: lastly, when I weighed with myself mine own natural declination and resolved unfitness, to make a noise and stir in the world for preferment: I did find that as these considerations did before give small hope of changing my station; so now they were of power yet further to double the impression of your worthy and extraordinary goodness unto me, and freshly to renew the thankful devotions and apprehensions of mine heart. Out of which hath sprung in me a thirsting earnestness and contention of spirit, to return unto you, for these temporal favours, so far as the nature of that high Ministerial function, wherein I stand, shall guide me, and the power of my poor ability can reach; the Blessings of Heaven, and comforts of a better world. To which end, I here present unto you this Treatise, which I have intended to be, so far as my gracious God hath given me understanding in the point, as it were a looking-glass or Touchstone, to whomsoever it shall please to take thorough notice thereof, for the discerning and trying, in some good measure, whether he already be of the number of those few which truly live the life of God, and under the Sceptre of his Son; or lie as yet enthralled in the invisible chains of damnation and death, and under the large and powerful reign of Satan. For I am persuaded, that in this glorious noontide of the Gospel many thousands deceive not only the world, and others, but even themselves and their own souls, about their spiritual state: thinking, if they find in themselves a freedom from gross and notorious sins, fairness of conditions, civil honesty, a formal profession of Christianity, outward performances of religious services, that then their case is good enough for heaven; though there be wanting the saving power of inward sanctification, and the truth of a sound conversion; though they be strangers to the great mystery of Godliness, and disacquainted with a conscionable and constant course of Holiness in their lives and actions. But we must conceive, that over and beside these degrees of goodness, with which millions of men content and deceive themselves; yea, and quite beyond, and utterly without the compass of all worldly glory, all visible pomp, the most admitted greatness and sufficiency upon earth, for which a great part of the world exchange the everlasting happiness of their souls; there is a Paradise of Christian comforts, a Royal Peculiar, a victorious Simplicity, a neglected innocency, a marvelous Light, an invisible Kingdom, an Heaven upon Earth; which I call the state of Grace; and labour in the ensuing Discourse to difference from all perfections and sufficiencies attaineable in the state of unregeneration. I meddle not purposely with the notorious sinner: for me thinks, in these days of light, there should none so wilfully and deeply enwrap himself in darkness; but that in his cold blood, and more sober consideration, will acknowledge and confess, that the state of notorious sinfulness, is the state of wretchedness and of death. And that there is no hope for the Drunkard, the Swearer, the Liar, the Usurer, the unclean person, the Sabbath-breaker, the Sacrilegious, Simoniacal, and sinners of such infamous rank; but a fearful looking for of judgement, and, without repentance and forsaking their sins, an eternal separation both from all possibility of grace and sound comfort in this life, and from the fruition of the joys and blessedness of heaven hereafter. I therefore endeavour and desire to come nearer and closer to men's consciences, and to tell them, that out of a conceit of their moral honesty, and outward religiousness, they may persuade themselves that they are rich and increased in spiritual store, and have need of no more for the attainment of heaven; when in deed and truth, as concerning the power of saving grace, and sincere exercise of religion, they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. In these lukewarm times, many there are, who with the fruits of a temporary faith, and some light of the general graces of the Spirit, make a fair show, and win good reputation for their spiritual state, both with their own hearts, and with the world abroad, when to the eye of heavenly wisdom, and in truth, they are but only Blazing-stars, and earthly minded, not fixed in the same firmament with the Sun of righteousness, nor of an heavenly stamp. And if they rise not higher in their affections and conversation from earth and earthly vanities, when their rootless graces shall be withered and wasted away, their fall will be sudden and fearful; and their former vanishing flashes of vain hope for future happiness, will be turned into horror and extremest miseries of despair. Most behoveful then is it for every man, in time, to search and examine himself whether Christ jesus be in him or no. And it is one of the worthiest and noblest employment of the soul, to reflect upon itself, and with an undazeled and undissembling eye thoroughly to try and descry clearly it own state, whether it be already washed with the blood of Christ, and enlived with a supernatural vigour and life of grace; or yet lie polluted in it own blood, and under the power of the first death. I wonder how any man can be at rest and quiet, until he be assured and secured in this point, sith upon it depends his everlasting estate in another world. Nay, sith even in this world, every unregenerate man, let him be otherwise never so great, or adored above others, never so absolute in all other excellencies and perfections whatsoever; yet being out of the state of grace, is a very limb of Satan, a child of darkness, and one of the family of Hell. The wrath and vengeance of God, all the fury of the kingdom of darkness, the rage of all the creatures, though he little think upon it, are every hour ready and addressed to seize upon him, as a traitor and rebel to the highest Majesty, and to drag him down into the bottom of Hell. Whereas the state of true Christians, and Gods faithful Ones, is most comfortable and glorious even in this life in this vale of tears, and in these Tabernacles of clay. For their comforts are not fading and earthly, springing out of the sinful pleasures & transitory glory of the world; not fastened unto honours, greatness and possessions, to the increase of Corn, and Wine, and Oil: but they are of a right noble and heavenly temper, framed and implanted in the sanctified soul by the spirit of all comfort; and therefore everlasting and unconquerable, able to keep a man in heart and resolution against the malice and cruelties of all adversaries, of all creatures. They only are truly and sound persuaded by the sweet and secret testimony of the spirit, and by the evidence and experience of their own holy life, that after the approaching and much longed for period of a few and evil days, they shall reign with God almighty, the holy Angels and glorified Saints, in unutterable and endless pleasures for ever and ever: and therefore easily and resolutely with much indignation & contempt, overlook and throw out of their hearts, all worldly thoughtfulnes, all excessive desires of earth and earthly vanities, all restless aspirations after transitory honours, the noble miseries of this wretched life. They alone have fastened the eye of their minds, illightened from above with saving faith, upon the unvaluable preciousness and lasting beauty of their immortal crowns in heaven; and therefore all the glittering and golden representations, with which the flattering world hath formerly deceived and dazzled their eyes, appear to be nothing but darkness and desolations. Their glory indeed here upon earth doth not consist in outward pomp and state, it doth not shine to carnal eyes, it is undiscernible to the sharpest sight of worldly wisdom and policy: but inwardly and with spiritual fairness, their divine graces make them so truly honourable and lovely, that somewhere in Scripture they are called the Glory of God, and are as dear unto him as the precious ball and apple of his own eye. They are in so high esteem and account with Angels, that those excellent creatures with much joy & alacrity become their Guardians, and serviceable unto them with extraordinary care and tenderness. All the creatures groan, and desire to be delivered into their glorious liberty; and in the mean time, with a secret and insensible reverence, they adore the sacred character of divinity that is stamped upon them. All the Saints acknowledge them to be more excellent than their neighbours, of the household of God and heirs of heaven. Nay, the wicked themselves, many times, are confounded and stand amazed at the height of spirit and resolution that possesseth their hearts, and at the sober & undaunted majesty that shines in their faces. This, and a thousand times more than this, is the blissful state of God's children even in this life. Howsoever they be neglected and trampled upon by the world and wicked men; yet in the judgement of God himself, the blessed spirits, and all men of true worth indeed, they are the only Angels upon earth, and the royal citizens of this kingdom of Grace. The prosecution of this point would be comfortable, but so I should be more tedious. No more but this therefore at this time: Certain it is, if a man were crowned with the royal state and imperial command of all the kingdoms upon earth; if his heart were enlarged to the utmost of all created capacity, & filled with all the exquisite and unmixed pleasures that the reach of mortality and most ambitious curiosity could possibly devise, and might without interruption and distaste enjoy them the length of the world's duration; they were all nothing to the enjoyment of the precious and peerless comforts of the state of Grace, but even for an hour. I speak the truth, I use no Hyperbole, the Spirit of all comfort, and consciences of all true Christians bearing me witness. Good Sir, let me humbly entreat you with a proportionable zeal and fervency, to incline and enlarge your affections to the pursuit and practice of so excellent and glorious an happiness. Which that you may do, I will continually prostrate and power out my soul in prayer, before the throne of Grace and mercy: And rest,  Your Worships to be commanded ever in the Lord jesus, Robert Bolton.  

AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.  
CHristian. This Discourse which now stands so close together, was delivered in five several sermons, but all to a most judicious and intelligent auditory; therefore there is a continuance of matter, coherence, and style. I must entreat thee, out of thine ingenuous discretion, to distinguish the places where they were preached, as thou shalt find the direction of my speech, and some particular applications more naturally and necessarily with individual reference appropriated thereunto. The reasons why I spent the most of my meditations, and stick so long in descrying and desciphering the state of formal hypocrisy (for therein I have trod a something uncouth and unusual path) are these:  
First, I considered that in this full light of the Gospel, a great number of men appl●●d and content themselves with a superficial glistering of a formal profession, outward conformity to the Ministry of the word, and some false flashes of an unsound persuasion that they are in the ready and right way to heaven; when as indeed it hath not inwardly illightened their understandings with saving knowledge, heated their affections with true zeal, subdued their sinful thoughts, and noisome lusts with the power of grace, nor softened and sanctified their hearts to yield a cheerful, sincere, and universal obedience thereunto: And so after a few miserable days spent in a prosperous security, they fall into the jaws of hell before they mistrust any such matter; and the pit of destruction shuts her mouth upon them, before they know and acknowledge, their broken and bankrupt state in spiritual things; I therefore desire and endeavour to awake them out of their golden dream of imaginary future happiness; that with open eyes they may see their present spiritual poverty, and so betimes prevent the anger to come. I hope in the Lord, and wish heartily, that by a dispassionate and thorough perusal of this Treatise, they may take some scantling of their own estate with God; and entering a serious and impartial search and examination of their consciences, discover and reveal themselves unto themselves; and so if they belong unto the everlasting covenant of grace, s●ep forward into the state of grace, the paradise of true Christianity, and practise of holiness; that their dear and precious souls may be saved in the day of the Lord Ies●s.  
Secondly, I did conceive that there is a threefold cord, three main and capital causes, that violently hale down upon us from heaven many both corporal and spiritual plagues, and bind them fast to the bowels, and principal parts of this kingdom, and do daily more and more ripen the just wrath of God, for the pouring out of his last vengeance upon this sinful nation. They are those: 1. The overflowing torrent and unbridledrage of many crying sins, fearful abominations, and desperate profaneness. 2. A sensible declination from their first love, and decay of zeal, even in Christians. 3. A lukewarmness and want of thorownes and sincerity in formal professors.  
As for the first: By our horrible sins and hateful ingratitude for mercies without measure, and miraculous deliverances, we grow so heavy upon the Lord, that we press him, and the bowels of his tenderest compassions. as a ca●t is pressed that is full of sheaves; so that it is impossible, but that shortly, without great humiliation and general repentance, we should wrest out of his hands the vials of his last wrath, and force him to come against us with the besom of utter desolation. It is to be feared (so grievous and endless is the impiety and impenitency of this land) that his forbearance in the mean time, is not for any hope he hath of us (for what good hath a durable and extraordinary plague done upon us?) but only by reason of the cruel and implacable insolency of our enemies; because ●ee is loath to make us a prey to the Wolves of Rome, and matter of triumph to such a merciless and murderous generation. Who knows but that the Match had reached unto the Powder, had not the Lord out of the bottomless depth of his unlimited mercies laid hold upon his own argument, Deut. 32.26.27. I have said, I would scatter them abroad, I would make their remembrance to cease from amongst men, save that I feared the fury of the enemy, lest their adversaries should wax proud. Left his and our adversaries, those breathing devils the Gunpowder Papists, should too proudly and barbarously have insulted in the ruins of his people, and the banishment of his glorious Gospel. The Lord give us understanding hearts to consider these things in time, lest he come upon us with his wrath, never more to be appeased, and tear us in pe●ces when there is none to h●lpe. May any man drive away an hungry Lion in the wood? or quench the fire in stubble, when it hath once begun to burn? may one turn again the arrow that is shot of a strong archer? If the Lord once whet his glittering sword, and his hand take hold on judgement, with purpose to root out a sinful and rebellious nation; there is no power or policy, no multitude of men, or magnificence of State, no armour of the mighty, or arm of flesh, shall ever be able to give any succour, relief, or deliverance.  
Concerning the second: Certain it is, that our blessings of peace, and strength of State, breed by accident much abatement of forwardness, and zeal in godliness, secret indevotion, and coldness even in many true Professors, carelessness in observing their ways, weariness and uncheerfulness in doing good, and performing holy duties, unpreparedness in coming to divine services, religious exercises, and the Lords Table, sleightness and unprofitableness in prayer, meditation, Christian conference, and daily examination of their consciences, neglect of opportunity in winning their brethren unto the fear of God, and of working upon, and prevailing with their kindred, acquaintance, familiars and families. Thus wickedly and unthankfully turn we the mercies of God into occasions of sin, and suffer our temporal happiness to waste and consume our spiritual blessings. And the more we are secured in our outward state, the more heartless we are in the service of God, and the affairs of the life to come. But let us look unto it: for as the louder and crying sins of this land are the great and strong cart-ropes; so undoubtedly, these as lesser cords have their part and some power in drawing upon us heavy judgements, and in preparing further vengeance, except we amend, and return to our first love. Would to God that we would keep fresh in our minds but this one consideration: That the same God, which against the expectation both of heaven and earth, of Rome and hell, of devils and Papists, turned our fears and amazements at the death of that glorious Saint, the late Queen, into safety, and a sure foundation, by the most happy succession of our gracious Sovereign, and his royal seed; can out of his just judgements for our unthankfulness and security, in the very turning of an hand and closing of an eye, dash all our hopes, and shut up the whole Body of this flourishing kingdom in the pit of irrecoverable destruction. It had been done, had Fauks fired the powder: and who knows what those busy and bloody heads are even now hammering in the same kind? Besides these two now mentioned, there is another capital cause of God's heavy displeasure; which though i● make no great noise, nor be much taken notice of upon earth, yet ●t is much loathed of God almighty, and cries loud in heaven for vengeance upon us: It is a lukewarmness, and unzealousnesse, a cold and careless mediocrity in spiritual matters, and as it were, a neutrality betwixt notorious sinfulness and saving sincerity. When men perhaps with diligence, willingness and forwardness submit themselves to the hearing of the word; but subordinate the power and practise thereof to their ●ase, honours and worldly contentments: When they will needs hold an outward correspondence with the world, and yet inwardly maintain and nourish hope of salvation in themselves: When they strain their wits, and strive to partake both of the comfortable favour of God, and corrupt fashions of the times; both of the pleasures of their sweet sin, and the sweetness of the true peace of conscience, which are as inconcurrent as two parallel lines, and as incompatible as light and darkness. These men, though in the world's opinion, they be of civil honest carriage, of moderate spirits, and of a stated temper in religion; and in their own conceits, rich and enriched, and want nothing, yet indeed they are mere starvelings, and stark beggars in respect of the true riches, and lasting treasures of saving grace, and in the very case of those (except in the mean time they buy of him gold, garments and oil) which shall never see Christ jesus in his Kingdom to their comfort: for Amen, the faithful and true witness hath vowed it, that he will spew such out of his mouth; and wishes much rather that they were key-cold, than such formal Christians: His speech imports thus much: I had rather you were Pagans and Infidels, than professors without zeal. Now my chief and special aim is, with all humble submission to be●ter judgements, and the censure of the Prophets, to lay open the state of th●se men, because besides their fearful deceiving their own souls, and particular certain damnation if they so continue, they mightily incense the Lord's wrath against this la●d, with an insensible and unacknowledgde provocation, and mainly hazard the continuance of his glorious Gospel amongst us. It is commonly conceived indeed, both of themselves, and of the world; that if they be morally honest, and outwardly conformable to the ministry of the word; so that they be hurtless, and innocent in respect of human justice; that they are also, I know not how, harmless and guiltless before the Tribunal of God. But the Evangelist tells us, 
Luke 16.15.  That that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God: And God himself by Isaiah, 
Isai. 55.8.  That his thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are his ways our ways. For certainly the state of lukewarmness, and formality in religion, howsoever it may be full of worldly applause and happiness, and bear away the bell upon earth; yet it is as burdensome and hateful unto God, as lukewarm water, or the most loathsome potion to the nicest stomach: And doth with a more natural importunity than other sins, knock at the gates of divine justice, for the remooveall of our candlestick, and the glory of his Gospel from amongst us. All kinds of sins according to their nature, measure and ripeness have proportionally a part and hand in drawing down all manner of plagues upon the sons of men: but this hath a peculiar and predominant power, in hastening that particular and greatest of all judgements, the famine of the word. For God cannot endure without special indignation, that his word, which is his power unto salvation▪ should receive such limitation and prescription from men's wisdom; that it should work no further upon them, nor beget more change and holiness, then may consist with the enjoyment of their worldly contentments, reputation, and the pleasures of their beloved sin. He cannot abide, that men discontented with the straitness of the gate of grace, and impatient of a strict course of godliness, should labour to find out, and follow another way to heaven, than that which is sanctified by his word, and which hath and must be trodden by all those that will ever see the Lord. Knowledge and profession of God's truth, without sanctification and zeal, are but means in the mean time, to put out the glory of Israel, and will hereafter but increase the number of stripes, and add weight unto endless torment. In the name of God therefore let all lukewarm and formal Christians be contented to take notice of their state; and before the Sun go down over the Prophets, suffer their hearts to be thoroughly heated with true zeal; and besides their outward reformation, and general lightnings of the Spirit, to entertain that special saving and sanctifying grace, which only can save their souls, and prepare them for the glory that is to be revealed: Lest now at length (for he hath borne with us miraculously) our just God cause our Sun to go down at noon, and darkness to surprise us in the clear day: L●st he root us out of this good land, as a fruitless and faithless nation, turn us out of our houses of peace, as the unworthiest, and unthankefullest people under heaven; and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, which will deliver him the fruits in their seasons. And the more secure and fearless we be (as we were never more) the more sudden and inevitable is like to be our surprisal and destruction. For as God's mercies are then most magnified, when they relieve the extremest misery, and shine into the depth of discomfort and darkness, when all other help is utterly despaired of: so his judgements are most glorious, when they strike at the height and top of pride and impenitency, while they think themselves most sure, and with greatest confidence repose upon the arm of flesh, and policy of man.  
The third reason and motive why I insist so long in the point of formal hypocrisy, was taken from the condition of mine auditors; who being of deepest understanding, are naturally aptest and strongliest tempted, to mistake & undervalue the mystery of godliness, and to deceive their own souls in the high point of salvation. For men of greatest nobleness and pregnancy of spirit, of most rich and universal endowments of mind, without the power of grace and a sanctified humility (the fairest branch springing thence, and the true crown of Christianity) are readiest to make an idol of their great sufficiency, with a disdainful prejudice to pass by the simplicity of the Saints, & out of a flattering conceit of their own hearts, to think their spiritual state as good as the best, and most blessed from God, when as yet they have no part in the first resurrection. For when they find themselves far above others in all other excellencies, and whatsoever remarkable worth the world takes special notice of; they conceive also that in a proportionable congruity, (as indeed it should be) they are inferior to none, in those sacred apprehensions of heaven, and taste of eternal life. Upon this consideration, I was bold▪ out of a Christian jealousy, to treat on this argument, being persuaded of their great wisdom and gracious humility to listen to any heavenly message, which might either discover or prevent spiritual danger.  Thine in Christ jesus, Robert Bolton.  

A DISCOURSE ABOUT THE STATE OF TRUE HAPPINESS.  PSALM. 1. 
1 Blessed is the m●n that doth not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful.  
2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law doth he meditate day and night.  
THere is no greater encouragement, or stronger motive, to stir a man to an eager, and earnest pursuit of the means then to purpose unto him an end, wherein at length his heart may repose, as in a concurrence of all comforts and contentments. To which, there is no possibility of attainment, but by pureness of heart, holiness of life, constancy in a course of sanctification; which only lead unto the face, and presence of God, where, and with whom alone is the highest perfection of bliss, a river of infinite pleasures, the well of life, and endless rest of all created desires. For the capacity of man's soul, cannot possibly be filled with the sufficiency of any creature; no, not with a world of creatures; for they are all nothing to the worth of a man's soul; Christ himself having preferred it in valuation: 
Matth. 16.25.  What shall it profit a man, though he should win the whole world, if he lose his own soul? And therefore can never be free from motion and vexation; until it reach unto, either in certain hope, or actual fruition, an object, infinite, as well in excellency of nature, as duration of time. Blessed then was the wisdom of the disposer of these heavenly Songs of David; whether it was himself, or Ezra, or whomsoever, in that he prefixed this excellent Psalm, as a preface to all the rest; wherein is proposed, and comprised a matchless happiness; whereby the godly man, may even in this life flourish like a Palm tree, 
P●alm. 92.12.  and grow like a Cedar in Lebanon; refreshed continually with rivers of joys, and comforts, shed into his heart by the spirit of God: and may stand like mount Zion unastonished and vnremou●d, 
Psalm. 125.1.  at that great, and fearful day, when the wicked shall call for the mountains to cover them, and wish they had never been. What ingenuous mind would not be inflamed with zeal, to the prosecution of those means, which lead unto an end as full of happiness, as the Sun is full of light, and the Sea of waters? What heart not possessed with an iron s●ew, would not thirst, and long after found, and undissembled sincerity, even as the Hart brayeth after the rivers of water, and as the dry ground gapeth for drops of rain? sith by it alone we purchase, and put on an unconquerable resolution, issuing from an assurance of being in Christ, and from the clearness of a good conscience: 
Prou. 13.1.  whereby we may walk even. as bold as Lions thorough this valley of tears, amid the mercilesle vexations of profane men; 
Psalm. 91.13.  nay, we may walk upon the Lion and Asp, the young Lion and the Dragon we may tread under feet; and hereafter be sure to be satisfied with the fullness of joy in the presence of God, and with pleasures at his right hand for evermore.  
This happy man is here described unto us by many arguments.  
First, are laid down his marks, and properties; negative, and affirmative, in the two first verses.  
Secondly, his happiness is livelily set out by a similitude, in the third verse.  
Illustrated by an opposition of the misery, and unhappy condition of the wicked, in the fourth and fifth verses.  
Concluded with the causes of them both, to wit, of the happiness of the godly, and vengeance upon the wicked, in the last verse.  
The negative properties in the first verse are three: He doth not walk in the Counsel of the wicked; He doth not stand in the way of sinners; He doth not sit in the seat of the scornofull; amplified with a threefold gradation in the persons, actions, and objects of the actions. The gradation in the persons, the wicked, sinners, and scornful, implies all forts of ungodly men. The gradation in the actions, walk, stand, and sit, all manner of commerce, and correspondence with them. The gradation in the objects, the counsel, way, and fear, all kind of iniquity; inward corruptions, or outward impieties. The whole verse laboureth with an emphatical exaggeration, to set down hi● blessed forbearance of sin, and communicating with sinful men.  
The second verse containing his employment in piety, seemeth to answer in opposition, the three negatives, with three affirmatives. His delighting in the Law of the Lord, is opposed to the counsel of the wicked. His mediation, and exercise in that Law to the way of sinners. Day and night: there is his constancy, and habit, oppos'de to the seat of the scornful.  
Why then, let the profane, and flattering world say what it will: let sensual, and unsanctified men judge as they lift. That man, and that man alone is truly, and everlasting happy: That walketh not in the counsel of the wicked; that is, that doth not delight in their vain imaginations, sinful affections, lustful desires, speculative wantonness. In their proud and swelling thoughts; which conceive mischief, and bring forth a lie; chaff, & bring forth stubble; the wind and bring forth the whirlwind. That doth not partake with their impotent passions, unhallowed policies; their exorbitant, and indirect projects, for their pleasures, honours, and profits. Whose souls desire not to come into the secret of their cruel consultations, and malicious designments. In a word, whose heart hateth, and abominateth all venom of inward pollution, that hath either fountain or seat in any power of the soul.  
That standeth not in the way of sinners. That is, that breaketh not into open profaneness; that imitateth not their actions, and conversation. Whose mouth is not full of bitterness and lying; whose lips a●e not infected with the poison of Asps▪ whose hands are not full of bribes, and falsehood; whose f●et are not swift, to run after mischief, vanity, and lewd companions.  
That fits not in the seat of the scornful. That is, that confineth not himself to the chair of iniquity; that confirmeth not himself in his malice and hardness of heart; that doth not make a mock of sin, and jest with the sacred word of God; that doth not direct the poisonous arrow of a spiteful tongue, even at the apple of Gods own cie, his dearest Saints and servants. That, with the scorner, doth not dare the highest majesty of the Almighty, to whet his glittering sword, and take hold on judgement; to put on his habergeon of righteousness, and the garments of vengeance for clothing: saying, as it is Isai. 5.19. Let him make speed: let him hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the holy one of Israel draw near, & come, that we may know it.  
Thus far his forbearance of sinful actions. Now follows his practice in actions of piety.  
But his delight is in the Law of the Lord. That is, the whole doctrine divinely inspired is the very joy of his heart, and delight of his soul. It is sweeter unto him then honey, & the honey comb. It is more precious unto him than gold, yea, than much fine gold. It is more worth unto him, than heaven, and earth. And when the heart is once enkindled with love, there the imagination embraceth with dearest apprehension; the thoughts are impatient of any other object; all the powers of the soul are united in a strong endeavour for the attainment. The whole mind must needs be possessed with meditation▪ If he delight in the Law of the Lord, he must needs meditate therein. And this fervency of the heart, cannot possible be enclosed within the compass of the breast: it will spread itself in speech and actions. As is plain, Psalm. 37.30. The mouth of the righteous will speak of wisdom, and his tongue will talk of judgement. The reason follows. For the Law of his God is in his heart. And Psalm 119, 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies: for I love them exceedingly. And this love, delight, meditation, and exercise in the Law of God, of this happy man, is not as a morning cloud, and as the morning dew, before the Sun: but like the light of the Sun, that shineth more and more, unto the perfect day. It is not for a start, for fear, for restraint, for reputation, for advantage▪ or to cover the terrors of conscience, for a while, with a few flashes of deceivable comforts, out of some misapplied promises in the word of God: but it is out of a free resolution, and with undaunted constancy day and night.  
But give me leave, I beseech you, before I proceed to the explication of the rest; or deduction of Doctrines from these particulars; to propose unto you this general Doctrine, which hath his strength from the body of the Psalm, and the main scope of the spirit of God.  
There is in the book of God, proposed▪ and offored unto us, an happiness, standing in opposition, to all the vain felicities, which ancient Philosophers devised out of their deep speculations; or profane men frame out of their corrupt affections: not consisting in pleasures, riches, honours, greatness; in civil honesty, formal hypocrisy; or the whole possibility of nature: but in supernatural grace, and the blessed consequents.  
The whole book of Ecclesiastes, Salomon's sacred retractations, is a large, and sound demonstration of this Doctrine. Solomon was son unto the worthiest king, that ever swayed sceptre upon earth; and he was predecessor in the royal line unto the Son of God; and so matchless for nobility, if true happiness had consisted therein. He was king of jerusalem, the lady of the world, the perfection of beauty, and the joy of the whole earth. He gave silver, as stones, and gave cedars as the wild figtrees, that grow abundantly in the plain. He built him houses, and planted Vineyards. He provided him men fingers, and women fingers; and the delights of the sons of men. Whatsoever his eyes desired, he with held it not from them: and withdrew not his heart from any joy. For wisdom, and understanding, he had a large heart, even as the sand, that is on the sea shore. It speculative knowledge, he excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East; and all the wisdom of Egypt. He was able to discourse from the cedar tree, that is in Lebanon, even unto the Hyssop, that springeth out of the wall. In wisdom of polity, and government, there was none like unto him before him, neither after him shall arise the like unto him. So that Solomon was the most fit, and absolute man, that ever lived, both for ability in understanding, abundance in possession, and desire in searching, to take an exact measure, and the utmost extent, of the worth and sufficiency of all creatures; and to raise from them the best contentments they could possibly afford Yet when he had wearied himself in the variety of passages of this life; and in the book of E●clesiastes becomes a public penitentiary to the whole Church, and to all posterity; see his judgement: he utterly disavows and disclaims them all, as miserable comforters, as mere shadows, and dreams; wherein there is no more matter of sound comfort, than there is light in the greatest darkness, or taste in the white of an egg. He says of laughter, 
Eccles. 2.2.  thou art mad, and of joy, ha● is this that thou dost? And whereas wisdom and knowledge, are the most incomparable treasures this transitory world hath; 
Eccles. 1.18.  he saith, that in the multitude of wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. And of these, and all other things under the sun; yea, and if to the glory of all created natures, were an addition of ten thousand excellencies, that never man saw, or enjoyed; he hath pronounced of them all, in respect of true happiness, and divided from the grace and fear of God, and a sanctified heart; that they are all vanity. And if he had stayed there, it had been well; that argues but a passive imperfection, and a weakness of being in the things themselves; but they are vexation of spirit. Nothing in themselves, yet full of power, and activity to inflict vengeance, and vexation upon the spirit of a man. The spirit of a man being sound in sincerity, and seconded with a good conscience, is able to bear out his infirmities, and all the miseries incident to his nature: It is able to pass by, with a resolute, and contented patience, the lying imputations of the profanest malice: It is able by the grace of God, to encounter with the terrors of death, and the fearfulness of the grave; yea, to endure with a gracious humility even the presence of God, and Angels at that great day. But a wounded, and an afflicted spirit who can bear? If the eye be dark, how great is that darkness? If the spirit of a man, which should refresh all the faculties of the soul with comfortable cheerfulness, and fill the whole body with a lively vigour, be itself wounded with vexation and ter●or; how comfortless is that man? I● his strength were the strength of stones, and his flesh of brass; yet would the torment of a bitter afflicted soul grind him to powder; and melt as the dew before the sun, whatsoever he accounteth strongest, and most powerful to relieve his heaviness; it would turn all his choicest, and dearest pleasures into worm wood and bitterness. And this v●xation, with which riches, honours, or what other vanity desirable in this life doth afflict the unregenerate heart, is twofold: In the very pursuit of them, is much anguish, many grievances, fears, jealousies, disgraces, interruptions, discontentments. But after the unsanctified enjoying of them, follows the sting of conscience, that will everlastingly v●xe the soul; which is the very earnest of the fire of hell; by which, a man doth expect with unconceivable horror, the consummation of the wrath of God; which burneth far hotter, and more unquenchably, than any fire, though augmented with infinite rivers of brimstone, to be powered upon his body and soul for evermore, in the world to come. How then possibly can there be any happiness in these vexations? Wherefore Solomon having proved the negative part of my doctrine, concludes the positive in the last chapter: That to fear God, with reverent regard to keep his commandments, is the only way to be possessed of true happiness, to find peace of conscience, and assurance of the favour of God. For let a man, while he will, in this world of vanity, either sport himself in the soft, and green way of fading pleasures; or please himself in the glorious miseries, of honours and high places; or tyre himself in the toils of unsatiable greediness; or brave it in his oaths, blasphemies, and strength of pouring in strong drink; or tread the fearful and desperate path of contempt of the power of religion, the truth of God, and sincerity of his saints: all the while, when he is at the best, he is but as the raging sea, that cannot rest. For so Isaiah compares the wicked, Chap. 57.20. The sea, you know, is not only many times tossed, and tumbled up and down, with winds and tempests; but ever inwardly disquieted, even with her own motions, casting up continually mire and dirt upon the shore, and breaking into some her proudest waves against the rocks: Even so the heart of that man, which hath reposed his affections upon the glory of this life, is not only many times disquieted, and cast down with outward crosses and occurrents; as with loss of friends, discountenance of great ones, disappointment of his hopes, and preferments; with wrongful railings, and disgraces; with looking upon the day of his death, and vengeance upon the wicked; with all disturbers of his security in his pleasures, and dignities: but is also besides the restless torture of his conscience, ever from within, foaming out his own shame, the dishonour of God, and the vexation of his brethren. But it is not so with him, that holds the fear of God, for his surest sanctuary, that hath resolved to resign up himself in holy obedience to the will of God. His heart is like the upper part of the world; which is ever full of serenity, constancy, and brightness; be the air below, never so troubled with storms and thunders; or the earth with commotions and tumults. For let there be about him, the devouring sword of the Tyrant, the consuming flames of persecution, the keen razors of lying tongues, the mouths of Lions, the cruel combinations of his enemies; nay, let the earth be moved, and let the mountains fall into the midst of the sea: yet his heart is joyful, patient, resolute, and contented.  
But to descend more specially to the particulars of the negative part of my Doctrine: let me add to the many and strong reasons of the ancient Philosophers, and late Schoolmen, against pleasures, riches, and honours, these three; which will for ever utterly disable them for claiming any show of interest in man's happiness.  
First, they cannot possibly fill the unlimited desire of the soul. For although the treasures, the greatness, the delights of all men living, were in the present possession of one: yet somewhat beside, and above all this, there would still be sought, and earnestly thirsted for. Nay, it is certain, if one man were not only crowned with the sovereignty of all the kingdoms of the earth, but beside, were made commander of the motions of the sun, and the glory of the stars; yet the restless eye of his unsatisfied understanding, would peep and pry beyond the heavens, for some hidden excellency and supposed felicity, which the whole compass of this created world cannot yield. So unquenchable is the thirst of man's soul, until it bathe itself in the river of life, and in the immeasurable Ocean of goodness and wisdom. So impossible is it, that this material world, with all her perfections, should be a proportionable object to so precious a nature; or that so divine a sparkle should cease rising and aspiring, until it join itself to that infinite flame of glory and majesty, from whence it first issued.  
Secondly, they cannot secure the conscience distressed with the apprehension of the wrath of God, or prevent his judgements. Memorable is that horrible amazement, that surprised the heart of Belshazzar 〈◊〉 his greatest jollities. Melting he was in pleasures, and deliciousness; solacing himself amongst his wives, and concubines; carousing in the golden, and silver vessels of the Temple. But when there appeared fingers of a man's hand, which wrote over against the Candlestick upon the plaster of the wall: a remembrancer unto his conscience, how contemptuously, and sacrilegiously he had dishonoured the highest Majesty; and that the vials of Gods heavy vengeance were ready to be powered upon his head, all the joys of his royal pomp vanished as the smoke. For then the King's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his joins were loosed, and his knees smote one against the other. And now, one pang of his wounded conscience did much more torment him, than the kingdom, majesty, glory, and honour, which he received from his father Nabuchadnezzar could ever comfort him. So, I doubt not, but many times, the hearts of many glorious Ones in this life, that are not in trouble like other men; but spread themselves as green bay-trees; when they hear the certain judgements of God, denounced out of his book by his Ministers, against those sins, to which by long custom, and vowed resolution, they have fastened their affections, because thereon depend their pleasures, honours, states, reputations, contented passing the time, or the like: I say, that many times (except their consciences be feared up with an hot iron, against the day of vengeance, and then their case is unspeakably woeful) their hearts tremble, even as the trees of the forest, that are shaken with the wind. Amid their laughing, their hearts are sorrowful. Or if their mirth be entire; it is but like the noise of the thorns under the pot. Thorns under a pot, you know, make a great crackling, and noise for a little time; they blaze fair, and bright; but are suddenly extinct, and brought to nothing. Neither are these cold comforters able to quench Gods fiery jealousy, when it breaks forth in plagues, and judgements against a sinful people. Witness the Prophets: Zepha. Chap. 1.17.18. Their blood shall be powered out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver, nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath, but the whole land shall be devoured, by the fire of his jealousy. Ezech. 7.19. Their silver, and their gold cannot deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels, for this ruin● is for their iniquity. Obad. 4. Though thou exalt thyself as the Eagle, and make thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord. It is not then any wedge of gold, or height of place, can privilege, or protect us; when our sins are ripe, and ready to take the flame of God's fierce wrath and indignation.  
Thirdly, they cannot stretch themselves unto eternity. For there are no contentments of this life; whether they lie in honours, riches, pleasures, friends, or the like; let them be never so many in number, so potent in the world, or in our own persuasions, so exempt from mixture of discomfort; that can possibly bring us farther, than our death bed. It may be for a few and wretched days of our life they have detained us in a fools paradise, yet full of Vipers, and Scorpions; It may be, they have left some obscure prints of unfound joys in our passages: but then, at their farewell, they are utterly despoiled of their weak, and imaginary sweetness; and are wholly turned into wounds, and wormwood, into gall and vexation. They leave a sting indeed in the conscience, that never dies; but themselves die all at our deaths, and lie down with us in our graves. Why then, when the immortal soul, being dislodged from this tabernacle of clay, shall now begin to enter the confines of eternity; what shall comfort it, thorough that endless duration? For if it look back to this inch of time, which it consumed in vanity, it may ask: Why have I been troubled about many things? Why have I disquieted myself in vain? Why have I insolently insulted over innocency, and accounted sincerity madness? What hath pride profited me? or what profit hath the pomp of riches brought me? And it may be answered: All those things are passed away like a shadow, and as a post that passeth by: as a ship, that passeth over the waves of the water which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither the path of it in the floods: or as a bird, that flieth thorough in the air, and no man can see any token of her passage, but only hear the noise of her wings, beating the light wind, parting the air through the vehemency of her going, and flieth on shaking her wings, whereas afterward no token of her way can be found. If then the expiration of all worldly comforts be most certain and inevitable, at the furthest at our departure from this life; it is impossible, there should be any absolute joy found in them: for there is wanting the very life and accomplishment of true happiness, assurance of perpetuity. Imagine therefore, a man to be abundantly encompassed even with all the desires of his heart; let him wash his paths with butter; and let the rock power him out rivers of oil; let him heap up silver as the dust, and gold as the mire of the streets; let him deck himself with majesty and excellency, and array himself with beauty and glory; let him drink up the pleasures of this world in as great abundance as Behemoth the river jordan; yet all is nothing, himself being covered with corruption, and mortality; and the fruition of them with vanity and change. One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh. He must at length necessarily make resignation of all into the hands of a new succession. And he shall take nothing away when he dies; neither shall his pomp or pleasures descend after him. Yet, if a man besides an entire and uninterrupted possession of his worldly contentments; which is never to be looked for in this life: 
chap. 14.22.  for, as job speaks, While his flesh is upon him, he shall be sorrowful; and while his soul is in him, it shall mourn; yet I say, if beside he were able to extend his life to many millions of years, the matter were a little more tolerable. But alas, the life of a man at the most is but a hand breath, or a span long; & that which makes it much more miserable, he knows not in what part of that short span, how suddenly, or how soon he shall be cut off from the land of the living; and go, and shall not return, even unto the land of darkness, 
job 20.  and shadow of death. For the rejoicing of the wicked is short, and the joy of hypocrites is but a moment. Though his excellency mount up to the heaven, & his head reach unto the clouds; yet shall he perish for ever like his dung, and they which have seen him, shall say, where is he? He shall flee away as a dream, and they shall not find him, and shall pass away as a vision of the night. So that the eye which had seen him, shall do so no more, and his place shall see him no more. And in this respect, man's condition is far inferior to other creatures. One generation passeth, and another generation succeed: but the earth remaineth for ever. The Sun seems every night to lie down in a bed of darkness; but he rises in the morning, clothed with the same glory and brightness; and rejoiceth as a Giant to run his course: 
Chap. 14.10, 11.12.  But man (saith job) is sick, and dieth, and man perisheth, and where is he? As the waters pass from the sea, and as the flood decayeth, and drieth up; so man sleepeth, and riseth not: for he shall not wake again, nor be raised from his sleep, till the heaven be no more.  
To let therefore these wretched vanities pass; as unworthy to be insisted on thus long. For howsoever, the worldly minded man, wanting utterly the eye of faith, and having his eye of reason dimmed with mists, that rise from his tumultuous and fiery passions, gross ignorance, and wilful malice, so that he only looks upon the honours, riches and pleasures of this life with a carnal and sensual eye, may seem to see in them, some glimmerings of happiness, and thereafter conform and proportion his desires, endeavours and projects; because he hath his portion only in this life: yet certainly, the truly generous mind may clearly out of the very apprehension of nature and light of reason, discern them all, to be no better than a broken staff of reed, whereupon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it, yea, and strike his heart too thorough with many sorrows; and that in the time of trouble, they will all prove but as a broken tooth, and sliding foot. To let them therefore pass, and die and perish, I come to two other branches of the negative part: civil honesty, and formal hypocrisy.  
These indeed, are the two great engines, by which in this full light and glorious noontide of the Gospel; the prince of this world draweth many multitudes into his snares in this life, and into chains of darkness in the life to come.  
Sweetness of nature, loveliness of disposition, fairness of conditions, a pleasing affability in carriage, and conversation; an unswaied uprightness in civil actions, and negotiations with men, make a goodly show. But if there be an accession of profession of the Gospel, of outward performance of religious exercises, of some correspondence with the servants of God; why then the matter is strike dead. There is the perfection. Whatsoever is above is proud hypocrisy, vainglorious singularity, fantastic preciseness; when God knows, there may be all this, and yet no power of religion, no life of grace, no true happiness, no hope of eternity. To the demonstration of which point before I proceed, let me prevent two objections.  
First, I deny not, but that moral virtuousness is good, and excellent in itself; the outward performance of religious duties, and the exercise of the means of our conversion, are necessary. But if moral virtuousness were able to put on the greatest magnificence, and applause, that ever it anciently enjoyed amongst the precisest Romans; whereby it might worthily draw into admiration and just challenge even these times of Christianity: yet in respect of acceptance with God, and conformity to his will; and being not guided, and sanctified by supernatural grace, it is but at the best, the very filthiness of a menstruous clout. And outward actions of religion, be they performed with as glorious a show, and undiscernible conveyance, as ever they were by the most formal Pharisee: yet severed from a sound, and sanctified heart, the fountain which gives 〈◊〉, sweetness and acceptation to all outward services, they are but all, as the cutting off of a dog's neck; and the offering of swine's blood.  
Secondly, I do not here by any means purpose the discomfort of that man, whose soul is yet wrestling with the grievous afflictions, and terrors of conscience in the fore travel of his new-birth: I wish unto him, the sweetest comforts, that either he in his deepest agonies can desire; or the bowels of God's tenderest compassions are wont to power into broken, and bleeding hearts, and that the joyful light of his saviours countenance may break forth upon his cloudy, and drooping conscience, with far greater brightness than ever the clearest Sun upon the face of the earth. Neither do I purpose the discouragement of him, who hath happily passed the fearful, but necessary pangs of remorse for sins; and hath already by the grace of God, laid hold upon the merits, and mercies of Christ, by a true, though a weak faith. I wish that his soul, as a new-born babe in Christ, may be touched with the smoothest hand of the most wise, & charitable discretion; and that it may be nourished with the sweetest milk of the most gracious, and comfortable promises. I ever esteemed it most bloody cruelty to quench the smoking flax, or break the bruised reed, or to add sorrow to him whom the Lord hath wounded; and therefore rather infinitely desire, to turn the smoking flax into a burning fire of zeal; to refresh the weak, and wounded heart, with softest oil of God's dearest mercies; to make the bruised reed a pillar of brass, that it may stand strong, and sure, at the day of trial. Whereupon, I pronounce out of most certain grounds of Gods eternal truth unto the weakest faith, if true and sound; that the gates of hell, with all the fury, and malice, of the prince and powers of darkness, shall never prevail against it. That neither Angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come; nor depths below, nor heights above, nor the creatures of ten thousand worlds, shall ever be able, to work a separation of it, from that infinite love of God which first planted it in the heart, or a disunion of it from Christ, which inspires it continually with life, spirit, and motion. It is not difference of degrees, and measure, that takes away the nature and being of it. A small drop of water is as well, and truly water, as the whole Ocean: a little spark is as truly fire, both in essence and quality, as the mightiest flame: the hand of a little child, may receive a pearl, as well as the hand of the greatest Giant, though not hold it so strongly: a weak faith, may be a true faith, and so a saving faith, as well as the full persuasion and height of assurance. This only I must advise in this point; that if this grain of mustard seed watered with the dew of grace, grow not towards a great tree: if this spark, enkindled by the spirit of God, spread not into a big flame: if this small measure of faith be not edged with a longing fervency after fullness of persuasion, and seconded with an assiduous and serious endeavour after more perfection; it was no sound and saving faith, but only a counterfeit show and a deceiving shadow. But yet for all this I cannot without a woe speak good of evil, and evil of good: I must not put darkness for light, and light for darkness: Wise Solomon hath taught us, 
Pro. 17.15.  that he that iusti●ieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord. And therefore I must tell you, that a man may be great in the eye of the world, and in the judgement of the greater part for his civil honesty, and solemn performances of outward duties of religion; (to which many thousands never attain) and yet himself be not only a stranger from the life of God, and right happiness, and holden fast under the power and tyranny of the first death: but also by accident, being puffed up with a conceit of an imaginary perfection, become a violent opposite to the power of religion and true godliness. The reason whereof may be this: Our corrupt nature, as in matters of understanding and opinion, worketh in every man a too too much love of his own inventions, and conclusions; all opposition inflames the affection, and sets on foot the wit to find out arguments for their proof, lest he seem to have been too weak of judgement in framing them, or too inconstant in not defending them: even so also in matters of life and conversation: and the more plausible a man's course is, and the more gloriously it is entertained of the world, the stronger is his resolution to continue in it, and the more impatient he is of all controlment and contradiction. So that moral honesty, and outward religiousness, being in themselves good and necessary, and a good step to Christianity: yet by accident are many times a strong bar to keep men from the power of godliness and unfeigned sincerity. Because, when they consider their present course is in good acceptance with the world, and that it may well consist with the free enjoyment of their honours and pleasures, at least arising from their beloved and secret sins, they willingly and peremptorily rest and repose upon it; contented with a probable error of being in the state of grace, and with a plausible passage unto eternal death. And the rather, because they know full well, if they should step forward unto forwardness in religion and that inward holiness, without which they shall never see the face of God; they should not only raise up against themselves many thundering tempests, of the world's insolent, false, and spiteful censures; but also even from the bottom of hell many disturbances and fearful temptations. For I am persuaded, while a man lies secure in the course of unregeneration, if the devil can procure it, he shall enjoy his hearts desire, he shall bring his enterprises to pass, and not fall into trouble like other men. He only then begins to bestir himself, when a man begins to stir towards grace; or that by his trains, he hath brought him to some point of advantage, to some dead lift, to his deathbed; that he may have a full stroke at his destruction, that he may suddenly and certainly swallow him up, body and soul; and then he pays him home with a witness: for either through senselessness, or despair, he sinks him down irrecoverably into the bottom of hell.  
These two objections thus prevented: I come to the proof of the point in hand. And first, these reasons following may demonstrate, that he which reaches but to civil honesty, comes far short of being in Christ, and consequently of true happiness.  
First, some of the heathens, out of those weak notions and inclinations to virtuousness, which corrupted nature confusedly imprinted in their minds, attained a great measure of moral perfection. This Elegy the 
a Cato, homo vir●●ti similimus, qui nunquam rectè fecit, ut facere vider●t●r, sed quia all ●●r facere non potera●; cuique idsolum visum est rationem haeb●re, quòd haberet justitiam; omnibus humani● vitij● immunis, semper fortunam in sua potestate habuit. Paterculus lib. 2.  Historian gives of the Roman Cato. Cato was a man, which did animate the fair speculative image of virtue with lively executions and practice. Goodness was so habitually incorporated into his honest mind, that he did good, not for respects and reservedly, but because he could possibly do no otherwise. Impartial indifferency was the rule of his actions; and being free from the corruptions of the time, he was the same man, and had a free command over his passions, both in time of acceptation and disgrace. It is further reported of Fabricius, that a man might sooner turn the sun from his course, then to sway Fabricius by respects from honest and ingenuous dealing. And yet all these excellencies of morality are justly and truly censured by Divinity, to be but 
b Splendida pecca●a.  glorious sins. Austin, that great disputer, and worthy father, confirms it unanswerable; especially from that ground in the Epistle to the 
c Cap. 11.6.  Hebrues: Without faith it is impossible to please God. Let a man's works be in show never so good, so magnificent, so charitable; except the heart be purged from dead works by a lively faith, and pure from an evil conscience, he is but a painted sepulchre, or whited wall. But yet take this by the way; if these Heathens, in the twilight of reason, became such admirable lights of uprightness and honesty; and yet Christians in these days, when all the beams of Christ's blessed Gospel are shining and shed round about them, continue still in darkness, cold and frozen in profaneness, and security; certainly, as it shall be easier for Tyrus and Sidon at the day of judgement, then for Chorazin and Bethsaida: so it shall be easier for many Heathens, though to them impossible, then for those Christians, that pass not them in virtue and integrity. Cato and Fabricius at that day shall rise up against many lukewarm professors of our times, to their eternal shame, confusion, and condemnation.  
The second reason is grounded upon the words of saint Paul, 1. Cor, 2.14. The natural man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him▪ neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. In this place, by (natural man) is not meant only, the carnal and sensual man, swinishly wallowing in vanities and pleasures: but, as the best and soundest interpreters conceive it, even a man considered with the whole compass of the reasonable soul's possibility. And man's reasonable soul, by that strength it yet retains, since it was by God justly disinherited of alspirituall patrimony for Adam's rebellion, may purchase some kind of perfections. First, in itself it may be excellent, if endowed with a sharp wit, a quick apprehension, a strong mind, a piercing judgement, a faithful memory, a more moderate will, and milder affections. But if by industry and art it furnish and fill every several faculty with those ornaments and qualities, of which they are naturally capable, the perfection is much more admirable. And yet besides these excellencies in itself, it may shine gloriously to others; it may go further, and enable itself by action, experience & observation, with such an universal wisdom, that it may not only be fit and qualified for notable offices of society and intercourse in politic Bodies: but also reach unto the depth of foresight, and large comprehension of circumstances, that it may be worthy employment in affairs of State, and in the direction and guidance of whole kingdoms. All these perfections may concur upon the soul, and yet it remain stark blind in the mysteries of salvation. Imagine them all jointly in one man, and in the highest degree of perfection of which unsanctified mortality is capable, and let them be never so much admired, and flattered of the world; yet without the salt of grace to season them, and the life of faith to animate them, they are but as gay and rich attire upon a leprous body, as jewels, chains, and bracelets, upon a dead and rotten carcase. Let no man then deceive his own heart: he may be enriched with singular pregnancy of all the faculties of the soul, he may be stored with variety of the choicest and profoundest learning, he may express in action and civil honesty the absolute portraiture of Aristotle's moral virtues; he may be as politic as Ahitophel: Whose counsel, which he counseled in those days, was like as one ●ad asked counsel at the Oracle of God: and yet without supernatural illumination, and the divine graces, of faith, love, zeal, sincerity, spiritual wisdom, a sanctified contention of spirit, in making towards God in all kind of duties, which only put a man into possession of true happiness, and sit him for a blessed association with God, Angels, and holy men; I say without these supernatural graces he cannot only, not perceive the things of the spirit of God, but (which is a horrible and fearful curse) even esteem them foolishness.  
The third reason shall be taken from the example of Nicodemus, john 3. Nicodemus, I am persuaded, was an honest and an ingenuous man; I am sure he was a great man, and a teacher of Israel; yet when he comes out of his civil honesty and natural wisdom to reason and confer with Christ about the salvation of his soul and eternal happiness; he is strangely childish and a mere infant. For when Christ tells him; Except a man be borne again, he cannot see the kingdom of God; he replies: How can a man be borne which is old? can he enter into his mother's womb again and be borne? A reply, which may breed an astonishment in all that shall ever read this story understandingly unto the world's end; nay, it seems to seem strange to Christ himself, by his interrogative admiration afterward; Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things? And no marvel; for who would think, that one of the best of the pharisees, a ruler of the jews, a professed Doctor in the Law and the Prophets, and one careful to save his soul, should be so grossly and palpably ignorant, in a most material and necessary point of salvation; especially, having many times, no doubt, read it in Moses and the Prophts? Amongst many places, he might see, Ezech. 36.26.27. most clearly laid down the great and glorious work of our new birth: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take the stony heart out of your body, and I will give you a heart of flesh. etc. But when he comes from teaching, and reading of this and the like places, to be examined in the practice and experimental feeling of these graces of regeneration upon his own soul; why, he talks of a man that is old, entering again into his mother's womb: from whence he should certainly return with a doubled pollution and corruption of nature; and once more the child of Satan, than he was before. But so it is, where the heart is not seasoned with saving grace; let the understanding be never so great with swelling knowledge, the practical powers of the soul never so pregnant with wisdom and policy, and perfected with moral virtues; yet there is nothing to be expected from that man, in matters and mysteries of salvation, but darkness and blindness, childishness and stupidity.  
Fourthly, the young man in the Gospel may be a fit instance for our present purpose. 
Matth. 19  He was unreprovable in the external justice and outward observances of the second table, wherein civil honesty doth principally consist: but how far he was from inward sanctification, the state of grace, and happiness of God's children, appears in the story. For when the sacred and powerful words of our blessed Saviour, had insinuated into the secrets of his soul, and struck at his sweet sin of covetousness; the young man is presently cast into a fit of melancholy, Christ is too precise a preacher for him, he cannot digest such a strict and severe course; he will not abandon his pleasures of worldliness, his palaces, his possessions, to follow Christ the Lord of heaven and earth in this life, though he assure him of the rich treasures of eternal blessedness in the life to come: When the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Whereby we may see, that a man may be civilly honest and uncensurable in outward works of justice, and yet harbour and nourish some close corruptions, and sweet sin in his heart: from which, rather than he will part, he will lose his part in Christ, the bottomless fountain of endless joys and comforts, and his portion of unvaluable glory in the new jerusalem.  
This point being thus manifest, for conclusion I will lay down certain differences, betwixt the righteousness of faith and sanctification, and the righteousness of civil honesty, that a man may have some directions to examine his soul and conscience in this respect.  
First, the fountain and original of righteousness of faith, is the sanctifying Spirit of God. I call it the sanctifying spirit, because the spirit of God may by a general influence concur to the illumination of the understanding with knowledge, and a civil reformation of the will even in the unregenerate: but the sanctifying spirit, by the miraculous operative of saving grace, doth purge and mortify the inmost affections, plant justifying faith in the heart, renew all the powers of the soul, and reinvest them in some good measure with the blessed image of holiness and integrity which they lost in Adam. But the cause and fountain of righteousness of civil honesty, may be goodness of constitution and ingenuousness, whereby a man may not be so apt and inclinable to notorious sins, or want of trials and provocations, or fear of laws and temporal punishments, or desire of reputation and rising, or a vain hope to stay God's judgements for inward corruptions by civil outwardness, or at best, the restraining Spirit of God; by which he doth only repress the furies and outrages of the wicked, and reduce them to some moderation and honesty, for the quiet of his Elect and conservation of Kingdoms. For if God did not put his hook into the nostrils of profane men, and his bridle into their lips, every one of them, (sith every man hath in his corrupt nature the seeds of all sins that ever have, are, or may be committed) I say, every one of them might become a cruel Senacherib, a railing Shemei, a traitorous judas, a bloody Bonner, an hellish Fawkes, fierce Wolves and Lions against the silly and innocent Lambs of Christ's fold.  
Secondly, righteousness of civil honesty in outward actions may make a colourable pretence of piety and uprightness; but indeed hath many secret relations to pleasures, to friends, to profit, to preferments, to revengement, to passions, partialities and events, and such like by-respects, not easily discernible, but by him whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun. But righteousness of faith hath in all actions, for the main scope and principal end, the glory and honour of God: and if infirmity do sometimes distain them with some mixture and adherence of respects, (for who can say my heart is clean? even the purest actions are mixed with some spice of corruptions) it works in the faithful soul much grief, sorrow, striving against, repentance and humiliation.  
Thirdly, righteousness of faith doth labour watchfully, religiously and conscionably in that particular calling, wherein God's providence hath placed a man, and in all the parts and special duties of godliness and obedience. But civil honesty wanders in the generalities of religion; and many times in impertinent, unsettled and unlimited courses.  
Fourthly, righteousness of faith doth strive with greatest earnestness and contention of spirit for spiritual comfort and a good conscience before God. But civil honesty is fully and finally satisfied with credit and plausibleness amongst men.  
Fifthly, civil honesty makes no great conscience of smaller sins; as lying, lesser oaths, gaming, profane jesting, idleness and pastime on the Sabbath day, and the like. But righteousness of faith, having a sensible feeling of the heavy weight of sin, from those anguishs which the conscience felt before the infusion of faith, and being still stung with a check and smart for all kind of transgressions, doth seasonably and proportionably hate and make resistance to all known sins.  
Sixthly, civil honesty doth not use to make opposition against the sins of the time, but is even willing to be carried with the stream; only upon more fair and probable terms, then notorious sinfulness; and therefore will go on, and encourage a man in godly courses, and good causes, until he meet with, either a wound to his state, a disgrace to his person, a disturbance to his pleasures, an imputation to his forwardness, a stop to his preferments, loss of friends, imminency of danger, or any such cross and discouragement; and than it teacheth him to step back, as a man ready to tread upon a serpent, and to start aside like a broken ●ow. But righteousness of faith doth stand out for the honour of God, and ordinarily goes thorough stitch, in good causes; come what come can; crosses or calumniations, good report or evil report, men or devils. For it is completely armed with confidence of future happiness, and hath sixth the eye upon the crown of immortality; which if heaven and earth conspired, they were not able to pull it out of his hand, that reserves it in the heavens, for all those that sight a good fight, that keep the faith, and run with constancy the race of sanctification.  
The next point of the negative part of my doctrine is formal hypocrisy. Which that you may more clearly understand, consider with me three kinds of hypocrisy: privy hypocrisy, gross hypocrisy, formal hypocrisy.  
Privy hypocrisy is that, by which a man makes profession of more than is in his heart. And this sometimes doth mix itself even with the fairest and most sanctified actions of God's dearest children; and doth soon insinuate into a heart stored with the rich treasures of true godliness. For Satan, if he cannot detain a man's soul in notorious sinfulness, in mere civil honesty, or formality, but that by the sacred inspirations of Gods good spirit it is pulled out of the mouth of hell, from the slavery of sin, and courses of darkness, into the glorious light, & liberty of Christ's kingdom; he is enraged with fierce and implacable fury, & doth ever certainly with eager pursuit persecute that soul, both by his own immediate malice, and by the cruel agency of profane men. And if so be he cannot procure a scandalous relapse into gr●sse sins; yet that he may in some measure work the dishonour of God, and the discomfort of his noblest creature, the two main ends of all the policies of hell; he doth labour to distain the pure streams of divine grace in the soul puddle of our corrupted nature; and at least to fasten the spots of privy hypocrisy upon the best actions, and the very face of innocency. This hypocrisy, as I take it, ariseth from spiritual pride. For when a godly man, by the great work of regeneration is become more excellent, 
Prou. 12.26  than his neighbour; as indeed he incomparably is, howsoever the world's estimation be otherwise: Because the one is, as yet, a limb of Satan, receiving from him the cursed influence of school pollutions, of uncleanness, and lying, of malice and revenge of pride and profaneness, &c: The other is already a blessed member of Christ's mystical body, continually inspired with holy motions and the life of grace. The one lies polluted in his own blood, encompassed with the menstruous clouts of loathsome corruptions; of all natures, except only the devil and his angels, the most wretched and woeful; of the family of hell, heir of horror and desolation: The other by the immortal seed of the pure and powerful word of God, 
2. Pet. 1.4.  is made partaker of the divine nature; clothed with the rich and unvaluable rob of Christ's justice, guarded with an invincible troup of heavenly Angels; justly entitled to a kingdom of unconceivable glory and pleasures, more than the stars of the firmament in number. The one is a wrongful usurper of the riches, honours and preferments of this life, for which hereafter he must be condemned to chains of eternal darkness, and a dungeon of endless misery and confusion: the other while he continues in this world, is a rightful owner and possessor of the earth, and all the creatures and blessings of God; and when he departs hence, he shall be made a glorious inhabitant of those sacred mansions, where constant peace, unmixed joys, and blessed immortality even for ever and ever do dwell. Which great difference when the godly man perceives, and his own prerogatives, he is filled with a strange and joyful amazement and admiration at his own happiness: which Satan seeing, who is perfectly experienced in all advantages and opportunities for spiritual assaults, and working upon the relics of man's proud nature, doth cunningly draw him to advance above that which is meet within himself, in his own opinion, the worth of his own graces and virtues. Which that he may convey and represent to the view of the world, with an excellency proportionable to his own overweening conceit; he is forced to admit the secret and insensible poison of privy hypocrisy, which he doth more easily at the first entertain, because the pestilency and bitterness thereof is not discernible by reason of the predominancy and sweetness of the fresh present graces of God's spirit in his soul. But when by afflictions or disgraces, by some extraordinary temptation or particular checks from the Ministry of the word, the ugliness of it is discovered to his conscience; he for ever abhors it, as a consuming canker, that would fret out the very heart of grace, and extinguish the life of sincerity; and therefore with much humiliation and fervency doth pray against it, strive against it, and by the mercies of God prevail against it.  
This kind of Hypocrisy belongs not to my present purpose; only by the way let me give advertisement to the child of God, for to him only I speak in this point: to the end he may keep his heart unblamable in holiness, and preserve the true relish and sound joy of good actions entire, and undistempered: that he would strongly fence his heart, with a gracious and unfeigned humility, against privy pride the mother of this hypocrisy; as against a close, undermining, and a most dangerous enemy; and the more seriously and watchfully for these reasons: partly drawn from the nature of the sin; and partly from the state of his soul. From the nature of the sin:  
First, other sins grow from poisonous and pestilent roots; as Adultery, from idleness; Faction, from discontent; Murder, from malice; jesting out of the word of God, from a a profane heart; the Killing of souls, from nonresidency; Envy and flattery, from a base and unmanly weakness of mind; Violent ambition, from a distrustful independency upon God; Scorning of godliness, from a reprobate sense: but this sin springet● from a fair and unsuspected fountain, even from zeal, godly duties, and good actions.  
Secondly, other gross sins spread themselves universally over the whole corrupt mass of all the sons of men; but this doth single out the chosen of God, and takes up his seat in the sanctified soul.  
Thirdly, this sin doth avoidable wind itself into the heart of a man, with a sly and peculiar kind of insinuation. For when a godly man for a good action or inward grace doth seem to disclaim pride in his conscience, he may be proud that he is not proud, even of his humility, and that he is able to descry his pride and corruptions more than others can do. So endless are the mazes of Satan's circular temptations.  
fourthly, there is no depth of knowledge, no measure of grace, no eminency of zeal can be exempted from hazard of surprisal, by this last and most cunning encounter of Satan by privy pride. Paul, that great instrument of God's greatest glory, in whom there was a matchless concurrence of divine graces, and variety of all manner of afflictions, notable means to keep the heart of man in humility; yet lest he should be exalted out of measure through the abundance of revelations, there was given unto him a prick in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him.  
Reasons taken from the state of the regenerate soul, are these.  
First, let the best and most mortified man turn the eye of his conscience from the fruitless and dangerous speculations of his own worthiness, and fasten it a while upon his corruptions and infirmities, upon his many deficiences in religious duties and executions of his calling, wants and weaknesses in prayer and inward devotion, his dullness and uncheerefulnes in religious exercises, his omissions of services and occasions for the enlarging of the Kingdom of Christ, his cold and sometimes cowardly prosecution of good causes, his now and then slinking from a bold profession of sincerity, for fear of the vain and wretched imputations of worldlings, etc. and out of this consideration, he will be so far from self-conceitedness, and a partial overvaluing of his own gifts and virtues, that he will find much matter and just cause to renew his repentance, to stand upon his guard against spiritual pride, to continue and increase his humiliation, to double his zeal and resolution for the glorifying of God, and subduing his own secret corruptions.  
Secondly, let him consider, how before his calling he marched furiously and desperately under Satan's colours, in the pursuit of pleasures, vanities and worldly honours; with how resolute hatred and contempt he opposed against sincerity and saving grace, as against needless preciseness and folly, how fearelesly and how far he ran in the paths of iniquity, and the sinful passages of the kingdom of darkness; where no reward was to be expected but shame and misery. But after it pleased the Lord to place his Angel in the way to stop the torrent of his impieties and to set his sacred word before his eyes, as a glorious light to direct him in the ways of righteousness; let him remember how often he hath started aside for false and imaginary fears, how often he hath stumbled even in the even path through his own heedlessness, how often he hath stood still in his way, either gazing on the painted and lying glory of the world, or listening to the allurements and deceitful charms of his own flesh. Nay, how sometimes he hath been enforced to retire by some cunning train and malicious stratagem of Satan. So that since his conversion he hath but run faintly and slowly, and won little ground in the race of godliness, although there be set before him the price of ● ● high calling, the highest advancement of the soul, fullness of joy, and the precious treasures of immortality. And if he demur a while sound upon this point, he may for ever fear lest a self-liking of his own excellency, be justly plagued with a scandalous fall into some gross sin, which besides it own particular sting, will unto his great discomfort awake the old sins of his unregeneration, like so many sleeping Lions, with open mouths to charge afresh upon the conscience with new terrors and fearful vexations.  
Thirdly, let the godly Christian look up at the liberal and merciful hand of God, which out of the bottomless depth of his own bounty hath reached unto him, whatsoever gifts he hath; whether of body, or mind, of honours or outward possessions, of nature or grace: and he shall find far greater reason to be continually grieved and humbled, that the bright and unspotted beams of God's sanctifying Spirit are soulely darkened and lessened in his body of death, then to be exalted in his own conceit, in that it hath pleased God of his mere and free mercy to enlighten the darkness of his heart; without which supernatural illumination he should have lived in blindness and miserably until death, and after this life been cast out into utter darkness and remediless desolation.  
Fourthly, let him take heed how he harbours and nourishes this viper of spiritual pride in the bosom of his soul; lest it taking unseasonable heat and warmth from his zeal, endanger the whole frame of his new man. Either by persuading him to embrace some groundless singularity of unwarrantable opinions, which by reason of his virtues will spread more plausibly, and by consequent more dangerously. For a persuasion of integrity is not only a motive to root an opinion deeply in a man's own apprehension, but also a means to make it more currant and passable with the admirers of his graces. Or else this spiritual pride, may by God's just judgement draw upon him a deadness of heart, a dullness of zeal, an intermission of operations of grace, which the child of God doth infinitely more fear than any affliction or cross that can possibly befall him from profane men, either upon his body, or state, or good name.  
These reasons may justly move every faithful Christian, with much earnestness and prayer to labour after, and settle surely in his heart a true and undissembled humility, as the only sovereign means to preserve the life and vigour of his graces in his own soul, their fruit and benefit to others, their blessing and acceptation with God; and with the watchfullest eye of his spiritual wisdom, to hold in perpetual jealousy the cunning sleights and windings of this insinuative sin of privy pride, that both so pestilent a canker may be kept out of the soul, and the passage may be stopped to privy hypocrisy; with which, I told you before, Satan doth endeavour with might and main to discomfort and disgrace the actions and exercises, even of the child of God.  
The second kind of hypocrisy is gross hypocrisy; by which a man professeth that which is not in his heart at all, and so deceives others, but not his own heart. And this is most properly hypocrisy: For the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifieth a stage-player; who sometimes putteth on the robes and majesty of a Prince, himself being of a base and neglected state: Or the gravity and wisdom of a Counsellor, himself being of roguish & dissolute conditions: Sometimes he representeth a chaste and modest lover, his own life being a practice of uncleanness: Sometimes he assumeth a good and honest vocation, his own being accursed and unwarrantable. Even such is the gross hypocrite upon the stage of this world; a very painted sepulchre and whited wall, glorious indeed in outward fashions and solennities, in shows and representations to the eye of the world; but if it were possible for a man to make an exact inquiry into the close and hidden passage of his heart, he should find many black and bloody projects, for compassing revenge even upon surmised opposites, many ambitious steps built upon flattery and dissembling baseness and bribery for his rising and preferments; many stinging swarms of fiery lusts and impure thoughts, which are either spent in speculative wantonness and the adulteries of the heart, or else for fear of the world's notice, break out only into a strange and secret filthiness. In a word under the vail of his outward religiousness, he should see a perfect anatome of the infinite and deceitful corruptions of the heart of man, and many plausible and politic conveyances to blear the eyes of the world, howsoever wretched man upon his own silly and forlorn soul he certainly draws an exceeding weight of vengeance. This kind of hypocrite is more miserable and of less hope than the open sinner.  
First, because he sinneth against the light of his conscience, which manner of sinning makes him incapable of saving graces. For how can that heart which to natural hardness addeth a voluntary obfirmation in sin and resistance to godly motions, receive the softening and sanctifying spirit of God? How should those unruly affections be tamed by the power of religion, who please themselves, and hold it their greatest glory to seem most moderate outwardly, when inwardly they boil most intemperately in lust, pride, malice, contempt of zealous simplicity, and in other foulest pollutions? How should the brightness of wisdom shine, where the windows of the soul are shut close, wilfully and upon set purpose?  
Secondly, by reason of the shining lamp of an outward profession, howsoever he want the oil of grace in his heart, he so dazzles the eyes of men, that he bars himself of those reproofs and wholesome admonitions, whereby the open sinner is many times confounded and amazed in his conscience, humbled and cast down in himself, and happily reclaimed and converted.  
Thirdly, all public reprehensions and advertisements from the Ministry of the word, although they be as so many loud cries sounding in his cares, to awake him out of the dead slumber of hypocrisy; he either interprets to proceed from some particular malice, or indiscreet heat; and so passes them over with a bitter and peremptory censure: or else out of the pride of his heart he posteth them over from himself, as not infamous or notorious in the world's opinion, and transfers them upon the open sinners, being assured that in the judgement of others whom he blinds and deludes by his Art of Seeming, they belong not to him.  
Fourthly, he is justly obnoxious to an extraordinary measure of God's hatred and indignation. For every ingenuous man out of the grounds of morality, holdeth in greatest detestation a doubling and dissembling companion; as a fellow of extreme baseness and servility, most unworthy to be entertained either into his inward affections and approbation or outward services and employments; how much more the God of heaven and earth, who seeth clearly into the inmost closet of the heart? For hell and destruction are before the Lord, how much more the hearts of the sons of men? I say, how much more must he needs double his infinite hatred of sin against the double iniquity of hypocrisy? how must his soul abhor that wretched creature, which bears the world in hand, and makes a show unto men, that he stands for God and his honour and service; but indeed is a close factor for Satan, his own pleasures and the powers of darkness? And as the hypocrite is subject to God's extraordinary hatred; so is he liable to an extraordinary weight of vengeance: For when the wrath of the Lord is once enkindled against him, it is powered out like fire, and burns even to the bottom of hell. His fear cometh like an horrible desolation, and his destruction like a whirlwind. Terrors shall take him as waters, and a tempest shall carry him away by night: And so certain are these plagues, that as though the hypocrite were already turned into a devil, or into the very fiery lake, it is said in the Gospel, of other sinners, that they shall have their portion with the hypocrite, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  
Good Lord, it is strange and fearful, that so noble and excellent a creature as man, endued with reason and understanding like an Angel of God; having beside the preciousness of the holy book of God, those great and universal motives, the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the dead, the joys of the kingdom of heaven, the endless pains of the wicked, which except he be a damned Atheist, he doth certainly believe; and whereas he might live on earth with unconquerable comfort, and shine hereafter as the brightness of the firmament, be a companion of Saints and Angels, and stand in the glorious presence of the highest Majesty for ever and ever: yet for all this will even wilfully against the light of his conscience, and with the certain knowledge of his heart, by his gross hypocrisy, secret abominations and uncleanness, privy practices for some wretched pleasures and preferments, make himself in the eyes of God, howsoever he deceive men, a very incarnate devil upon earth; and after this life, justly heap upon his body and soul all the horrors and despairs, tortures and plagues which a created nature is capable of.  
Oh that the hypocrite would consider these things in time, lest the wrath and fiery jealousy of the Lord break forth upon him suddenly and inevitably like sorrows upon a woman in travel, and tear him in pieces when there be none that can deliver him. Well may he carry the matter smoothly for a time, and by his juggling dissimulation cast a mist about him, and enwrap himself in darkness from the eye of the world; yet let him know that in the mean time his sins are writing by the hand of God's justice, with the point of a Diamond in the register of his conscience, and when their number and measure is accomplished, the Lord will come against him even with whole armies of plagues and vengeance, as against the most hateful object of his revenging justice, the most base and unnatural Opposite to so pure a Majesty, and the most notorious and transcendent instrument of Satan's deepest malice.  
This kind of hypocrite belongs not to my present purpose; and therefore I leave him, without sound and timely repentance, to some strange and markable judgement even in this life: Or if he pass these few days honourably and prosperously, as it is many times the lot of the wicked, lot him expect upon his deaths-bed the fiery darts of Satan empoisoned with hellish malice and cruelty, to be fastened deeply in his soul, and such pangs and anguish of conscience, that will possess him of hell before hand. Or if he depart out of this world without sense of his sin, or else at the best with some formal and perfunctory show of penitency; yet let his heart tremble for the fears that it shall fear at the great and terrible day of the Lord, when the vizard of his hypocrisy shall certainly be pulled off his face, and he ashamed and confounded in the presence of the blessed Trinity, of Angels, and all the men that ever were, and irrecoverably abandoned from the face of God and from the fruition of his joys, to the most consuming flame of the fire of hell, and the lothsomest dungeon of the bottomless pit.  
The third kind of hypocrisy is Formal hypocrisy, by which a man doth not only deceive others with a show of piety and outward form of religion; but also his own heart with a false conceit and persuasion that he is in a happy state, when as in truth his soul was never yet seasoned with saving grace and the power of religion. And I beseech you mark me in this point: it is of greatest consequence to every one for a sound trial and examination of the state of his conscience, whether he yet live the life of God, and stand in the state of grace, or lie enthralled in the setters and slavery of sin and Satan. For herein I must tell you how far a man may proceed in outward profession of the truth, in supernatural decrease of sinfulness, in some kinds and measure of inward graces, and yet come utterly short of true happiness; and without an addition of the truth of regeneration and a sound conversion, shall be cut off for ever from all hope of immortality, and shall never be able to stand firm and sure in the day of the Lord jesus.  
For a more perspicuous explication of this point, conceive with me those perfections which may befall a man as yet unregenerate and in state of damnation.  
We may suppose in him: first, all those gifts which the possibility of nature can confer upon him, all ornaments of Arts and knowledge, of wisdom and policy, not only that which is purchased by experience, observation, and employment in points of State; but also the spirit of government, as Saul had. To these we may add, gentleness and fairness of conditions, an exactness of civil honesty and moral justice, immunity from gross and infamous sins. And thus far the heathens may go: And thus far we proceeded in our last Discourse. But in these times of Christianity a reprobate may go far further than ever the most innocent Heathen that ever lived could possibly; though some of them were admirable for their mild and merciful disposition, some for their virtuous severity, some for integrity of life, some for constancy and resolution in goodness some for preferring the unspottedness of their life before most exquisite tortures. For to all these he may add a glorious profession of the Gospel, a performance of all outward duties and exercises of religion, many works of charity and monuments of his rich magnificence. Nay, besides all this he may be made partaker of some measure of inward illumination, of a shadow of true regeneration, there being no grace effectually wrought in the faithful, whereof a resemblance may not be sound in the unregenerate. This last point will more clearly appear unto you out of the 8. of Luke, and the 6. to the Hebrews.  
In the 8. of Luke, the hearer resembled unto the stony ground, is the formal hypocrite; who is there said, to believe for a time, and therefore by the inward, though more general and inferior working of the spirit, may have a temporary faith begot in him. In which faith we may consider these degrees.  
First, he may be endued with understanding and knowledge in the word of God.  
He may be persuaded that it is divinely inspired, and that it is most true.  
He may see clearly by the Law of God the grievous intollerablenesse of his sins, and the heavy judgements due unto them.  
He may be amazed and terrified with fearful horror, and remorse of conscience for his sins.  
He may give assent unto the covenant of grace in Christ, as most certain and sure; and may conceive, that Christ's merits are of an invaluable price, and a most precious restorative to a languishing soul.  
He may be persuaded in a generality and confused manner, that the Lord will make good his covenant of grace unto the members of his Church; and that he will plentifully perform all the promises of happiness upon his children.  
He may be troubled in mind with grudge and distractions, with reluctation and scruples before the commission of sin, out of the strength of natural conscience, seconded with a servile apprehension of divine vengeance, but especially illightened with some glimmerings of this temporary faith. Much ado was there even with Pilate, inward trouble and tergiversation, before he would be brought to give judgement on Christ. Herod was sorry before he beheaded john Baptist. And these men I hope, were far short of the perfections attaineable by the formal hypocrite.  
After a sin committed besides the outward forms of humiliation, by the power of this temporary faith, he may be inwardly touched and affected with some kind and degree of repentance and sorrow; I mean not only that which is a preparative to despair and hellish horror, but which may sometimes prevent temporal judgements, as in Achab, and with a slumbering and superficial quiet, secure the conscience for a time. And from this faith may spring fruits: Some kind and measure of hope, love, patience and other graces. It is said in the Evangelists, that that hearer which we call the formal hypocrite, receives the word with joy. Whence may be gathered:  
First, that with willingness and cheerfulness, he may submit himself to the ministery of the word.  
With forwardness and joyfulness, he may follow and frequent Sermons.  
With a discourse of the sufferings of Christ, he may be moved even unto tears for compassionate indignation, that so glorious and infinite innocency should be vexed with all manner of indignities and torments for the gross and wilful impieties of sinful men.  
He may love and reverence, give countenance and patronage to the Ministers, whom he hears with gladness. For it is the nature of man, to be kindly and lovingly affected unto him that brings him a message of joy and comfort.  
He may esteem the negligent, or no hearers of the word of God, as profane and of feared consciences: which do not only abandon the necessary means of salvation, but that they may with more security and absoluteness reap in this life what sensual profit or pleasure soever the world yieldeth, endeavour to banish and extinguish all thought and notice of heaven or holiness.  
The word of God by this temporary faith and other graces may work such a change in him, as is called the unclean spirits going out of a man: Matth. 12.43. A flying from the pollutions of the world: 2. Pet. 2.20. A washing: 2. Pet. 2.32. And may have such power upon him, that he may do many things thereafter. Herod is said to have reverenced john, to have heard him gladly, and to have done many things: Mark 6.20.  
To these for illustration, and because we are hereafter to consider their differences from a true, entire and universal sanctification; we may add those five degrees incident to the reprobate: Heb. 6.  
First, he may be enlightened in his understanding, with some glimpses of heavenly light.  
Secondly, he may have some taste in his heart of the heavenly gift.  
Thirdly, he may be made partaker of the holy Ghost, the author and fountain of all graces.  
He may in some measure enjoy the good word of God, the glorious instrument of the conversion of souls.  
He may have some taste and feeling even of the powers of the world to come.  
Nay, and besides all these, that which nails him fast unto formality, and makes him with contentment to walk in a plodding course of outward profession; is a persuasion that he is already in the way of life, when as yet he never entered no not the very first step unto it. For indeed he may be persuaded, though from false and mistaken grounds, that he is rich in heavenly things and hath need of nothing, and that he is already possessed of the kingdom of grace & entitled to the kingdom of glory; and yet be most wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. His state in this case being not unlike the dream of a poor or hungry man, which in his sleep filleth himself with variety of dainties, or tumbles himself amid his rich treasures and heaps of gold: but when he awaketh, behold he is faint, his soul longeth, and he embraceth nothing but emptiness and air; yea, and beside, the very imaginary fruition of his supposed happiness, when he is awaked, increaseth his languishing, and doubles the sense of his necessities. Even so the formal hypocrite in this life dreams of much comfort to come, makes sure of heaven, 
●. Tim. 3.5.  thinks himself the only man, his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as the Apostles calls it, his form of godliness in his conceit, is the only true state of salvation; whatsoever is short of him, is profaneness; whatsoever is above him is preciseness. But when upon his death's bed he awaketh, and hath his conscience illightened, and his particular sins revealed unto him, in stead of catching a crown of glory, which he hath vainly possessed in his hopeful security, he graspeth nothing but fear and amazement, anguish and sorrow. Yea, and now his former false persuasion of his happy state enlargeth the gulf of his despair, and makes him more sensible of his present and unexpected miseries.  
Give me leave I beseech you to enlarge this point, and to acquaint you with some reasons of this persuasion. For a false persuasion of already being in the state of grace, is a bar that keeps thousands from the state of grace indeed.  
The good spirit of God you know doth persuade every regenerate man by a sweet and silent inspiration, out of a consideration of an universal change and sanctification, and present sincerity in all the powers and parts of his soul and body, & calling, that he is most certainly in the state of grace and heir of heaven. Whence spring perpetually whole rivers of unspeakable comfort, that most then refresh his soul when he is nearest to be overwhelmed of the main Ocean of the world's bitterness and pressures.  
In a lying resemblance to this sacred work of the holy Ghost in the hearts of God's children, Satan lest he be wanting to his, puts on the glory of an angel of light; and insinuateth into the imagination of the formal hypocrite some flashes of comfort and conceits that he is in state of grace, and shall be saved. Whence issues a cursed security, a wretched opposition to more sincerity than he finds in himself, a slumber and benumbedness of conscience, an impatiency of having his formality censured by the ministery of the word; a neglect of a more sound search into the state of his soul. For Satan in his Angelical form tells him that more strictness and purity is but only a proud hypocrisy and pretence of such as affect a transcendency above the ordinary degrees of holiness, and bids him take heed of being too busy and pragmatical in taking notice of every small corruption and infirmity; for tenderness of conscience, and a too nice apprehensivenes of every little sin, will uncomfortably enchain him to Melancholy, Vnsociablenes, and some degrees of despair. And howsoever, saith Satan, some Preachers of preciser humour out of their unhallowed zeal and censorious austerity breath out nothing against thee but fire and brimstone, indignation and wrath, damnation and horror; yet take not these things to heart, but let such peremptory comminations pass as malicious thunderbolts, discharged from too fiery spirits, begot by indiscreet heat, and directed to private ends. Thus this wily serpent cries peace, peace unto his soul, when God knows there is no peace towards, but noise and tumbling of garments in blood, and burning and devouring of fire. The conscience indeed may be asleep for a while, like a fierce wild beast gathering vigour and puissance, that being awaked by the hand of God at the approach of sickness or death, may more implacably rend, devour and torment for ever.  
But I come to the grounds of this persuasion. I told ye before that the spirit of God assures his children that they are in state of grace, out of a consideration of an universal sincerity in all their ways. But Satan for his children hath other reasons, which I conceive to be such as these:  
First, the formal hypocrite is notably confirmed that his state is good, when he compares himself with those which are more sinful: as Murderers, Adulterers, Drunkards, profaners of the Sabbath, Usurers, Swearers, Liars, jesters out of the word of God, and fellows of such notorious rank. But if besides the disclaiming of these, his conscience be able to inform him of his civil honesty, external justice, some works of charity, etc. why then the matter is put out of all controversy, and he presently canonised a saint in his own conceit. You may see his picture in the 18. of Luke: O God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or as this Publican. There is his exemption from common profaneness. I fast twice in the week, I give tithe of all that I possess. There is his outward justice and religious solennities. But you must not conceive that the formal hypocrite doth proclaim this in public with such gross and palpable ostentation: Nay, perhaps when it arises he lets it not rest long in his own thoughts, left by this vanity his virtues lose their grace and he his comfort. But certain it is, a consciousness of his being free from infamous impieties, of his moral honesty, performance of outward duties of religion, and some inward, in some measure, though not universally, nor to the degree of the children of God, is one of the best grounds he hath for his assurance of being in state of salvation. Parallel to this of Luke is that, Prou. 30. vers. 12. There is a generation that are pure in their own conceit, and yet are not washed from their filthiness. That is, they imagine their temper of religion, their pitch of holiness, their formal Christianity to be the very right path to heaven, when indeed they were never truly humbled with a sense and sight of their sins out of the law and judgements of God. They were never acquainted with the pangs of conscience in a new birth or the mysteries of salvation. But within are full of hollowheartednesse, lukewarmness and much bitterness against true godliness and the power thereof.  
The second reason whereby the formal hypocrite is moved to think his state to be good, and the way of his life to be right, is a prejudice which he conceives from the imputations which the world layeth upon the children of God: such as are Pride, Hypocrisy, Singularity, Melancholy, Simplicity and the like. But before I descend to these particulars, give me leave to propose unto you the fountain and ground of them, which I take to be, that great and eternal▪ opposition which is naturally betwixt light and darkness, the life of grace, and a death in sin, sincerity and profaneness, the children of God and the wicked. God's children, you know, in this world live as sheep amongst wolves. In the stormy times of the Church their persecutors are indeed even wolves in the evening, for their insatiable cruelty and unquenchable thirst in drinking up the blood of the Saints: And in the Halcyon days and fairest times of the Church, yet they have those which will be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their sides. If they cannot vex them in a higher degree, yet they will be sure to lay on load with base indignities, disgraces, slanders and lying imputations. And their hatred is of that strange nature and quality, that it is discharged even against the goodness of the godly, their zeal, their forwardness in religion, their faithfulness in their calling and the like, as against it proper object. 
Chap. 15.10.  This is plain in jeremy: jeremy neither borrowed on usury, nor lent on usury, he was free from all colour of giving offence or doing wrong: Nay, his gracious heart was so wholly melted in compassion, that he wished that his head were full of water, and his eyes a fountain of tears, that he might weep day and night for the destructions of his people. And yet of that people every one contended against him, there was not a man but he cursed him. The only reason was, because whatsoever the Lord said, that he faithfully spoke, and kept nothing back, but showed them all the counsel of God. It is yet more plain in David, Psal. 38.20. They also that reward evil for Good, are mine adversaries, because I follow goodness. The word there in the original insinuateth such an extreme and deadly hatred, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  that from thence comes the devils name, Satan. So that howsoever this enmity betwixt the world and the children of light be many times bridled by the restraining spirit of God, sometimes by the ingenuousness of the wicked, or their moral virtue or policy or some by-respect, or by accident be turned into love; because by the presence and prayers of the godly they many times escape judgements, and receive blessings. Yet I say, howsoever it be thus bridled, in itself it is more than ordinary or natural, and hath in it some degree and mixture of hellish virulency. Ordinary hatred expires in the downfall of his adversary: Nay, any one of generous mind out of the interest he challengeth in the common state of humanity, will commiserate the distress and affliction even of his greatest and basest enemy; but much more of one of noble spirit and eminent worth, and more than that, of one that hath followed him with all offices of kindness and love: yet the flame of this hatred is so fierce & so set on fire by hell, that it is not extinguished even with the blood of his supposed Opposite, but barbarously sports in his miseries, & with insolency tramples upon his desolations. This appeareth clearly in the example of David, Psal. 35.15. But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: the abjects assembled themselves against me, and I knew not; they tore me and ceased not. Who without indignation can think upon these lewd companions and base drunkards, that with the false scoffers at banquets gnashed their teeth and cruelly insulted over the misery and disgrace of that man, that was a man after Gods own heart, of incomparable excellency, and so kindly affected towards them, that when they were sick, he clothed himself with a sack, he humbled his soul with fasting, and mourned as one that mourneth for his mother? You see then the fountain both of the greater stoods of bloody persecutions, and the lesser streams of inferior vexations; as slanders, railings and false imputations. To some particulars whereof I now come.  
First for Pride. It is most certain that Pride truly so called, is the most pestilent and incompatible Opposite that Grace hath: and therefore he that is most sanctified, most fights against it. For besides that this fiery dart is deeply empoisoned in our corrupted nature, Satan knows out of his own experience how to manage it with notable cunning; and he follows this weapon with such eagerness and confidence, that after it is broken upon the shield of faith, yet he labours with might and main to fasten some splinter or other, even in the soul humbled for sin and vowed unto the service of God, as I told you in the first part of privy hypocrisy. But I appeal unto the consciences of the children of God, whether many times the world doth not interpret that to be pride in their actions and carriage, which is nothing else but a gracious freedom of spirit, arising from a consciousness of their innocency and independency, whereby they are enabled to stand with courage against corruptions and the sins of the time, to follow good causes with boldness, and with resolution to defend a known and warrantable truth, and indeed to prefer the salvation of their souls before the gaining of the whole world. innocency makes them as bold as Lions: 
Prou. 28.1.  The wicked flee when none pursueth; but the righteous are bold as a Lion. And their warrant is out of Isai. 51. vers. 7.8. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my Law. Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their rebukes. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation. independency holds their hearts upright in all their actions, that they are neither swayed awry by partialities, or secret relations to wrong ends. I mean not independency in respect of laws, government, authority, charity, unity with the Church or the like, I mean no such independency: but in respect of baseness, flattery, corruption, temporising, indirect prosecution of their honours and preferments, etc. which are setters of Satan, by which he confines many to a wretched slavery even in this life, and without repentance to endless misery hereafter.  
Secondly, hypocrisy is many times by the world unjustly laid unto the charge of the children of God. David had his full portion in this imputation, as appeareth in many Psalms. The causes for this time I conceive to be two.  
The first may be suspiciousness, an argument ever of worthlessness and impotency. For insufficiency is most apprehensive and suspicious. I know there is a godly jealousy, and a jealousy of state; but I mean that suspicion which is opposed as an extreme to that imperfect virtue the Moralists call immunity from suspicion, by which a man doth cast the worth, actions and affections of another in his own mould, and thinks every man obnoxious to all the infirmities he finds in himself. Hence it is, that he which indeed is truly an hypocrite, and never passed the perfection of the Pharisee, doth most confidently brand the child of God with that name, hoping thereby to give some poor satisfaction to his own thoughts, that would gladly rest in a formality, and notice to the world, that howsoever there may be pretences, yet indeed there is none better than himself.  
The second cause is a disability, and blindness in the natural man of discerning and acknowledging the operations of grace. For let a man be otherwise never so eminently or universally qualified; yet without the experience of the power of godliness upon his own soul, he cannot see, he will not be persuaded of the actions of grace in another man, and therefore interprets them to be nothing but hypocrisy, and only pretended, vainegloriouslie to gainean opinion of more than ordinary piety. What the conceit of an unregenerate man is of the state of grace, is plain out of the conference of our blessed Saviour and Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a great Rabbi in Israel, a famous Doctor in the Law and the Prophets, in which no doubt he had many times read the doctrine of regeneration: yet when he comes to be examined of the power and practise of it, he holds the new birth, (without which no man can ever see God) to be as impossible as for an old man to return into his mother's womb and be borne again. Even such is the judgement of others in his state, of the fruits, effects and course of sanctification. And therefore I marvel that any child of God will afflict his soul, hang down the head, or remit one jot of his zeal in goodness for unjust censures in this kind: sith he knows that natural men though never so wise, so learned, or glorious in the world, want spiritual taste, and therefore cannot relish the fruits of the spirit, are blind and cannot see or judge of the light of grace, are in darkness and cannot comprehend it.  
Thirdly, the formal hypocrite doth settle himself with more resolvedness in his opinion of being in state of grace, when he sees the world account the children of God but a company of fellows, who, out of a proud singularity, divide themselves from the common fashions and customs of the world; not considering that if ever he mean to save his soul, he must be singular too in holiness and sanctification (for I mean not in unwarrantable opinion, or separation from the Church.) Except his righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, what singugular thing doth he? that is, except to his civil honesty and outward performance of religious duties, there be added a singularity of saving grace, and except besides all other ornaments of mind, if it were possible, possessed in full perfection, there be yet moreover inspired that blessed and precious vigour that quickens him to eternal life, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.  
This note of singularity hath in all ages been imputed to those, that with a good conscience have laboured to keep themselves blameless and pure in the midst of a naughty and crooked generation. Behold, saith Isaiah, chap. 8. vers. 18. I and the children whom the Lord hath given me, are as signs and wonders in Israel, by the Lord of Hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. It had been no wonder had they been only as signs and wonders amongst the enemies of God, and nations of uncircumcision; but that they should be signs and wonders in Israel! God had chosen him but one little vineyard amongst all the spacious forests of the earth; out of the glory of all the Kingdoms of the world he had chosen him but one handful of people; and yet in that vineyard, his faithful Ones are but as the berries after the shaking of an Olive tree, two or three in the top of the v●most boughs, and four or five in the high branches. In that little people, his children are but as the first fruits: so that even in Israel they are become as monsters and spectacles of amazement. Then so it is indeed, that a man drawn out of the darkness of this world and illightened with grace, is like a star new created in the sky, that draws all the world to gaze upon it. Nay, and he draws not only the eyes of men upon him, but is an eyesore unto them. For thus speaketh the wicked of the righteous man: Wisd. 2.15.16. It grieveth us also to look upon him, for his life is not like other mo●s: his ways are of another fashion. He counteth us as bastards, and he withdraweth himself from our wries as from filthiness; he commendeth greatly the latter end of the just, and boasteth that God is his father.  
Fourthly, the formal hypocrite is well pleased with his present state, and very unwilling to embrace more forwardness; because it is commonly thought, that the state of a true Christian indeed, is a life full of uncomfortableness, melancholy, austerity and sadness. The heart of man is naturally greedy of joy and contentment, and is either weakly or strongly refreshed according to the vanity or soundness of the comfort in which it reposeth, but it must either enjoy it in some kind and measure, or it will waste and consume itself. Hence it is, that those who want inward and spiritual joy arising from the testimony of a good conscience, from an assurance of remission of their sins and the favour of God, hunt after worldly contentments and carnal joys. At home in their own hearts they find little comfort, rather much terror if their consciences awake, and therefore they seek to refresh themselves amid their treasures, honours and sports; at Plays, in Taverns with merry company, and many other such miserable comforters; nay they had rather be necessarily employed then solitary, not so much to avoid idleness as bitings of conscience. Yea, some had rather cease to be men, then that their consciences should awake upon them, and therefore they labour to keep it asleep and to drown sorrow for sin, with pouring in of strong drink. But let them look unto it, though it go down pleasantly; yet secretly and insensibly it strengthens the rage, and sharpens the sting of the worm that never dies, against the day of their visitation; for in the end, saith 
* Prou. 23.32.  Solomon, it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cockatrice.  
This outward and worldly joy, because the children of God do not pursue, because they will not rely upon those broken staves of reed, they are esteemed the only melancholic and discontented men. But I marvel when or with what eyes the worldlings look upon the faithful Christian.  
It may be, while he is yet in the sore travel of his new-birth, and humbled under the mighty hand of God with affliction of conscience for his sin. If so, than they should know that men must mourn for their sins as one that mourneth for his only son: and be sorry for them, as one is sorry for the death of his first borne. There must be in them a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon: as it is Zac. 12.11. And this sorrow is a blessed sorrow, for it brings forth immortality. And either themselves must have a part in it, or they shall never be made partakers of the fullness of joy at God's right hand. What though the child of God lie for a night in the darkness of sorrow and weeping for his sins? mark a while, and the day will dawn, and a day-star will arise in his heart that will never set, until it hath conducted him unto the light that no man can attain unto: The sun of righteousness will presently appear and will dry away his tears, and with everlasting light will shine upon him for evermore.  
But it may be the worldlings take notice even of the whole course and best state of the child of God, and yet can see nothing therein but uncomfortable strictness, and sad austerity. But then I must tell them, they look only upon him with carnal eyes and deceive themselves: for so indeed he doth not appear a boisterous Nimrode, or dissolute Ruffler amid the vanities and delicacies of the world; that is for Satan's revellers, who have smiling countenances, but bleeding consciences; glorious outsides, but within nothing but rottenness and profaneness, much laughing when the heart is sorrowful. But if they were able with enlightened eyes to pierce into the inward parts of God's child, they should see within, hope already feasting upon the joys of eternity: they should see faith holding fast the writings by which the kingdom of heaven is conveyed unto his soul, sealed with the precious blood of the son of God; that nor man nor devil is able to wrest out of it hand: They should see the white stone mentioned in the Revelation, wherein there is a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. Whence springeth such a strong comfort and high resolution in the affairs of heaven, that no sword of the Tyrant, no flame of cruelty, not the combination of heaven and earth shall ever be able to amaze, abate or extinguish.  
Fifthly, the formal hypocrite doth more confidently continue in a self liking of his own state, though the state of unregeneration; because he seeth those that besides his outward form of religion are endued with an inward and unfeigned sincerity in all their ways, to be reputed but as the offscouring of all things, the simple fellows and precise fools of the world. They have indeed been so accounted in all ages. For the hearts of wicked men being stuffed with profaneness and earthly pleasures, being swelled with ambition and worldly wisdom, easily bring forth pride and contempt: And therefore they look a far off at the children of God, as at fellows of base and neglected condition, of low spirits, of humble resolutions, of weak minds, unable to manage affairs and occurrents for their preferments, of no dexterity to plant themselves in the face and glory of the world; when God knows if they could be persuaded that there were no heaven but upon earth; and that the power and exercise of godliness were nothing but an unnecessary preciseness; if they would enlarge their consciences proportionably to the vast gulf of the times corruptions; if they durst make a covenant with death and an agreement with hell, and put the evil day far from them; sure they might outstep many of these great Ones in their Projects of policy and the precedencies of the world: but sith they cannot, they da●e not, they will never by the grace of God be so persuaded; they are well content with their continual feast, a good conscience, while the others are fatted with their wine and their corn and their oil against the day of slaughter. And then at that day they will change their minds. For go, I beseech you, into the sanctuary of the Lord and understand their end; they are now upon the stage of this world in their full glory; but were they as mighty as Leviathan, as cruel as Dragons; could they rear their honours to the height of the clouds, nay, advance their thrones above beside the stars of God, yet they must down, they have but one part to play, they must make their beds in the dust; and then when they are once disrobed of their greatness and glory, and stripped naked of their honours and preferments, and without all mitigation by worldly comforts left unto the full rage of a stinging conscience; then they change their note and alter their judgements, and sigh for grief of mind, and say within themselves: These are they whom we sometime had in derision and in a parable of reproach: we fools thought their life madness, and their end without honour. How are they counted among the children of God, and their portion is among the Saints! Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding rose not upon us: we have wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and destruction, and we have gone thorough dangerous ways: but we have not known the way of the Lord. But here by the way I must give this caveat lest I be mistaken in this last point, or that which follows: I do not divide by necessary and inevitable divorce greatness and godliness, holiness and high places; God forbid: I make betwixt them no other opposition than David doth in the 73. Psal. himself being most holy and most honourable. I rather infinitely desire to inflame the noble and worthy spirits of all those whom the Lord hath advanced i● gifts, in greatness, in honours, in government or any kind of precedency above their brethren, to a proportionable excellency of zeal and sanctification. For certainly as power, policy, authority being abused and not sanctified to the owners, become in the mean time strong pillars for the supporting of the kingdom of darkness, pestilent instruments of much mischief, and hereafter shall be sound paid with an answerable degree of extraordinary vengeance, horror and torment: so great wisdom, great knowledge, great honours, being employed impartially, resolutely and unreservedly, in soliciting and furthering the causes of God, in strengthening the cold and languishing state of his religion, in refreshing the hearts of his Saints which ordinarily are oppressed and disgraced by the cruelties of profane men, procure in the mean time great honour to his great name, great good unto his Church, great joy unto his Angels, great comfort unto the souls of the owners, and fairer and brighter crowns of glory to their heads in the world to come. And so I come to the  
Third reason, whereby the formal hypocrite doth falsely persuade himself to be in the state of true happiness and salvation: And that is an outward happiness and success in worldly matters, much plenty and prosperity in his outward state. For thus he reasons in his own thoughts, and plays the cunning sophister to deceive his own soul. The Lord, thinks he with himself, hath marvelously increased me in riches and honours, he hath strangely continued unto me my health and hearts desires: The secret influence of his blessing hath still followed and prospered me in all my businesses and affairs; therefore doth he conclude, undoubtedly I am protected from above, my state is the state of grace, these many loving favours must needs argue, that I am in high savour with God, and these outward blessings are signs that my services are sanctified and accepted of him. But in the Schools we should tell him that this is a fallacy à non-causa. For all outward happinesses are for special reasons, and by particular indulgence more often, and very plentifully in this world vouchsafed to the wicked and profane. This appears jerem. 12. vers. 1.2. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgress? Thou hast planted them, and they have taken root: they grow and bring forth fruit. Mal. 3. vers. 15. Even they that work wickedness are set up, and they that tempt God, y●a, they are delivered. job 21. vers. 7. etc. Wherefore do the wicked live and wax old, and grow in wealth? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their generation before their eyes. Their houses are peaceable, and the rod of God is not upon them. They send forth their children like sheep, and their sons dance. They take the Tabret and harp, and rejoice in the sound of the Organs. Let him therefore that thus concludes the happiness of his soul from his worldly prosperity, know and consider, that as the end and reward of the godly and wicked is different in place and nature; the one being the highest heavens, and the highest advancement of the soul to the fullness of glory and bliss; the other the lowest hell, and the very extremity of the greatest miseries and vexations, which a created nature can possibly endure. So experience of all times teacheth us, and heavenly justice requires a contrary manner of passage and proceeding to these ends.  
The wicked in this world do easily run up without rub or interruption, many times with acclamation and applause, all the golden steps of honours and preferments; but upon the highest stair they find the most slippery standing, and the top of their earthly felicity is the most immediate and certain descent unto their greatest downfall. They are royally mounted here upon earth, and gallop swiftly over the fair and green plains of plenty and pleasures; but at the end of their race they are overturned horse and man, and tumbled headlong into the pit of destruction. They fairly glide over the sea of this world with full sail, with much calmness and serenity, and richly laden, but in the brightest Sunshine, and when they least suspect it, they suddenly and without recovery, sink into the gulf of darkness and desolation.  
But it is just otherwise with the children of God, for they many times in this their pilgrimage stick fast in the miry clay of poverty and contempt, sometimes they are enclosed even in a horrible pit, as David speaks, of fear and terror of conscience for their sins. They are by the way companions to Dragons and Ostriches, they walk among rebels, thorns and Scorpions, that rent and tear, a●d sting them with many oppressions and cruel slanders. Neither is the danger in the way all; they have persecuters which are swifter than the Eagles of the heaven, who pursue and hunt them upon the mountains even like Partridges, and lurk for them in the wilderness, as those that lie in wait for blood. Nay, yet besides all these vexations from the world, the immediate malice of hell raiseth many tempests of temptation against them, and sometimes even all the waves and floods of God himself go over their heads. This the way, the race, and the evening of God's children in this world; but joy comes in the morning, their end is peace, their reward is a bright morning star, their haven is endless happiness and life eternal.  
The reasons of this contrary state and condition of the wicked and godly in this life may be these. First for the flourishing of the wicked.  
One reason may be, the notable cunning and policy of Satan, in plotting and contriving the prosperity of those whom he perceives & hopes it will ensnare, and in whose hearts it begets hardness, pride, insolency and forgetting of God. For we must understand, that the devil ever proportiones his trains and temptations most exactly, even at a hairs breadth▪ to the tempers, humours and dispositions of men. If he meet with an ambitious and working spirit, he is well enough content to lighten him the way to hell with some ray or beam of all that great glory of the world which he offered Christ, if he will fall down and worship him. Little cares he, so that he may keep a man fast in his hold until the day of execution, whether in the mean time he lie in a lower dungeon of discontented retiredness, or in the golden fetters, or some more honourable servitude and glorious misery. If he meet with a base and earthly minded fellow, that prefers a little transitory trash before the preciousness of his own soul, and the lasting treasures of immortality; why he can easily provide a golden wedge, and cast in his way to enrich him; he can compass for him, though by bloody means and merciless enclosure, a Naboths vineyard to enlarge his possessions. For all is one to him so he keep him his own, whether by want and poverty he drive a man to impatiency, murmuring, and independency upon the providence of God, or by heaping upon him abundance of wealth, and filling him a full cup of temporal happiness, he cast him into a deep sleep of carnal security, and a senselessness in all matters of sanctification and salvation.  
But whereas Satan hath found by much experience, that such as are fenced with riches and honours, do many times falsely assume unto themselves a conceit of greatness and goodness of protection, and immunity from dangers, so that they are more fearless of the judgements of God, because they are not plagued like other men, more careless of storing themselves with spiritual comfort against the day of visitation, because they are in the mean time plentifully encompassed with worldly contentments, more regardless and neglective of the ministry of the word, because they would not willingly be tormented before their time; therefore, I say, he follows with more hope and better success this temptation by prosperity. And the rather, because crosses, afflictions and heavy accidents, are many times lively instructions and compulsions to bring a man to the knowledge of God and himself; to abandon all confidence in earthly things, and to embrace the most comfortable and heavenly state of true Christians. Wherefore if any man be content to stand for Satan's kingdom, either by open and professed impiety, or by close conveyances and secret practices and connivency; he will be sure to prepare, incline and dispose all occasions, means and circumstances for his advancement into reputation with the world. And how potent he is in these cases, y●u may conceive, sith he sways the corruptions of the time, sith he rules and reigns in the hearts and affections of the most men; and is ever the arch-plotter in all Simoniacal, indirect, corrupt and unconscionable consultations and compacts.  
The second reason of the flourishing of the wicked in this life, is their large and unlimited consciences: For if a man once have so hardened his heart by often grieving the good spirit of God, and repelling his holy motions; if he have once so darkened the eye of his conscience, by offering violence to the tenderness, and neglecting the checks thereof, that he can now entertain and digest without scruple or reluctation, any means though never so indirect, any condition, though never so base, any advantage, though never so unconscionable or dishonourable; it will be easy enough for him to thrive in the world and raise himself.  
For what, I pray you, were not the Papists now able to do, who have enlarged their consciences like hell, nay; they have stretched them beyond the whole compass of all hellish darkness, even into a vault of their own; what, I say were not they able to do, except they were countermanded by that irrefragable, eternal, and particular decree of God, that Babylon must now down as irrecoverably, as the great millstone in the Revelation cast with violence into the sea? Why certainly they were able by their policies & principles, not only to re-establish their former Antichristian tyranny, but to cast the whole Christian world, nay this and the other world, and the whole frame of nature into combustion, darkness and confusion. And no marvel: for these fellows consciences can without remorse digest even the sacred blood of Kings, and swallow down with delight the ruins and desolations of whole kingdoms. Their bloody superstition hath so quite and fearfully extinguished all sense of common honesty, and put out the light of natural equity, and the common notions of right and wrong; that they broach with bold faces the cursed poison of equivocation, the devils old imposture in Oracles, a very strait passage to damned Atheism, and the dissolution of all humane society: that to them the breach of the laws of God, of nature and nations, is meritorious and worthy canonisation, if it serve any way to the advancement of their execrable idolatry; to the repairing of their decaying Babylon, and to rear their Italian Idol, the Priest of Rome yet a little higher above all that is called God.  
In this respect then, that the wicked dare enlarge their consciences to the utmost bounds of any pleasure, gain or preferment, they have great advantage for the engrossing of all worldly happiness, and may easily purchase a Monopoly of earthly prosperity. Out of this wideness of conscience proceed much mincing and excusing, many interpretations, favourable constructions, and distinctions of sins: As for example, that Usury is of two sorts, biting, and toothless; when all kind of Usury is pestilent, and most certainly damned in the book of God. That Simony is either buying the gifts of the holy Ghost, or buying Church-livings; as though this latter were not so soul and enormous when it is able in short time to bring a curse and confusion upon the most glorious and best settled Church in the world. That of lies, some are pernicious, some are officious, and for a greater good; whenas even the learneder sohoolemen, who are far enough from preciseness, hold every kind of lie to be a sin indispensible; whenas A●stin● that worthy father & great disputer, admits not a lie for the salvation of a man's soul, which is far more worth than the whole world: Nay when a man is not to tell a lie for the glory of God, as it appeareth, job 13. then which there can be no greater good. Of Oaths, that some are greater and more bloody; some are lesser, ordinary and more tolerable; as though custom and commonness made these latter excusable and unpunishable, when as the plague of God hangs continually over the head of what swearer soever, ready every hour to seize upon him, and sink him down into the bottom of hell. The flying book of God's curse and vengeance shall enter into the house of the swearer, and shall not only cut him off, but shall consume the very timber thereof, and the stones thereof. Neither doth this plague rest within private walls, but it wastes the glory and prosperity of whole kingdoms. Because of Oaths, 
Chap. 23.10.  saith jeremy, the land mou●neth▪ and the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up: nay if it were possible that the breath of the swearer should reach unto the heavens, it would even stain the glory of the stars, and rot those fair and immortal bodies, it is infected with such a canker and pestilency; and so immediately strikes at the face of Almighty God. Many other such lewd distinctions of sins there are, framed and followed by the sensual, greedy and ambitious affections of profane men that they may more pleasingly to themselves, and more plausibly to the world, compass their ends and desires. No marvel then though they have the wicked world at will.  
The third reason of the flourishing of the wicked, is, because they are men of this world; and therefore they have only their portion and full felicity here. Their heaven is upon earth: their pleasures in their life time with the rich man in the Gospel. For as the everlasting covenant of inward peace, grace and glory, is peculiarly confirmed to the children of the spirit: so many times in great measure the temporal promises of outward happinesses are performed upon the children of the flesh. When God had established upon Isaak the everlasting promises of love, mercy and blessedness: yet he was content to make Ishmael a great man upon earth. Concerning Ishmael, saith he to Abraham, I have heard thee: lo I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve Princes shall he beget, and I will make a great nation of him.  
Fourthly and lastly, the prosperity of the wicked makes them more inexcusable, and their damnation more just before the Tribunal of God. For it is just with him to bring a greater measure of tribulation and anguish upon them, in whom his many favours a●d loving kindnesses have brought forth unthankfulness & rebellion: & that wrath is most justly returned upon their heads, which by despising the riches of his bountifulness, and patience and long sufferance, leading them to repentance; they have heaped up as a treasure unto themselves against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the just judgement of God.  
You have heard the reasons of the happiness of the wicked in this life: but it is not so with God's children. For they must mourn in this vale of tears while the world rejoiceth. And as the wicked are filled and fatted with worldly happiness and plenty against the day of wrath: so God's children must be prepared and fitted with afflictions, for the glory which shall be revealed. They are shortly to become inhabitants of that great and glorious city, whose foundations are precious stones, whose gates are Margarites, whose streets are pure gold, as the shining glass; they must be companions of the blessed Angels, and stand in the presence of that great and sacred Majesty; and therefore in this life they must be cast into the Lord's furnace, that in the fire of affliction they may be more and more purified from earthliness and corruption; and so with holiness and humility prepared for that high perfection of heavenly beauty, glory and bliss. Let every godly man then with comfort and benefit undergo those crosses which the Lord layeth upon him: for they are unto him as looking glasses, wherein God sees his faith and dependence upon his providence; the world his patience and constancy; himself the spots of his soul, his decays of grace, the breaches of his conscience, his neglect of the duties of his calling, his coldness in religigious services, his fall from his first love: So that by them, God is pleased and glorified, others edified and instructed, himself humbled, recovered by repentance, and more sanctified.  
I have stayed long upon the third reason of the formal hypocrites false persuasion of being in state of grace. The reason is; because civil honesty, performance of outward duties of religion, and worldly prosperity meeting together in an unregenerate man, many times breed a very strong conceit of his being the child of God, and an obstinate impatiency of hearkening & stepping forward to grace, or any further perfection. I come now to the fourth reason, whereby the formal hypocrite doth falsely persuade himself to be in the state of true happiness and salvation, and that is:  
A misconceit of God's justice, and a straining and racking of his mercy beyond his truth and promise: so making the way to heaven brother than the Scripture hath made it, and himself more blessed than he is indeed. Man's heart is naturally empoisoned with pride and hypocrisy, and therefore is hardly drawn heartily to acknowledge the horrible ugliness of his sin; or that Gods proceeding against it with such weight of vengeance is equal. Hence comes much indulgence, and partial censuring of our own sins, transferring them upon allurements, occasions, circumstances, necessity and the like: much lessening and impairing Gods justice, but amplifying his mercies, even to the securing of unwarrantable courses. Adam immediately after his fall shifteth off his sin upon his wife; nay, he is so blind in spiritual judgement of divine purity, that rather than he will cry guilty, he will fasten the fault by consequent upon God himself. The woman, saith he, which thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. So gladly would sensual men persuade themselves, that either their sins deserve not so strict account and great judgements; or that God doth exercise too much rigour in inflicting them. For out of their worldly wisdom they measure and esteem the unspotted and infinite Ocean of the justice of God, by the finite, muddy and imperfect stream of human justice. Laws and constitutions of states and kingdoms are bridles to curb and moderate our corruption, that we become sociable and peaceable; but they cut off only from the Body politic by final execution, those that are of notorious and desperate condition, such as are thieves, Murderers, Traitors and the like. A very proportionable conceit, I am persuaded, of divine justice and comminations in the law of God, lurks in the hearts of many; they think that those sins that arise inevitably out of our corrupt nature, or that are committed by strong temptation, or that are less pernicious, are, I know not how, naturally pardonable; and that if they be of the civiller sort, if they be outwardly conformable in their lives, and harbour good meanings and intentions in matters of religion, though they never trouble themselves with more strictness, and a course of sanctification, yet they think that God will be merciful in the end, and that it will go well enough with them; and that only fellows of infamous note, such as are swearers, liars, usurers, adulterers and the like, shall be excluded finally out of heaven. But I would have these men know, that though the sea of God's mercy be bottomless, though the promises of grace be many and precious, yet not one drop of all that great sea, not one jot of all those gracious promises, belongs to any, save only unto him that groans and sighs under the heavy weight and burden of his sins, that is of a broken and contrite heart, that trembles at his word, that undissembledly sorrows and reputes for all his sins, forsakes them, and resigns up himself in holy obedience to all his commandments. I would have them know, that he is as infinitely just, as he is infinitely merciful, and will as certainly power all the plagues and curses in his book upon the impenitent sinner, as he will perform all his promises of grace to the faithful Christian.  
The fifth reason whereby the formal hypocrite doth falsely persuade himself to be truly happy, and so by consequent that keeps him short of the state of grace, may be this: When by some good motion of God's spirit stirred up in him by the preaching of the word, he begins to set and address himself to a sanctified use and exercise of religion, and to a faithful and constant course of true holiness indeed; he presently meets with a sore and strong opposition by his own inward corruptions, by temptation's of Satan, and vexation from the world; which he perceiving, and being very sensible of such sudden disturbance from his former security, persuades himself, that the passage to grace is not so rough and boisterous, and therefore retires and reposeth himself upon his formal Christianity, as the best state he sees any possibility of attaining unto. But if he will save his soul, he must acknowledge and feel by his own experience the truth of that saying of Isai. 59.15, He that refraineth from evil, maketh himself a prey. For what child of God is there truly converted, who at the very first step out of the world, and the vanities thereof, met not with many crosses and discouragements? He knows, and may remember full well whosoever he be, how his own flesh fretted when it felt itself snaffled and guided by the Law of the spirit; how by making conscience of sin he laid himself more open to the advantages, wrongs and insultations of his enemies; how the companions of his former lewdness and iniquity railed and raged against him, as against an Apostata from good-fellowship and high resolution. And Satan, that he may give edge and vigour to all these vexations, he busily bestirs himself, and casts about to hinder our conversion. While a prisoner lies in a dungeon fast in fetters, the jailor is quiet and secure; but if he once knock off his bolts, break the prison and escape, there is presently a tumultuous clamour in the house, the Country is raised, and he is followed with Hue and Cry: Even so while we lie quietly in the captivity of sin, under the chains of eternal death, he neither disquiets himself nor us: But if by the mercies of God we be once enlarged, and set foot into the liberty and light of grace; why then all the powers of hell are presently in arms and uproar, and with much malice and fury the instruments of darkness are set on foot to regain us into his kingdom. This point appears in the fifth of the Canticles: Our blessed Saviour is there said to stand at the door and knock, being full of the precious dew and drops of divine grace, and waiting patiently in the cold and darkness of the night; but yet we see, what ado and stir there is with the Christian soul, before she can get up out of the bed of pleasures and vanity; the sweetness of sin and sensuality had so deeply possessed and bewitched her, that by her excuses and delays she hazards so great salvation and happiness, tendered unto her by her spouse. Yea, and at length after she is resolved to renounce her pleasures, and in some good measure hath conquered her inward corruptions, so that she opens the door & follows Christ; besides other troubles and encumbrances she finds abroad, the very watchmen that should have told her the way, and directed her after her spouse, even they set upon her, and smite her, and wound her, and take away her vail. Every man than that will come under the banner of Christ, and have part in the conquest, must together with the new man put on a Christian courage, both to tame and repress the rebellions of his own flesh, and to withstand and repel assaults and persecutions from abroad.  
The sixth reason, whereby the formal hypocrite doth falsely persuade himself to be in state of true happiness, may be, an observation of the death and ends of other men, whose lives, he persuades himself, come short of those perfections and degrees of goodness he finds in himself. As if he take notice of a notorious sinner, who upon his deaths-bed by a perfunctory show of penitency, and some formal ejaculations for mercy and pardon, makes the world believe he dies a Saint. Or if he observe the end of an honest civil man, yet never acquainted with the power of grace, to be quiet, peaceable, and confident, without impatiency, fear or despair; he presently out of a comparative examination of his own state, (which he finds, not only free from notorious sins, but besides moral honesty, graced with outward religiousness) I say he presently conceives his own works in respect of theirs, to be works of supererogation, his own life certainly to be without all exception, and so himself without all danger of damnation. And this conceit is notably confirmed, if there follow some glorious and flattering panegyric of funeral commendation. For than he holds the assurance of his happiness to be sealed unto him by the mouth of the minister, and so with resolution and obstinacy sticks fast in his present state and will no further.  
Mistake me not in this last point, beloved in Christ jesus. For first, I do not go about to confine the boundless and unlimited mercies of God, nor absolutely to exclude repentance from the death's bed. I know that precious truth, registered in Ezechiel: 
* But let no man bear himself presumptuously upon this comfortable promise, but consider well the condition: for it is thus in the Text: But if the wicked will return from all his sins, that he hath done, and keeps all my statutes, and do th●● which is law full and right, he shall surely live, and shall not die. Ezech 18.21.  At what time soever a sinner, etc. like a Pearl in a ring, and a Star in his Orb, shines, amongst many other gracious promises in the book of God, with special comfort, unspeakable and glorious, upon the darkened and drooping soul of every true penitent, at what time soever. But yet this I say in this point; That any man that knows, and is acquainted rightly and truly with the narrowness of the way to heaven, the nature of God's justice, the cunning sleights of Satan, the difficulty of true repentance, how fearfully man's heart is hardened by custom and continuance in sin; he would not defer his repentance to his old age, or deaths-bed for ten thousand worlds. I add this: That  
As a sudden death in respect of time, or a death, wherein appears much impatiency, fierceness and uncomfortable behaviour, by reason of the quality of the disease, or some extraordinary temptation for the time, or that God will be so glorified, by justly hardening the wicked, may be the way to everlasting happiness: so a lingering, patient, and lamblike death, may be a passage to endless woe and misery. For that great judgement is to pass upon our souls, not according to the strange effects & symptoms of our sickness, not according to the short moment and violent passions of our death, but according to the actions of our health, the former affections of our hearts, and the general course of our life.  
Secondly, I would by no means be too busy, or uncharitable in my judgement upon those, which have already stood, or fal●e to their own master. But as I esteem that cruelty and malice most savage and vile that is discharged upon the body, or good name of the dead; so I would have also a charitable conceit follow the soul of the departed, so far as spiritual, wisdom a good conscience, divine truth, the glory of God, the safety of the souls of the living, will give leave: But no further.  
Thirdly, neither do I mislike or condemn Funeral Sermons. I could rather wish; that as the death of his Saints is precious in the sight of God, so that it might be glorious in the eyes of men. I could rather desire, that the just praises, and true sincerity of the child of God were published even by some Seraphical tongue; that both the glory of his graces might pass along and shine bright to all posterity; and that such a fire of zeal for imitation, might be enkindled in the hearts of all the hearers, (especially the present occasion making their minds more capable of persuasion;) that they passing thorough the same course of holiness, might at length be made partakers of the same happiness with the Saints of God.  
Only in these cases I would have that spiritual discretion, truth, and conscience used, that neither the godly be justly grieved and offended, the wicked heartened and hardened in their courses, & false conceit of happiness; nor the faithfulness and sincerity of the ministry disgraced and scandalised.  
Thus far I have laid open unto you the state of formal hypocrisy: in which may concur immunity from notorious sins, all natural and moral perfections, admirable variety of learning, policy, and all other acquired ornaments of the mind: an outward performance of all duties of religion, some measure of inward illumination, a resemblance and shadow of the whole body of true regeneration, and a persuasion (as you have now last heard) of being in state of grace. Even thus far a man may go in the profession of Christian religion, and yet be a stranger from the power of faith, and from the life of godliness. I now come by reasons and arguments to disable it in those points which have not been touched, for challenging any interest in the true happiness of a man. And first to prove, that a performance of outward duties of religion, without the power of grace upon the soul, and an universal sanctification in all the faculties thereof, cannot produce any sound comfort in the heart, or acceptation with God.  
My first reason is that Principle generally received with all school Divines; and very sound and Orthodox in true Divinity. The iniquity, defect, or exorbitancy of any particular, of one circumstance, maketh an action evil: but an absolute integrity of all concurrents is required to make a good work acceptable to God, comfortable and profitable to a Christian: The end must be good, the glory of God; the action itself in it own nature must be just & warrantable; the circumstances honest and seasonable; the means direct and lawful; the fountain, the heart, sincere and sanctified. If this last be wanting especially, though otherwise it be never so gloriously conucied, never so wisely managed, of never so goodly a show to the eyes of the world, yet it is not only marred and defaced, and no action of grace, but odious and abominable in the sight of God. The Moralists by the light of nature saw a truth proportionable to this, even in the actions of virtue: The truth and worth whereof they did censure and esteem, not by the bare outward action, but by the inward, free and independent uprightness of the mind: And therefore to an action truly virtuous they required a resolved knowledge, an irrespective and advised freedom of spirit, a constant and easy habit of the mind, an entire love to the fairness of virtue. So that whatsoever honest actions sprung from passion, humour, scare, respect, ambition or the like, they accounted virtuous and good, only by accident and occasion, not inwardly and essentially: whereupon they hold, that many great and honourable achievements of ancient Worthies amongst the Heathens, howsoever they were admirable in the eyes of men, and beneficial to the public State (for sometimes out of some sudden elevation of spirit, or pang of vainglory, they were even prodigal of their lives and blood, for the good and deliverance of their country:) yet to the authors and actors themselves they were not the true works of virtue, but of ambition, and a desire of immortal fame. It is even so in the higher actions of grace and religion: Besides the outward performance, God requires sincerity of heart and truth in the inward parts, to make them gracious and acceptable. And howsoever otherwise they may purchase them a name amongst men, prosperity in the world, some less torment in hell, and procure good unto others, yet except they proceed from a faith unfeigned, and a pure conscience, to the Christians themselves, in respect of all heavenly happiness, they are fruitless and unprofitable.  
My second proof is out of the 5. of Matth. Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. The outward righteousness of the Scribes and pharisees was famous in those times, and much admired: So that if God did not principally respect the heart; if that were not true in the 16. of Luke; That which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God; they might not only have carried away the garland for piety on earth; but have justly seemed to have been the only heirs to a crown of immortality in the heavens. For besides their forbearance and protestation against grosser sins, Murder, Theft, Adultery, Idolatry and the like, they were frequent and solemn in prayers, fastings, almsdeeds, and that with far greater strictness and devotion, than the religious actions of formal hypocrisy are performed in these times of the Gospel. Besides, I doubt not but many of them were persuaded, that their way was the way of life, and that they were in the state of true happiness: And yet for all this, except we exceed their righteousness, the speech is peremptory, we shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. For we see in the 23. of Mat. what a chain of curses, out of the mouth of our blessed Saviour, did justly draw them into the bottom of hell.  
Thirdly, this truth is manifest out of the Doctrine of the Prophets: Esai. 1, Mich. 6. Hag. 2. Psal. 50. and many other places. Whence ariseth this conclusion: That the principal and holiest exercises, the most solemn and sacred actions of religion, without sincerity and sanctification of heart, are but as the cutting off a Dog's neck, and the offering of swine's blood. Their sacrifices, oblations, and incense▪ Their n●w Moon●s, their Sabbaths and solemn feasts were things commanded by Gods own● mouth; ye● where they were performed with impure and profane hearts, he tel● them, that his soul hated them, that they were a burden unto him, and that he was weary of them. For if the Lords contentment had finally rested in the work wrought, and not chiefly respected the inward affection of the worker, had he required only the ceremonial action of sacrificing, and not the spiritual conformity of the heart to his will; why he had not need to desire sacrifices of them, nor expected supply from their hands; as appear in that sacred anti royal contestation of God with his people, about the question of his worship, Psal. 50. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, (s●ith God) or thy burnt offerings, that have not been continually before me. I will take no Bullock out of thine house, or Goats out of thy folds. For all the beasts of the forest are mine, and the beasts on a thousand ●ils. I know all the souls on the Mountains, and the w●ld b●asts of the field are mine. If I be hungry▪ I will not tell the●: for the world is mine, and all that therein i●. Will I ●ate the flesh of Bulls? or drink the blood of Goat●s? Nay, if we consider God in his absolute sovereignty, and essential glory, even that is true of the most sanctified works of God's child, which is in job. 35.7. If thou b●● righteous, wh●t 〈…〉? or what receives he● at thine hand? and that of David, Psal. 16.2. My welldoing extendeth not unto th●. For what can that little spark of holiness in us, which doth first too proceed from him, and is only darkened in ou● corruptions; add unto that infinite Glory, and 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉, that no man can attain● unto; with which he hath incomprehensibly li●n ●ncompassed from al●terni●y? Only i●ple●seth him of his infinite goodness, and out of a gracious desire of our salvation, to accept our sincerity though mixed with imperfections, and to crown his own gra●●● in us▪ 〈◊〉 than shall appear the bare outwardness of hollowhearted Christians? If the heart be wanting, what magnificence or glory of outward services shall be able to dazzle his sight, whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun, and sees clea●ely our inmost thoughts? Wherewith shall we come b●fo●● th● 〈◊〉 or what shall we offer unto him? Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of Oil●? Shall we give our first borne for our transgression, even the fruit of our body, for the ●inne of our soul? No; though we● gave all that we had to the poor, and our own bodie● to be burnt: nay, if it were possible, that by our means we could vindicate the souls of all men now living from the jaws of eternal death; yet all would profit us nothing, except our hearts be first purged by faith, pure from an evil conscience, and possessed of a sound and constant love to God, his word, his honour, his truth, and servants.  
Let this then be the conclusion to this point: Though a man were a moral Saint, an Angel amongst the Phrisees, absolute in all other perfections, yet without the inward power of grace to give them life, he is but a spectacle of commiseration to Angels, & to men; even as that body is, which adorned with sundry other exquisite beauties, wanteth eyesight, the chiefest grace that nature hath in that kind to bestow. Or as a cunning Organist, skilful in the outward touch of his instrument, yet without wind inspired, cannot possibly strike the care, or please the heart with any melodious noise: so though his actions be flourished over with a fair tincture of outward religiousness, and he exact in moral honesty, yet without the breath and life of grace infused, there can be no true spiritual harmony in his affections, wo●ds or conversation, th●t either will beget sound joy and spiritual delight in the soul, or be pleasing in the ●ares of almighty God.  
You see then beloved in Christ jesus, that the performances of outward duties of religion, even the best, s●●h as are Prayers▪ hearing the word of God, receiving the Sacraments, almsdeeds and the like, though they be good in themselves, commanded of God, necessary to be done of every Christian; yet if they be divided from inward sanctification and sincerity of heart, are so far●e from putting us into possession of true happiness, that they are odious and abominable in the sight of God.  
I told you in the beginning, if you remember, that besides outward righteousness, the formal hypocrite may believe for a time, and therefore by the inward, though more general and inferior working of the Spirit, may have a temporary faith begot in him: and this faith may bring forth some fruits, and some kinds of inward graces. But that all this comes short of salvation, appears in the parable: For there the hearer compared to the stony ground, which I call the formal hypocrite, is one of the reprobate hearers, upon whom the word is not the power of God to salvation. As for those five degrees added out of the sixth to the Hebrues, of which I told you the formal hypocrite may be partaker; it is manifest out of the same Chapter, that they come short of the state of grace. For a man but so furnished, may not only fall b●cke to a worse, and more ordinary state of a reprobate, but even to the depth of all impiety and apostasy. He may not only have his measure of inward illumination, all his lighter joy and comfort in God's word quite extinguished; but become a wilful and malicious scorner of true godliness. He may not only grieve, and quench the spirit; but he may tread under foot the Son of God, count the blood of the Testament, as an unholy thing, and despite the very Spirit of grace, so that it may be impossible, that he should be renewed again by repentance.  
In the last place I told you, that besides all these, the formal hypocrite might entertain a persuasion of his being in the state of true happiness; and so with contentment and security walk in the path that leads to eternal death: but how weak and false the reasons and motives to this persuasion were, I have before largely delivered. It remains therefore, that I should now lay down certain marks and properties of difference, betwixt the state of formal hypocrisy and saving grace: but I must refer a large prosecution and distinct treatise of them to some other place and time. Yet at this time, by the grace of God, I shall deliver so much, that any man that will deal faithfully with his own conscience, and follow me with attention to the end, may in some good measure be informed, whether he lie yet in the shadow of death, or live in the light of grace. Some difference then, first, may arise, out of the distinction of the degrees and workings of faith. Which that you may better conceive, you must remember three sorts of faith: Historical, Temporary, Saving or justifying faith.  
Historical faith, is not only a knowledge of the word of God, but also an assent of the heart to the truth of it. And this is of two sorts: either Infused, which is wrought in us by the illightning spirit of God, and staying itself upon his authority: Or Acquired, which is produced by the light of reason, discourse, and created testimony.  
The latter is to be found in the devils; for they believe and tremble. And in the Papists; for their faith is no better, according to their grounds and principles. My reason is this briefly; for I will deliver myself of this point in a word. The Jesuits by their juggling have cast themselves into a circle about the faith of the truth, and divinity of Scriptures; and that is this: Ask any Papist in this land; how he believes Scripture to be the word of God, and divinely inspired; he will answer, Because th● Church delivereth it so to be. And why believeth he the testimony of the Church? Because it it is infallibly guided by the spirit. And how doth that appear? Because it is so contained in Scripture, as in john 16. The Spirit will lead you into all truth. And how shall we know this scripture of john, to be the word of God and divinely inspired? Because the Church delivereth it so to be; and so they must needs run round in this circulation.  
Now I would propose to the Papists, the choice of these three; one of which they must of necessity accept: First, whether they will run round in this circle, & wax giddy, and fall, and sink into that pit, where Popery was first hatched; or they will break the circle at the authority of the Scriptures, and so by consequent, they must fall to our side, and the truth; or they will break it at the testimony of the Church, and so all their faith, as I told you, must needs be only acquired, because it depends on a finite and created testimony, and consequently comes far short of salvation. I doubt not, but the Papists will acknowledge and approve that difference betwixt infused and acquired faith consented upon by the Schoolmen: That infused faith, relieth immediately upon an increated authority; but acquired, upon a finite and created testimony. I know the Jesuits, a kind of men inspired with a transcendency of Antichristian imposture, labour busily to pass plausibly and handsomely out of this circle: but if their shifts be thoroughly sisted, & they followed with force of argument; it is certain, they will either be driven into the circle again, or enforced to start out, at the one of those breaches I told you of. Beca●us, one of them, after he had long tired himself in this circle, and at last by the help of Gregorius de Val. and former Jesuits got out, but with shameful absurdity and inconvenience; in a poor revenge to relieve himself, he threatens us with another circle; and so writes a Treatise de Circulo Caluinistico; but very weakly and falsely, as might be demonstrated even out of the sounder Schoolmen, in their question of the last resolution of faith. But I intended no discourse of controversy, but of sanctification; and therefore I proceed, and take the formal hypocrite along further towards the state of grace. For besides knowing, and assenting to the truth of God's word by an historical faith, he may by the virtue of a temporary faith, add three degrees more. That is: He may moreover profess it in outward services of religion: He may inwardly rejoice in it: He may bring forth some kind of fruit. But these things are only found in him, so long as they do not mainly cr●sse, but are compatible with his worldly peace, wealth, liberty, and other delightful contentments. Here therefore I must leave him; and acquaint you with those workings and degrees of saving faith; which qualified, as I shall propose them, are peculiar to God's child; and so distinguish and divide the regenerate man, from the state of formal hypocrisy. They are these▪  
A feeling and special approbation of the word of life and promises of salvation: a most fervent expetition and thirsting for the enjoyment of them: an effectual apprehension; a particular application; a full persuasion; a delight and joy thence rising, sound, and unconquerable.  
That you may understand these, you must conceive, that the soul of God's child, coming fresh out of the pangs and terrors of his new-birth (a mystery to the formal hypocrite) humbled under the mighty hand of God, by a sight and sense of his sins, looks upon the whole body of divine truth, as upon a precious jewel, wherein Christ & his gracious promises shine unto him especially, as a stone of inestimable worth and valuation; whereupon with a peculiar dearness he sets such a liking, that with it he holds himself an heir of heaven; without it a child of endless perdition. Hence follows an expetition and desire of it, enforced with groans unutterable, and a gasping for it, as the dry and thirsty ground for drops of rain. Thirdly, he apprehends it with a fast and everlasting hold. Fourthly, he applies it closely and particularly to his own soul. Fifthly, he is truly and fully persuaded by God's good spirit, out of a consideration of his universal change, that it is his own for ever. Last●y▪ he lies down in peace that passeth all understanding: He is filled with joy, that no man can take from him: He delights in the grace apprehended, as in a treasure far more dear unto him then the glory of infinite worlds, or life itself. From the power and workings of this inward grace, spring outward actions; both in his general calling of Christianity, and his particular vocation, which by the mercies of God are faithful, constant, uniform, impartial, resolute, universal, comfortable. Whereas those which are produced by the more weak and inferior degrees of temporary faith, incident to the formal hypocrite, are weak, wavering, many times interrupted, variable; guided much by occasions; & the time, forced by hope or fear; swayed by secret respects to private ends, and worldly contentments.  
But these more inward marks of difference, howsoever by a sweet and gracious experience they be felt, and acknowledged of the child of God; yet generally, and to the unregenerate, they are hidden mysteries, and undiscernible to the brightest eye of the natural man. Therefore I will come to those marks of difference betwixt the state of formal hypocrisy, and saving grace, which are more outward, familiar, and more generally, and easily discernible. Of which one may be this:  
The power of grace doth beget in a regenerate man, a watchfulness, care and conscience of smaller offences, of secret sins, of sinful thoughts, of appearances of evil, of all occasions of sin, of profane company, of giving just offence in indifferent actions and the like: whereas the formal hypocrite taketh not such things as these much to heart, but either makes no conscience of them at all, holding it a point of preciseness to be too conscionable; or else proportions it to serve his own turn, or to give satisfaction to others. And in forbearance of sins, he hath an especial eye only at those that may notoriously disgrace him in the world, entangle him in danger of law, or vex his conscience with some extraordinary terror.  
Let those than examine themselves at this mark; who, howsoever shame keep them from unclean practices, and grosser acts of filthiness; yet inwardly boil in speculative wantonness and adulteries of the heart. Those, who howsoever their indirect means speed not for mounting themselves to high estate, yet spend their best thoughts all their life long, in projecting and contriving, as though they were borne to advance themselves, and not to honour God in their ●allings. Those, who though they do not enclose, oppress and grind the faces of the poor; yet have their hearts exercised in covetousness. Those, who though they have forsaken some sins, yet maintain in themselves one known sweet sin. Those, who though laws, and fear of danger restrain from railing with open mouths against our State, yet harbour secret repine, murmurings, unthankfulness, and discontentments. Even a contemptuous thought of a king, or lawful authority, is a sin of high nature: and me thinks, for the miraculousness of the discovery; is paralleled in Ecclesiastes, to the bloodiness of actual murder. That which hath wings (saith the Preacher) shall declare the matter. 
Chap. 10.20.   
Lastly, let those examine themselves at this mark, who offer themselves to those sinful occasions, breeders of many strange and fearful mischiefs, I mean profane and obscene Plays. Pardon me beloved, I cannot pass by those abominable spectacles, without particular indignation. For I did ever esteem them, since I had any understanding in the ways of God, the Grand empoisoners of grace, ingenuousnes, and all manly resolution: Greater plagues and infections to your souls, than the contagious pestilence to your bodies: The inexpiable stain and dishonour to this famous City: The noisome worms that canker and blast the generous and noble buds of this land; and do by a sly and bewitching insinuation so empoison all seeds of virtue, and so weaken and emasculate all the operations of the soul, with a profane, if not unnatural dissoluteness; that whereas they are planted in these worthy houses of Law, to be fitted and enabled for great and honourable actions, for the public good, and the continuance of the glory and happiness of this kingdom, they licentiously dissolve into wicked vanities and pleasures, and all hope of their ever doing good, either unto God, the Church, their Country or own souls, melteth as the winter ice, and floweth away as unprofitable waters. These infamous spectacles are condemned by all kind of sound learning, both divine and human. Distinctions devised for their upholding and defence, may give some shallow and weak contentment to partial and sensual affections, possessed with prejudice: but how shall they be able to satisfy and secure a conscience sensible of all appearance of evil? How can they preserve the inclinableness of our corrupt nature from infection, at those Schools of lewdness and Sinks of all sins, as (to omit Divines Counsels, Fathers, Moralists, because the point is not directly incident) even a 
* Theatra desinire possumus, surpitudinis, vi●iorumque omnium sentinam▪ ac scholam. ●odin. ●e repub. lib. 6. cap. 1.  Politician calleth them. Alas, are not our wretched corruptions raging and fiery enough, being left to themselves dispersed at their natural liberty; but they must be united at these accursed theatres, as in a hollow glass to set on flame the whole body of our natural viciousness at once, and to enrage it further with lust, fierceness, and effeminateness, beyond the compass of nature? Doth any man think it possible that the power of saving grace, or the pure spirit of God can reside in his heart, that willingly & with full consent seeds his inward concupiscence, with such variety of sinfulll vanities and lewd occasions, which the Lord himself hath pronounced to be an abomination unto him? 
D●ut. 22.5.  How can any man that ever felt in his heart, either true love or fear of so dreadful a Majesty, as the Lord of heaven and earth, endure to be present, especially with delight and contentment, at Oaths, Blasphemies, Obscenities, and the abusing sometimes of the most precious things in the book of God, whereat we should tremble, to most base and scurril jests? Certainly every child of God is of a right noble and heroical spirit; and therefore is most impatient in hearing any wrong, indignity or dishonour offered to the word, name, or glory of his Almighty Father.  
A second mark of difference may be this: The power of saving grace doth subdue and sanctify our affections with a conscionable and holy moderation; so that they become serviceable to the glory of God, and for a more resolute carriage of good causes, and zealous discharge of all Christian duties. But the bridling of passions in the formal hypocrite, is not so much of conscience, as artificial, politic, for advantage, and by the guidance of moral discretion: so that if they be tempted by strong occasions, and violent objects, they many times break out, to the dishonour of God, the disgrace of a Christian profession, and the discovery of their hypocrisy.  
Let every man than examine himself at this mark, and with a single eye and upright heart take a view of his affections; whether his joy be inward and spiritual, that is, in the assurance of God's favour, in his word, in his children, in prayer, and a continual practice of godliness; or outward and casual, that is, in the attainment of greatness and wo●dly pleasures, in the increase of his corn and wine, and oil. Whether he love the peace of conscience far more de●rely than the favour of men, or his own life: Whether he be more zealous for the honour and praise of God, than his own: Whether he be more afraid of secret sins, then open shame; of offending God, then outward afflictions: Whether he be more angry in the cause of religion, and concerning God's glory, or for his own private wrongs. And so thorough out the rest of his affections.  
Let the fierce and desperate gallants consider this point; which upon every light occasion, and terms of disgrace, are ready, out of a graceless & ungrounded opinion of declining cowardice, to sheathe their swords in the body of their brother. And let them assure themselves, that the meek and merciful spirit of God, will never consist with such bloody and untamed affections; his holy motions will not come into their secret, neither will his saving grace be joined with their assembly. For in their wrath they will kill a man, and in their self-will they will destroy the image of God. Cursed be their wrath, for it is fierce; and their rage, for it is cruel.  
Oh that they would but mark and foresee, into what an inevitable, and endless maze of certain misery and vengeance they enter, when they enter into the field, upon either offer, or acceptance of challenge. If they be slain, they are accessaries to their own untimely murder: They violently and wilfully pull themselves from the land of the living, to the abhorred regions of death: They cruelly, and irrecoverably rend their own poor souls from time of grace and repentance: They extinguish all hope of posterity; and perhaps their house and family determines in that bloody act. But that which is the accomplishment of all miseries and terror, they justly fall into the hands of the living God, who will certainly judge them after the manner of them that shed their own blood; and will give them the blood of wrath, and of jealousy. And whereas they looked to leave a name behind them, it shall rot away with as vile detestation, as their carcases in the grave: 
Prou. 10.7.  The memorial of the just, faith Solomon, shall be blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. If it do live, it shall live to their shame and infamy. For I dare say this boldly; There was never any man rightly informed, either in the principles of nature, or in the gracious way to heaven, in the sober passages of moraliti●, or in the justice of state and policy, or acquainted with the fairness of true honour, that ever gave any allowance, or ever will to the reputation of manhood, falsely so called, purchased in private quarrel in the field. This is then all they get: for the loss of soul and body, of heaven and earth, of name and posterity, they only gain the damned applause of devils, swaggerers and wicked men.  
But if it fall out otherwise, that they be not killed, but kill; mark what befalls them● they depart the field drunken with blood, as with new wine, and therefore they shall be sure at length to be filled with drunkenness, and with sorrow, even with the cup of destruction and trembling; they shall drink of it deep and large, and wring it out to the very dregs. For presently after the murder committed, they have Cain's fearful mark stamped upon them: The furies of conscience; and cries of blood, shall for ever persecute them with restless horror: As they clothed themselves with rage like a raiment, so shall it now come into their bowels like water, and sink like oil into their bones. In the mean time they shall live in the hell of conscience upon earth, and expect every hour to be tumbled into the h●ll of wicked devils for evermore in the world to come.  
Let me then in the name and fear of God advise them; if they would win an opinion of true valour indeed, if they look for any portion in the mercies of God, or honour amongst his Saints, to settle and compose such wild affection● by the word of truth; to turn the greatness of their courage and gallantness of Spirit, to the subduing and conquering of their own corruptions, and to the wrestling against principalities and powers, against the worldly governors, the princes of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickednesses, which are in the high places. This fight is Christian, and courageous indeed, the victory is glorious, the reward is immortality.  
A third note of difference may be this: Every child of God by the power of saving grace, doth hunger and thirst after all those means God hath ordained, or offers for his furtherance in the way to heaven, and for his comforting and confirming in a Christian course; and doth make a holy use of whatsoever is either publicly or privately laid upon him for his amendment: and therefore he continually profits and proceeds in sanctification by his word, his judgements and his mercies: by the exercise, observation and sense of which, he grows sensibly in heavenly knowledge, faith, humiliation, repentance, thankfulness, and all other spiritual graces. But the formal hypocrite doth so far take notice and regard of them, as they further his temporal happiness, and as his neglect of them, by consequent threateneth danger and overthrow to his outward worldly state. For the present perhaps, he is moved with the hearing of the word of God, with the terror of his judgements, while they lie with some extraordinary weight upon himself, or the whole land; and with the sweetness of his mercies, because they secure him in his prosperity. But these things sink not into his soul with the power of mortification, to the destroying of his sinful affections, and the shaking off of every known sin.  
Beloved in our Lord and Saviour Christ jesus, let us every one of us, I beseech you, try himself faithfully by this note of difference: And the rather because our gracious God hath most plentifully and incomparably vouchsafed us in this land all means to bring us unto heaven. He hath visited us with his word, his judgements and mercies, to the astonishment of the whole world. Now let us consider, whether as they have bred admiration in men and Angels, so they have brought salvation to our own souls.  
First, for his word. For these fifty years, you know, he hath spread out his hands all the day long; he hath sent all his servants, the preachers of his word, rising up early, and sending them, saying: Return now every man from his evil way, and am●nd your works. Let us then examine ourselves in this point. Hath this glorious Gospel, which hath so long shined bright in our eyes, and sounded loud in our cares, hath it, I say, been mighty in operation upon our souls, in planting in them the power of true godliness? Do we daily grow more sound by it in the knowledge of the truth; and see more particularly into the way and whole course of Christianity? Doth it continually build us up more strongly in faith, repentance, and an holy obedience to all his commandments? Why then blessed is our ●ase: for this powerful experience in our souls of daily growth in godliness by the word, is a notable mark unto us that we are in the state of grace; and so all the blessings in the book of God belong unto us, and pleasures more, than the stars of the firmament in number. But if otherwise (which is rather to be feared) if we have either been no hearers, or but now and then, as our worldly commodities would give us leave, or hearers only of form and fa●●●on, not of zeal and conscience to profit by it, and yield obedience unto it, or only hearers and no doers, why then we may assure ourselves, we are yet short of the state of grace; and mark what will be the end, both of us and the whole land; it must needs be the same with that of juda and jerusalem (for they were as well beloved of God as ever England can be) Go, 
Chap. 35.  saith God unto jeremy, Go and tell the men of juda, and the inhabitants of jerusalem: I have sent you all my servants the Prophets, rising up early, and sending them; but you would not incline your care, you would not obey me; therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon juda, and upon all the inhabitants of jerusalem, all the evil that I have pronounced against them. I will do unto this house, whereupon my name is called, wherein also ye trust, as I have done unto Shilo. I will cast them out of my sight: And will make ●his City a curse unto all the nations of the earth. And the Lord was so unremovable and setledly resolved upon this point (sith he had so long preached unto them by his Prophets, as he hath done unto this land, and it would do no good) that he bids the Prophet meddle no more, for he would never hear him again: Therefore (saith he) thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift up cry or prayer for them, neither entreat me, for I will not hear thee.  
The judgements upon this land have been many and fearful. I doubt not, but we have seen with our eyes, even those which are very near forerunners of that great and terrible day of the Lord. We have seen strange and prodigious apparitions in the air: we have had unheard of plots and practices against our State. Our land hath long and extraordinarily groaned under a sore and durable plague, which hath stuck close to the bowels of this City. The sea hath broke out of her bounds, and swept away many as righteous as ourselves: we have felt such extremity of heat and cold, of which I think these parts of the world are not naturally capable; so certain is it that the finger of God hath been in them. The poor of the land even now grievously sigh, and pine with a present famine. Let us then examine ourselves in this point. Have we laid all these judgements unto our hearts? have we been truly humbled by them? have we by a diligent search taken notice of our sins and grieved for them, and abandoned them? have we mourned and cried for all the abominations that are done amongst us? Why then blessed is our case, our state is the state of grace; we shall be sure to be marked and sealed in the foreheads, by the Angel of God, for his servants, before the vials of final desolation be powered upon this kingdom. But if otherwise (which is rather to be feared) if he hath smitten us, and we have not sorrowed; if he hath corrected us for amendment, and we are not bettered, but rather worse and worse; we may assure ourselves we yet want a gracious mark, and effect of the power of true godliness; and mark what will be the end both of us and our whole land; it can be no other than that of his own people. And thus he dealt with them by his judgements, even as a Physician with his patient. A Physician while there is any hope of recovery in his patient; he useth the benefit of all the rules of art, all variety of means, prescribing diet, letting blood, ministering pills and potions; but when he once perceives the natural heat to b● so decayed, and strength of nature spent, that his physic will work no more good upon him, but rather hasten his ruin then his recovery, he than leaves him to the pangs of death and dissolution of soul and body. Even so deals God with his people, while there is any hope of repentance, he visits them by all kind of castigations, all manner of punishments: But when all sense of religion, all heat of zeal, and life of grace have so utterly forsaken the hearts of men; that they are rather broken then bowed, rather hardened then humbled by his judgements; he gives them over to their own just confusion. He leaves them finally, never more to be entreated, to lamentations, mournings and woe; to the fear, to the pit, and to the snare: to the Lion, the Wolf, and the Leopard. Thou hast stricken them (saith jeremy) but they have not sorrowed, 
Chap. 5.3.  thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a stone, and have refused to return. 
Vers. 6.  Wherefore a Lion out of the forest shall stay them, and a Wolf of the wilderness shall destroy them: a Leopard shall watch over their Cities, every one that goeth out then●●, shall be torn in pieces, because their trespasses are many, and their rebellions are increased. This course of Gods proceeding in his judgements, we may see most clearly in the 4. of Amos. He first gave them cleanness of teeth in all their Cities, and scarceness of bread in all their places; and yet they returned not unto him: He withheld the rain from them, when there were yet three months to the harvest; so that two or three Cities wandered unto one City to drink water, but they were not satisfied: and yet they returned not unto him. He smote them with blasting & mildew; their gardens and their vineyards, their figtrees, and their olive trees did the Palmer worm devour: and yet they returned not unto him. Pestilence he sent amongst them after the manner of Egypt: and yet they returned not unto him. Therefore, saith the Lord, thus will I do unto thee O Israel. He speaks after the manner of a man, in whom just indignation stops passage unto speech, and who wants words to express the horribleness of the punishments he purposes to inflict: Therefore thus and thus will I do unto thee O Israel, even so as he threatened in the beginning of the Chapter: The days shall come upon you, that you shall be taken away with thorns, and your posterity with fishhooks. As if he should have said, I will make no more trial by judgements; I will now do a thing in Israel, whereof whosoever shall hear, his two ears shall tingle; yea, and all his heartstrings shall tremble. I will now sweep you all away with the besom of utter destruction. This is certainly now just our case (For to cry peace, peace, where there is no peace towards, is wicked and to no purpose▪ to bring conceits and smoothe to this place, will never serve the turn; either for the discharge of our consciences, or the saving of your souls) I say this is just our case: we are even already come to this last point and period: By our many impieties and impenitency, we have brought our gracious God to that question in the 1, of Isa. Wherhfore should ye be smitten any more? for ye fall away more and more. Or rather to this conclusion in the 4. of Amos; therefore thus will I do unto thee, O nation not worthy to be loved. He hath made trial by so many judgements, and so many times, and all in vain; that the very next judgement we may justly fear and expect, without true and timely repentance, will even be the beesome-of-utter desolation.  
As the judgements upon this land have been great and fearful; so many and wonderful have been his mercies upon us, and such I am persuaded, as greater the sun never saw, 〈◊〉 of men enjoyed. I will only name two, wh●ch cannot 〈◊〉 ●ee fresh in ●uery man's memory: The contr●uing of our peace, at the death of our late Sovereign of ever glorious memory: And our deliverance from the Gunpowder Treason. Of which two when first every man heard, me thinks he should have been afraid, lest he had been in a dream: as it is said of the Israelites, Psalm. 1●6. When the Lord brought again the captivity of S●on, we were like them that dream. Both that, and these our blessings were things so incredible, and beyond all expectation.  
You know a little before the Queen's death, the wisest were at their wits ends, and every one stood amazed and astonished for the fears his heart did fear. The Jesuits from beyond seas insolently insulted over us, and told us in their books, that this kingdom would shortly become a prey to the greedy ambition of all the neighbour nations; that huge clouds of blood hung over our heads, and would melt and dissolve at the Queen's death. But it was neither so, nor so. They are the false prophets of the Beast in the Revelation, no marvel though they lied: For he that dwells in the heaven laughed them to scorn, our gracious God had them in derision. And when devils and Papists looked and wished, that this land should have been clothed, even with blood and fire, as with a garment; out of the infinite depth of his unsearchable mercies he covered it with peace, joy and happiness, even as the seas are covered with water.  
In the Gunpowder Treason, the neck of our whole State, both of Church and Commonwealth, the glory of this famous and flourishing kingdom, the hope of posterity was laid as it were upon the block: The instrument of death was lifted up by the damned instrument of the Pope's malice and cruelty, he was even ready to give the mortal stroke; and had not the Angel of the Lord stepped in, in the very nick; had not our merciful God, by his most miraculous and immediate providence put to his helping hand, when our case was desperate and all hope past, he had cut off from us the root and the branch, the name and the remnant, the son and the nephew. Our land that before was as the garden of Eden, had been by this time a desolate wilderness: Our Church, which was before a harbour of Saints, had been by this time a pool of snakes; I mean an habitation of Papists. The fair body of this city, that before was enlived with matchless glory and worth, should by this time have been a rent and dismembered carcase; and that which is worst of all, the neglected and forlorn limbs, inspired with the doctrine of devils.  
Let us then examine ourselves in this point. Have these incomparable blessings melted our hearts into tears of repentance & thankfulness? Have these cords of love drawn us nearer unto our God in all knowledge, love and obedience? Why then we may assure ourselves of a good testimony, that our souls are seasoned with grace. But if it be quite otherwise: If these great and undeserved mercies have bred in us a more frozen coldness in the service of God, a more presumptuous security and a sounder and sweeter sleep in sin▪ If since our miraculous deliverance, unparallelled by all Nations, times and stories; there hath been amongst us no less profaning of God's Name and Sabbaths then before, no less pride and drunkenness, no less oppression and usury, no less uncleanness and unconscionablenes in our callings, no less ignorance in the word of God, and backwardness in the ways of holiness, no less contempt of godliness and godly men: Nay, if all these gather head and heart, more ripeness and readiness to receive the flame of God's fierce and last wrath: If there be rather a sensible decay of the fear of God, of zeal, and true sincerity amongst us: If Profaneness, Atheism, Popery, and a lukewarmness in religion, like a mighty Torrent, rush in violently upon us daily more and more, and fearfully prevail and domineer in most places: Why then, (you are a people of understanding) I leave it to your own consciences, to consider what must needs shortly befall us, except we gather ourselves before the decree come forth; unless by speedy humiliation and unfeigned repentance, we prevent so great and fearful judgements. And the rather, because we may assure ourselves, while the Devil is in hell, and the Pope at Rome, the Priests and jesuits, those notorious and transcendent instruments of blood and death, will be working in the Vaults of darkness for the confusion of the children of light, the subversion of the Kingdom of Christ, and by consequent the ruin of our Church and Common wealth. Little know we, what fearful and hellish plot may be even now in hatching and hammering, or how near it is to the birth, while we are most secure. And for us in the mean time, without repentance, and rooting out Idolatry, to depend still upon immediate and miraculous discoveries and deliverances, is at the least an unhallowed and desperate presumption.  
I cannot follow distinctly at this time, any more differences betwixt the state of saving grace and formal hypocrisy. For conclusion therefore only, I will acquaint you more fully with the effects of saving grace, and follow in few words the trace and steps of the Spirit of God in the great work of regeneration; that thereby every man may examine his conscience, judge himself, and try what his state is.  
The working and property of this saving grace, and true godliness vouchsafed peculiarly and only to God's children, which doth translate them from darkness to light, from the corruption of nature, to a state of supernatural blessedness, you may thus conceive and understand. It is like leaven (for so the power of God's word is compared in the Gospel) it is of a spreading nature: First, it seats itself in the heart; after it is dispersed over all the powers and parts both of soul and body; over all the actions and duties of a man whatsoever: It softeneth and changeth the heart: It purgeth the inmost thoughts: It awakes the conscience, and makes it tender and sensible of the least sin: It sanctifies the affections: It conforms the will unto the will of God: It illightnes the understanding with saving knowledge: It stores the memory with many good lessons, for comforts, instructions and directions in a godly life: It seasons the speech with grace: It so rectifies, and guides all a man's actions, that they proceed from faith, they are warrantable out of God's word, they are accomplished by good means, and wholly directed to the glory of God. Nay, yet it spreads further, and kindles a desire and zeal for the salvation of the souls of others, especially of all those that any way depend upon us: So that the child of God doth ever embrace all means and opportunities for the communicating of his graces and comforts, and the bringing of others to the same state of happiness with himself.  
Let then, I beseech you, every man's conscience go a little along with me; and secretly, but faithfully answer to these few interrogatories which I shall propose very briefly and plainly, that every man may easily-understand. Hast thou felt by thine own experience this great work of regeneration and change wrought upon thy soul? Hath the powerful word of God, by the inward, special and effectual working of his spirit, broken and bruised thy hard and stony heart? Hath it pierced and purged the very closest and most unsearchable corners thereof? Hath it humbled it with the sight of thy sins, and sense of God's judgements? Hath it filled it with fearful terrors, compunction, remorse and true sorrow for thy life past? Hath it after quieted and refreshed it with a sure faith in Christ jesus, and a delight in heavenly things? Hath it mortified thy inward corruptions, and broke the heart of thy sweet sin? Hath it planted a holy moderation in all thy affections; that whereas heretofore they have been enraged with lust, with immoderate anger, with ambition▪ with insatiable desire for the enlargement of thy wealth, possessions and greatness, and with hatred of God's dearest servants and their holiness; are they now inflamed with zeal for God's honour, truth and service; with a fervent love unto the Lord and his Saints; with Christian courage, to oppose against the sins of the time, to defend goodness and good causes, to contemn the lying slanders and profane scoffs of worthless men? Hath it begot in ●hy will an hunger and thirst after the spiritual food of thy soul, the Word and Sacraments; so that thou hadst rather part with any worldly good, than not enjoy the incomparable benefit of a conscionable and constant ministry? Are thy thoughts, of which heretofore thou hast made no great conscience, but let them wander up and down at rondom wickedly, idly and wanton; are they now, I say, bounded within a sacred compass, and spent upon holy things, and the necessary affairs of thy honest and lawful calling? Is thy understanding informed, and acquainted with the mystery of salvation, which the world, and the wise men thereof, account nothing but madness and folly? Is thy memory, which hath heretofore been stuffed with trash and toys, vanities and follies, now capable and greedy of divine knowledge? Are thy words, which heretofore have been full of profaneness and worldliness, now directed to glorify God, and to give grace unto the hearers? Nay yet further besides this inward renovation of the faculties of thy soul; hath the power of grace sanctified all thy outward actions? Dost thou now order in every particular, all the business of thy vocation religiously, conscionably, and by direction out of the word of God? Art thou inwardly affected, and faithful in the performance of religious duties? as in hearing the word of God, in sanctifying the Sabbath, in prayer and the rest. Dost thou now hear the word of God, not only of course and custom, but of zeal and conscience to reform thyself by it, and to live after it? Do not the week days duties, and worldly cares drown thy mind on the Sabbath; but that thou dost the whole day entirely, freely and cheerfully attend the worship of God? Dost thou exercise daily with fruit and feeling, prayer, that precious comfort of the faithful Christian? Thou being converted, dost thou labour the conversion of others, especially of those which are committed any way to thy charge, and for whom thou must give a more strict account; as if thou be a master of a family, dost thou pray with them, and instruct them in the doctrine of salvation, and ways of godliness? Dost thou now not only stick at, and forbear great and gross sins, but dost thou even hate the garment spotted of the flesh, and all appearance of evil? Doth the tenderness of thy conscience check thee for the least sins, and make thee fearful to offend, though it be but in a wandering cogitation? After every fall into infirmities, art thou careful to renew thy repentance, and learn wisdom and watchfulness to avoid them afterwards? Dost thou feel thyself profit; grow and increase in these fruits and effects of grace? And hast thou such a gracious taste of the glory of God, and of eternal life, that thou art even willing and desirous to meet thy Saviour in the clouds; not so much for to be rid out of the miseries of this life, as to be freed from the heavy burden of sin which hangs on so fast, and to enjoy his presence in the heavens for ever? In a word, as thy soul gives life, spirit, and motion to thy whole body, and every part thereof; doth the spirit of God even so inspire thy soul and body, and all thy actions with the life of grace? Why then, thou hast passed the perfections of the formal hypocrite, and art possessed of the state of true blessedness; thou art then happy that ever thou wast borne; thy way is certainly the way of life: And I can assure thee, and I dare boldly pronounce it, that thou art already utterly out of the reach of all the powers of hell: Satan is chained up, for ever doing thee any deadly hurt: All the creatures are reconciled unto thee, and at league with thee: Thou hast filled the Angels with joy at thy conversion, they will for ever guard thee: Thou shalt never more be afraid for any evil tidings. Though the earth be moved, and though the mountains fall into the midst of the sea, thy heart shall abide strong, unshaken and comfortable. When thou fallest down upon thy bed of sickness, thou shalt find no mortal poison in thy flesh; no sting in death; no darkness in the grave; no amazement at that great and fearful day. For all the merits and sufferings of Christ are thine; all the comforts of God's children are thine; all the blessings in the book of God are thine; all the joys of heaven are thine: even all things are thine, and thou art Christ's, and Christ is Gods. Only stand fast in the faith; quit thyself like a man, and be strong; gird thy sword upon thy thigh; buckle fast unto thee the whole armour of God; ride on because of the word of truth; and the Lord thy God be with thee. Break thorough for a while with undaunted courage the bitterness of the world's malice; the keen razors of empoisoned tongues; th● tears and tediousness of a few & wretched days; for thou art nearer the price of the high calling, then when thou first believed'st: Shine more and more in faith, in patience, in love, in knowledge, obedience, and all other Christian graces, until the perfect day, until thou reach the height of heaven, and the full glory of the Saints of God.  
I now proceed more distinctly to other marks of difference betwixt the state of grace, and formal hypocrisy. Some notes of distinction for my purpose may be raised out of those places of Scripture, which I proposed, for to acquaint you with the kinds of perfection, and degrees of goodness; whereof a man as yet unregenerate is capable, and may be partaker.  
In the 8. of Luke, the hearer resembled unto the stony ground, is the formal hypocrite. He receives the word of God with joy, as doth the faithful Christian, though ●ot in the same measure: But here is the special point and mark that differenceth the one from the other: The word and faith in the formal hypocrite have no roots: They are not deeply and sound rooted and planted in his understanding, conscience, thoughts, affections, and actions.  
First, they are not rooted and fastened in his understanding, by those two sacred and gracious habits, which are called by the Apostle, Col. 1.9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Heavenly knowledge, or speculative wisdom in the mysteries of salvation: And spiritual prudence, or a sanctified understanding in the practical affairs of the soul. These two, as I conceive, for divine revelations, and matters of heaven, answer in a proportion to those two intellectual habits, Sapientia and Prudentia mentioned by Aristotle Eth. 6. for natural truth, and civil actions. Sapientia, you know out of the Schools, is a worthy habit compounded of Intelligentia; which is a natural light and ability of apprehending and acknowledging speculative principles, the foundations and fountains of all human knowledge: and of Scientia; which is an habitual and exact knowledge of all necessary conclusions and deductions by the force of reason, and labour of discourse thence issuing, and grounded thereupon. But Prudentia, though it be seated in the understanding; yet it is practical, in respect of the Object and the end; and is the sovereign and guide of all other virtues. It doth ever amid the many varieties, uncertainties, and passages of human actions, wisely, and honestly consult and advise, judge, and resolve; manage, and execute. Even just so, these two heavenly habits, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, heavenly wisdom, and spiritual prudence, shed into every sanctified understanding by the fountain of grace, are busied and exercised about supernatural truths, and matters of eternal life. By the first, the child of God having the eyes of his mind opened and enlightened, doth see the great mystery of salvation, the secrets of the kingdom, the whole counsel, and the wonders of the law of God: He doth know what the hope is of his calling, and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in the Saints: he comprehends what is the breadth, and the length, and the depth, and the height. By the second he is enabled with a judicious sincerity to deliberate, and determine in cases of conscience; in the perplexities of temptations; in all straits, ambiguities, and difficulties incident to the consideration and carriage of a Christian; and with spiritual discretion to guide and conduct all the actions of grace, and every particular, both in his general and special calling. This explication premised, I come to tell you, that the word of God doth not take sure and lasting root, doth not dwell plentifully in the understanding of the Formal hypocrite, by these two divine habits.  
First, there is a right noble branch of divine knowledge and heavenly wisdom, springing out of the mystery of regeneration; in which, as I take it, the formal hypocrite is for the most part utterly ignorant. He knows not that dark and fearful passage, which leads from the vanities and corruptions of nature, and out of the dominions of darkness and death, thorough strange terrors and torments of soul, into the rich and glorious happiness of the state of grace, and kingdom of Christ. He knows not the variety and power of temptations; the causes, degrees, the woeful consequents and recoveries of spiritual desertions, relapses, and decay of grace. He hath no skill in the nature, symptoms, and remedies of afflicted consciences: in the secret workings and right uses of afflictions, infirmities, scandals, and disgraces. He is not acquainted with Satan's transformations into the glory of an Angel; 
2. Cor. 2.11.  with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as the Apostle calleth them: that is, his depths, his profound plots and contrivances, moulded by malice and subtlety in his own large understanding; furnished with the experience of our corruptions, and the success of his many temptations for some thousands of years; managed with all the crafts and policies of the most dark and hidden corners of hell. He is not acquainted with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as they are called Ephes. 6. 11: his exquisite method, in the wily conveyance of his stratagems and insidiations; in ordering his assaults, and discharging his fiery darts. How sometimes he keeps as it were a method of nature, in striking at the root, and labouring to stop or poison the fountain of spiritual life, which is Faith: that so the fruits of godliness may wither, and the streams of divine grace may dry up. Satan knows full well that the lively or languishing exercise of other inward graces, the cold, or zealous performance of all outward duties, depend upon the weakness or strength of our faith: And therefore if he perceive, that by a free and vital operation of a strong faith, our zeal, our hope, our patience, our faithfulness in our calling, and other graces be maintained in their heat, vigour and excellency, he labours might and main to weaken, shake, and beat down our Faith, and that by such means as these:  
First, by suggesting to the child of God, a consideration of the flourishing of the wicked; how imperiously and prosperously they domineer and revel it in the world; how they spread themselves like a green Bay three, and bring their enterprises to pass: while himself lies trampled upon by their insolences, oppressions and profane censures; while perhaps he lingers and pines under some heavy cross and long visitation; and for all his prayers, his groans, his patience, yet finds small comfort, no deliverance, for ends best known unto his heavenly father; so that he may outwardly even perish in his troubles. This is a shroud temptation, 
Psalm. 7●.  and in some measure prevailed against David; it made so tall, and well rooted a Cedar to stagger: nay, this tempest had near overturned him; this blow had wounded his faith to death, had he not in good time stepped into the Sanctuary of the Lord, and understood the end of these men; How suddenly they are destroyed, perished, and horribly consumed: and considered howsoever the godly be vexed with men or devils for the days of their vanity in this miserable world; yet it ever goes well with them at the last.  
A second means, by which Satan endeavours the weakening of our faith is this: He curiously observes all seasons and advantages; and therefore if he spy our minds to be overcast with some cloud of melancholy, the seat many times of unnecessary distrusts and fears; or to be cast down with some sad and heavy accident, and worldly discomfort; he presently afresh represents unto the view of our conscience, the many and great sins of our unregeneration in their foulest shape; that so by this renewed horror, he terrifying and affrighting us, may raise new doubtings and amazements, and in some measure loosen the hand and hold of faith.  
A third weapon, by which he striketh at our faith, I take to be one of his own immediate suggestions, and that is this: While the heart of a godly man is refreshing itself sweetly and plenteously with an assurance of his future happiness and eternal enjoyment of endless iores in heaven; Satan, that out of his cruel malice he may mix some hellish poison son with these rivers of comfort, labours to cast into his mind, even some thoughts of impossibility of the performance of the promises of salvation, and of the attainment of that excellent weight of glory: and would gladly make him think it incredible, that he should ever be crowned with immortality; or be so gloriously partaker thorough all eternity of unspeakable comforts above. This temptation, as I take it, doth not much disquiet the formal hypocrite, or any unregenerate man. For because his persuasion of happiness to come, is false and misgrounded, and that he hath no sound assurance of heaven; Satan is too wily to suggest unto him doubts and distractions of this nature. But wheresoever it lights, it is of fearful consequence; and therefore not to be debated upon by the thoughts, or disputed with Satan; that is not the way to conquer this temptation; but suddenly, and resolutely to be repelled by the power of prayer, and out of an holy contempt of so base and lying malice, to be cast as dung upon the face of the tempter: So that the faithful Christian for all this, may maintain and possess his heart in patience, and unconquerable comfort out of these two considerations:  
First, if he be a devil and prince of hell, as God's child feels sensibly and certainly by this present immediate suggestion; why then undoubtedly there is the glory of infinite Majesty in heaven, Angels, Saints, boundless and endless blessedness of everlasting time.  
Secondly, he is to consider, that in the days of his security and worldliness, no such scruples arose in his thoughts: And therefore it is only a malicious trick of the enemy of all true comfort, to defeat us of our heaven upon earth, our assurance of heaven in the world to come.  
A fourth way of weakening our faith is this: If Satan, by taking in the nick, the tide of our frail and impotent affections, by casting us unawares upon occasions and allurements; or by the suddenness, subtlety or violence of some temptation, be able to hale us again into some gross and scandalous sin, to which, by reason of our natural disposition and custom, we were often, and most principally obnoxious before our calling: why then, from thence he draws and enforceth upon us uncomfortable, and faith-killing conclusions. He presently infers upon such relapses; that we have deceived our own souls, that our holiness indeed is but hypocrisy, that our faith is but temporary, and our conversion counterfeit: Otherwise the grace of God would be sufficient for us, and the power of his sanctifying spirit, would at the least so far restrain us, bridle and mortify our corruptions, that we should not break out again, and backslide into a sin so much loathed and repent of: Otherwise, as our sweet, and master-sinne in the time of our unregeneration, made the deepest gash, the widest gap into our consciences; so if we were indeed in the state of grace, we should most carefully and tenderly close up that wound, and be most vigilant and solicitous in fencing and fortifying that breach before any other. By this means Satan many times gives a sore blow to our faith, and breeds much heaviness and discomfort in the soul.  
Thus Satan in his temptations, sometimes proceeds by a method, a it were of nature, in striking at faith, the root and heart of our spiritual life. But if h● be not able to fasten his fiery darts upon the shield of faith; why then he takes a contrary course and method, as it may best fit his advantage, and more easy insinuation. For he attempts the dulling and diminishing of our zeal, and forwardness in religion, and other fruits of faith, and inferior parts of sanctification. And that by such means as these.  
One weapon, by which he labours to wound our fervency, and faithfulness in duties of holiness, and to hinder the entire exercise of the graces of sanctification, is prosperity and freedom from discomforts and misery. For if he once espy us to be encompassed with worldly peace, reputation amongst men, honours and offices, plenty of wealth and preferments; he is ever then in good hope (by the help of the natural aptness of worldly happiness to ensnare and entangle) to beget in our hearts, worldliness and security, the two great and dangerous consumptions of spiritual life. For if worldliness once take possession of our hearts, it wastes by little and little, our joy in heavenly things, our comfort in the communion of Saints, our longings for the incomprehensible and everlasting happiness: it banisheth all thought of the worth of our souls, of the spiritual state of our conscience, of the vanity and change of this present life, of the glorious rising again of our bodies, and the immortality of the second life: and in stead thereof filleth us with earthly cares, with fears, jealousies, grief, hopes, wishes, independence upon the providence of God, and a thousand platforms for the increasement and securing of our outward felicity. And security, it makes us insensible of God's judgements, of our falling from our first love, of the danger wherein we stand: It makes us put far from us the evil day; and to think our mountain so strong, that we shall never be moved, but continue in our happy state, and die in the nest.  
Secondly, he seeks to weaken our practice of godliness, by fastening upon us uncheerfulness, and unprofitableness in the means of the preservation of grace. For if he can once make us cold and negligent, or only formal, and cursory in the daily examination of our consciences, in hearing the word of God, in the godly exercises with our scholars or families, in public prayer, or our more private striving with God by groans and sighs, for the supply of some grace, or remooveall of some corruption; then there ever follows a languishing and decay of the life of grace. If we but perfunctorily receive the heavenly food into our understandings; and being hindered by distractions, carelessness or worldly cares, not digest it by meditation and conference, and by spiritual exercise of servant prayer convey it into the several parts of our souls; our new man will quickly fall into a consumption.  
Thirdly, he doth notably dull and darken our holiness and sincerity, by casting us upon ungodly and profane company: which hath I know not what secret and bewitching power to transform others into their own fashions and conditions; and to make them sometimes to condemn their former forwardness and zeal in the service of God. For as the feed cast into the earth draws unto itself by little and little the property of that soil whereunto it is transported, until at length it becomes like that which doth there naturally grow: so the spirits and manners of men commonly conform themselves to those with whom they ordinarily converse. Lamentable then is their case, base their resolution, and miserable their comfort, who for advantage, faction, foresight and hope of future gratifications, or any other by-respect, plunge themselves into such companies, where perhaps they may enjoy many pleasant passages of wit, set, and artificial disports, and passing the time, direction in their worldly affairs, combination against the power of religion, and the true professors thereof: but where they shall find no furtherance in the way to heaven, no comfort in heavenly things, no encouragement to piety, no counsel in temptations, no consolation upon their deaths-bed. O how much better were it, for these few and wretched days, to sort and solace themselves amongst the Saints of God, with whom they might shine as glorious lights together in the earth, and hereafter in the heavens above the brightness of the sun for evermore; rather then profanely to sport themselves in Meshech, and for a season proudly to ruffle it in the tents of Kedar, where there is no light of grace, no joint expectation of eternity, but darkness of sin, and shadow of death! Mistake me not in this point: I would not have men go out of the world, or become Separists. I would rather have them, if they will understand Paul aright, be made all things to all men, that they might by all means save some: That is, I would have the children of God not be wanting in any offices of kindness or piety, but to yield and communicate themselves so far as duty, charity, humanity, necessity of their general or particular calling upon good warrant, and just occasion m●y challenge and exact at their hands. But as for a free and full communication of the secrets of their soul, of their dearest affections of their spiritual estate, of their joyfullest and best expense of time; I would have that only vouchsafed and conveyed into the faithful bosom of a true Christian, and confined to grace, as it peculiar and principal Object. Let their goodness, and good deeds spread without limit; but their delight and intimatenes, is to be restrained and appropriated to the Saints that are on the earth, and to the truly excellent, which are only the godly. Hence it is that God's children are many times censured for morosity, unsociableness, disdainfulness of spirit, and opposition to good fellowship; when God knows they can find no taste in the white of an egg, no strength in a broken staff of reed, no comfort in the men of the world, who have their portion in this life; and therefore they would not part with their Paradise of communion of Saints, or comfortable communication with God in their solitariness, for the company of kings, and a world of carnal contentments.  
Fourthly, Satan doth sometime work a soul decay of grace, and exercise of godliness, by putting into our heads some inordinate plot and forecast, for preferment and greatness. For if he can once set our thoughts busily on foot for projecting and contriving, with excessive desire, ambition and greediness; some honour, office, or high place; why then, farewell zeal; farewell taking part with God's children; farewell an unshaken resolution, in standing for the honour, truth, and service of God; and a Christian courage in reproving sins. For than we must live reservedly; we must be content to part with our liberty, and be deprived of ourselves: We must labour to satis●ie and accommodate ourselves to the humours, pleasures, and passions of men. In a word, our whole carriage must hold a necessary and exact correspondence with the men and means that are able to promote us; for so uncertain and irregular are the revolutions of men's favours, that many times if a man but miss, or mistime one ceremony or circumstantial observance, it is enough to cast him off, and utterly cashier him from his hopes & ends. Most miserable and servile is their life, that thus forsake the strong tower of their salvation, and clasp their hand of faith about the arm of flesh. For they do not only bereave themselves of that worthy freedom of spirit, which an honest Heathen would not exchange for his life: but also as they grow into a habit of servitude and base engagements unto men; so they grow into a slavery unto sin, and bondage unto the corruptions of the time: And the higher they rise into favour with profane greatness and policy, the deeper they sink into the miseries of baseness and flattery, and the high displeasure of almighty God: And at length, if they attain their ends, (for sometimes they die in the tedious prosecution of some undeserved dignity) they double their discomforts, and increase their account. For commonly where the pursuit and purchase of any honour and preferment hath been base and indirect; there the discharge and execution is formal, vainglorious, and unconscionable.  
Thus you see a second method of Satan, whereby he goes about to kill the fruits of faith; and to cause, if not an utter cessation, yet much weakness and interruptions in the operations of grace.  
Many more such depths, and proceedings he hath in his temptations. As for example:  
If he meet with notoriously wicked men; as Drunkards, Swearers, unclean persons and the like; he tempts them to Atheism, a reprobate sense, contempt of God's worship and service, and to the great offence. To defend their lewd and graceless courses; to glory in their sins, and in their dexterity of making others drunk with the same iniquity. He stickles & strikes the bargain betwixt them, and death and hell; and enters as it were bond for the performance of the covenant. He tempts them to scorning; and by their scoffings and railings, in some fort, to the despiting of the spirit of grace in the children of light; which is a soul sign of a feared conscience, and a fearful preparative to sin against the holy Ghost. These are Satan's standard-bearers▪ and therefore he inspires them with extraordinary boldness, and desperateness in sinning; and teacheth them to march furiously in variety of rebellions against the Majesty of heaven.  
If he meet with honest civil men, heelabours to persuade them, that just and upright dealing with their neighbours, good meanings and intentions in matters of religion, are the very life of the service of God, and a sufficient way to heaven: And to conceive sin, and sincerity, to be nothing else but moral virtues and vices; the power of sanctification, to be nothing but good education; the practice of godliness, to be nothing but sober and honest behaviour; and the whole mystery of Christianity, to be only a grave and stayed civility: And the much ado about faithful and conscionable preaching, to be only the humour of some odd fellows, that would be accounted singular and seraphical.  
If he meet with formal hypocrites, who besides immunity from gross sins, and their civil honesty, are careful and fashionable in the outward duties of religion, yet short of a sound conversion; he labours might and main to settle in them an opinion, that the state of regeneration is nothing but preciseness and puritanism; that saving sincerity and a true practice of holiness, is only a transcendent Idea, consisting in pure abstraction, conceived in the irregular and stirring heads of some busy and pragmatical fellows, shadowed only with a number of fair shows and pretences, but really existent and acted no where. And that they may more securely and obstinately rest upon this persuasion, he furnisheth them with a notable art of misconceiving and misinterpreting the actions of grace, and of making, by odious exaggerations, a little hole in the coat of a sound Christian, as wide as hell. Hence it is that David is many times made sport with, and merrily jested upon by them, with the false scoffers at their feasts and banquets, and hath things laid to his charge, with much confidence, but without all conscience, which, God thou knowest, he never knew. Hence it is, that many times those actions, in which, for the truth and uprightness of his heart, and the justness and innocency of his cause, he dare appeal to the tribunal of God, the impartial searcher of the inmost thoughts, and severe revenger of all falsehood; yet are racked by vile and base misconstructions, and interpreted to be the works of darkness and deceit. And if they take a godly man but tripping in some lesser error in his carriage, and that perhaps but forged in their own wilful misconceit; they thence raise matter, not only of triumph and insultation, but which is much more fearful, of cheering, applauding, and confirming themselves in their present wretched state.  
But if Satan meet with a man, that by the grace of God is already entered into the pangs of his travel in the new birth, and with sorrow for his sins is smitten down into the place of dragons, and covered with the shadow of death; then he eagerly strives to stifle the new man in the womb; and by presenting to his view the ugly visage of his many and outrageous transgressions, the curse of the Law, and the wrath of God; which he yet makes more grisly and fierce by his own hellish malice; to plunge him into the bottomless gulf of irrecoverable horror and desperation. But if by the mercies of God he sink not, but betime lay hold upon the justice of Christ, and that boundless compassion, which never knew how to break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking flax; but holds a broken and contrite heart far more precious, than a sacrifice of the beasts on a thousand mountains, and then ten thousand rivers of oil: why then he stands like a great red Dragon in his way, at the very first entrance into the Kingdom of light, and profession of sincerity, and casts out of his mouth floods of persecutions, vexations and oppositions; that so he may overwhelm and crush him before he come to any growth or strength in Christ, and a full comprehension of the mystery of grace. And to this end he sets on foot, and fire too, and whets with keen razors many a lewd and profane tongue, to scoff, disgrace and discourage him in his narrow, but blessed passage to immortality, by reproaches, slanders, exprobration of his former life; by odious names of Hypocrite, Singularist, Puritan, a fellow of irregular conscience and stirring humour, of a factious and contradictious spirit, and such like. But if he also pass these pikes, and these sharp swords, (for so David calls spiteful tongues, 
2. Ti●o. 3.12. ) out of a consideration of that truth in Paul: Every one that will live godly in Christ jesus shall suffer persecution; and that in the calmest time of the Church: amongst many other, he shall be sure at the least to be continually scourged and vexed with strife of tongues: for every faithful Christian knows by good experience, that ever now and then, as he shall stir in a good cause, stand against the corruptions of the place where he lives, with conscience and faithfulness discharge his calling; he shall presently have the spirit of profaneness to sly in his face, with brutish and implacable malice and insolency: But yet, I say, if he be able with his Lord and Saviour to endure this speaking against of sinners; and to esteem it, as it is indeed, his crown and comfort: why then Satan casts about another way; and he labours sometimes to fasten upon him some unwarrantable opinions, thereby scandalously and unnecessarliy to disquiet him, to defraud him of an entire fruition of the comforts of holiness, and to hinder and interrupt him in the prosecution of his glorious service of God. Sometimes to puff him up with a self-conceit of his own excellency, seeing himself advanced as far above the common condition of men, and the richest and happiest worldling, as heaven above earth, light above darkness, endless happiness above eternal misery: that so, as the Apothecary's ointment by a dead fly, his good actions and spiritual graces, may receive stain and infection by privy pride: of the nature and remedies whereof I have before discoursed. These and many others be the temptations of a babe in Christ, and fitted to the infancy of regeneration.  
But if Satan meet with a strong man in Christ, he tempts him by those two methods I told you of before, sometimes by wasting his zeal, sometimes by weakening his faith, and a thousand more. Amid which infinite variety, he is for the most part constant in one point of policy, and that is this: He conceals his greatest fury, his most desperate assault unto the last: He reserves his fieriest dart, his deadliest poison, his sharpest sting, his Gunpouder-plot until he meet us on our death's bed. Wherefore, beloved in Christ jesus, we had need every man to be strongly and sound prepared and armed against that great and last encounter with Satan; upon which depends our everlasting estate, either in the joys of heaven, or pains of hell. Oh at that day, (and we little know how near it is) it is not our deep reaches and unfathomd policies and projects, the countenance and patronage of great personages, our merry and pleasant companions, or the plurality of livings and preferments, that can yield us any comfort or assistance in that terrible and fearful combat. Nay, though we now little think upon it, all the worldly contentments, that we have either indirectly purchased, or unconscionably employed, he will then turn unto us into Scorpions, stings and worms of conscience. Only at that day a good conscience will hold out as armour of proof; which, as it hath been on earth a continual feast, so their it will be unto us a great and everlasting jubilee for evermore.  
By this▪ time you easily perceive, and I am very sensible of the digression I have made: but I have done it, only to give you a taste of that part of divine knowledge about the depths of Satan, and spiritual state of sanctified souls and afflicted consciences; which I take to be God's child's peculiar, and in which the formal hypocrite hath little skill or exercise. For the deep and divine ponderations of this nature, upon these points, do not much take up or trouble his mind and meditations. It is a precious knowledge, abstracted by an holy experience from the practice and actions of true and sound regeneration; and therefore it is transcendent to his most happy natural capacity, to the depth of his worldly wisdom, and to the greatest height of his speculations, though otherwise never so universal and profound.  
Now as concerning other parts of divine knowledge, and other points of religion; he may be furnished with store of rare and excellent learning, in Fathers, Schoolmen, Commentaries, Controversies; he may be endued with subtlety in disputing and defending the truth of God: yea, and in resolving cases of conscience too, so far as a formal observation, and Popish Doctors can lead him. For their resolutions in that kind, are only busied about cases incident to their Antichristian Hierarchy, about perplexities arising out of their will-worship and bloody superstition, and determination of some particulars in the Commandments, which may fall within the capacity of an unregenerate man: but their profession, I mean the Papacy, cannot possibly reach unto the heart of godliness, the mystery of regeneration, and the saving power of the life to come. Nay yet besides this, the formal hypocrite may be made partaker of some degrees of the spirit of illumination, in understanding, and interpreting the book of God, for the good of his Church and children. For I doubt not, but many have much light of judgement, that have little integrity of conscience; and are inspired with the spirit of illumination for the good of others, that have no part in the spirit of sanctification and sound conversion for their own happiness. But yet me thinks there may be conceived some differences betwixt the child of God, and the formal hypocrite, in the very speculation and knowledge of God's truth, and in apprehension of things divine in the understanding: Which I take to be such as these:  
First, the light of divine knowledge in the formal hypocrite, doth only discharge his beams and brightness upon others, but never returns and reflect● on his own soul to an exact discovery of the darkness of his own understanding, the disorder of his affections, the slumber of his conscience, the deadness of his heart: but every child of God is ever in some measure, both a burning and shining Lamp; he is both illightened and inflamed inwardly in his own understanding, heart and affections, and also the brightness of his Christian virtues, are ever dispersed and working upon others. Wheresoever he lives, he shines as a light, amid a naughty and crooked generation, in the sight and censure of God, the blessed Angels, and good men; though to the judgement of the world, and eye of profaneness, his glorious graces ever did and ever will appear to be nothing but darkness and dissembling. You may conceive this difference thus: The sun beams, you know, are not only cast and shed into the inferior Orbs and air; but are first rooted in the sun, and do inwardly and universally fill with light that fair and glorious body. It is otherwise in the moon: for howsoever she receive light, for the cheering and comforting other bodies, yet she remains dark within, and in respect of herself, it serves only to make her spots more conspicuous. It is just so in the point we have in hand: The light of divine knowledge in the child of God, doth not only shine upon the souls of others for their instruction and refreshing; but doth first fully illuminate his own, though not to an excellency of degree; for that is reserved for heaven; yet to a perfection of parts, of which only our mortality is capable. But in the formal hypocrite, howsoever it may sometimes dispel ignorance and errors from the minds of others; yet within he is darkness in the Abstract in respect of saving light, as is every unregenerate man, Ephes. 5.8. And his light of knowledge in respect of himself, serves only to make his sins more soul and sinful, his damnation more just, and himself more inexcusable. For he that knows his master's will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.  
Secondly, the knowledge of divine mysteries in God's child, is entertained and enjoyed with a peculiar kind of sweetness; with an impression of incomparable joy and pleasure: It is far sweeter unto him then honey, and the honey comb: He hath more delight in it, then in all manner of riches: It is more precious unto him then gold, yea then much fine gold: It begets and stirs in him flagrant desires and affections correspondent to it preciousness and excellency. But it is not so with the formal hypocrite; for his earthly-mindedness, by which his affections are as it were glued unto the fashions of the world; if he were sensible of it, would tell him that it is many times not so sweet unto him as his pleasures: His close covetousness or other unconscionablenes in his calling, if his conscience were illightened would inform him, that many times it is not so dear unto him as gold.  
Thirdly, the child of God hath an humble and gracious resolution, a sweet and willing submission ever mixed with his divine knowledge, of being mastered, guided and governed by it; though against the violent bent of his own inclination, and the current of the time: but the formal hypocrite if he deal faithfully with his own heart, may feel in himself a secret subordination and subjection of his understanding therein, to his wealth, honours, and worldly preferments.  
Fourthly, in apprehension of divine truth in the formal hypocrite, the power of natural discourse, and light of reason bears the chiefest sway; and therefore he sticks, as it were in the bone and bark, in generalities, and uncertainties: but in the child of God, the sacred illustration of God's spirit doth plentifully concur; and therefore he is able to pry into and pierce the marrow and pith of God's holy truth, the particular veins, and the saving sense thereof.  
I come now to the other habit, which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, spiritual prudence, by which the word and faith take no root in the understanding of the formal hypocrite.  
This habit, I told you, is a spiritual prudence, or a sanctified understanding in the practical affairs of the soul; by which a regenerate man is enabled, with a judicious sincerity to deliberate and determine in cases of conscience, in the perplexities of temptations, in all straits, ambiguities and difficulties incident to the consideration and carriage of a Christian; and with spiritual discretion to guide and conduct all the actions of grace, and every particular, both in his general and special calling.  
This wisdom, as I take it, is an attendant upon justifying faith, and only and inseparably annexed unto saving grace; and therefore the formal hypocrite, though I place him in the highest perfection, that is attaineable in the state of unregeneration, is utterly uncapable of it, and a mere stranger unto it, as he is unto the life of God.  
By this holy wisdom, David, Psalm. 119. vers. 99 is said to be wiser than his adversaries; that is, than Saul, and all his politic Statesmen, than his teachers, than the ancient. If wisdom were lost, me thinks it should be found amongst Politicians, the Oracles of imperial depths and secrets of State; the pillars of commonwealths and kingdoms: amongst profound Doctors and Rabbins; the fathers of knowledge and learning: amongst the ancient, whose age is many times crowned with ripeness of judgement, with variety of experience and observation. And yet by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  spiritual prudence (for the same word is used there by the Septuagints, which the Apostle hath Col. 1.9.) David far surmounted them all; in respect of which, the flower and quintessence of all their wisdom and policies, was nothing but glorious folly and profound simplicity. Hence it is that many a poor soul illiterate and neglected, proudly passed by, and many times trampled upon with disgrace and vexation, by worldly wisemen; yet living under a constant and conscionable Ministry, is infinitely more wise than the greatest clerks, and learnedest doctors, both in giving counsel and advise in spiritual affairs, and in conducting their own souls, in these strangely profane and desperate days, thorough the straightway to heaven.  
Hence than you may see a clear difference. The formal hypocrite, so far as natural wit, goodness of education, civil honesty, moral discretion, politic wisdom can enlighten and lead him, may manage his actions and affairs with exactness and reputation, gloriously and without exception in the sight and judgement of the world. Nay, beside, sometimes by an addition of some inferior, and more general graces of God's spirit, he may set upon them such an outward glistering, that they may dazzle the eyes of the best discerning spirit, and deceive his own heart with a false persuasion, that they are the true actions of piety, and pleasing unto God. But over and above all these, (which is never to be found in the unregenerate) there is in the understanding of the child of God, a more excellent and superior vigour, that inspires his actions with a high and more heavenly nature, that breathes into them the life of grace, that guides them with truth and singleness of heart, and sincerity in all circumstances, to the glory and acceptation of God, the comfort of his own conscience, and good of his brethren. There is a far clearer and brighter eye shining in the soul of every regenerate man, in respect whereof the fairest lights of all other knowledge and wisdom are Egyptian darkness, which doth ever faithfully descry and discover unto him the strait, though unbeaten path to immortality, thorough all the passages and particulars of his life: It reveals unto him the wisest and most conscionable resolution in all spiritual debatements; the best and fittest seasons of reproving sins and winning souls unto God; many obliquities of actions, iniquity of many circumstances; the right uses of his own afflictions, disgraces and infirmities, which the formal hypocrite cannot possibly discern, because he is stark blind on this eye.  
Amongst infinite, I will give one instance of the gracious workings, and power of this divine habit:  
Let us imagine an evil report or false slander to be unjustly raised, and without ground upon the formal hypocrite, though it seldom befall such; for commonly profane men are more countenanced, better conceived and spoken of by the greater part, and by great men, than they deserve. Yet if it so fall out; this or the like is his behaviour: He perhaps proclaims and protests his clearness in the case too ambitiously and impotently; not with that humility and spiritual discretion: He pleaseth and applaudeth himself in his innocency, for this particular, boisterously and with clamour, which perhaps secretly breeds a more general Pharisaical self-conceit of the rest of his ways: He angrily contests with the iniquity, and ingratitude of the world, for casting such base indignities and aspersions upon goodness and virtue: He would gladly bear it out bravely, and make others think that he passeth it without wound or passion; but indeed he inwardly chases and frets, and is much grieved and gauled with worldly sorrow for it: the reason is, his reputation with men is dearer unto him, than the glory of God; his chiefest good and comfort in this world, is the world's good opinion of him. But in all this, he is so far from working any spiritual good out of it, that he rather entertains a secret encouragement to be that indeed, which the world censures him to be, then for a bare concealed conscience of his innocency, to debar himself of a full fruition of the present times.  
But let us now on the other side, conceive a child of God to be wickedly and wrongfully slandered: for it is properly his lot and portion in this life, to be loaden with lewd and lying censures, with unjust and odious imputations; sometimes to have many grievous things, and fearful abominations fathered upon him, without all sense, honesty or probability, which he never did, he never knew. And if once ill reports raised falsely upon the godly be on wing, they fly as swift as the Eagles of the heavens. devils are speedy Dromedaries to carry such news: They presently pass thorough Taverns and Alehouses, City and Country, Gath and Ascalon; they run far and wide, as currant and authentical, under the Broad-seale of good fellowship, never more to be controlled and reversed, until the matter be brought before that high and everlasting judge. But mark, I pray you, the carriage of God's child in these cases: he doth indeed sweetly and comfortably enjoy the consciousness of his own uprightness; though his adversaries be never so potent, or cunning to threape him down, yet until he die, as job speaks, he will not take away his innocency from himself. When the sharp and empoisoned arrows of bitter malice and calumniations come thickest upon him, even with hail shot, his truly noble, and divinely resolved soul, is infinitely satisfied with that in job: 
Chap. 16.19.  Behold now, my witness is in the heaven, and my record is on high. Yet he doth labour to clear himself so far, as the honour of God, the satisfaction of the godly, and danger of just scandal require.  
But the gracious considerations and holy practice, which in these afflictions of his good name, spiritual prudence principally ministers and suggests unto him, are such as these:  
First, he considers, that howsoever he be innocent from the slander, yet the finger of God is in it, as it was in directing the dogged malice of cursed Shemei, upon the royal person of David; & therefore he gathers, that the Lord would thereby give him notice, that some other things in him are amiss: That some secret corruption, by which his blessed Spirit is grieved, is to be subdued and mortified; that some grace is to be repaired; some of his ways to be amended: perhaps his languishing zeal is to be revived and inflamed; his heart much dulled with the contagious profaneness, and formality of the times is to be quickened, and more enlarged for God's service; repentance and humiliation for some former sin, not thoroughly repent of, or in part resumed, is to be renewed. Perhaps the Lord hath thereby an holy purpose to reveal unto him, the omission of some duties in his calling, or some smaller faults, yet scandalous, whereof before he was not sensible. Or it may be, to prevent some sin to come, either that with which he is falsely charged, or some other, to which his frail nature is more inclining. Or lastly, by this experience to prepare him with courage, and furnish him with wisdom, to comfort others in the like case, or to glorify his name by patience in some more public and notorious disgrace and vexation to be endured in this kind. Hereupon the child of God doth presently make a privy search into his soul, doth narrowly fifth the state of his conscience, and after due and impartial examination, feelingly and faithfully address himself to prayer, practise of these considerations, and reformation of what he finds amiss.  
Secondly, this outward cross upon his good name by false surmises and suspicions, makes him retire into himself, and more fruitfully and cheerfully to enjoy all his inward comforts, his hope and delight in heavenly things, the assurance that his name is written in the book of life; which no malice of men, or policy of hell is ever able to blot out. It makes him with more fervent and greedy attention to listen for the trumpet of that last and fearful day, more longingly and with fixed eyes, to wait for the Lord jesus in the clouds; who, as he will punish all profane Opposites to holiness with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power: so undoubtedly, with the brightness of his coming, he will then at the furthest, before men and Angels bring forth his righteousness as the light, and his judgement as the noonday.  
Thirdly, by the mercies of God, for any such wretched and lying slander, he is not so cast down with worldly sorrow; he doth not so far gratify Satan and malicious men, as to join hands with them for the afflicting of his own soul, with needless discomforts, or discouraging himself in his calling: but rather he raiseth matter of comfort, encouragement, and rejoicing. For thereby he is made more like, and conformable to his head Christ jesus; who endured the cross, and such speaking against of sinners, and despised the shame for the joy that was set before him. He hath thereby more weight and degrees added to his blessedness, more massines, and brightness to his crown of immortality: Blessed are ye, faith Christ when men revile you, and say all manner of evil against you for my sake falsely; rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. And therefore in despite of malice and falsehood, he runs on joyfully in his race; and having the attestation of a clear conscience, the acclamations of Saints and Angels, he little cares for the barking of dogs by the way, bu● follows hard towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ jesus.  
Such as these are the thoughts and behaviour, spiritual wisdom acquaints the child of God with; when his good name is wronged, & wounded with slanders & false reports.  
I conclude the whole point: The knowledge and practical wisdom about heavenly matters in the formal hypocrite, are dull, cold, plodding, formal, serviceable, and subordinate to his worldly happiness. His knowledge is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a form of knowledge: Rom. 2.20. His practice is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a form of godliness: 2. Tim. 3.5. All is form and outwardness: they are not deeply and sound rooted in them by sanctifying grace; nor inwardly inspired with supernatural and spiritual life. But divine knowledge in the child of God, is called, the Spirit of revelation, Ephes. 1.17. his practical wisdom is spiritual, Colos. 1.9. that is, quick, active, fervent, zealous, stirring; not into irregularities and exorbitancies, as worldly wisdom many times misconstrues, but against the corruptions of the times, and working out of all actions, occasions and occurrents, even out of miseries, slanders and infirmities, some glory unto God, some good unto his children, some comfort unto his own soul.  
I now proceed to tell you, that the word of God is not rooted in the conscience of the formal hypocrite, which is the hearer resembled unto the stony ground.  
The whole and entire work of conscience, as you well know, out of the Schools, consisteth in a practical syllogisine: The proposition ariseth out of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an habit of practical principles, and general fountains of our actions. The assumption is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, conscientia, an actual application of our knowledge to this, or that particular act or object. Whence follows the immediate, and necessary issue and office of conscience: to testify, in respect of things simply done, or not done: In respect of things to be done, either to excite and encourage, or to restrain and bridle: In respect of things done well, o● wickedly, to excuse and comfort, or accuse and terrific. For example: The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is as it were a treasury of rules and lessons for direction in our actions, proposeth the iniquity of a lie even out of nature. Aristotle condemns it, Eth. 4.7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: A lie is stark nought and discommendable. The sounder Schoolmen demonstrate every lie, though it be officious, & for a greater good, to be against nature, and indispensible. Nature's purpose is frustrated, and her law transgressed when speech and words, which she intends to be ever the true messengers of the conceits and apprehensions of the mind, are abused to falsehood and equivocation. But this practical principle of not lying, howsoever it be clear in nature, yet it receives further illustration from the book of God. Therefore the proposition may be thus framed:  
Every liar shall be banished from the holy mountain of the Lord: Psalm. 15. and shall be barred out of the new jerusalem for evermore: Revel. 22.15.  
The conscience of the liar doth assume and tell him; But I have thus and thus lied for advantage, and greater good: Then it follows:  
Therefore I must be banished from the holy mountain of the Lord, and barred out of the new jerusalem for evermore. A conclusion of condemnation and terror.  
Such is the arguing of conscience for things past: But thus it worketh about things to be done:  
Let us imagine a man to deliberate with himself whether he should be Non-resident or no. His habit of practical principles, if he will deal faithfully with his own soul, especially by the help of the honester Casists, may yield him matter enough out of nature against non-residency, as might easily appear, if the point were incident. But sith the case is clear, Ezech. 33. he may thus frame his practical syllogism:  
The Non-resident must answer for the blood of those souls, which by his unconscionable and unwarrantable absence, & negligence in his charge have perished in their sins.  
But sith I know not how soon I shall come to judgement, my poor soul shall not appear before my blessed Saviour, red with the blood of those souls, for which his precious blood was shed.  
Therefore I will not be Non-resident. You see here a restraint from non-residency, that bloody gangrene, that with remorseless greediness eats and devours the precious souls of men.  
This short explication of the nature of conscience thus premised, you may easily conceive with me thus much; that  
Accordingly as the practical understanding of a man is furnished with principles and rules for guiding his actions, according to the nature of them, and sovereignty they hold in the conscience, such and thereafter commonly is his life and actions.  
I except the gross hypocrite; for he sinneth against the knowledge of his heart, and light of his conscience: Therefore the sound of fear is already in his ears; and in his prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. He believeth not to return out of darkness, for he seeth the sword before him. Affliction and anguish shall make him afraid: They shall prevail against him as a king ready to the battle. God shall run upon him, even upon his neck; and against the most thick part of his shield: because he hath covered his face with falsehood, and enwrapped himself in a cloud of hypocrisy.  
The point than must be exemplified in other sorts of men.  
First, the notorious sinner, by reason of his delightful conversing with the wicked, and custom in the works of darkness; doth obscure, smother, and in some measure extinguish in his conscience, not only the light of supernatural truth, but of nature too: Therefore he runs headlong without restraint or bridle, into desperate villainies and outrageous rebellions. He draws in sin with cart-ropes, and worketh all manner of uncleanness with greediness: He is bound with his sins, and covered with iniquities, as a field is hedged in with bushes, and the path thereof covered with thorns, whereby no man may travel. It is shut up, and is appointed to be delivered by fire.  
Secondly, The Papist he entertains and treasures up for his practical principles, the bloody Dictates of the Pope of Rome, that man of sin, and vicegerent of Satan; which are so far from receiving strength or warrant, either from nature, or divine truth, that they hold strong contradiction and eternal opposition to both: and therefore his conscience is enlarged like Tophet. For it can without scruple, or remorse, nay, with hope of heaven, and a brighter crown of glory, digest even the sacred blood of kings, and swallow down with ease the ruins and desolations of whole kingdoms. He can meritoriously butcher his brother in the streets with prodigious cruelty, as in that horrible massacre at Par●s. He can be dispensed with, and discharged from oaths, and truth of speech, the necessary and sovereign instruments of all justice and society amongst men. He may expect canonisation for blowing up of Parliaments, and tearing in pieces the royal limbs of the Lords Anointed, and the strong sinews of the worthiest State under heaven: and after sail towards the Popish Paradise, which is indeed the pit of hell, thorough a sea of innocent blood, without any check or counterblast of conscience.  
Thirdly, the civil honest man hath his 
* For I may take conscience for the habit of practical principles, as doth Origen, Basil, Damascen, jerom. Origen calleth conscientia, paedagogus animae sociatus: Basil, naturale iudicatorium: Damascen, lux intellectus nostrit jerom▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  conscience informed with rules of natural honesty, and general notions of right and wrong, and therewith contents himself. And therefore he frames himself with sober carriage, fair conditions, just and upright dealing towards men, so that he is well spoken of, and reputed by the world a good neighbour, a sober wise man, of harmless behaviour, no meddler, a peaceable man: and these are excellent, if not severed, but serviceable to true piety, and saving knowledge. Peace is a precious thing, if it may be purchased and possessed without impeach and prejudice to holiness and a good conscience. Follow peace with all m●n, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Peace and holiness must go together: If otherwise, it is an holy peace to be at war with the corruptions of the time: and to be at peace with sin, is to war against God and his own soul. But the merely civil honest man, by his practical principles, is led no further, but to the executions of moral honesty; as for instruction in heavenly mysteries and divine knowledge, he doth not much meddle with, care for, or seek after; but only for company and fashion.  
Fourthly, the formal hypocrite, besides the direction of natural light in his conscience, doth interest and acquaint himself with practical principles out of supernatural truths and the word of God, for the performance of religious duties and services; but he puts them in practice with reservation, with his own exceptions and limitations: He is only so far guided by them in his life and conversation, as they are compatible with his worldly happiness: And therefore in the time of persecution, as it is in the parable, he falleth away. But by persecution you must understand, not only the fiery trial and striving unto blood; but also inferior and not so smarting afflictions and temptations; as it is clear if we compare the three Evangelists in their narration of the parable. It is many times, disgraces, and contumelies for his profession, displeasure and discountenance of great Ones, the hazarding of some profit and preferment, the loss of friends, and favour of the world or the like, that makes him slink and yield, and desperately to cast himself into the current of the times, there to swim with others for a while, with full sail of outward prosperity, until he drown himself in perdition, and sinks suddenly into the gulf of endless woe and misery. Hence it is that Mat. 13.21. he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Temporizer: He is not thorough, sound, resolute, and truehearted for godliness, good causes, and to good men. For many times, when the honour of God is put as it were in the one scale of the balance, and his own contentment in the other; he suffers some worldly profit or pleasure, the gratification or satisfaction of some great man; the purchase of some Fellowship, Benefice, or spiritual dignity, (for sometimes it proves perhaps as dear as a purchase) the greedy desire, and pursuit of some undeserved office or honour; the enjoyment of profane company, or coherence with worldly wise men; the pleasure of some secret and sweet sin, or such like; I say, he suffers these to weigh down the exceeding weight of heavenly bliss, the unvaluable treasure of a good conscience, and the infinite glory of God. Which is strangely miserable; sith all the worth, wisdom, power, excellency, and whatsoever other happiness of man, all the highest, and greatest treasures and glory under the Sun, without the fear and favour of God, if they were put in the weights with vanity, vanity would weigh them all down. So thought David, Psal. 62. The children of men are vanity, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The only men; those that are men indeed.  the chiefemen are lies: to lay them upon a balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.  
Lastly, the child of God, besides the better and more special apprehensions of nature, stores his conscience, his treasury of practical principles, with many sacred and saving lessons and rules out of heavenly truth and Gods holy word; but so, that in his practice of them, he stands not upon terms of pleasure, profit or preferments; but doth wholly and entirely resign up himself in obedience, and humility to be guided and governed by them, without restriction or cuasion, in his thoughts, affections and actions, thorough the whole course of his life. Therefore, Luke 8.15. the hearer compared unto the good ground, (which is the child of God, to whom in all my Discourse I oppose the stony ground, which I call the formal hypocrite) is said to be of an honest and good heart: that is, downright for godliness and good men, without hollowness, faintheartedness, or slinking. He makes Christianity as it were his trade, he sweats and toils in it, as the end for which he was created, and placed in this world: And as he receives the word of God into his honest and good heart; so there he treasures it up, and keeps it faithfully. The word in the original, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. He keeps it though it be with much difficulty, struggling and colluctation with his own corruptions, the temptations of Satan, and vanities of the world; who cunningly conspire and labour jointly to pluck it up, and wrest it from him: and he brings forth fruit with patience. He yields no ground, though he meet a a Lion in the way, or a Tyrant in the face. In the day of trial and encountering with dangers and ungodly oppositions, he shrinks not but stands fast, and suffers himself rather to be overflown, then to be carried down the stream of the sinful fashions and wicked ways of the world. He knows full well, howsoever he goes now on his way weeping, yet he carries precious seed; and therefore the time will come shortly, that he shall doubtless come again with joy, and bring his sheaves with him. Crosses, disgraces and tribulations may beget in the formal hypocrite, fainting and defection: 
Rom. 5.3.4 5.  but in God's child they bring forth patience, experience, hope and resolution. Ever when he enters consultation with himself, whether God must be obeyed and glorified, or man pleased and satisfied; he is quickly resolved out of that in Isai. 51.12. ay, even I, am he, that comfort you. Who art thou, that thou shouldest fear a mortal man, and the son of man, which shall be made as grass? And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath spread out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth? He considers the heavy judgement determined, and reserved for all fearful men, all spiritual cowards, and saint-hearted in the Christian warfare; who more fear men than God, and for their favour and countenance, part with the protection of the Almighty, and the comforts of a good conscience: They shall be punished with unbelievers, with the abominable, with murderers, and whoremongers, with idolaters, and hers, in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death: Revel. 21.8.  
You may now clearly conceive the point I have in hand; how the word of God, is not rooted in the conscience of the formal hypocrite. The ordinary intelligencers to his conscience are examples, custom, opinion, worldly wisdom, common prejudice against a strict course of sanctification; precedency and practice of greater men, for true goodness, many times overprized, and misualued by the world's flattering censure; the common natural notions of right and wrong. But if upon some extraordinary good motion, by guidance of divine rules, he sometimes cross the current of the times, enter a profession of sincerity, and some correspondence with God's children, it is but for a spirit, an essay, like a morning cloud, and as the morning dew. For as soon as his fervour in religious affairs, and furtherance of good things doth once by the fury of hell, cruelty of profane men, malice of the world, enkindle and stir up against him, I say not only a fiery trial, but even some smarting heat of lesser persecution, some railing and slanderous tongue, which schorches like coals of juniper, a disconccit and dereliction in his friends and old acquaintance, disgrace with the world, discountenance of Greatness, unlikelihood of rising and preferment; if it once raise against him storms of jealousies, envies and molestations; why, then he is gone, he slinks and starts aside like a broken bow. All his former good motions, purposes and endeavours melt as the winter ice; and go away like the morning dew. For the formal hypocrite ever when he seeles disturbance in his present security, interruption of his former contentments, hazard of his temporal felicity, he begins strongly to suspect himself of too much forwardness, of unseasonable and preposterous zeal, of distemper, and indiscretion in matters of religion; and therefore gives back, and falls away into his former plodding course of formality; and that perhaps without any check of conscience: but if any scruples, and reluctation arise in his heart, out of his worldly wisdom, he Interprets this yielding to the times to be but an ordinary and pardonable infirmity; and therefore notwithstanding flatters and deceives himself with hope of heaven, which is a strong bar to keep him out of the state of grace, and unacquainted with the glorious comforts of sound and saving sincerity.  
But the sacred light of God's holy truth, is habituated and incorporated into the conscience of God's child, and is the only and constant rule and square, by which, with all humility, uprightness of heart, a free, entire submission and obedience unto it, he frames all his thoughts, affections and actions. And in this light, he walks with a settled constancy and grounded resolution, thorough poverty and oppression, contumelies and contempt, slanders and indignities, good report or ill report. For he hath his eye still fastened upon eternity, he hath the crown of glory already in sight, the inestimable preciousness and everlasting beauty whereof, ravisheth and possesseth his truly free and great heart with such a longing and fervency, that he is at a point with all that is under the Sun; that he doth not only contemn, patiently endure, and vanquish all asperities and difficulties; but even with rejoicing entertain and embrace (if the tyranny of the times so require) the utmost, that malice and cruelty can inflict upon him. There is no other consideration or creature, either in heaven or earth, can separate him from the love of God in Christ jesus, or from his glorious service in all good conscience.  
And as the word of God is planted and rooted in the conscience of God's child, for his direction and constancy in the ways of godliness: so is it also there fastened for his forbearance of sins; by these three properties, which are not to be found in the formal hypocrite:  
Remorse for sins past, by which he is saved from relapses and backslidings.  
A present sensibleness of all manner of sins, whereby his present integrity and unblameablenes, is happily preserved.  
An habitual tenderness, by which he is armed and sensed against the corruptions of the time, unconscionable courses, and commission of sins to come.  
In remorse for sins past, I comprise a more full knowledge, an universal revelation of his sins, by the light of God's word, and power of his spirit: and that both in extension and intention, both in number and grievousness: a sense and feeling of them in their true weight, as they are able to sink him down into the bottom of hell. Much sorrow and anguish, for the stain and guiltiness they have left behind them, and for that they provoke to just wrath, so loving and gracious a God. And lastly, a loathing of them, so that he never casts his eyes back upon them, but with an addition, of a new and particular detestation. He never enters meditation of the soul & heinous passages of his former life, but with shame and horror. Every solemn review of his time of darkness and unregeneration, makes the wound of his remorse to bleed afresh.  
By sensibleness I understand a quick and present apprehension and feeling of every sin, whether it be public or private, open or secret, in ourselves or others, as well in our thoughts and affections, as in our words and actions, in our general or particular calling, more gross and infamous, or slips and stumblings, scandals, and appearances of evil.  
Habitual tenderness is a gracious temper & disposition of the conscience, whereby it is apt to be gauled & smart, at the first interview with the iniquities of the time; and at every occurrence of corruptions and all unconscionable attempts.  
These properties of tenderness, aptness to smart, easiness to bleed at the apprehension and approach of sin, are peculiar to a conscience enlightened, sanctified, and purged by the blood of Christ; never incident to the best natural conscience, or furnished with the choicest notions and perfections of civil honesty and formality: for these are never so strait laced, but can let down at the least without distaste or check, common sins, lesser evils, the gainful and honourable errors and obliquities of the time.  
Hence it is that all profane and unregenerate men, wanting the curb of a sober and sanctified conscience, have ever infinite advantage, for getting the start and precedency, in compassing the comforts, glory, and preferments of the world. For they, when the achievement of any honour, happiness or high place is on foot, advise presently with th● ordinary informers, and counsellors of their conscience, custom, example, multitude, worldly wisdom, the sway of the times and such like: but with the word of God and godly Christians, only so far as they do not cross their ends, and contradict those plots and contrivances which they have laid for their advancement unto high rooms. And thus they may pass with reasonable quietness, without grudging or grieving of a conscience so guided, thorough a a thousand corruptions and indirections, baseness, flatteries, sinful engagements, unwarrantable courses. Any of which, if it should meet with a conscience once sound frighted with horror of former sins, softened and sanctified by the blood of the Lamb, would not only rub off the skin and gall it, but make it bleed to death. But worldly men are at a point, they must and will enjoy the world; for here they have their portion and heaven. They esteem it their greatest happiness to be admired and adored above others; and therefore venture upon whatsoever unlawful and indirect procurements, which may bring them to high places: rather than they will be defeated and disappointed in the pursuit of worldly happiness, they will thorough, whether it be thick or thin, right or wrong, force or fraud, stain of reputation, or wound of conscience; Simony or flattery, friend or foe all is one: though in the mean time they strike their own poor souls thorough with many sorrows; though when they are most glorious in their own conceit, & in the ●ie of the world; in the just censure of God, Angels, and sound Christians they be most vile & contemptible: and indeed in this seeming sunshine of worldly prosperity, they treasure up unto themselves strange fears and astonishments, snares, fire and brimstone, and stormy tempests against their latter end.  
It is otherwise with God's child in such affairs: He still takes counsel and direction at the oracle of God; with Cornelius resolution, to hear or forbear whatsoever is there commanded or forbidden; and so follows the comforts of this world only so far as it will give him leave, warrant and assistance. But if he be to enter any corrupt course, or to pass thorough any unjustifiable means, for the attainment of his purpose and preferment; there presently comes into his mind such considerations as these: He conceives with himself, that the passage into any place of office, or honour by corruption, is ever attended with the curse of God; and so no true comfort to be expected in the enjoyment and execution: That the restless humour, and proud spirit of ambition ever haunts and possesses men of least worth, and worst conscience: That he which truly fears God never desires height of place for the glory or gain; but only with a sobor indifferency, thither inclines and carries his affections and hopes, and that with trembling at the weightiness of the charge, where it pleaseth divine providence by honest and lawful means to plant or transplant him, for the employment of his talon; and where he may most glorify God, benefit the Church, and keep a good conscience. He thinks upon the vanity and misery of all things we enjoy in this world; of that strict and great account he must very shortly make unto the Lord, and judge of all the world; of the length of that eternity, thorough all which is avoidable to be endured an everlasting estate, either in the joys of heaven, or pains of hell. Out of such thoughts as these springs his truly noble & Christian resolution; that he had rather want preferment while the world stands, and end his days in a retired and innocent obscurity, then by casting himself into the common fashions and corruptions of the world, forfeit the fruit and comfort of his former integrity, wound his conscience, and serve the time: That he is far more willing to endure any affliction or disgrace with God's children, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin, and glory of the world for a season.  
I now come in the third place, to tell you that the word of God is not rooted in the thoughts of the formal hypocrite; which is the hearer resembled unto the stony ground; and thence riseth a very notable and most special difference betwixt him and the child of God, truly possessed of the glorious state of Grace.  
And I beseech you mark me in this point. For the thoughts of a man do far more clearly, and impartially distinguish the power of sanctification from the state of formality, than words, actions, and all outwardness of carriage. For in these many times is much cunning and enforcement, artificial and feigned behaviours; counterfeit and formal conveyances, disguisements, and hypocrisies. They are liable to the laws of men, open and obvious to the eye and judgement of all; and therefore fear of punishment, reproach, and base reputation, shame, & speech of the world, hope of reward and rising; desire of maintaining a good opinion for honesty and religion; of holding some gainful coherence with God's children; are of great power to restrain them, and to keep them within good compass and moderation. So that a man's words and actions, may be fair, ingenuous, and honourable; whose thoughts are base, profane and abominable. But thoughts are the free, immedi●●● and invisible productions of the heart, never taken within the walk of human justice, by their natural secrecy exempted from man's most privy search, and all executions of State. Their aberrations are only censurable by the searcher of all hearts; no eye pries into these secrets; but that which is ten thousand times brighter than the Sun: And therefore millions of thoughts, many thousand forms of imagination spring continually out of the hearts of men, which without fear or mask, without restraint or reservation do undissemblingly resemble and represent the true state and disposition of the heart: So that from them we may be ever sure to take infallible notice, whether the heart as yet only work naturally, in framing them, in it own sinful mould, and feeding them with consent and delight; or else be taught and guided by a supernatural power, to compose them according to the light of God's word, and holy motions of his sanctifying spirit.  
Let us then consider what deep root the word of God doth take, and what special sovereignty it doth exercise in the thoughts of a sanctified man; whereby he is clearly differenced from all states of unregeneration; even that of formal hypocrisy, which I place in a degree above civil honesty, and in the highest perfection attainable by an unregenerate man. We will then for our present purpose conceive these differences betwixt the child of God, and the formal hypocrite in this point of thoughts.  
First, in respect of their nature, forms, & manner of working.  
Streams do resemble and express the nature and property of those fountains whence they spring: so ordinarily, thoughts and imaginations follow the temper and constitution of the heart, wherein they are moulded. I say, ordinarily; for as we do not pass our judgements of the depth of a river, or quality of the water, when by suddenness of inundation, or incursion of neighbour brooks, it is grown into a torrent, and becomne muddy for a while: so neither are we to censure, or take measure of our thoughts by some uncouth motions, and extraordinary stir, we sometimes feel in them, but according to the ordinary current, and general sway, they commonly hold and exercise in our hearts. For sometimes, even the unregenerate may have good purposes and inclinations towards sincerity, earnest longings for the happiness of the Saints, and the heavenlinesse of their latter end; some flashes of comfort and persuasion, though from false grounds, that the spiritual state of their soul is safe and sound: but such thoughts as these in such men, spend their life in their birth; as they rise, so they glide and pass away without all fruit, true comfort, or profit to their own souls. On the otherside, the calmness and serenity of sanctified thoughts in a good Christian, may sometimes be foully disquieted and interrupted, either by some sudden eruption of the relics of our own sinful nature, by violent invasion of some enticing object from abroad, or by the malicious, and immediate injections of Satan. But because such thoughts as these oppose against the general and settled purpose of God's child; he well knows, out of his spiritual wisdom and holy experience, how to repel and bridle them, how to repent of them, and pray against them, how to be humbled, and bettered by them, in setting a stronger guard, and more narrow watch over his heart for afterward, left he be unawares surprised the second time.  
Sith therefore the heart of a notorious sinner is hardness itself; for besides natural obduration, it is yet further, and more fearfully hardened by a desperate extinguishment of those lesser sparks of a general inclination to ciuil● honesty, by a long custom in a dissolute course, by the contagious company of lewd and graceless companions, by the curse of God upon his wilful continuance in sin; therefore I say, his thoughts are all continually, and resolvedly sin, and that in a high and horrible degree: Wickedness hath so enwooven itself into his heart, that within he is very corruption. And whereas amongst all other comforts of life, sleep doth most sweetly feed and refresh nature; yet the humour of sinning is far more natural unto him, and more dominant in his affections, 
Prou. 4.16.  then desire of sleep. For he cannot sleep, except he hath done evil; and his sleep departeth, except he cause some to fall. He imagineth mischief upon his bed: Psal. 36.4. When he is encompassed with the fears and darkness of the night, an image and representation of his grave, and of the horror of that great day; when his mind is retired from worldly affairs, the noise and tumult of men; when it is most active, powerful, and fitted for divine contemplation; even then are his thoughts as black as hell, and deepest in the works of darkness; then is he plotting and contriving mischief: How to compass his pleasures, and accomplish the lusts of his heart, where to crown himself with fresh Rosebuds; by what means to set forward the trade of drunkenness, and to enlarge the number of Satan's revellers, that with more contentment and company he may leave some tokens of his pleasures and swaggering in every place: how to supplant his brother, oppress his neighbour, grieve and disgrace God's servants; indeed how to become an absolute villain upon earth, and the foulest fiend in hell.  
You see what are the thoughts of the notorious sinners obdurate heart, which is as full of hardness, as the Moon of light; and therefore enforced, as it were, to empty and discharge itself of some stonines, 
Isal. 48.4.  by transfusing an iron sinew into the neck, and a brazen brow into the face. Neither judgement nor mercy will bend and incline him to grace: no admonition or ministry of the word, will make him blush at his open and professed impiety: So that his heart doth not only greedily entertain, what lewdness doth ordinarily spring from corruption of nature, and is suggested by others; but being past all sense, both of shame and sin, becomes one of the devils new inventors, and sets the thoughts busily on work for the device of strange villainies and mischiefs, and for addition of new forms, fashions, and circumstances of sinning.  
No better are the thoughts of the gross hypocrite, another kind of sinner, but fully as soul and abominable. For if we could look into his heart, though his outward life be ordered smoothly and civilly; yet we should see within a bloody slaughter-house of malice, cruelty and revenge, an hateful stews of impure imaginations and adulteries of the heart, a forge of much mischief, of furious and fiery rage against the power of grace, an insatiable gulf of greedy desires for wealth and riches, for undeserved respect and reverence in the world; indeed a cage of all unclean and ravenous birds. Here is only the difference; the notorious sinner dares act and execute the abominations of his heart in the sight of the Sun: but the gross hypocrite would gladly sin unseen, and go to hell with as little noise and notice of the world as may be; and therefore he draws a curtain of cozenage and hypocrisy betwixt the sight of the world and foulness of his sin. 
1. Kings. 21.  In the hearts of Ahab and jezebel was nothing but blood and murder, covetousness, oppression, and merciless enclosure; only upon the ugly visages of these soul fiends, they put a vizard of a fast, formal witnesses, and legal proceeding. The ordinary thoughts then of the gross hypocrite are the same, as vile and hellish, as those of the notorious sinner. Nay he doubles his iniquity, and adds weight ●o the vengeance preparing for him; in that he strains the utmost vein of his wit, and found'st the depth of his damned policy, to cloth them with fair pretences, and colourable shifts, as they pass and present themselves unto the world in words and actions, and in that he labours to seem a Saint, while he is in truth an incarnate devil.  
But the thoughts of the formal hypocrite; for with him I am specially to deal, (I have only added in this point, the notorious sinner, and gross hypocrite, for further distinction and illustration) I say his thoughts, as they come certainly short of true sanctification, so they are far better than these now mentioned. For we suppose his heart to be seasoned with goodness of nature and civil honesty, to have tasted of the general graces of God's spirit, and in some sort of the powers of the world to come; and therefore his thoughts are more fair, ingenuous, sober and moderate, than those soul and hateful ones of the notorious sinner, and gross hypocrite. His heart will rise, and be affrighted with suggestions of infamous consequence and markable horror; as those of Atheism, Cruelty, Drunkenness, Adultery, heresy and such like: but notwithstanding, because it is not softened and sanctified by special grace, without much scruple or conscience, it will let the imaginations lose to much idleness and vanity, to many fruitless conceits, impertinencies and profane wanderings; but especially into the endless maze of worldly cares & earthlymindednes. For he doth in some sort in his practice approve and justify that wicked and pestilent proverb: Thoughts are free. They are free indeed, in respect of obnoxiousnes to human justice, in respect of discovery and danger from any creature; but the eye and vengeance of heaven takes first and special notice of them, and holds them punishable, as the principals, and chief plotters of all transgressions. Words and actions are as it were sins at second hand, the very first life and freshest vigour of all ill is immediately received, and inspired into the thoughts. Hence it is, that Peter adviseth Simon Magus, to pray God, if it were possible, that the thought of his heart might be forgiven him: as though there lay the greatest guilt, and deepest stain before God. By the way before I pass to the thoughts of God's child, observe one special mark of difference in this point, betwixt the true Christian, and formal hypocrite. The formal hypocrite doth ever harbour and maintain in himself▪ one sweet pleasing bosom sin or other, as voluptuousness, worldliness, a greedy pursuit of temporal felicity, an excessive desire of greatness, and note in the world, an opposition to sincerity, a delight in good fellowship, or some such like carnal contentment or secret sin: on which his mind most runs; whereupon the best and the flower, the fervency and dearness of his thoughts are spent. God's word, honour, and service, checks of conscience, motions of the spirit, ministry of the word, admonition of friends, salvation of soul, by an unreasonable and inconsequent discourse of his sensual reason, are all made subordinate and serviceable to this Idol: To which with much delight he daily sacrificeth the noblest and immediate works and issues of his soul. As for the state of his conscience, spiritual affairs, care of heaven, that One necessary thing; these things take up his thoughts but at reversion, by starts, by accident; and when they come into the heart, their entertainment is very cold and strange, their abode short; and while they stay, they are apprehended and enjoyed with much weariness and weakness. I conceive this to be the reason: He hath a full taste and present feeling of the pleasures of his sweet sin; he hath sensible and certain possession of worldly contentments, but no real and sound assurance by saving faith, and his forsaking all sin, of the joys and comforts above; and therefore doth greedily follow and feed upon the present, with consent of his erring judgement, delight of heart, the best of his affections, and most of his thoughts. And as for hereafter, sith he is conscious to himself, of an honest civil life, of a sober formal carriage in the affairs of religion, and that he is not infamous with any notoriousness in the world, but as good as the best, a few precise fellows of purer strain only excepted, whose pretence and profession of extraordinary sanctity, is nothing (in his conceit) but humour and hypocrisy; he therefore, I say, for hereafter, refers himself at all adventures unto the mercy of God, and to the lot and condition of many thousands which are in the same case and state with himself. But it is otherwise with God's child: For by the power of sanctifying grace, as he hath also mortified all other: so specially he hath broke the very heart of the sweet sin of his unregeneration. And as in a besieged city, where the greatest and most dangerous breach is made, there the inhabitants concur with chiefest care, and highest resolution, to fortify and make resistance: even so sith he knows and feels, that before his calling his delightful and darling sin most fearfully wasted his soul, and wounded his conscience, he makes sure to employ his thoughts with special edge and indignation, to countermine, prevent, resist, abominate and abandon all thought of that sin: And now by the grace of God, sit● the heart, the fountain, is purged and sanctified, the stream and heat of their intention and delight is carried another way. For he hath found that rich and inestimable Treasure in the Gospel; and therefore he sells all that he hath; he parts with every pleasure; he casts out of his conceit whatsoever hath been formerly dear and precious unto him, and lets all his thoughts, with loose rains, greatest joyfulness and oftenest meditation run after it, and sweetly refresh themselves with the glory and comfort of it. If a man upon the way should find some precious orient pearl, hardly could he keep his eyes from gazing upon it; his excess of joy would easily command and confine the sight to so rare and hopeful an object, until he meet with some skilful Lapidary, or come where he might thoroughly be acquainted with the worth, and fully enjoy the wealth of it. Even so, after a man by the enlightened eye of his soul, and the hand of saving faith, once seize and lay sure hold upon the pearl of great price, the graces of God's spirit and eternal life, the heart is presently so filled with love and admiration, that for ever after it spends the most, the dearest, and the noblest thoughts upon it: and they once set on foot, are so cheered and ravished with the heavenly beauty thereof, that they follow with continual increase of fervency and longing, until they come unto the clear vision and full possession of it, at the right hand of God, in the endless joys of the world above.  
The thoughts then of a true Christian are of a far more heavenly temper, divine nature, and higher strain, than the largest heart of the best unregenerate man, can or doth possibly comprehend. The formal hypocrite may have his mind worthily busied in points of deepest learning, in the mysteries of State, & affairs of kingdoms, in the best and highest considerations which nature, art, morality, or policy can afford, nay, he may sometimes entertain into his thoughts with joy, the promises of grace, the happiness of the Saints, the joys of heaven and the like; though these have never any root or long residence in him. But that the word of grace should so emplant itself into the inner man, that the thoughts should never be so well or welcome to the heart, as when they are wading in the great mystery of godliness, and with an holy wisdom plotting for the enlargement of Christ's glorious kingdom in himself and others: That it should make all other discourses of the mind subordinate and contributary to such heavenly meditations; and to this end set bounds and limits to the millions of imaginations that daily arise, and erect an holy regiment amongst them; I say, this is the special prerogative of a sanctified man. For he alone, because of his truth, sincerity and uprightness in the inner parts, makes conscience of idle, vain, and wandering thoughts, (of which the formal hypocrite, either takes no notice at all, or not much to heart.) He is as much cast down, vexed and grieved with their disorder and exorbitancy, as with the errors and infirmities of his words and actions; and therefore establisheth as it were a gracious government amongst them, to keep out confusion, idleness, and rebellion. He confines them to a reverent and feeling meditation upon God's word and works, to a care of conscionable managing the affairs of his calling; only sometimes, but sparingly with many cautions, exceptions, and seasonableness, letting them out to honest recreations. Whatsoever thought is wandering without this compass or within it unsincere, is sinful: so that if he take any straggling, without these limits, any enticers to vanities and impertinencies, any obtruders and disturbers of so happy inward peace; he presently apprehends them, by the watchful eye of his spiritual wisdom; examines them by the law of God, arraigns' them in the consistory of an enlightened conscience, and so cuts them off in time by the power of grace, and sword of the spirit; that is, by opposing against them at the first rising in the heart, by present repentance, prayer, and after-watchfulnesse; he blessedly rids himself of the miseries, and distraction of profane and troublesome thoughts. That this is no Idea, I now propose unto you▪ howsoever it so be to every unregenerate man, and so when he hears it he conceives of it; for little knows he what ado every child of God hath with his thoughts; I say that this is no Idea, or idle abstraction, appears pregnantly and plentifully in David's practice; who for all the strong enticements, ordinarily incident to the pleasures of a Court, and natural liberty of Princes, although the cares and weight of a kingdom lay upon him, and that his Royal innocency was still haunted and assailed with such indignities and vexations, which might almost have swayed the blessed and quiet thoughts of a glorious Angel to distraction and discontentment; yet for all this the law of God did still principally take up his heart, and that day and night. God's word and works, his statutes and judgements, were meat and drink unto his mind, and his meditation continually, as is more than plain in many places of the 119. Psalm. Oh, saith he in the 13. portion, how love I thy law! it is my meditation continually. So unexpresseable here was his pang of holy love unto God's law, that he prefixeth a particle of zeal, and extraordinary passion; Oh, saith he: And where the heart hath once truly and sixedly set it love, there all the thoughts feast themselves with dearest apprehensions, and with greatest impatiency of all other employment. This is the very case then of all God's servants, they meditate on the word of God most contentedly and continually, because they love it far before and above all earthly things; and so dearly do they love it; because in it with special security are conveyed unto them all the rich treasures of mercy, remission of sins, spiritual comfort, and eternal life, and particularly sealed unto them by 〈◊〉 Spirit of the same word. Solomon confirms this worthy 〈◊〉 of his Father, by his testimony, Prou. 12.5. The thoughts of the just are right, judgement, or justice; for so the word signifies in the Original; but the subtle devices of the wicked are deceit. The thoughts of all unregenerate men are commonly, either rooting in the earth, or drowned in pleasures, or running after preferment, or ranging up and down idly and profanely, or fruitlessly melancholic; or if sometimes they glance, or settle themselves upon good things, they are still as a menstruous clout, and abomination to the Lord: because their consciences are not renewed, their hearts purged, their persons sanctified and accepted. But the thoughts of every child of God are ordinarily working, for the maintenance and furthering of God's glory and good causes, for procuring true good to their brethren, especially in spiritual things, for increasing grace in themselves, and their store of comfort against the day of trial. And if so be (which sometimes befalls the best) they be crossed by sinful motions in themselves, or suggestions of Satan, yet by their surprising, and suppressing them at the very first rising and assault, and by present repentance, they are undoubtedly ever pardoned unto them in Christ jesus.  
Give me leave, I pray you, to illustrate this variety and difference of thoughts, which I have now largely laid down unto you; in ourselves, for the nearer pressing of our consciences, and that in the matter of Elections.  
Let us imagine a notorious sinner to have a voice and hand in such business. His very first thoughts would be to have no thought at all of Oath or Statute, of conscience or honesty, of honour of his College, or good of the Church: but would resolve out of the profane principles of his vast conscience, and by the benefit of a large acception of charity, to be indifferent for all comers. Only in his cho●ce, h●e would have an eye to the main, that the state of good-fellowship should take no disparagement or diminution; and therefore he would most carefully cast about with himself by all means, to defeat and prevent the purposes, and to stop the passage especially of all Puritans. You must know by the way, that these are a very dangerous kind of men, able to blow up whole Houses, by their too fiery zeal against idleness, drunkenness, other shameful corruptions, close and politic carriages of many rotten and unconscionable causes and the like. For by 
* The world is come to that wretched pass, and height of profaneness, that even honesty and sanctification, is many times odiously branded by the nickname of Puritanisme.  Puritans in this place, I only understand them, (for even such are so branded) who make conscience of study, and religious education of Scholars, who are ready ever, and resolute to uphold goodness in a House, though they be crushed, disgraced and disofficed; who out of a gracious and ingenuous freedom of Spirit, will be their own men in Elections, and other Collegiate services; and not suffer their consciences to be led hoodwinked to serve other men's humours and private ends; who choose rather in a neglected state, sweetly to enjoy the continual feast and perpetual paradise of a sincere heart, true and inward comfort, the society of God's servants, then for many times full dearly bought favours and offices, to enthrall and violence both their judgements and affections, to live reservedly, under a mask, and at a hairs breadth for all occasions and observances, so wearing out a little miserable time in a glorious and countenanced slavery: In a word, who of the two would rather save their souls, then prosper in the world. Now such fellows as these, thinks he with himself, which seem, as it were, by an hypocritical Monopoly, to have engrossed all sincerity, honesty and good conscience, must be kept out; or if by some disaster, they creep in amongst us, be curbed and kept under, else shall not we sway and domineer. Hereupon all the labour of his wit, and toil of his thoughts would be, to plant a thorn, where a vine should grow, and to burden these sacred and honourable Mansions, designed only for gracious and golden wits, with leaden drones, and swarms of worthless and witless creatures.  
Secondly, the thoughts of the gross hypocrite in this weighty business of Elections, would be as utterly void of all conscionable, and ingenuous considerations, as the notorious sinners. First, he would commune with his own covetous heart, (for commonly worldliness is the master sin in the gross hypocrite, therefore I follow the thoughts rising thence) he would within himself cast a greedy and ravenous eye upon the condition of all the competitors for the place, and at length conclude, and be sure to seize upon that party, let his learning or honesty be what it would, where in all likelihood he might make the richest prey, and suck out the greatest advantage: Either purchase a great friend, strengthen his faction, gratify his favourites, receive a present bribe, or else, which is a secret, but a sinful policy, by weighing circumstances, marking insinuations, and former carriages, expect the largest after gratification, close and indirect considerations, and the most liberal Newyears gifts, (for in them certainly sometimes lurks corruption.) These things thus thought upon, there follows now in him, an addition to the iniquity of the notorious sinner. He is not content to be thus stark nought, but he must double his sin by seeming good; it is not enough for him to be thus cursedly pestilent to the place where he lives, but he must enlarge the mischief, by putting on a vizard of piety: He therefore in a second place would beat his brains, how he might varnish over this villainy, with most probable and fairest pretences. The bribe must come in upon other terms, with other circumstances, than the grossness of that vile sin is wont to be conveyed; he thinks how he may deal openly, and in the eye of the world with men, without all suspicion, while the matter is carried underhand by subtle, mediate, and most exercised Agents in the goodly affairs of abominable corruption. Lastly, he is much troubled in mind, how for all this he may continue a good opinion with good men, and give satisfaction to those, whom he deceives by his seeming: but by much practice he makes this reasonable easy; for politic hypocrisy hath so many faces, turnings and evasions, that it can too easily insinuate with, and satisfy unsuspicious, innocent and charitable sincerity. He can tell them of some depths in the mystery of government, which every precise underling cannot comprehend; that some liberty and dispensation must be given to statute-discretion, against the bare letter, and strict meaning of the statute; that we live not in Plato's commonwealth, or Mores Utopia, but in corrupt times, in the very confluence of all the sins of former ages; and therefore it is utterly impossible to keep a man's self so passingly pure from all spice of contagion; that something must needs be yielded to the times, else there is no living, at least no prospering in the world. Thus the gross hypocrite is ever as thoughtful for outward plastering, as secret plotting.  
Thirdly, let us conceive what would be the inward discourse and workings of the heart in the formal hypocrite, about disposing his voice in Elections. His thoughts in these cases perhaps, would not be extremely base, nor grossly wicked: it may be he would be able to clear even his conscience and inmost conceit; much more to wash his hands from the hateful and crying sin of downright bribery. This horribleness is only for notorious sinners, and gross hypocrites. Nay, out of some sudden pang of highest resolution, that ingenuousness of nature, or moral honesty can produce, he might take heart to answer and withstand the suits and importunity of Greatness and great means: only with this reservation, so that his present happiness be not thereby mainly hazarded, nor hope of his future preferment certainly cut off. For we must still hold this principle concerning the formal hypocrite; if he be brought to a jump, he will ever make even God's holy word, conscience, religion, desires and entreaties of godly men, and all to yield and stoop to the worldly comforts he presently enjoys, but upon as fair terms, and with as plausible conveyance as may be. It may be, he will be good in many things, and outwardly in all; but say the Prophets what they will, he must into the house of Rimmon, God must be merciful unto him in one thing or other: he is short of the state of grace, and by consequent, hath no sound and real assurance of heaven above; and therefore he will have some sweetness in the mean time, he will enjoy some shadow at least of one heaven or other upon earth. So that if we suppose such an one, to take a view in his thoughts of all that stand for a place, he would resolve for goodness and honesty, so far as the security & safety of his main contentments would give him leave, so far as the light of reason, and glimmerings of general graces were able to lead him: but because he is still too respective of his own particular, wants the eye of spiritual discretion, & suffers his conscience to be cooled, and countermanded by worldly wisdom; he may I grant by constraint occasionally or by accident, consent and concur upon the worthiest; but ordinarily, for mere love of religiousness, he doth not make within his own heart, a free, unpassionate, impartial, sincere and conscionable choice. For let him otherwise be never so wise or honest, yet he is a mere stranger to the mystery of godliness, utterly unapprehensive of the singular and supernatural operations of the life of grace; and therefore cannot discern betwixt resolute sincerity, and true turbulency: whereupon it may often come to pass, that by a promiscuous confusion of these two most different spirits, he may so much as in him lies, repel far the best, to the unsatisfiable wrong of the party, and the unvaluable loss of the House which should enjoy him. There is one point further in deliberations of this nature, in which he would jump with the notorious sinner: In advising with himself for a fit man, if by the way his thoughts should be crossed, with a man of known, professed, and practised forwardness in religion; he would pass him over with contempt and indignation; for thus would he think with himself: If such a fellow come in amongst us, we shall have all moulded anew after the strict model of his irregular conscience; we should be troubled with new tricks and erections, for the increasement of study and reformation of manners; he would be still standing and striving for an Ideal and abstractive purity in Elections, and other affairs of the College, so that our former quietness and peace would be much dissweetned with his tartness, and too much preciseness. Thus would he be as hot and heady against the power of grace, as the notorious sinner. For though there be many different degrees of illness, of unregenerate men; some are far more sober, tolerable, and moderate than others, yet all commonly agree in this, that they are bitter and implacable Opposites to the profession and practice of sound and saving sincerity. God's faithful Ones ever were, and ever will be Signs and Wonders even in Israel: Isa. 8.18. Monsters unto the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 licet in●erpretari, vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, vel magnos. [Magnis] ●eddidis Calumus.  great men of the world, as David was, Psalm. 71.7. A scorn, reproach, and derision to them that are round about them: Psalm. 79.4. They shall ever be accounted men of an odd fashion, and singular carriage from other men, Wisd. 2.15. precise, humorous, hypocritical and the like. Mistake me not; I apologize not for any unwarrantable opinion tending to Separation; it is only sanctification, true and undissembled holiness, without which none shall ever see the face of God, or glory of heaven, which I stand for, and intent in all my Discourse. But by the way let me tell you this, in this general and joint-conspiracie of all kinds of natural men, against the spiritual state of true Christians, and the sovereignty of God's sanctifying spirit in them; the mere civil honest man, and formal hypocrite, as I take it, are transported with more fierceness and rage against them, than the gross hypocrite, and notorious sinner. This I take to be the reason; The gross hypocrite he sins against the light of his own conscience, and with the certain knowledge of his heart; and therefore doth not much envy and grudge the righteous man his excellency above his neighbour, and salvation of his soul: The notorious sinner in his more sober mood, and cold blood will confess himself to be out of the way, promise and protest amendment, or at least reserves in his heart a resolution to repent when he is old: but the mere civil honest man and the formal hypocrite think their own state to be as good as the best; and whatsoever is more, and besides that which they find in themselves, to be but needless preciseness, and affected singularity; and therefore are many times galled and grieved, that the truly gracious and conscionable carriage of God's servants, doth censure and condemn their outwardness and formality in religion, and make it plainly appear, that their case without sound conversion and embracement of sincerity, is the very state of wretchedness and of death.  
But now fourthly and lastly, in Elections the thoughts of God's child, in whose heart alone the word of God doth chiefly rule, and is deeply rooted, would be these or the like. In the first place there comes into his mind a reverent fear of that God, who hath mercifully advanced him to his place, wherein he expecteth conscience and faithfulness; He considers that solemn and sacred oath which he takes in the sight of him who seeth all hearts and cogitations; for a resolute and unswayed uprightness in the disposing of his voice; that upon the integrity or unconscionableness in Election, depends the misery and confusion, or happiness and flourishing of an House. He further calleth to mind out of his experience, that commonly those fellows who thrust into societies, offices, and high rooms, by shuffling and violence, by faction and preposterous favour; by cunning, or corruption, become pernicious and dishonourable to the places where they live; they are still thorns in the sides, and pricks in the eyes of all that love grace and goodness: they either turn idle, truly factious, or notoriously scandalous, by misspending the unvaluable preciousness of their golden hours, in Taverns, Alehouses, or some other course of good-fellowship, to the inexpiable and eternal dishonour of those Houses, of which they should be ornaments: and when they have done much hurt and mischief here, they are the only men to bargain for, buy, or compass by indirect and sinister dealing, Benefices, and spiritual promotions abroad: of which being possessed, they either by unconscionable and cruel negligence, and Nonresidence in their charge, betray the souls of their people to wildness and barbarism, to ignorance, profaneness, or popery; or else by a profane and unhallowed handling of God's word, by daubing with untempered mortar, as the Prophet speaks, so strengthen the hands of the wicked, that they cannot return from their wicked ways and kill the heart of the righteous, 
Ezech. 13.22.  and make them sad whom the Lord hath not made sad, that the bruised reed is quite broken, and the smoking flax utterly put out. Now thinks the child of God with himself out of his spiritual wisdom, if such an one as these should be chosen by my default and faintheartedness; I should in some sort and measure be justly guilty, and answerable before that high and everlasting judge, of the many miseries and mischiefs, which ordinarily ensue upon so unhappy a choice. Hereupon after a mature and impartial survey of all circumstances considerable in the party, the statute and whole business; he singles out him with sincerity and singleness of heart, whom in conscience he thinks most sufficient; and there he sticks with a truly Christian and unshaken resolution, pitched by the very power and strength of heaven: and come what come will, tempests, or fair weather; preferment, or poverty; threatenings or flattery; policy, or persuasion; private importunities, or frownings of Greatness; he is at a point, infinitely rather to keep a good conscience, and save his soul, then to enjoy the present, and gain the whole world. For he well knows that the day is at hand, even that great and fearful Day, when the consciousness of one gracious action, performed with uprightness of heart, will breed more comfort, than the glory, riches, and sovereignty of the whole earth.  
To conclude this point: As unregenerate and sanctified thoughts differ much in their workings even about the same Objects: so there are some, which are Gods childs peculiar, with which the state of unregeneration is utterly unacquainted. They are such as these:  
First, thoughts full of scare and astonishment, all hell and horror, which rise out of the heart, when it is first stricken with sense of God's wrath at the sight of his sins. These are scorched, in very many, even with the flames of hell in their conversion: They burn sometimes the very marrow out of their bones, and turn the best moisture in them into the drought of Summer. No 
a I do not hereby exempt the state of unregene a●ion from all tremble and terrors of conscience for sin●e; but only make it a privilege of God's children, to pass quite thorough them into the spiritual pleasures, and paradise of the Kingdoms of grace, and to be able with an holy amazement and thankfulness, to look back upon the ska●●es and prints of those former wounds, of a truly humbled and broken heart, already healed, and ●weethe closed up with the blood of Christ▪ whereas in others, they commonly either work but a half con●●●sion, are expelled with outward mirth, or end in despa●re.  print or scar of these woeful and wounded thoughts, appear in the heart of the formal hypocrite. This hell upon earth, is only passed thorough by the heirs of heaven, while the children of hell have commonly their heaven upon earth.  
2 Secondly, thoughts 
b I mean those blessed stir of the har●, unspeakable and glorious, when the seal of remission of sins, is first set unto the soul by t●e Spirit of ad●ption.  composed all of pure comfort, joy, heaven, immortality, the sweet and lovely issues of the spirit of adoption. These flow only from the fountain of grace, and spring up in that soul alone, which having newly passed the strange agonies, and sore pangs of the new-birth, is presently bathed in the blood of Christ, lulled in the bosom of God's dearest mercies, and secured with the seal, and secret impression of his eternal love, and sacred spirit, not only from the rage of hell; but also of an everlasting and royal inheritance above. O● the heart of the unregenerate man is far too narrow, base and earthy to comprehend the unmixed pleasure●, the glorious Sunshine of those blessed and joyful thoughts, which immediately follow upon the storms of fears and terror, ordinarily incident to a sound conversion.  
3 Thirdly, thoughts of spiritual ravishment, and unutterable rapture, slashes of eternal light, raised sometimes in the hearts of the Saints, and occasionally inspired by the Spirit of all & endless comfort; which with unconceivable amazement and admiration feed upon, and fill themselves with the joys of the second life, in such an uncouth ecstasy and excess, as is far above, and without the compass and conceit of all worldly comforts, the tongue of Angels, or heart of man. In this point, I appeal to the conscience of the true Christian, (for I know full well, that all my Discourse is a parable, and paradox to the profane) whether he hath not sometimes, as it were, a sea of comfort reigned upon his heart, in a sweet shower from heaven, and such a sensible taste of the everlasting pleasures, by the glorious presence of inward joy and peace, as if he had the one foot in heaven already, and with the one hand had laid hold upon the crown of life: especially after a zealous heat, & feeling fervency in prayer, after an entire, gracious, and profitable sanctifictation of the Sabbath, at the time of some great and extraordinary humiliation entertained, and exercised with fruit and sincerity, when he hath freshly with deepest groans and sighs, and new strugglings of spirit, renewed his repentance upon occasion of relapse into some old, or fall into some new sin, when the empoisoned arrows of cruel and fiery tongues, pointed with malice, policy and profaneness come thickest upon him; and yet retiring into his own innocent heart, he finds no cause of such merciless vexation, but defence of God's truth, and profession of holiness. Nay, sometimes upon on the deaths-bed, to a soul conscious of an upright and unspotted life, the joys of heaven present themselves before the time; so longing a sympathy is there betwixt the life of grace and endless glory. Such like joyful springings, and heavenly elevations of heart as these which I have now mentioned, are the true Christians peculiar; no stranger can meddle with them, no heart can conceive them, but that which is the Temple of God's pure and blessed Spirit.  
Thus far of the difference of their thoughts, in respect of their nature and manner of working: Now in a second place, God's child is notably differenced from the formal hypocrite by the seasonableness of his thoughts, and their holy serving the time.  
In a body of best and exactest constitution, the senses are quick and nimble, and sharpliest discern, with greatest life and vigour apprehend their objects, and are most sensibly affected, or displeased with their convenience, or antipathy: Even so in a heart of a true spiritual temper, seasoned and softened with the dew of grace; the thoughts are active, ready, and addressed with zeal & contentment, to incline and apply themselves to the condition of the times, and variety of occasions offered for some holy use, to the bettering of the soul, and the enlarging of God's glory. In the time of fasts & sackcloth; if God's judgements be threatened out of the Pulpit, or executed from heaven; when the Church wears her mourning weed, sincerity droops, and the godly hang down their heads; in such black and dismal days, they are impatient of all temporal comfort, they willingly put on sadness, to entertain penitency, humiliation and sorrow: but they are clothed with joy and lightsomeness, when mercy and salvation are wisely, and seasonably proclaimed out of the book of life; when religion spreads and prospers, and divine truth hath free passage, when whole States have escaped the bloody Papists Gunpowder, and the royal breasts of Kings their empoisoned knives, and in such like joyful and happy times. Thus the thoughts, and inmost affections of God's child have their changes, their several seasons and successions, as it pleaseth the Lord to offer, or execute mercy or judgement out of his word, or in the world abroad. But the thoughts of the formal hypocrite, though they suffer indeed many alterations, and distractions about earthly objects; they ebb and flow with discontent or comfort, as his outward state is favoured or frowned upon by the world: yet spiritual occurrents, observable with devotion and reverence for the good of the soul, have no great power to work upon them; sacred times, or days of affliction, are not wont to make any such impression, or to breed extraordinary stir, and motions in them. Let judgements blast, or mercies bless a kingdom; let God's word find smooth and even way, or rubs and opposition; let profaneness be countenanced, or sincerity cherished, he takes no thought: so he may sleep in a whole skin, and keep entire his worldly comforts; his thoughts continue heavy, dull and formal. He may conform and consort with the times in his outward gestures, words and actions; but ordinarily his thoughts admit no change, save only, so far as his private temporal felicity is endangered by public judgements, or enlarged by showers of mercies and blessings from heaven. I cannot enlarge this point at this time: only I will give one instance in their difference of thoughts upon the Sabbath day.  
The Sabbath day is, as it were, the fair day of the soul, wherein it should not only repair and furnish itself with new spiritual strength, with greater store of knowledge, grace and comfort: but also feast with it heavenly friends, the blessed Saints and Angels, upon those glorious joys and happy rest, which never shall have end. Every child of God therefore, which hath already a real interest in that eternal rest, makes not only conscience of doing his own ways, seeking his own will, 
Esay 58.3.  speaking a vain word on that day: but also in some good measure makes it the very delight of his heart, the love and comfort of his inward thoughts, so that he may consecrate it as glorious to the Lord. He doth not only give quiet and cessation to his body from worldly business▪ and works of his calling; but also empties his head, and disburdens his thoughts of all earthly cares, that so they may wholly and entirely intend the holy motions of God's Spirit, and spend themselves in godly and extraordinary meditations, fitting the feast day of the soul, and the Lords holy day. This is the desire, longing and endeavour of his heart, thus to sanctify the Sabbath; and if at any time he be turned awry from this uprightness by company, or his own corruptions, he is after much grieved and vexed with it, reputes and prays for more zeal, conscience and care for the time to come. But the formal hypocrite, howsoever he may on that day forbear and abstain from his ordinary sins, labours, sports and idleness; howsoever he may outwardly exercise and execute all duties and services of religion; though indeed more of custom and for fashion, then with hearty and true devotion: nay, he may have other thoughts on that day, but only so far, as the bare solemnity of the time and the greater Presence can alter them: yet I dare boldly say it, no formal hypocrite, no kind of unregenerate man can possibly make the Sabbath his delight, as is required, Isai. 58.13. And which is presupposed to make us capable of the blessings following in the same place: Then shalt thou delight in the Lord, and I will make thee to moun● upon the high places of the earth, & feed thee with the heritage of jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. He cannot for his life sequester his thoughts at all, not even on that day, from worldliness and earthly pleasures, to divine and sacred meditations. Do what he can, he cannot beat and keep them off from worldly Objects; they will not leave their former haunts, or be restrained from plotting, or pleasing themselves with weeke-day businesses.  
Lord, it is strange that the soul of a man, so nobly furnished with powers of highest contemplation; being so strongly and sensibly possessed with consciousness, and conceit of it own immortality, and having the restless and unsatisfied desires of it wide capacity, never filled but with the Majesty of God himself, and the glory of an immortal crown, should be such a stranger to heaven, the place of it birth and everlasting abode; that upon that day, whereon, as upon the golden spot and pearl of the week, the Lord hath stamped his own sacred Seal of institution, and solemn consecration for his own particular service, and special honour; yet, I say, upon that day it cannot settle and continue it own thoughts and motions upon those unmixed and blessed joys, and the way unto them; without which it shall be everlastingly miserable, and burn hereafter in that fiery lake, whose flames are fed with infinite rivers of Brimstone, and the endless wrath of God, for ever and ever.  
Now I pray you tell me, when we shall have reigned hereafter many millions of years in heaven, what thoughts will remain of this little inch of time upon earth? When we have passed thorough a piece of eternity, where will appear the minute of this miserable life? and yet our thoughts and affections are so glued unto the world, as though eternity were upon earth, and time only in heaven. You are men capable of worthiest and highest elevations of spirit; I beseech you, resume this meditation at your leisure; methinks it should be able to breed thoughts of a far more noble and heavenly temper, then ordinarily arise and are nourished in the hearts of men.  
But to follow my yurpose. Certain it is, not the best vn●egenerate men can endure an entire and exact sanctification of the Sabbath; it is not a jubilee to their hearts, and the joy of their thoughts: for they cannot abide to have their minds stay long in a feeling meditation upon spiritual affairs, upon the examination of their former life, the state of the other world, the sleights and temptations of Satan, the day of death, the tribunal of heaven and such like. For though the best of them may have a persuasion of their being in the state of grace, as I have largely proved heretofore: yet sith it is wrongly and falsely grounded, it cannot abide the search and touchstone: Hence it is, that of all things they love not to be alone. They may please themselves well enough in solitariness, upon some private business; for the more profound plotting and contriving worldly matters; for a more free, but filthy exercise of the adulteries of the heart, and contemplative fornication; to feed upon dull and fruitless melancholy; to let their thoughts wildly range and run riot into a world of imaginations, to dive into the mysteries of nature, or depths of State: but to be alone only for this purpose, that the mind may more fully and immediately work upon the spiritual state of the soul, and impartially inquire into the conscience; they cannot, they will not endure it; and therefore commonly cast themselves into one knot of good-fellowship or other, that they may merrily pass away that time; for an hour of which (the time of grace being once expired) they would give ten thousand worlds, yet shall never be able to purchase it again. But God's children when they are alone have inward comfort and heavenly matter enough to work upon: a pleasing contentment and satisfaction, arising from an humble and sober remembrance of a well spent life, doth infinitely more refresh them, than all the revel and pleasant devices of merry companions: nay, many times in their seasonable solitariness, divine graces are more operative, and stirring, and raise inflamed motions of delight and joy.  
Now in a third place, we are to consider that the child of God is yet further very much differenced from the formal hypocrite, by his skill and dexterity in ruling; by his holy wisdom, and godly jealousy in watching over his thoughts.  
The heart in which Gods spirit is not resident, with special grace and sanctifying power; howsoever the words may be watched over, and the outward actions reform, lies commonly still naked and open without special guard or settled government. For the best natural man is too impatient of restraint and severity over the power of imagination and freedom of his thoughts; they being naturally exempted and privileged from all human and created sovereignty, and the vnc●ssantnesse of their workings and perpetual presence in the mind would make the abridgement of their liberty more sensible and distasteful. It may be out of the natural grounds of civil honesty, & some general apprehension of the power of the world to come; he may be so far solicitous about his thoughts, tha● if any start up of more soul and monstrous shape, enticing him to some gross and infamous sin, which would disgrace him in the world, or breed extraordinary horror in his conscience: he presently sets against it, disclaims, abandons and expels it. He may be of experience and skill to conquer and suppress thoughts of heaviness, and melancholy; although in this point he many times fearfully deceives himself; taking the holy motions of God's spirit inclining him to godly sorrow for his sins; to be melancholic thoughts tending towards too much strictness and unnecessary discomfort: So grieving the good spirit, and stopping against himself the very first and necessary passage to salvation. Thus the formal hypocrite may have sometimes and in part, a sleight misguided and general care and oversight of his thoughts: But because the depth of his deceitful heart, and the many corruptions that are daily and hourly hatched in it, were never ripped up and revealed unto him by the power and light of saving grace, he cannot hold that hand over his heart as he ought; he doth not keep a solemn particular, and continual watch and ward over his thoughts, which is little enough to keep a Christian in sound comfort and inward peace; he hath no heart with such anxiety, and care to look unto his heart; he doth not so often and seriously think upon his thoughts, holding it the last and least of a thousand cares. But every child of God, certainly makes it his chiefest care, and one of his greatest Christian toils, to guard his heart, and guide his thoughts. He follows in some good measure by his practice that holy counsel of Solomon, Prou. 4.23. Above all watch and ward keep thine heart. The word in the Original is borrowed from the affairs of war. Let us imagine a city not only begirt with a straight and dangerous siege of cruel and blood-thirsty enemies, but also within infested with lurking Commotioners, and traitors to the State; how much do you think would it stand that city upon, with all vigilant policy, to stand upon it guard for prevention of danger? It is just so with the heart; not only Satan is ever waiting opportunity, to throw in his fiery darts, and sensual Objects from abroad, like false Simons to insinuate themselves; but also, it feels, to it much vexation, many rebellious stir within it own bowels. The tender conscience of a true Christian is very sensible of all this danger, and by his own experimental and practical knowledge he is acquainted with the many breaches, and desolations made in the soul, both by these open enemies, and secret rebels; and therefore furnisheth himself daily, with much holy wisdom and watchfulness; with experience and dexterity in this great spiritual affair of guarding and guiding his heart. We may take a view of this his sanctified and Christian wisdom in governing his thoughts, in these four points.  
In a timely discovery and wise defeatment of Satan's stratagems and policies; whether he deal by suggestions raised from the occasions, and advantages of his temper and natural constitution; of his temporal state, either happiness, or contempt; of his infancy, or growth; weakness, or strength in Christianity; of the condition of his calling, company, place where he lives, or the like: Or whether he come addressed with his own more fearful immediate Injections; which he sometimes presents in his own likeness: As when he casts into the Christians mind distrusts, and doubts about the truth of heaven, and of divine and heavenly truth, concerning the certainty, and being of all that majesty and glory above; for such thoughts as these, are sometimes offered to the most sanctified soul; 
Lib. de Conscientia.  Bernard calls them terribilia de side, horribilia de divinitate. But mark here the carriage of God's child, he doth not wrestle with these hellbred thoughts, he sets not his natural reason upon them; for thence perhaps would follow inclinations to Atheism, desperateness●● in sinning, and other fearful consequents: but at the very first approach, abandons and abominates them to the very pit of hell whence they came; he prays, reputes, and is humbled by them, and thence clearly sees they are none of his; and so in despite of such devilish malice, walks on comfortably in his way to heaven. If Satan speed not in this black shape; he at othertimes puts on the glory of an Angel: and perhaps may bring into his remembrance even good things, but out of their due time, that he may hinder him of some greater good. As at the preaching of the word, he may cast into his mind unseasonably godly meditations, that so he may distract and deprive him of the blessings of a profitable hearer: At the time of prayer, he may fill his head with holy instructions, that so he may cool his fervency, and bereave him of the benefit of so blessed an exercise. With these, and a thousand more such like vexations in his thoughts, the child of God is sore troubled and much exercised.  
Secondly, another branch of spiritual wisdom in watching over his thoughts, is busied about those sinful pleasures, which upon the remembrance of his former old iniquities may reinfect the soul. For a man may commit the same sin, a thousand times, by renewing the pleasures of it in his thoughts. Though the act be past, yet as often as the mind runs over the passages and circumstances of the same sin, with the same delight, so often the soul is polluted with a new stain, and laden with more guiltiness. Whereas therefore the sensual sweetness of a man's beloved sins, hath before his calling, got such strong hold and haunt in his affections, that it will be still afterward with baits and allurements, soliciting even the renewed heart, if not to the iteration of the gross act, yet at least to enjoy it in thought: it doth very much behove the child of God, to be wary and watchful in this point. If he remit but a little of his heat of zeal against sin, and fervency of his first love, or grow regardless of his thoughts, it will presently gather power and opportunity for re-entry. Here then is the toil and trial of Christian wisdom and watchfulness over the thoughts. If when the soul pleasures of former sins be represented unto the mind, he hath either learned to smother them at their first stealing into the heart, by opposing against them, a consideration of the many wounds, and much waste they have formerly made in his soul: Or else by his growth & strength in grace, be able to look back upon them without delight, to retain them only for renewing repentance, and to dismiss them with loathing and detestation. Full sweet is the comfort, and great the happiness of that Christian, who hath his corruptions so far mortified, and the remission of his sins so surely sealed unto him; that the thoughts of his former pleasing sins can neither tickle him with delight and new desire, nor affright him with 
* I mean horror of judgement, not detestation.  horror. For the one, Oh, saith blessed Austin in his Confessions, what shall I return unto my gracious God, that I can now look my sins in the face, and not be afraid? But here the wisest Christian may be easily plunged over head and ears into one of Satan's most deceitful depths, except he be very wary: For in the solitary muse upon his former sins, to this good end, that he may utterly grow out of love with them, and further loathe them; Satan is ever ready (for both his craft and malice are endless) secretly to add tinder to the fire of his affection, so to inflame him with fresh love and liking of that sin, which at that time he most labours, and hath ever greatest reason to abhor. And the tide of affections being once on foot towards an old pleasing sin; it is a great measure of grace must stop the torrent of them. In watching therefore over the thoughts, the brightest eye of Spiritual wisdom, hath need to intend this point to descry this depth.  
Thirdly, another special care the child of God hath in guarding the heart, is to banish and keep out idleness, vanity of mind, melancholy, worldly sorrow, inward fretting, evil desires, wandering lusts, wishes without deliberation and such like. He holds a waking, and jealous eye over those many baits and lures, which spring & sprout eftsoons from the fountain and roots of original corruption; which the state of mortality never suffers to be utterly plucked up, and dried away in this life: He knows full well, if these young Cockatrices be not crushed while they are in hatching; that is, if wandering and wicked thoughts be not stifled when they begin to stir first in the mind, they will first enuenome the understanding, the understanding the will, the will the affections, the affections once enraged, & having the rains like wild horses, will carry a man headlong into a world of wickedness. Above all, he makes sure ever to have in readiness and at hand, preservatives and counterpoisons against the baits of those three grand empoisoners, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. There are these main objects, about which especially, actual concupiscence is sinfully exercised, riches, pleasures, honours: if he once let his thoughts clasp about any of these with immoderate desire and delight, he is gone. For so riches will bring forth covetousness, and covetousness begets usury, oppression, enclosure, buying and selling offices and dignities, grinding the faces of the poor, and a thousand more mischiefs: It devours all natural and honest affections, and turns them into earth, it makes kindred, friends, acquaintance, contentments serviceable to it greedy humour: Nay it makes a man to contemn himself body and soul for this transitory trash. Pleasures inflame lust, and lust so emasculates all the powers of the soul, that its noblest operations become brutish: it begets a wanton eye, a lascivious ear, obscene talk, filthy jests, delight in plays, and hateful pictures, besides many other secret and fearful abominations not to be conceived without horror, much less to be named. Honour's breed ambition, and ambition bids the soul speak unto a man, in the language of Nero's mother; Occidar modo imperes: Be some body in the world while thou stayest here, though I lie in the flames of hell everlastingly hereafter. Deeply then doth it concern every true Christian with jealousy and trembling, narrowly to watch and observe the first and secret motions of the heart, lest he should unawares be woefully caught, and ensnared in that black and accursed chain: the first link of which, grows out of natural corruption, and the last reacheth the height of sin, and depth of hell. We may see four links of it: jam. 1.14.15. about the breeding of sin; and other four, Heb. 3. about it growth and perfection. First, an idle sinful thought begins to draw, as it were, the heart aside from the presence and consideration of God almighty, to a sight and survey of the pleasures of sin. Secondly, it having, as it were, the heart by itself, puts on a bait, allures and entices, holding a conference and parley with the will, about the sweetness of pleasures, riches, honours, glory and such like. Thirdly, the will accepts of the motion, consents, plots and forecasts for the accomplishment, the affections add heat and strength, the heart travels with iniquity; and so at length by the help of opportunity, sin is brought forth. If you look upon the Original in S. james, you will easily gather these four degrees. Now further by often iteration of the act of sinning with delight and custom, the heart is hardened; so that no terror of judgement, nor promise of mercy will enter. Secondly, it becomes an evil heart, and is wholly turned into sin, it drinks up iniquity like water, and feeds upon it, as the horseleech on corrupt blood. Thirdly, it grows an unfaithful heart, and then a man begins to say within himself, there is no God, at least in respect of providence, and care over the world, and executions of judgement upon sinners: he bids him depart from him, and says to him; I desire not the knowledge of thy ways; who is the Almighty, that I should serve him? Or what profit should I have if I should pray unto him? Fourthly follows an utter falling away from God, grace, and all goodness, without all sense, check, or remorse of sin, shame, and his most accursed state; and so immediately from this height of sin, into the fiercest flamea and lowest pit of hell. For if the first degree deserve eternal death, what confusion must befall this Babel? You see in what danger he is that gives way unto his first sinful motions.  
Lastly, a principal employment of holy wisdom in guarding the thoughts, is spent in giving a wise and humble entertainment unto the good motions of God's blessed spirit: and in furnishing and supplying the mind with store of profitable and godly meditations. For as unregenerate men give commonly easy passage to pleasing worldly thoughts; but suppress gracious stir, & inclinations to godly sorrow, repentance & sincerity; as though they were temptations to preciseness: so contrarily God's child labours by all means to stop the way to the first sinful sensual thoughts; but always desires with special humility, and reverence to embrace all the motions of God's spirit, warranted and grounded in his word: He dearly and highly esteems them, cherisheth and feeds them with spiritual joy, and thankfulness of heart, with prayer, meditation and practice. For if a man begin once to be neglective of godly motions, by little and little he grieves the spirit; at length he quencheth it, at last he is in danger of despighting it; if not by profession and directly, yet in his practice, and by an indirect opposition, in slandering and persecuting spiritual graces in God's children. Besides this worthy care of entertaining and nourishing good motions, he is provident to gather and treasure up store of good matter and heavenly businesses for the continual exercise of his mind: left that noble power of his soul should be taken up with trifles and vanity, feed upon earth, or wear and waste itself with barren and lumpish melancholy. He is much grieved and vexed if he find at any time his heart carried away with transitory delights, carnal and unprofitable thoughts; or his mind musing impertinently, and gazing upon the painted and vanishing glory of the world: Especially sith there is such plentiful and precious choice of best meditations, obvious to every Christian, able to fill with endless contentment all the understandings of men and Angels for ever. As the incomprehensible gloriousness of God, in the infinite beauty of his own immediate Majesty, and sacred attributes in his word and works; in his judgements and mercies; in his Church and Sacraments. The miraculousness of our redemption, and all the comfortable and glorious passages thereof. The great mystery of godliness, the power of grace, trade of Christianity and course of sanctification; matter of sweetest contemplation. Concerning ourselves there is to be thought upon all the affairs of our calling, the particulars, perplexities, and cases of conscience incident unto them. Our present vileness, and fearful infirmities; the miseries and frailty of this life; the trains of Satan, the terrors of hell; that great judgement, even at hand. In our spiritual state, how to preserve our first love, escape relapses, grow in grace, keep a good conscience, come to heaven. And when the ●ie of our understanding is dazzled with those higher considerations, or wearied with these inferior; it might refresh itself with the speculative fruition of many invisible comforts, with variety of heavenly things, concerning the immortality of our souls, the large promises of everlasting blessedness, the glorious rising again of our bodies, the joys and rest of God's saints above, and that which is the crown and conclusion of all, our own most certain blissful state of happiness and eternity in the second world. If men had grace and comfort to enlarge their hearts to such meditations as these; what room would there be for earthli-mindednes, vanities and impertinencies, much less for proud, ambitious, covetous, lustful, envious and revengeful thoughts.  
Thus far of the care and conscience of the true Christian, in watching over and guiding his thoughts; which is a special mark of difference from all states of unregeneration: for the regenerate only keep the last commandment; which rectifies the inward motions of the heart.  
Now lastly in a fourth place, and in a word; God's child is distinguished from the formal hypocrite, in respect of the issue of his thoughts.  
The most comfortable and sanctified soul, is never in such perpetual serenity, but that it is sometimes as it were overclouded with dumps of heaviness; and inwardly disquieted with it own motions, or the suggestions of Satan. While this flesh is upon it, it shall be sorrowful; and while it is in this vale of tears, it must mourn. There is not an heart so sweetly and resolvedly composed for heaven; but is sometimes dissettled with thoughts of indignation: And that especially, as appeareth by David, Psalm. 37. and 73. When folly is set in great excellency; when men neither of worth, conscience, or ingenuity, are advanced to high rooms, domineer in the world, and imperiously insult over sincerity; when the wicked prosper, and spread themselves in fresh pleasures and honours like green Bay-trees; when those have their eyes standing out for fatness, and more than heart can wish; to whom pride and insolency are as a chain, and who are covered with profaneness and cruelty, as with a garment. But here mark the diff●●ence. Discontentfull discourses in the mind of the formal hypocrite either break out into desperate conclusions, and fearful horror, although this be but seldom; (for commonly this kind of unregenerate man lives flourishingly, and dies fairly in the eye of the world: exemplary, and irrecoverable despair in this life, doth oftenest befall either the notorious sinner, the mere civil honest man, or especially the gross hypocri●e;) therefore I would rather say that in him such discontentfull debatements, are either appeased by some opposite conceit of stronger worldly comfort; abandoned by entertainment of outward mirth; diverted by company, pleasures, and joyful accidents, composed by worldly wisdom or the like. But heavie-hearted thoughts in God's child, though for a while not utterly without some aspersion of distrust, fretting, and discontent; yet commonly at length being mingled with faith, and managed with spiritual wisdom; by the grace of God, break out into fairer lightning of comfort, greater heat of zeal, more lively exercise of faith, gracious speeches, and many blessed resolutions. I will but only give one instance, and that in David, a man of singular experience in spiritual affairs.  
Look the beginnings of the 62. and 73. Psalms. And you shall find David to have been in a heavy dump, and sore conflict in his own heart with strong temptations unto impatiency. He recounts the issue, of the dispute with himself, in the beginnings of these Psalms. Yet saith he in the 73. for all this God is good unto Israel: even to the pure in heart. In the 62. Yet let devils and men rage and combine, yet my soul keepeth silence unto God, of him cometh my salvation, etc. His many wrongs, vexations and indignities together with the implacable malice, and impotent insultations of his adversaries, had no doubt a little before much run in his mind. Let us conceive such as these to have been his thoughts; and that thus or in the like manner; he communed and conferred with his royal self.  
Lord, thinks he with himself; I have with lowest humility, and uprightness of heart resigned mine own soul; nay, I have vowed and resolved that my crown and sceptre, my court and whole kingdom, shall for ever be serviceable to my gracious God, and that great majesty above. My mind is never truly pleased and joyful; but when it is gazing and meditating upon the excellent beauty of his glorious Being; upon his bottomless goodness, and immeasurable greatness. His word and sacred laws are better and dearer unto me, than thousands of gold and silver. His Saints upon earth are only my solace, and their sincerity the delight of mine heart. For mine innocency, from those imputations which are charged upon me, I dare appeal unto the strictest Tribunal of heaven. Why then how comes it to pass, that I am become a spectacle of disgrace and contempt, to heaven and earth, to men and Angels, to God's people, and that which grieves me more, to Gath and Askelon? Saul, for all the service I have done to hi●▪ and to the State, hunts me up and down like a Partridge in the mountains. Dogged Doeg, he hath informed against Ahimelech for relieving me; and so caused the sacred blood of 85. Priests to be spilled as water upon the ground. Malice and fury drive me into the wilderness, (for Lions and Tigers are more merciful, then madded and enraged profaneness:) but there the barbarous Ziphims have betrayed me to the King. I am railed upon, not only by base and worthless companions, by fellows of prostituted conscience and conversation, that were tolerable: but even Princes, and those that sit in the gate speak against me. Not only drunkards make songs and jest upon me: but even great men, with authority and imperiousness carry in triumph my distressed, and forsaken innocency. Nay, & that which is the complement of misery and discomfort; mine own familiars, with whom I have many times sweetly and secretly consulted, they have also deceived me, as a brook; and as the rising of the rivers, they are passed away. But mark now the issue of this conflict, and inward dispute with himself. Had a notorious sinner been in these straits, perhaps he would have burst out into desperate conclusions and furious attempts, Had a Papist been here, he would presently have had recourse unto the jesuits fellows, which are by definition, refined and sublimated Friars, composed all of fire, blood and gunpowder, inspired by the powers of darkness, with a transcendent rage against God's truth, sworn solemnly in the blackest consistory of hell, to the death of Kings, desolation of States, combustion of the whole Christian world, and destruction of infinite souls. These men would presently have addressed some bloody and prodigious villain with a knife, poison or gunpowder to have killed the King, and to have blown up Saul, and all his court. Had a formal hypocrite been in this case, seeing these crosses and miseries befall him; he perhaps would have presently recoiled from these courses of opposition, though in a good cause, closed with some great man in the court, and cast himself into the current of the times. But mark David's carriage in this point: his noble 〈◊〉 like a glorious Sun, breaks thorough these clouds, and storms of inward troubles, these strong temptations to impatiency and discontent; he puts on more strength of faith and patience, and shines brighter in all spiritual graces, me thinks he reacheth the very meridian of all Christian comfort and high resolution. For as you may see in the forecited 62. Psalm: He doth not only fortify his own heart with unconquerable confidence in God● protection; but also with an holy triumph, insults over the insolences of his adversaries, and already washeth his princely feet in the blood of the wicked. He tells them, they shall be slain every mother's son of them, and that in fearful and horrible manner: As if a man should come upon the back of a rotten and tottering wall, and with great strength and fury push it down: even so, when they were most swelled with pride and profaneness, the wrath and vengeance of God, should like a fierce tempest and whirlwind, seize suddenly upon them, and hurl them out of their place.  
FINIS.