HYPOCRISY DISCOVERED In its NATURE and WORKINGS.  
Delivered in several Sermons, By That faithful Minister of the Gospel, Mr Cuthbert Sidenham, Late Teacher to a Church of Christ in Newcastle upon Tyne.  
LONDON, Printed by W. H. for Rich. Tomlins, at the Sun and Bible in Pie-corner, 1654.   

For the Honourable, Sir Arthur Hesilrig, Knight and Baronet.  
Sir,  
YOu that have so long professed the name of the Lord Jesus, and have been honoured to suffer for him in no ordinary trials, and been drawn out to great employments, cannot but have met with various workings of your own heart in these times, especially having gone both through good and evil report, all which will discover much of that which is within a man to himself; this being upon our spirits (with the more than ordinary respects you shown to this precious servant of Christ, the Author of these Sermons) hath drawn us out to prefix your name to this work, as being willing to bear witness to the world (though he be in his grave) how much he resented your favour and love towards him. Sir, the matter of this Book you will find very searching, but Gold loseth nothing by the critical examination of the fire but its dross, which no real Saint but will rejoice to part with. We question not but in the reading of it you will find special advantages for your spiritual interest for the teachings of the spirit of that God who hath hitherto helped you, who was with you in the field and covered your head in the day of battle, who made you a real terror to the enemies of his Son jesus in this Nation, and did by the good hand of his providence bring you among us when his enemies were very high and turbulent by your courage and faithfulness to calm and bring them under, who also drew out your heart to so signal a proof of your real desire to serve jesus Christ every way, in being an Instrument to procure the three year's Commission for propagating the Gospel in these four Northern Counties. These things we mention as that which hath laid engagements upon our hearts towards you; Oh, that you may yet go on and prosper, and do more worthily for God and his people, that your enemies may be found liars, that after your many trials God may clear up your integrity, that you may be as the light of the morning, 2 Sam. 23.4. Sir, we have this only to beg of you, look wholly to God in all, and walk humbly and close with him, and learn that of the Apostle, he is only approved whom God approveth, thus will you engage the Saints more and more, and us to be  
Yours in the service of the Gospel. 

Tho. Weld,  
Sam. Hamond,  
Tho. Trurin,  
Wil Durant.     

To all that profess the name of the Lord jesus.  
THe Apostle, speaking of the last days, calls them perilous times, or as the word is, difficult times, not so much upon the account of persecution, as the formality and hypocrisy of many that shall then profess the Gospel, and as in other prophesies the fullest opening of the book is the event of providences made out to Saints by the Spirit of God, so in this the sad influences that the hypocrisy and formality of Professors hath had upon the Saints in these last days, make us to understand where the peril and difficulty lies; and the reason why the Apostle should make it matter of prophecy and of imminent danger and difficulty to the Saints who shall converse among them, how soon was Peter, that great Apostle, leavened with hypocrisy, and Barnabas also carried away with that dissimulation, (Gal. 2.12, 13.) though men otherwise full of the Holy Ghost? And have not we ground to think that the sleeping of the foolish virgins will be no small temptation to the wise to slumber also, as Christ hath prophesied in that Parable, Mat 25. How hard is it to touch pitch and not be defiled? Oh that the danger of this, so clearly held out by Christ and his Apostles, might leave a more powerful impression upon the hearts of the Saints to be very circumspect where they are necessitated, to have their conversation among the deceitful spirits of these times, we mean, men having the form of godliness, but not the power of it; whoever of you are observers of your own hearts, surely you have sometimes found with what insinuating power the miscarriages of some eminent professors have crept into your hearts, and led you away into divers foolish lusts; Can you look back upon your walkings, for these ten years past, without regret of soul to review the many secret apostasies of your hearts from Christ? Doth not so many of your unholy walkings, as you may find in the search of your souls, put you upon more thorough and strict examination, whether this root of bitterness do not spring up and trouble you? It would stagger a man to consider what an aptness there is in many professors most sinfully to comply with, if not fully to act the degenerate miscarriages of this present evil world; should holy Baynes, or Rogers, or Greenham arise from the dead, and take a view of some of the now-professors of England, who pretend to far clearer discoveries of the Gospel than they lived under; would not they bless the Lord, that their portion was not cast to live in those wicked days? should they see the loathsome fashions of many of you with powdered hair, painted faces, naked breasts, and such fantastic garbs, that yet would go for choice Saints and Christians, would not they mourn in secret over these abominations, and cry out, oh the hypocrisy and deceitfulness of your spirits, and tell you, your light is darkness, and that you are those which do hold the truth of God in unrighteousness? Hath not Satan hence taken his ground to oppose the truths of Christ, and to speak evil of the good ways of God? Doth not the Quakers natural conscience (for that is his light and Christ within him) put him upon laying aside the ordinances, and divers other principles of the Gospel, because he sees so many of you living so much in pride, and lusts of the flesh, and walking according to the vanity of your minds, yet pleading for them under a pretence of Gospell-liberty? Doth not the Arminian make that one of his great Arguments for the Apostasy of the Saints, because so many of you pretending to be such, grow so lose and vain at last, and after you have pretended by the knowledge of Christ to have escaped the pollutions of the world, are again entangled therein and overcome, 2 Pet. 2.20. may he not be hardened by this generation, in his opinion, if that no specifical difference betwixt temporary and saving grace; because many under the bare authority of restraining grace come up to as high conformity to the Gospel as you do, who yet would be taken as the great professors of it? Do not you observe how many, alleging to be scandalised by your walkings, are turned to embrace the gross Abomination of Popery? And however the goodness of our God hath been abundantly held forth in continuing that glorious light of the Gospel which hath, and doth yet shine among us, yet it is evident that the Lord hath given up very many to walk after their foolish hearts lusts, and to embrace delusions through their not walking close with God under these discoveries; Oh at what a high rate do you sin, that are professors, who live thus, and walk carnally under so holy a Gospel as that of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. Brethren, though we thus speak, yet we may not but faithfully witness, to the praise of our blessed Lord, that our lines are fallen into better places, where our souls are not vexed with the beholding such folly and abominable wickedness in those that do profess the Gospel; neither our Congregations pestered with such spots of vanity: yet our dear Brother, the Author of these Sermons, doubtless not without a secret impulse of the blessed Spirit, was moved to be so large in opening the nature and workings of Hypocrisy; for Hypocrisy hath its several forms, and dresses, and may lie for a while undiscovered in the hearts and duties of the most real Saints, but where it works most secretly and subtly there it requires a more quick eye, and faithful hand to the anatomising of it, which we can without flattery say, God had eminently bestowed upon him, of whom, to you that know him not, we shall give this brief testimony; He was trained up under Religious education from his Childhood, which made him often profess his jealousy of Professors, especially such who had the advantage of a godly education, through the many experiences of the deceits of his own heart, his special insight into the mysteries of Christ, as you may observe by his Sermons upon 1 Tim. 3. ult. published by himself a little before his death; his judicious and drawing discoveries of the riches of grace, which if the Lord please we shall hereafter show to you, where you may see his tender bowels toward the poorest souls under any of the workings of God, his unwearied pains, even to the visible wasting of his own bodily strength in the work of the Ministry, and his great care over the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him overseer, all of these did bespeak him a vessel fitted for his Master's use, and it is not unknown to those in chiefest places his otherwise usefulness to the people of God in this Nation, thus did he serve his generation with these many talents his God had furnished him with, and for these few Sermons we can only say, you have them as they were taken from his mouth in his ordinary Ministry, without any alteration, which is enough to excise the often inculcated expressions you meet with in them, they were the last of his public exercises among us, and now for the usefulness of them we shall say:  
First, That here you shall find out the tracings of the subtlest hypocrite in all his forms and duties, even to his greatest pretence of communion with God, for the devil hath not had a stronger hold in these days for the carrying on the most terrible actings of profaneness, as lying, cheating, pride, and lust, and the like, than by a pretence to communion with God in light and love: we do not without shame and grief of heart mention those things, but God will have them searched out.  
Secondly, Here thou wilt find, if a true Saint, how much of the Leven of Hypocrisy is yet working in thy own heart; and is not this a mercy indeed to have these spreading iniquities discovered, as Psal. 139.23. Try me, O God, and know my heart: prove me, and examine my thoughts, and see if there be any way of wickedness in me.  
Thirdly, Here is a ground of establishment to the most discouraged real Saint against the fears of hypocrisy, and how necessary is this for poor weak souls who are (how sincere soever, yet) often tempted to conclude themselves but very hypocrites; we have but one word more, and that is to those professors that walk in the fellowship of the Gospel, to put them in mind that the vessels of the Tabernacle were of pure gold, Exod. 25.29, 31, etc. the dishes, spoons, bowls, candlesticks, tongues, snuffers, were all by God's command of pure gold; and then to read the prophecy of Church-members in the last days, Zech. 14.20, 21. The pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the Altar, yea, every pot in Jerusalem, and in Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of Hosts; so will the Lord be served in the beauties of holiness, and his Churches will be the praise of the whole earth.  
T. W.   
Hypocrisy discovered in its Nature and Workings.  

SERMON I.  Luke 12. latter end of the first verse. 
Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  
YOU shall find, in the former Chapter, Christ charging of the Pharisees for their unsuitable actings unto the rule, notwithstanding all their profession, and pronouncing woes against them of all sorts of people: And here he takes occasion upon the address of people, to open those things further, and to apply what he had said unto them; When he saw a multitude of people, many people gathered together, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to preach and expound unto them; and this is the first Lesson that he gave them, an admonition that they should take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  
Now by leaven here of the Pharisees, some take the doctrine of them to be meant: but you know Christ tells them in another place (Math. 23.2, 3.) they sit in Moses chair, all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do: Yet certainly it may be taken for their doctrine here likewise, for they did manage their doctrine with hypocrisy, and did not plainly and clearly open the nature of those things the Law spoke of. But chief and especially is meant here by the leaven of them, i.e. those private and particular doctrines that they gave out from their own Sect, from their own particular judgement: For when they expounded the Law, so far as it referred to Moses, the Lord Jesus gave them a warrant to hear them; but they have private instructions, and practices that will be as leaven to corrupt you, if you be not very exact. I need not to comment upon it, for my design is only to open the nature of hypocrisy, and discover it to you both in the Churches of Christ, and up and down the world. And I have chosen this example of Jesus Christ: now it's mighty emphatical to consider, who are the persons he picks out, as who are the subjects of this admonition; The Pharisees, the strictest Sect among the Jews, those that had the greatest name of Religion, that did most exactly (outwardly) follow all the rules that the Law seems to command; they were expounders of Moses Law (to give you but a short hint of their life and actings) they gave themselves up wholly to it: so you shall find up and down all the New Testament, they were sequestered persons from all sorts of men, must not be so much as touched by any: For so it seems there when the poor woman came to Christ, and touched the hem of his garment, they wondered that Christ would suffer himself to be touched by her being a sinner; they were so exact, that they would have no legal pollution upon them, they would not eat a bit of meat until they washed, especially at a Fast, than some of them would even go to wash their whole bodies, for fear any pollution should fall upon them; they were so exact, that they counted all men but themselves to be sinners: these things you shall find up and down the Scriptures, I need not name the places; they always were fasting twice a week, would not touch any meat, so exact that they wore schedules about their arms and necks, whereon the Law was written, the chiefest and most positive Commandments; so exact were they, as to outward appearance humbling themselves on purpose, so that they seemed to be most exact (Paul was of the same Sect which he gloried of) and yet the most hypocritical and unworthy generation of men that ever were, and the greatest enemies of Christ that ever he had, and there's none he gave that bitter language to as to them.  
They did ever endeavour these two things:  
First, To entrap and entangle him with with their questions, to make him speak something contrary to the Law.  
Or secondly, To blurr him if they could, to put a public blot upon him before the people, and such a kind of calumny that they might all hate him; therefore the greatest woes that Christ pronounces are against the Scribes and Pharisees.  
But to go no further, observe only this;  
Obs. The more outwardly Religious men are, without spiritual Principles, the more dangerous they are to converse withal: there's a leaven in them, there are no such persons so dangerous to converse with the Saints as these, a man is gone insensibly, and taken insensibly with these things before he knows where he is; the authority of the person takes hold on his heart: Can such a person be so and so? he is rather fit for heaven then earth, and so a man sucks in all the venom of his spirit and opinions; and so it was with those that went about to be false Apostles, in 2 Tim. 4 chap. they went about cunningly to deal with men, and they gained exceedingly; and I am confident that in these latter days more have been deceived by the seeming profession of men speaking great things, and lifted up high in esteem then by any otherway, as they speak lies secretly and with hypocrisy; all their actings, and all they did was but hypocrisy.  
But the thing I shall come to, is to open hypocrisy: Now that which I shall show in the general, is,  
First, what hypocrisy is? what the nature of it is? 2. and the several sorts of it. 3. how it acts? 4. what the characters of hypocrites are, how they pass through all sorts of duties?  
hypocrisy may be considered these two ways:  
First, as opposed unto the reality of the work of the Gospel in a man's heart, as opposed unto what's real in a man, that's hypocrisy, when I have an appearance of what I have not; that's the first thing. I do, it may be, conceive I have this and that which I have not, and so hypocrisy lies in a defect of those Principles that should be in a man, it's opposed unto that real work in a man's soul, when I act those things outwardly that I have no real foundation for in my own heart, pray, and preach, and hear, and do all duties that are suitable to the will of God, and no reality of these things in my own heart, nothing within but the stir of my natural affections, and the like; when as a man hath not that clearness of judgement to discern his own state, and hath not that within him that is real.  
Secondly, hypocrisy is opposed to that inward simplicity of heart and intention in a man's spirit, when I do profess that which I do not intent, that's hypocrisy; when I do that in the Gospel which my intentions are not real in, and yet my intentions may be real in the things I do, but I have not a reality in the principle: but this is the grossest sort of hypocrisy, when it is opposed to that singleness of sincerity and intention; they are as Stage-players, act the part of them they know they are not. A man doth out of show and vanity feign himself to be that which he is not; this is the second sort of hypocrisy, when I would be counted so for strictness and holiness that I am not, and there's now in the very intention of my soul hypocrisy. But hypocrisy may be without the intention, where there is not that spoken of in the 1 Philip. 10. that you may be sincere, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is a very large word, and signifies that clear judgement a man should have, as if he were tried by the beams of the Sun. Now though there be sincerity as to intention, yet there may be hypocrisy as to the defect of the reality that should be in a man's soul.  
So that from these two considerations in general, you may see that hypocrites may be of those sorts.  
First, a man may be an hypocrite and may not know it; he may go on in all sorts of duties of Religion, and do all things exactly according to the letter of the Law, and do it with integrity in his spirit, as he thinks, not knowing that he doth it out of any false intention, hath not that cunningness to deceive (as I shall show you by and by,) not so cunning a hypocrite as one who deals from the inward wickedness of his heart, on purpose to deceive: but yet he goes on, and never had the work of God upon his soul; he follows on the outward Letter of the Law, goes on in a drudging way, he finds some natural propensity in his spirit to it from ingenuity, and common principles which are left in him by the Gospel: so a man may be long in duties, (Paul was so) he professeth, that what he did was out of Ignorance, 1 Tim. 1.13. he did not know he was an hypocrite, he had no design to deceive the world, and to deceive himself, he thought he was an exact man, and carried it as clearly as could be, he had no design but to propagate his own principles, and he was above all the Pharisees, therefore he puts down himself as the most zealous of them, and surely he had a good intention as to his own thoughts, as to design he was, as it were, an innocent hypocrite. And surely so it was with the foolish Virgins, Mat. 25. they went on smoothly a long time, and slumbered, and slept, and thought themselves as pure Virgins as the wise until midnight came. And the young man in the Gospel, Mat. 19 he came to Christ with a confidence in his own intentions, that he had kept the Law, or else he would never have come to Christ as he did, but yet he lacked something, he wanted the main principle, he wanted selfe-deniall, never knew what it was to cast himself upon the Lord Jesus purely: All his hypocrisy lay in that. If there be but a natural ingenuity and simplicity, and it come under the Gospel, it will be mightily improved by a man's following the outward Letter of it, he will be as simple-hearted in all duties, as much as formerly he was by following the common principles of honesty: therefore when the young man came to Christ, there was a kind of affection in Jesus Christ to him, and a love to him, and yet this was his hypocrisy; he did all those things, and had no intention at all to deceive the world or himself by it, but he wanted the principle that should have carried him on in all things: So that a man appears to be what he is not, appears to be a Saint, and does duties well, but is not, this comes from a want of principles, a defect in that; It is not my intention that makes me a hypocrite before God, but if I go on in profession, and have not what should make out that profession to be from God, it is hypocrisy. Only these are the most to be pitied and bewailed that go innocently to hell; they think they have grace, and no man in the world can persuade them to the contrary, and as strong a faith as any in the world, and alas they have not; they think they love Christ, and would do any thing for him, but they never had that love flaming in them from the power of divine love, and spiritual Gospell-principles.  
Now the reasons why men go on thus are.  
First, because they never had the sight of their own natures; they never were under the through-convictions of their sinful state by nature, only bred up fairly and ingenuously in the Gospel; God never shown them their own faces in the glass of the Law, only they have looked on the Law with their own eye, in their own prospect; it is impossible, if God shown a man his nature, he should go without principles in his heart.  
Secondly, It comes from a general view of the Gospel, merely from general considerations of the Gospel, and outward rule, without any particular inward sense of the spirit and frame that should be in him: men look upon the Gospel as a History, and never come to see what spiritual frames should be in their hearts to every duty.  
Thirdly, Men do find some kind of comfort in those ways, and they have not those checks of conscience that others have, because they are not so gross in their actings, but go on smoothly, without questioning their own state, and their spirits are pretty well composed.  
Fourthly, The main and the great reason is want of through-examination, want of diving into the depths of the heart, not putting a man's self to it every day, men take up merely the imitation, as it were, of others, and the shadow, and the outward expression, and consider them not otherways, whereas they are but shows; men never go no further in their own spirits than the outsides, never search their hearts to lay them open before the Majesty and Authority of a great God, and so they live and die securely. And is not this a sad thing, that a man should think he hath grace, and have no intention at all to deceive? That is, he hath not that cunning and desperate frame, but only goes on and trusts his own judgement, and trusts his own general apprehensions, and hopes well of himself, and thinks surely he would do no wrong, do no evil, and this man slips down, and away to the bottom of hell; here is a hypocrite, though not a professed one, he is deceived, though he intent not to deceive, for here is that I would have you look to.  
☞ It is not your thinking and saying you have grace, you may be hypocrites for all that, if you are not what you appear to be: you are a hypocrite whatsoever you seem to be, and whether you think so or no. God thinks so, and knows so, and you will find it so one day, when you come to have the veil taken off from your eyes; Paul wondered what he was a doing when God opened his eyes, what he had been doing all this while. Therefore you had need be trying your hearts every day, daily fearing your hearts, and jealous over your spirits, and suspecting every motion, until you have tried your hearts by Law and Gospel, yea, and waited upon the Spirit for a new trial.  
Now there is a second sort, and they are such as are conscious to themselves of their hypocrisy, that they are not yet sound in the main, and yet go on in their profession from their education, or for some design, and cannot leave it, have many stir of God in their hearts under Ordinances from light convictions of the Lord upon their Spirits. And this is exceeding common, many go on a long time in profession and cannot leave it, but have many motions of God in their souls, and many sharp reproofs from God, and yet cannot see a through work upon their hearts, yet go on and profess, and hope it may be, but take themselves for Saints continually, and must have their names enroled for Saints in Churches, and yet have a jealousy of their own hypocrisy, and go on so for many years under many regrets and wounds of spirit; they have many twangs that pierce them sometimes, and yet the Conviction is not so strong as to show them their miserable and vile estate, or to press them on to the through work of the Gospel upon their hearts. And you shall find those persons very high in prayer, and very able to speak well in their converse with Saints: But they never met with God in duties, never had God's assistance, never found that spiritual strength; when they hear men Anatomising of souls, they are only for keeping up the glorious outside, and the glory of outward forms; they have been some ten or twenty years, and knew that Christ never appeared to them, and yet they cannot leave off duties, conscience and the outward rule lies upon them still: this is very common: And so it was with Saul, he knew in his own heart that God had forsaken him, and yet he would be doing something, he would have Samuel to pray for him, but God had left him: he knew in his own conscience he was unsound, and had not done the will of God. And so a man may go up and down a great while, having a conscience and ability as to outward actings, and yet never be sound: God improving a natural light so far as to outward actings, that he cannot choose but do those outward duties, and yet he knows in his conscience that he never met with God, and if he do, it is only to tell him thou art not sound, and sometimes he breaks out in extravagancies; these can find nothing in their hearts, but conscience will be pressing them on still to keep up the form. This is a miserable soul. Certainly some men are self-condemned, and it is impossible if so be a man have any stir of Conscience, and live under the Ministry of the Gospel, but he will some time or other (if he be a hypocrite) have some discoveries of his own heart, when he comes to prayer, there is not that working of a spirit of Adoption; God may leave a man so in a general kind of way, that he may not at all set out those convictions, but those that have their consciences convinced of particular acts of sin, when they turn Professors they have often times conviction, as to those acts, but let a man have never such a daily hint that he is an hypocrite, yet it is no more to him to strike him off his bottom and make him to be sound, no more than if a man had a daily sense of sin that he cannot get mortified, and he finds convictions not so sharp but that he can go under them and live, (though sometimes they are sore to him) and stop the mouth of conscience. The Lord's power comes not in with the Conviction; and certainly those souls are mightily startled souls, have mighty sharp convictions upon their spirits, but it is off again, and they carry a general kind of fear in their own hearts, but still something or other there is, and they must keep up: O take heed then.  
Look to your own hearts, what secret hints you have of hypocrisy, you that have lived long under the Gospel, been given much to duties, look to your own hearts, how many twangs have you had in the night-season in your spirits? You never met with God in the duty, though you prayed well, and read well in the sight of men, though you have carried it fair up and down the world: what inward regret have you had in your own spirits? This is a lamentable condition, for a man to be so a hypocrite, that a man goes on under the conviction and cannot get from it, and yet goes on in duties still. Now you have a third and last sort, which is the grossest sort.  
Thirdly and lastly, a designing hypocrite, one that takes up Religion for some particular design, which he knows the design of in his own heart, as to get honour, or profit, or the countenancing of some particular last, or whatever it be; merely that a man may cover some secret lust, merely to follow the opportunities and seasons of the world: this is the grossest of all: State-hypocrites, as I may so call them, those that are only making use of the name of Religion on purpose to deceive, and begin all their evil in the name of God; these are the grossest sort that can be possibly. And there are several sorts of these. Some that are more refined, as to be honoured among men, as Simon Magus, he would give any thing that he might have had the gift of the Holy Ghost, because he thought it was a brave thing to do miracles that he might be accounted of among men, therefore he was in the Gall of bitterness.  
There are a more refined sort, which care not so much for outward kind of profit or honour, but they do follow on duties and the ways of God, merely to quiet their consciences upon some special guilt as to former actings, to cover some kind of corruptions that they may be hushed, and be counted Saints besides: That is a more spiritual way, for there be some so curious in a spiritual hypocrisy that no man can find them out, they have some old blot upon their consciences that they would take off by a new way of acting, take it off from the sight of others, and be accounted as new: I only give you these in general, they have some secret corruption that is their darling lust that they would nourish. This is now to be a Stage-player indeed: when I know I am a beggar, and yet shall put on the Robes of a Prince, when I know I have that unsoundness in my heart, and yet would be accounted a sincere Saint, and would do something that shall cover my corruption, and I would do duties because I would get such an honour: That is a most shameful way: These are the wickedest sorts of men in the world; certainly there is none have more shame in their own souls than these, if they look into their own hearts.  
I would therefore now apply this, and leave the rest for some other time.  
Applic. I beseech ye therefore every one take in the exhortation of Jesus Christ, take heed of this Leaven, this Hypocrisy, this wicked venomous poison that lies in all sorts; most in Churches and Congregations where the Gospel is Preached, we are leavened before we are ware, take all diligence and care, yet it comes in: This is that which Christ did advise his Disciples of: take heed of that above all things; but before I go on, I would leave these Considerations with you, that you may not mistake.  
First know, that there may be hypocrisy in the soul, and yet a man cannot be called a Hypocrite; There is Hypocrisy in every state; you must not think that if you find some Hypocrisy you are a Hypocrite: I speak this for the comfort of poor Saints; if they find any deceit or cunning in their spirits in their duties, than they say they are hypocrites; they are damned; no, I would have you to know, that Hypocrisy lies very close in the soul of the best Saints; but only when the strain of a man's spirit goes on so, than you had need look to yourselves when you find that Hypocrisy predominant.  
Secondly, There may be great charges of hypocrisy as to particular actings, (nay, whole actings may be in hypocrisy) yet not a Hypocrite. Gal. 2.13. as Paul charged Peter with Hypocrisy, the whole act was done hypocritically, and he brings in Barnabas as guilty with him, he did dissemble, so it may be with a Saint; he may dissemble in an action, in a duty, and yet not be so in his whole state. Therefore judge not of yourselves by particular acts.  
Thirdly, know that Hypocrisy is not only as to an outward duty, but in every motion of your spirits you must look; it lies not only in gross designs to advantage self, but it grows secretly, you know not how it touches upon every part upon a sudden before you are ware of it; In your love to Christ, strange Hypocrisy! In your very motion to Saints, and expressions, what wonderful veils of hypocrisy. You must therefore look exceeding narrowly, you must put on Gospell-eyes to try hypocrisy in your own hearts. But I say however, whatever you do in the world, and whatever you be, be not Hypocrites, Show yourselves to be what you are, let the sense of things so lie upon you, that you may not deceive. I say not, that profane hearts should vent their profane thoughts, but lie humbly before God in a deep sense of your deceitful hearts. And make not the world believe you have such and such enjoyments, and sights of Christ, yet have none.  
☞ Take the best of men in the world, we that preach to you, we are in some kind Hypocrites: we think we are so and so, and speak nothing but from our own experiences in our hearts; we may show a perfect rule, and yet be Hypocrites in many things. Only there is the spiritual intention and reality to honour God, which is the only comfort; but we are not fully what we appear to be, yet are endeavouring and pressing on to be so, and that shows we are not hypocrites, though, in some sense, every man may be called a hypocrite when he is not what he should be.  
Oh! take heed, take heed. But I say, be what the Gospel says, hold forth what you are indeed unto the world. I had thought to have named several sorts of persons, that had more need to look into their own hearts about hypocrisy.  
First, those that are of popular spirits, that are to converse with many, these had need look closely to their own spirits, for the most of our garbs and expressions are but very seldom true, and real, but of the deep sense of our duties to one another: Take heed therefore, lest we gather up a name of hypocrisy: it is very hard to have much converse with the World, and not be much in hypocrisy; without a man be much given up to reality of spirit: you will find your tempers, in that regard, how they are: you had need have more wariness in your own spirits.  
Secondly, those that are of a natural cunningness, a natural craftiness of spirit, they had need to take heed, especially when they come under the Gospel, in opening their souls, and conversing with Saints; then that natural cunningness will be mightily improved under the Gospel; if not mighty wary it will come up to a spiritual hypocrisy, if a man have not an exceeding care, and it is dangerous dealing with a person that is apt to cunningness. There are exceeding many that are thus in these days.  
Thirdly, Those had need to look to their own spirits, whose Religion gins with some particular occasion in the world; where Religion gins with the times, it is a thousand to one but such will prove hypocrites, and dangerous ones too.  
Fourthly, Those that are given to an outward strictness and severity to external things, observance of outward actings, and circumstances of outward forms, without they be very careful in them, for here lies hypocrisy, in doing all duties, in being most exact in the outward form.  
We shall come to open something hereafter, that if it please God all shall see if they be hypocrites or no.   

SERMON II. Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy.  
THis is one of the serious cautions of Jesus Christ to his own Disciples; and to those that had grace; yet he bids them, and all that ever he met with, to beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which he says was hypocrisy.  
Now he calls the Doctrine of the Pharisees a Leaven.  
First, Because of the spreading nature of it, there is nothing so spreading as Leaven: put a little of it in, and it will go through the whole Lump. Hypocrisy is the most spreading thing in the soul, and goes over all the faculties, no faculty is free of it; a little Leaven, once it is engendered, says the Apostle, will leaven the whole Lump, 1 Cor. 5.6. A little Hypocrisy in a man's spirit it will soon spread (if it be countenanced) over his affections and faculties; and then  
Secondly, he compares hypocrisy to Leaven, because of its insensible way of spreading, no man knows it; a man puts but a little Leaven and it gives a Tincture of it presently, so it is in the heart; Hypocrisy works so insensibly, so closely in a man's spirit, that if you be not exceeding wary and careful, it will undo your whole soul; It will give you such a Tincture that you will hardly be able to take off the savour of it without you have a mighty power from heaven; therefore you had need beware of the Leaven of Hypocrisy. That is only for the Word.  
But you may remember I began last time to open the nature of Hypocrisy, and shown you that it was opposed to two things.  
First, Unto the Truth and Reality of things, as they lay in their own nature.  
Secondly, Unto that simulation, that fainedness, unto that sincerity of intention, feigning what a man doth.  
As it signifies a feigning in that,  
First, It was opposed unto the truth of things; that is Hypocrisy that is not according to the nature of things as they are; so he is a hypocrite that is not really sound, though he may pretend he is so, and think he is so; for I shown you that is the grosser sort of hypocrisy to be feigned so; to feign myself to be a holy person, to feign myself to be Saint when I am not, that is the grosser sort of Hypocrisy; but there is Hypocrisy lies closer, when I think I am a Saint and am not so, I am a hypocrite.  
So it is opposed to a word in the Greek, oftentimes used and put for sincerity, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and is a word that will express it exceeding clearly.  
I shall only speak to the first sense at this time.  
To open it more clearly to you.  
First, This Hypocrisy is opposed to the truth, the reality, and clearness, the sincerity and soundness of things in their being and nature. As you know that is a false Jewel and Diamond that hath not the proper nature and colour that belongs to it, it is counterfeit, it is not right, though I may think I am enriched by it; that makes not the thing the truer for that, they are but all counterfeit. I am not richer if I had many of those glittering Diamonds, that is my mistake; so it is as to hypocrisy on this first consideration if there be not a cleanness, a perfection in the kind. If I be not a Saint really in my own Spirit, let my persuasions be what they will of myself, and others persuasions be what they will be of me, yet I am a hypocrite in the eyes of God. Let my graces be never so glittering and glorious in the sight of myself and others, yet if they be not such as can be tried according to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that sincerity, such that may abide the judgement of the Sun: If they cannot 'bide the pure sight of God, and his Glory, I shall be found to be still a person that I am not, I shall be found in another condition.  
This is that I would speak unto:  
It is not my intention only that will make me a hypocrite, it makes me a grosser, to feign and dissemble; But it is as well the one as the other: the want of the real principle, the want of a sound work upon my heart.  
Take in the first place this consideration:  
First, I appear to myself and others to be what God will not own me to be at the last day; so there is Hypocrisy in Fundamentals; I say I have grace, and God says I have none. I say I believe, and God will never own my faith when it comes to trial. I am as far to seek, and I am as much a Hypocrite, (for I have a false faith, a false motion after God and Christ) as much as if I did intent to palliate, to counterfeit my faith on purpose: A man may have the complexion but not the constitution of a Saint. If I appear not really what I am before God, I am a hypocrite. Therefore this I say is the great thing that few in the world do know, that most of Professors are Hypocrites; they are not throughly converted though they have (as they think) the glorious workings of God upon them, yet if they be not true and real, and will go through the fire of a divine eye, and the search of that omnisciency of the Lord, they will never hold. I am an Hypocrite, though not so in intention: I am not so as to the formality of Hypocrisy, but I am so really as to God; therefore consider of it, consider it; for the most people think, if they have but a good honest intention in what they do; they think they are perfectly free of all danger of hypocrisy; they are safe and sound in Religion if they pray and do not dissemble in their prayers: that is, that their hearts and their tongues do not jar but do agree, they are then free from hypocrisy: but that is a miserable mistake. For alas, it is all one whether or no you feign yourselves to be what you are not, or are not what you think yourselves to be; it is all one as to the thing itself, you will find it so one day in your own spirits: when you shall find all that ever you have done to be but glorious appearances; What will it do you good when you can say only, I had a good intention, I thought I prayed well, and had the strains of the Gospel in my own spirit, what will this do you good if you be not found so? But this is that I say, that if I have not the truth in me of what I do profess, though I do sincerely and honestly profess what I think, it is all one (as to the nature of the thing) as if I do feign what I am not: For I shall be as well undone by the one as by the other, and I am not the person I think myself to be, nor others thinks to be, if God thinks not me to be what I and others thinks me to be; and to what end should we soulke up and down and not be what we are in our own hearts, but delude ourselves, and not deal faithfully with our own spirits.  
☞ As now take a Preacher of the Gospel, suppose I preach the Gospel; if I preach any thing that is untruth, or a lie, though I do it with never so honest a heart, I shall be damned for it: If I preach against Jesus Christ any thing that will destroy the fundamentals of the Gospel, I shall be destroyed for all that, though I be never so honest in my intention; For our intentions are but natural and common: If I think I have grace, and a work of God upon my soul, and yet have it not, it is all one as with those that know they have no work of God and yet profess.  
Secondly, there is hypocrisy seen in it likewise, because I take up things in a general manner, and never try them, nor my own heart by them, that shows my hypocrisy, though I think I am real in my intentions, I should try them over and over again. But to make out this a little more clear to you.  
Let us consider in the general the power that imagination hath upon the spirits of men: Take ●●y one that is thought to converse with the devil, and trade with him upon promise of Gold, and Silver, and the like. The power of imagination will work upon such a man that he will believe on the Devil, that he hath all the riches in the world, the gold of the Indies; this the very power of imagination will do, he thinks he can want nothing, and yet so strong is this power of imagination upon him all his days.  
Do but take a man in a melancholy strain, he will think really he is what he thinks any other man to be: If any man be taken in a fever, he will believe he is so, he will sweat at it. If any one be thought to go mad, he will be the same; It is the same in Religion; the fancy and imagination of a man will work as strongly in Religion and the Gospell-perswasion as a melancholy constitution: I will persuade myself to be in heaven, and see Angels and glorious Saints, and be in the bosom of Christ, though I never heard his voice to my own soul, and all this upon the power of imagination, it is so strong upon our spirits; if there were no more but that, it were enough.  
Secondly, in general know this, that you may see it by the contrary of sincerity; you know that is said to be sincere in the proper sense of it that is not mixed, that is without any mixture at all; as that is pure wine that is not sophisticated by any brewing, that is sincere that is not mixed, that is pure from the grape, shines in its own lustre; we call that hypocritical that is mixed, or hath any thing to set it off but its own nature, these things that come purely from itself; so it is in the soul of a man that is hypocritical in his own spirit: that is not sincere that hath a show of grace, and yet hath it not, that is hypocrisy; he hath common and carnal principles, or, if you will, common grace and carnal principles mixed together, it is ordinary in the Gospel; man hath his natural principles; and some additions of assistance and power from God, and they are jumbled together, they are not sincere at all, but hypocritical, nothing shines in its own nature; so it is with most men in the world: there are other ingredients that are mixed with all their actings, there is something mixed with it in the Principles, in the very first motions. And certainly this is that which is suitable to this Text, where he says, Take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisy. You must not think the Pharisees did preach Hypocrisy, but only their doctrine tended to nothing else but setting up an outward Religion, without any power, to lead men to holiness in sincerity: and so they mixed their own interests with any thing of the Gospel; you must not think they preached hypocrisy, no, they were wise men and observant, but their doctrine did lead men always to nothing but outsides of Religion: to be common Professors, and look after nothing at all but the mere show of the Gospel and of the Law; the Doctrine itself was good, but they mixed it with some other ends; they had a dash of their own (as I may say) with what they said, they were never pure and sincere in their actings. Therefore the same word that is put for sincerity is put for unleavened bread, that is, pure bread that is made up without any leaven. Now if a soul be not clear and sound in the principles of the Gospel, in the workings of it, he is a hypocrite be he what he will.  
There may be mixtures in second actings, but if there be mixtures in principles, that is hypocrisy.  
And upon this account all Professors that live under the Gospel, be they of what height they will, they are Hypocrites, they never had a sound work of God: if there be a mixture in the principles and the end: They are hypocrites that never had a through work of God, and pure divine principles acting in their souls: But have a mixture of other ends in their hearts, that do leaven and spread through their whole principles, they are Hypocrites.  
But for a sincere soul, in principles and actings, they have really unmixed actings from heavenly and holy principles, to a holy, and spiritual, and divine end.  
How many Hypocrites shall we then find before we have done, if men will but search their hearts?  
But that men may be thus hypocrites, and think they have grace, and yet not know so, do not believe they are such:  
I will give you first some demonstrations.  
Secondly, Show you that they may have some sincerity, and yet be hypocrites.  
First, That men may be hypocrites, and yet not know it in their own spirits, take these demonstrations.  
First, From the general rule that all Divines give; That whatsoever grace is in a Saint, the likeness and imitation of it may be in a Hypocrite, and he may think he hath it so; there is a faith in the Gospel like the faith of a true believer▪ there is a joy in the Gospel like those that have seen the face of God; there is a patience in the Gospel like that which comes to the perfect submission to Gods will: and so I might go over all the rest. And so there is a likeness of sincerity to that which is flowing out from a pure heavenly spirit: For look whatsoever God hath imprinted, that the Devil can paint; what God leaves as a Character of the heart of a Saint, that the Devil may strive to imitate, and from a compliance in a man's own temper form up the same, as Children do make up Babies in imitation of children which are real: and those that know not this know nothing.  
But secondly, as another consideration and demonstration to make this out, know, that all those things we call moral virtues, that were in heathens, that is the very relics and remainders of pure nature that God hath left in some measure: those moral virtues are as much improved in the Gospel without grace, as any other consideration, principle, or rule. I say, moral virtues, as the Justice, Integrity, Patience, keeping of corruptions, and the evenness of actings unto a Rule, the same are improvable under the Gospel with more advantage than by any other Rule.  
Take Socrates and Seneca, two of the great patterns of morality that ever lived in the Heathen world; had they been under the Law with Paul, and brought up under the legal dispensations as Paul and the young man in the Gospel were, Mat. 19 they would have as easily complied with that Rule, that is, been as fair, as improved men as ever Paul, or as the young man, that came to Christ, and said, he did never omit any of those things from his youth.  
They did all that the light of nature did show them, and their consciences, and Paul's conscience did not check him doubtless, as to his exact walking according to the Rule of the Law: Now as the Law was a higher Rule than the Light of Nature, because it was expressed and given more positively by God, and some spiritual addition given to it being written by that finger of God; the other had as it were the whole Copy. So Socrates and Seneca, had they been under the Law, and brought up as well as Paul was, Pharisees, they would have taken in as easily those things, and have brought up under it with as much zeal, and largeness, and refinedness of their natures as he.  
And my reason is this; because outward Rules are as improvable by one as another, according as a man is but under the knowledge of them; A man can as well take in the sense of the one as of the other, while he is enured to them he sees some conveniency, some goodness in them; so that consider all th●se things are improvable in the Gospel, and then you will see how nature may be refined by the Gospel; and if the very mere light of nature imprinted, and glimmerings in a man's conscience could learn a man so far, how would a man come to be when he was under the Letter of the Law: and believe it was writ by the finger of God; and than if a man should pass through the Law, and come to the Gospel's Letter, and believe in a common manner, that this 〈◊〉 a more pure and refined Rule, still 〈◊〉 spirit goes on, and is more heightens to a more bright frame, that a m●● thinks all these moral virtues even perfectly to be graces: For a man acts but the same principles, the same faculties still in the Gospel, only they are changed, transformed: But however there is enough in the Gospel to suit all these principles, to refine them, and make them more curious than ever they were by any other principle or Rule.  
Thirdly, Add this, the voluntary agency and power of the spirit, and workings of the Holy Ghost, who works as he pleases, and how he will, and is not bound to work the uttermost of his strength upon a soul, but he may work upon nature, and glance upon nature, and leave it still in its own condition, and yet mightily improved as to those tastings and enlightenings, Heb. 6. there is even in nature a kind of taste of Heaven and Grace, which will make a man think he hath the power of the world to come, as you have it in the 〈◊〉 of the Hebrews.  
And, as I told you before, there are:  
First, the same 〈◊〉 that grace is sealed upon, as nature, the same understanding, the same will.  
Secondly, the same kind of motions, as I must know Christ, and will Christ, and go out to Christ, and breathe after Christ, only they are; they have the same motion as to will and desire, but not the same principles. And therefore it is no wonder a man may be deceived in his own spirit, and thinks he knows Christ, and believes on Christ, and hath many motions of him, and all it may be are of outward considerations of him: never hath a pure light shining from heaven upon his soul, so that, I say, it is a very easy thing to see how a man can be a hypocrite and not know it: to consider what voluntary motions there are of the Holy Ghost upon a man's spirit, yet not a saving work; for as the Spirit blows upon whom he will, is not bound to convert you: so he may present the outward species of Christ to you, and never change your will, nor understanding, and yet a man may think he knows perfectly what's the nature of the whole Gospel in his soul.  
For a man hath to be improved in the Gospel a rational understanding, the Gospel can improve as well as any other Rule.  
Secondly, There are those passionate loveexpressions that will work mightily upon the affections, as they are taken in with so much fullness and variety as to think of Christ's dying, that was innocent, and out of love, if it were but read in a History would work upon the affections, and yet leave nature as nature; a man thinks he loves Christ, and may weep at the thoughts of Christ's death, and yet be unsound for all this.  
Fourthly, if you consider the variety of God's workings upon souls in conversion; how many ways he works, he may think he is perfectly converted, and yet an unsound man for all this: Alas the ways of God are so mysterious it is comapred to a new birth, Joh. 3. who knows how a child is borne in the womb? A man must have a divine light in his soul to see through and through his soul; Take a Saint himself in his clear light, he can hardly tell how to discern into the variety of God's workings: what hath been the pure working of God: where lies the Child; the newborn babe, as it were. It hath come and passed through the many varieties of Nature and Grace; and than if I should add, how apt men are to be persuaded of the goodness of their conditions, and not know the badness of them, and how easily self-love will be trying to set off what hath but a shadow of Religion, with many other deceits: than you will easily say, A man may be unsound and never know it in his own spirit for a long while.  
Secondly, A man may be sincere, and have honest intentions in all his duties and actions, and yet be an hypocrite. And that it may be so, I shall demonstrate it thus to you.  
First, There is in some men such a moral, such a natural sincerity (as I may so say) in their actings, that they are not disposed unto the contradicting of their principles, and their actings, they are tempered within themselves; they are not disposed to contradict their actings, so it is said of the sincerity of Alimelech, as concerning Abraham's wife, he appealed to God in Genesis 20. in the beginning, Says he, in the integrity of my heart, and innocency of my hands have I done this: says God, I know thy integrity. Now there is such a sincerity even in men that have not grace, that they would not do such a thing if they knew it to be unjust, according to their Principles, they would not do it for a world: or if they had taken up an opinion, they would not go against their opinion, there is such a kind of sincerity. Now the same may be in the Gospel; that is, I go on honestly as I think, able to preach, and pray, and I have no kind of ill intention to deceive, only I have not a spiritual principle to act me, there is my misery; I come not so much to be seen of men as from the intention of my heart; but I come not to have Christ, or to meet with Christ; so I am a hypocrite, because I come not from the main principle. Therefore first know this as a Rule, that you may see this clear: That simplicity of intention cannot justify any acts of men that are bad, all will grant that: for as it was with Pilate, he washed his hands, yet that did not excuse him.  
Secondly, My intentions in any action do not make a thing to be true or good in itself at all; as if I have a Jewel to sell, my intention in the selling it for a good one may deceive the buyer, it being counterfeit; no act can be good without a good intention, but my good intention makes not the thing really good in itself: if the thing in itself be not perfect and good, it is hypocrisy.  
Thirdly, know, that a mere good intention may proceed from the natural constitution of a person, not from the goodness of his heart. It may be I am not given so much to cunning and deceit as other men, but have a plain natural constitution; but if it come to a particular, it may be I have as much in my intention (if I were put to it) as others.  
Fourthly, know this about intentions, and the sincerity of them: That sincerity that will demonstrate a man to be a Saint, must flow from the pure and even workings of principles towards their ends: sincerity must flow from the even acting of faculties within towards their ends: I do not act sincerely to God though I pray never so much in duties, if I have not a divine spiritual spring of love to God, A heart impulsed, moved to God from the power of his own spirit: If I have not graces acting together in a harmony (faith, and love, and all other graces) purely and really working to God: For sincerity (as I may say) is but the spiritual tune of the motions of all graces in a man's soul, it is no more. But I will close up all, there are many things I should have shown you.  
But now for distinction sake, having laid down this: That a man may be a hypocrite and not know it, think he hath grace and hath it not: I shall therefore come and show you the several sorts of hypocrites; I will but name them.  
First, there is a mere formal hypocrite that insensibly drudges on in his duties, praies, and hears, and comes to Church, and no more, and hath no inward power nor virtue in his own soul, nor is convinced of any thing to the contrary; as Papists say over their beads whilst they are sleeping; I confess every Formalist is a hypocrite, but there is a low sort of Formalist that merely drudges, and that is all, there is something wanting within.  
Secondly, there is a zealous hypocrite, and he seems to actuate his Form, a fiery hypocrite, (as I may so say) one that you would think had life and soul indeed, and follows on Religion to purpose, and yet it is but his passion and humour, no grace at all: Some men have taken up an opinion, and are devoted to a way, and their heat is so much as they follow it on with might and main, and spits in the faces of others besides: Such a hypocrite was Paul, as to zeale-persecuting the Church, I followed them on, I dragged them to prison, saith he: so it is certain, there are some men have taken up an opinion some way or other, and have no more Religion than the stones in the street; and that they will follow with fire and sword, and think all Religion is lost if that be lost, that is their end and Centre; That is a zealous hypocrite, I call him so, for he hath nothing at all but that opinion; come to ask him of Faith, and Christ, and the Work of God upon his soul, and he can tell you no more than a Heathen: and commonly wherever you find so much zeal and fire there is hypocrisy; for the fire of the Sanctuary will inflame a soul, there is that: but it will not scorch the flesh, nor burn the heart; We have enough of those zealots in our days, that without they have their own opinions maintained, they do not mind Christ or the Gospel; nor observe how it will go with their own immortal souls no more than if they were heathens.  
Thirdly, There are confident and lofty hypocrites upon thi● opinion: They are full of persuasions of the love of God, and grace in their hearts, they have lived under the bright sunshine of the Gospel, and never came to the truth of the Gospel, never saw their own souls and hearts, never came to the furnace of the Law and Gospel; they have met with some good notions of grace and mercy, and apprehensions of God's love and joys in their spirits, have had some little twangs of conscience now and then, which have put them to seek after the best kind of remedy, and of a sudden, are got to a great height in the apprehensions of God's love, those I call lofty, confident hypocrites: yet it is said in Job 8. the hope of the hypocrite shall perish; many souls have great flourishings, mighty buddings, they think Summer is come and Winter is past, and no more but an eternal spring in the souls; like the stony ground, they believed for a time, and immediately received the word with joy.  
Ob. How can they receive the Word with joy? That is strange that a man should receive the Word with joy and whither presently.  
Sol. Truly they had some workings on their souls, and pangs in their consciences, they saw some sins, and had some fears, and lived where (it may be) they had some sweet notions of the Gospel was, and they had a promise, and took it in presently before ever they knew the nature of it, and rejoiced, and were confident of their own estate, and of the love of God, so they go away merry from Sermons, and duties, and nothing at all of true grace; this is the highest judgement of God upon souls; in 2 Thes. 2.11. the Apostle speaks of giving men up to strong delusions: Though it is taken for delusion of doctrines, yet it may as well be taken for men's being given up to their own strong persuasions of that they have. This is a strong delusion, saying, I have seen heaven, and the face of Christ, and yet deluded in my own spirit. I will add but one more.  
Fourthly and lastly, A demure and stately hypocrite, this is the highest sort of them: as upon this principle, one that will walk so exactly and curiously, having conversed with all the notions and rules of the Gospel, that hath sprung up so curiously, and yet is choked with something at the bottom of his own heart; he goes on with that strictness, that gravity in the Gospel, that he condemns all others as unfit, as below him, as one above all others, he hath all kind of Artificial motions, one that hath a pretty even temper in his natural constitution; and what through restraining grace, and what with moral considerations, and enlightenings of the Gospel, he hath got some exact forms of the Gospel; this man walks so strictly, so curiously, that none can discover him: Such a hypocrite there is in the world. Look to it, this man walks step by step, he walks so exactly that all the Saints may admire him: so curiously that none can discover him: But for those glorious converses with Christ, and through powerful workings he never knew them; he is the fairest to look upon of all sorts of hypocrites: Now there be many things I should have shown to you, how to discover those sorts of hypocrisy; As,  
First, to show to you that of all sorts and strain, self is the bottom of all they do, that is the secret of all their motions; and indeed self-love is the ground of all hypocrisy; for it makes a man persuade himself he is that which he is not, and feign himself to be what he knows he is not, self-love is at the bottom: and that works at the heart secretly and closely; there be two things I would have showed you about this acting of self. That  
First, a man acts purely, and moves most strongly from self-love, and selfe-considerations; and then,  
Secondly, Selfe-satisfaction is the uttermost of the desires of the best sort of hypocrites in the world.  
Secondly know this likewise, (that you may discover such an hypocrisy in your own hearts) that all such sorts of hypocrites, as are known to themselves, cannot abide to be tried, to be unripped, doth not love launching and piercing, he loves not to have his bowels turned up, he cannot endure to think to be put to the uttermost of his own spirit, that is a perfect sign of such a hypocrite; These things that go between the marrow and the bone, the soul and the spirit, he cannot endure that: he would avoid the dints of the sharpest Arrows in the Gospel, if possible. Look how much flinching you find in your own spirits so much hypocrisy. A hypocrite cannot abide to be touched fully to the quick, and laid open: to be ripped at the heart, to have the nail driven into the vitals, which a gracious heart longs for.  
Thirdly, There is ever some secret unmortified lusts under all those seeming graces of a hypocrite; ever some secret unmortified lust, either pride, passion, or covetousness, or concupiscence, something or other, which will, and doth break forth some time or other; and look to yourselves, you that have been ten or twenty years under the power of a lust, and it breaks forth continually upon you: if you be not hypocrites, you are as nigh them as ever was egg to egg, as to the likeness of them; you that have been known to be what you are so many years together, I durst denounce such a man a hypocrite that hath lived so many years under a secret lust unmortified; what, is there no power in Christ? hast thou not kept thy lust close all this while? It may be thou goest to prayer afterwards, and thinkest that will make it up, but thy prayer shall show thy hypocrisy more, seeing thy lusts live.  
Fourthly and lastly, those are the highest hypocrites of this kind: They secretly envy the brightness and glories of the gifts and graces of other Saints that go beyond them; and that is the perfect Character of a hypocrite where ever it is found, if that be not a hypocrite there is none in the world; when a soul cannot abide to be outshined, it is a sign that a man never loved grace for grace, for than he would love it where it is most pure, and shines most gloriously, and this the Pharisees were vexed at, they hated Christ perfectly, because he went beyond them, and was a conviction to them: these and several other Characters I had thought to given you; but to satisfy some souls that will be apt to say: every one will be a hypocrite if this be so, I answer:  
First, My design is to bid you beware of hypocrisy as Christ doth: Try your hearts, take not things up in ordinary and common ways, be not unbelieving and doubting, that is not the thing I would be at, it is not to scare you off the Gospel; be curious and critical, be serious in the viewing of your own hearts, and search to the bottom, and trust not yourselves with feigned enjoyments, ☞ I would not discourage the poorest looker after Christ for all the world, only I would have all men to be pure in their spirits, and let every man put himself to it; let a man have gold that hath passed through the furnace; let a man that will be rich be rich with those precious things that are of an eternal nature.  
Secondly, to answer that, you will find grace will lie but in a little room, therefore I put you to it, true grace is like a Diamond, very little in bulk, but of a high price, and mighty value; therefore I beseech you be through in your own hearts, thou poor looker after Christ, Grace lies in a little room, more may be in one motion than in all the acts of the world: you may have more grace than the greatest and gloriousest Preacher of the Gospel, therefore try thy soul, and be not discouraged though thou art not such a flourishing and glorious professor as another, yet thou mayest be a greater Saint.  
Thirdly, I would have none taken up with any outside or glorious forms in the world, but be looking within what inward frames you have in all your duties; no, I would have no soul taken up with any opinion, with any religion that is external at all, but that carries out purely to heaven, as the very heart is meeting with the Lord Jesus, and as he hath a spirit acted in every word he speaks in the Gospel, not to daunt you from Religion, that is not my design, but to keep you only from the leaven of the Pharisees; external dependencies, that your souls may not be lost with the greatest misery to all eternity.   

SERMON III. Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy.  
I Have endeavoured to show you in general what Hypocrisy is, and the last time gave you a hint of several sorts of hypocrites; for hypocrisy lies not in one strain.  
Now we will lay this down as a foundation, (which was named before) that look as many sorts of tempers as there are, and humours, and constitutions of men, and designs that men have in Religion, and as many ways as there are, so many common workings as God may have upon men; so many sorts of hypocrites may you have entering upon Religion on those grounds; for look as it is with grace, where it worketh effectually, it changes not the faculties, nor constitutions: A melancholy man is so still though he have grace, and so you shall find; his actings will show something of his temper and nature, so as to hypocrisy and demonstrations of hypocrisy, so many sorts of tempers as there are in the world, when men enter on the ways of Godliness upon unsound grounds, not being wrought upon throughly by God, so many sorts of hypocrites you will have. I told you of four Sects the last time; now I shall go on and show you more.  
Look as a man is by nature of a duller and heavier constitution, and hath got the outward form of Religion, he will be a mere formalist, drudging on in duties, and no more: nothing of the spiritual nature of it, taking abundance of pains without sense, go on in his ways, and his duties without any power at all, and that was the mere formal hypocrite I told you of, he hath had some little touches upon his spirit that moves him, and together with education hath gone on as in a Tract.  
If a man be of a hot temper and constitution, fiery in his nature, and enter on Religion upon such common grounds and ordinary frames (as the most do) he will be a zealous man, exceeding zealous: Some opinion or other, some particular form his heart is most in, and he is the zealous hypocrite I spoke of; he will stick to his opinion and hazard all, and never care for the other part of Religion if they can but maintain that; so it is with many in these times, never care how the work of God goes on in the world, or their own souls, so they have their opinion. So if a man be of a facile and easy nature to be persuaded, and enter upon Religion, he will easily conclude that all the promises are his, Take every thing for granted in the Gospel, and apply it to his own soul, as if he had a peculiar interest to all the promises, and so grows in a confident secure frame, and that is the hypocrite I told you was confident, that out of the easiness of his nature takes all things in the Gospel as his own, though he never saw the need and want of them, and never knew the worth of them; for I told you, that self-love is the ground of all hypocrisy in a man's spirit: If a man can get any thing for himself, as self-love acts, so a man gets into such and such a frame, as it was with a mad man that sat at a Port, that when all the ships came by, said, this is mine, this is mine: so doth all men say, without either Religion, or the knowledge of the nature of the promises of the Gospel, challenging them without a need of them, or a knowledge of the glorious design of God in them.  
Then again, if a man be of a more forward and daring spirit, and if he get into a profession of Religion, he will prove a presumptuous hypocrite, to presume exceedingly upon the Gospel, and the things of it; he will vent the opinions he hath taken into his consideration, and that he sees most suitable to the world.  
If a man be of a more grave and sober temper, and hath got such a custom of Religion and duties, and taken up the profession of it with a secret inward desire of applause to be somewhat in the world, he will be most curiously exact in all his frames, such a man will cut to a hair, and he will observe the least thing in others that may be as a blot in them, and him I called a stately and curious hypocrite, he will not be blamed in the world, that is all his design; he will keep all plots and spots off him, if out of mistake he be wrung, he will mend it next time; his name lies at the stake for it, and all his comforts lies only in a fair handsome neat carriage in his duties to the Sons of men, that he may be able to be blameless in his reputation in the world, and some men have been so curious in their actings and observances, that they have shamed many precious people; that was Paul's temper and care always, that he might be without blame to the world; as to the Law he was blameless, Phil. 3. and it is as great a thing as a man can speak, and doubtless the Pharisees had a handsomeness and neatness in all their observances, that they were very much admired by the People: A strictness, that they looked at a Point, at a Latchet, though the great and eternal things lay with no weight on their spirits: such kind of hypocrites will go on smoothly in the world, that a man shall admire them, and check his own heart, & say, I am a hypocrite, certainly I never came up to those frames; This man dazzles the eyes of men, and all his design is to carry on a handsome garb, and go for somebody in the world. Oh! this is that, that many in these times had need look to their own hearts in; Tithe mint and cummin, and neglect the most weighty things of the Gospel; they have handsome apparel without, but never look within to the eternal workings of their poor souls, and that state that must be before God for ever.  
And again, If a man be of a crafty cunning temper, of a natural subtlety, and he begin to profess the Gospel, he will play the part of a hypocrite to purpose, he will shift at every turn, and change every time; he will not be found at any time unsuitable, he will tell you he must change with providence; he will be sure to manage all that natural subtlety in Religion to his own design perfectly: and truly there are no persons so perfectly hypocrites as these, that out of craftiness begin to be hypocrites; upon subtle principles are privy to their own deceits, they are out of intention hypocrites, and they know they can shift and comply with any occasion; there are thousands of these hypocrites in these times in England, that conclude with the times, that make use of the time and occasion, and have no more grace in them than Heathens. So take it as to any other temper, whatever you will, if a man be not throughly converted and enter upon Religion; look as his temper is naturally, so will his hypocrisy be; and that I may go on a little clearer, take it now as to the temper of fear on a man, and the workings of God upon him: If a man be apt to fear, and God lay any thing upon a man's conscience, (for God sometimes keeps such all their life-time in fear) you shall find that there will abundance of hypocrisy appear in those actings, and such a man shall be a terrified hypocrite; he shall live under terrors, and make abundance of work through his fears, [for fear may put a man exceedingly on to duties] and be but a hypocrite all this while: Now of these there be two sorts that live under terrors, and I will especially speak to these; for many think if they be under trouble of conscience and terror, they are passed the worst, and in the best frame that can be: Therefore,  
First, there are some that are but more generally touched with the sense of some sin that God meets them with, and lays upon them, and at every turn checks them for, and lets in glimpses of his wrath now and then upon his conscience, and they get into a strange kind of temper, of complaining, and whining, and whimpering in their own spirits, and go on in their duties, (for they dare not but go to duties) but yet it doth not work so much upon them as to cry out with hideous noises of damnation, yet are kept under fear, and bondage of spirit, and cannot get out of it, and all their design is to whine at it, and complain of it to others abroad: that as we say in grief, (to open a man's mind is a mighty ease) so you shall find them open their hearts, and say, they are under these and these sins, talking of their corruptions, telling how they are under such trials, under such fears of their passions, and tell you of hypocrisy, and thus they go from door to door, and from Professor to Professor, and all to no purpose, for they never knew, nor never found the weight and power of the Gospel lying upon their spirits, never see the depth of a deceitful heart for all this; But only say, alas! I have such and such corruptions, I am afraid of my estate and condition; and so take a pleasure in their complaining. Now there are three ways wherein they show their hypocrisy.  
First, By this way of complaining they think to get off from suspicion of hypocrisy: Such Souls, such creatures are always complaining of their conditions; and so they think to be free of hypocrisy by this kind of whining, though they never knew what the hatred of sin was, never knew what it was to be pierced through with the darts of the Gospel for sin.  
Secondly, they think by this to get the pity and compassion of other Saints, to pity and bemoan them, and we ought (say they) to speak a good word to comfort them: Though Saints nor Angels cannot speak a good word to souls, yet they look for it.  
Thirdly, they show their hypocrisy by this, They look upon themselves by it as poor in spirit, always in sense of sin, and under a sense of their lost condition, and would have others think so too: there is a poor spirit, nothing but poverty of spirit, never come to him but he hath low esteem of himself.  
Fourthly, But the great strain of hypocrisy lies in this, they perfectly rest in this strain of complaining, and never look after Christ, they get ease by opening their minds, and if they can but get a good answer to quiet them for the present, they go away content; I have abominated this frame of any frame in Professors; A strange ugly whining frame of spirit constantly upon a soul, which should not be upon a Professor but in the absolutest cases of necessity, and extraordinary occasion, for he shows he hath not been at Christ and opened his condition to him, but he must have this and that outward help first, and if he cannot help himself, then go to him. It is common, you shall find people complaining and speaking strangely of their condition, and by a poor common word speaking to them they go away content, though they never had the thoughts of Christ in their hearts, many make a trade of it; you shall find an old Professor say, I am of a strange passionate spirit, and have been so many years, of a sullen, ugly, peevish spirit, that none can deal with me, I have such and such a corruption, and I am afraid that I am a hypocrite. [Ay, so thou mayest know thou art one.] They will complain, Oh! what a wicked wretch am I; give him but one word of comfort in an ordinary manner, they are content, though the corruption be lying still, be living in the heart still; I told you the last time, I would pawn my life that he was a hypocrite that lived so long time under the Gospel under the power of one corruption, having no power against it, having no grace to balance his corruption, and though the corruption might act, yet a soul might see there are other glorious graces besides; and do you think, that complaining of your corruptions, can that serve your turns? you will come to a Minister, or a serious Saint, and say, thou art troubled for thy sin or corruption: Art thou troubled with thy corruption? Then thy trouble would be known, the very bowels of thee would be seen working out, one way or other; thou wouldst never let Christ rest, but get pardon, and power to kill thy corruption, and if it should break out, it would be the constant shame of thy soul night and day before all the Saints; Never tell me of Religion if it lies not in the vitals of men, and kills the vital corruptions, and actuates the soul into the eternal workings. And a man may be found to be a hypocrite for all these things: Art thou troubled with a corruption and complainest of it, canst thou be quiet with complaining? Can any word comfort thee but the death of it, and the sense of the death of it every day? Can any promises comfort thee, but as they tend directly to destroy thy corruption? Is it possible if a soul have any reality of grace in his own heart: I had rather [says a gracious heart, says a poor sincere soul] go to the funeral of that corruption, and see it buried, than be the greatest Emperor of the world, or in the glorious frame in the world, be it Pride, Passion, Lust, or whatever it be in a man's soul. But this is the misery of men taken up with mere complain: of all Professors this sort goes on most cunningly, for we commonly judge of men by their sense and sight of sin, and think they are in the most fundamental way of the Gospel; and they have the root of the matter, and God hath touched them indeed; and yet God hath done nothing for all this.  
Secondly, there is another sort that lie under terrors sharply, flaming terrors, and are scorched, in their consciences for some special sin; and mighty violent in duty: they will run here and there, and say, I am damned, I am damned, what shall I do, I am lost for ever, they will come with such hideous noises and cries to men, and run any where, the flame is so hot; yet all this while sin not discovered, nor the sense of Christ taken in upon the souls of men.  
Now know these two things:  
First, That the greatest unbelief is hid under the greatest terrors.  
Secondly, that the greatest hypocrisy is under the sights of sin, and greatest terrors, [for a man will do any thing to avoid that] that if he be mightily terrified he will be any thing, do any thing to take off that sin: herein lies  
First, the hypocrisy, that he does nothing but to ease himself, quiet his conscience, and he lets sin alone: that he may but live quietly, he desires no more.  
So I have known some Professors that have been in mighty terrors for one half year, and the other half year been as joyful as could be: Going to others, saying, pity me, save me, do any thing with me and save me, and when God hath withdrawn the violence again from them, when any considerations have come in, they have fall'n to their old corruptions again.  
Secondly, Their hypocrisy lies in this, they will snatch at any thing to comfort them, take any hand as soon as Christ's. But a truly touched soul will not be comforted; a poor soul indeed cannot be quieted or comforted by any but Christ, or the manifestations of his love; but as for this terrified hypocrite, he will snatch at any thing as soon as Christ; give him but a Promise [though it no more concern his condition than if it were never named, yet he will have it as if it had been made for him,] he will be sure to catch at it, if you can divert his thoughts, it shall be as much to him as Christ's blood: take off the strength of his terrors he is pleased. And the truth is, most kind of hypocrites are under some kind of terrors or other; they would never have such twangs of conscience as they have, but that they are under some terrors of conscience from God upon their souls: But as for this kind of hypocrite, he may be so carried on, that he may do all duties with the most zeal and violence: he may pray with great passion, and bemoan his condition, that it would make a man's heartake [if you could but hear him praying] sometimes, if you could but be privy to his cry, which sometimes he makes loud ones, and every man may hear him; but still his conscience grows more insensible and his heart hardened, and grows common to him at last. And such a hypocrite will live in the fire, if he can but get off the violence of terrors, his heart shall be as black as hell, with the very burn of corruption, and certainly that which the Apostle says of a conscience seared with a hot Iron may refer exceeding much to this, that God may with terrors sear up a man's heart, for the devil is the greatest hypocrite, and he lives under the greatest terrors, the flame of wrath hath hardened his heart infinitely against God, that there can be no place of repentance; so these hypocrites go on by degrees, and only in a general manner find the terrors of God upon their consciences, and never see the nature of sin and vileness of it to the soul. So that this I say, do not think, that because you are troubled in your consciences, or under terrors, that you are free from hypocrisy; nay, there is most hypocrisy there; plainness of heart is under clear light, when a man is free from advantage of fear, or terror, and too much comforts, then is the best time to try a man's heart.  
Secondly, Take one in the second place as to God's workings, one of a natural capacity, that is, he is capable of understanding of things; he gins to profess the Gospel, and comes under a kind of enlightening of God, God giving a man [as he may] a common gift of grace by common notions of the Gospel, here is one will come to be a most glorious hypocrite; I call a hypocrite, because the fundamental work is not done, because he is not what he should be, nor what he seems to be. Now as the former sort his conscience was enlightened with flames, this man he is enlightened with more calm and sunlike beams; this man can now see into the Rules of the Gospel, he can be able by degrees and time to form and work in all the notions of the Gospel into his head, that he now comes to be a profitable hypocrite unto others, comes to be able to speak very great things of the Gospel, and can tell you as perfect truths as any experienced Saint in the world can do; and especially if he have education, and time, and acquaintance to communicate them to: he will come to be able to delude any Saint in the world, for now he is not a mere outside man in sight, but one that brings out of his treasury things new and old, that hath got a vein of discussing and speaking as real things as any man can speak in the Gospel; how far may this man go? and yet here lies his hypocrisy.  
First, All these things go no further than the head; they were never stamped upon the heart, never upon the breast, they are Artificially form in the understanding, never come down to be imprinted in the soul, upon the will & affections, never had those heavenly influences dropping in the favour, the sweetness, the power, and the virtue of that knowledge, proportionably working in their spirits: and there lies their hypocrisy, that all those things are but artificially form in the understanding.  
Secondly, All that such a man doth act in the expression of any knowledge he hath, it is with secret glory; he joys, he takes himself to be somewhat now, and makes all these things to be his own, as though he received them from Christ, he glories in them, there is all, shame him, there you make him miserable, if you hit him there you cut upon his heart vein. And that is the way of God commonly with those sorts, their parts die, and God withdraws by degrees, and lets knowledge die, letting corruption come in so much upon them as they lose all at last. But it is wonderful to conceive how far these convictions will carry a man, when he hath a Candle lighted by God how far he may walk in the Gospel; when God shall shine in (as it were) upon nature, how it will appear before the Sons of men: It lies in the head, and self is commonly advanced, not Jesus Christ; that Christ may have all the praise and honour, as it is said in Job of the hypocrite, the heart of him is little worth; he may have some fine parts and be ingenuous in his understanding, but his heart is the worst, there is nothing but sin and self together, and inward secret contradicting and working against God, and the power of Religion; so it was with the foolish Virgins, they went on gloriously, but at last they said, our Lamps are gone out, we have lost our light, we have slumbered and slept away our time, we depended upon our gifts and endowments, and our fair actings in the world, and our Lamps are gone out, and now we have nothing to show for all our profession. I will a little set home this with a word or two of Use.  
Use. First therefore, if this be so, that there may be so many sorts of hypocrites and strains, I beseech you examine your own hearts, and put your souls upon it, find out this Leaven; I told you why hypocrisy was called Leaven, because of the spreading nature of it, none knows how it spreads; Hypocrisy hath many vizards, many ways, you may go on so fairly, and so painted, that no man, nor your own hearts can discern you: But look seriously, look every day what is within you, ask your own souls what is within; bring yourselves before a divine eye, look to every part, to every motion, let nothing pass you without a divine and exact scrutiny, never be quiet till you have get a through definition of your own estate, stand Sentinel to your own hearts; say not, I am a Saint till you have found clearly, both by Law and Gospel, till it be written with the beams of the Sun upon your own hearts; Oh! I am afraid the most Professors will be found hypocrites at the last day; that those that have the fairest faces to us will have the foulest ripping up before the Lord; many that go so neatly now will have a black Character at last; Oh! for Christ to say, go you cursed, at the last day, to a glorious Professor, what a word will that be? Appear to what you are indeed, and strive to be what you should be; take not up ordinary and common things in your own spirits; lay not the weight of God upon those things that are not real, that are but mere gilt upon Copper, that will not endure; men are apt to take themselves up with profession if they have but a fair face, if they have but a handsome carriage in the world: Oh! that Christ would have charity to you at the last day, as we must have now: Christ loves those that are holy, and he loves to make them holy: He must judge you as you are, no charity after the Gospel is past, therefore look to your own souls; there is a day when every thing that is hid shall be revealed, there is no halting before the Almighty, he hath an eye on you: Christ will find you out in the crowd of Men, Devils, and Angels, and pick you out with his eye, and say, Friend, how came you hither? You never had the power of the work of God upon your heart: do not think to deceive your own souls by these pretences.  
Object. But you will say, What shall I do then? You make all men hypocrites, how shall I know whether I be a hypocrite yea or no?  
I gave you three things the last time in the general to consider of:  
First, I told you my design was to press you on to try yourselves, and to secure your own estates.  
Secondly, Grace will lie in a little room, in a very little compass, it lies not in the flaunting garbs and modes of the times, it is like a Diamond, little, but of great prize.  
Thirdly, I would have no man taken up with shows: It is not my design to make you Hypocrites, but to discover Hypocrisy to you: Therefore look to your own hearts that you be not Hypocrites. I would not discourage any poor soul that is panting after Christ. Therefore  
First, know in general, though thou mayest be no hypocrite, yet thou mayest suspect thyself for hypocrisy every day, in every duty, though thou be'st none so called, nor so accounted by God, yet thou must suspect thyself.  
Secondly, know this in the general, Thou shouldst not charge thyself to be a Hypocrite for every sight of Hypocrisy: And the more spiritual you grow under the Gospel, the more you will see of the deceitfulness of your heart every day.  
But I will give you these six Characters, that no hypocrite can ever have in their hearts, nor attain to: and I hope some poor souls will be comforted, and they are the poorest things you would think to flesh and blood in the world: those things that a man would never imagine, especially those high-grown men in Notion.  
First, Can you hate sin as sin, that is, in its whole nature, in every appearance of it, in its first motion, in the first hints of it, in the sins that are most dear, that I took most pleasure in? Hypocrisy in its actings towards sin picks and chooses here and there, it may be angry with some sin that disturbs it, but it never hates it, no hypocrite can have a hatred of sin as sin; hate the first of the first as it were, though it comes never so glorious, never so set as it were, hates it as sin upon no other consideration; not because it troubles my conscience, and brings me to hell and wrath, and renders me unsuitable to my relations and designs in the world: He is a Saint, look to it, the very Embryo of sin, the sincere soul hates, it hates it as sin.  
Secondly, No hypocrite can delight to be ashamed by God in his duties, in his actings, lie under the shaming of God, and made purely nothing in its own eyes and others, that the Hypocrite cannot do; and yet a poor simple sincere soul can do it, a poor soul, that may be can hardly speak two words with sense, and suitableness of expression, yet he can do it; he can delight as well to see God shaming his soul, bringing him to nothing, humbling of him to the dust, as if he were to be in the Arms of the Lord, taking pleasure in his humbling acts; suppose God deny him any assistance in a duty, or in the opening of his heart, that if he be in company, he is ashamed to look upon his own heart, here the soul takes pleasure to be ashamed, no hypocrite can endure that, to be ashamed in his actings and relations; for self-love is the principle of hypocrisy in the heart of a hypocrite: He cannot endure to be out-shined, that is the wicked frame of him; if a Saint go beyond him in grace, and communion with God, he cannot endure it, and therefore cannot endure to be ashamed; Oh! how do the Saints love to be laid low before God, that they may have the pure glory of him shining upon their souls. Then  
Thirdly, know this as a special one, No hypocrite can bless God, and love him from his heart, when God smites him in his dearest enjoyments, or nearest lusts, wherein he hath delighted; take away his comforts, take away those things he hath enjoyed formerly, and he cannot love Christ, nor bless him in his heart; strike him in any thing that the eye and heart of him hath been upon, he secretly hates Christ: Now a Saint can cling to Christ, love him secretly in his own soul, though he seem to be as an enemy to him, he cannot but love him for all this; no hypocrite can do this; take away what pleases his nature, and he cannot love him. Try your hearts by these things.  
Fourthly, know this, No hypocrite can love the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, nor a Saint as a Saint, I put these both together; he cannot love the person of the Lord Jesus, for he never had the glimpses of his glory on his heart, he only loves to be pardoned, and have some comfort from him, but he never finds his heart to work in love to the Lord Jesus; and have an union with him, as the fundamental ground of all his comforts, for love you know it longs for union: Nor he cannot love a Saint as a Saint purely: but a Saint so tempered, so conditioned, he cannot love a poor saint, nor a weak Saint, he cannot purely close with him, and have his bowels working towards him purely as a Saint.  
Fifthly, No hypocrite can go on in any spiritual work or service for Christ with any contentment, with any pleasure, without sensible comforts, or outward respects; pray observe; for if he want inward sensible comforts, yet the wind of men will fill his sails; but a poor Saint can take pleasure in the mere mention of Christ, in the poorest work of Christ, wherein he is least seen, wherein he hath hardly a name, only with shame and reflection: this will try a man, if I had time to open it throughly.  
Sixthly and lastly, No hypocrite in the world can long to be like Christ, as to be respected by Christ, either as to inward comforts, or trade in the world. Or thus, No hypocrite can love the holiness of Christ as the good things he gets of Christ; he cannot abide to be out of his own form, and in the form of the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ; but a Saint, if he have never so much comfort and sweetness, and his soul always drawing honey, with marrow and fatness, yet if he have not the likeness of Christ, and be like Christ, he is not pleased; no hypocrite can love the holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ with a pure love that may destroy his corruption, that may unbottome him, bring him perfectly out of self, and transform him into that glorious Image.  
Try yourselves by all these things; I had thought to have shown you wherein the strains of hypocrisy lie to all sorts of duties, and the spiritual workings of it in the hearts of men, but I must leave that to some other time.   

SERMON IV. Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy.  
I Have showed you in several exercises what the nature of hypocrisy is, and have distinguished to you the several sorts of hypocrites under the Gospel: shown you how cunningly and closely men may act, and yet still have this leaven in them, passing through all their parts; there is some little thing or other that is insensible to some men, known to others, whereby they are mistaken and undone under all their profession.  
I shall not be able to repeat any thing: but in the latter end of the last Sermon I told you of Six things that no hypocrite could do, or attain unto: and I will add but this one to all the rest.  
Seventhly, No hypocrite in the world can desire Christ, that God might be glorified in the utter shaming of himself, as to all privileges, and to all enjoyments, and abatement of comforts to himself, pray observe it: this is that which strikes at self-love perfectly, which is, as I told you, the original of all hypocrisy in a man's spirit: and I speak this as a trial, that is very close and narrow to the spirits of men, and likewise to distinguish in this point between a Saint and a hypocrite.  
For I will not go so high as some Christians have often said, and given it as a Character of a gracious and blessed frame (but I will not go so high) that they could be content to be damned: that I take is a passionate expression of Christians not understanding. But as to all enjoyments, all things that concern not purely the glory of God, and all privileges, and comforts of this life, either inward or outward, that soul that is a Saint can say, he can be really willing to part withal, that Christ may be all (if he be but himself, and have a freedom from temptations, no hypocrite can say it, cut him in his privileges and enjoyments, there he will fret: But for any Saint to be willing to be damned for Christ, it is an expression that will never hold weight in the Gospel, if it be considered.  
For first, know this, I cannot desire that which is not Gods will to grant, nor aught to desire it; it is a sin to desire any thing against God's will: it is not God's will that a Saint should be damned.  
Secondly, Damnation is not an immediate act of God's Sovereignty, but of his vindictive justice, for indeed, I am damned, because I have sinned, not because God hath willed that I should be in that state, for it follows only sin; damnation, it doth not follow immediately the sovereignty God, who chooseth whom he will, he calls one, rejects another, giveth grace to one, leaves another in a state of damnation: that is not immediately an act of God's sovereignty, though it be consequently.  
Then again thirdly, it is against nature; God will never desire any thing of any that is against the constitution of that nature which God hath put in him: that is, to be willing to be separated from God, God cannot command you, nor give it as a rule to you to will it, that any of his Creatures should desire to be separated from him. Therefore take it as a flashy expression of a Professor to say, he can be willing to be damned; and I should suspect that soul's truth of grace that should say so, if I did not know the temper of that person; As for those expressions of Paul, and Moses, and the like, pray consider of it, and you will easily find the answer; it is not the meaning that they desired to be separated from God, for Paul's case, and Moses case was about the People of God; the Children of Israel they had sinned against God, and God was angry with them, and would take the outward Ordinances from them, and cast them out of the privilege of being a Church, (saith Moses blot out me rather, let me rather lose the privileges than they;) but to be desirous to be damned, none could do it without sin: for it is to desire to be separated from the greatest good, that I may be perpetually incapacious of serving the living God, or knowing any thing of his love. Neither doth God will it, nor lawfully may a Saint, a Saint cannot will it, because it is against God, and for God to do it he cannot, for it is against himself, but that only by the by.  
But this is that I say, a Saint can be content and willing if God see it fit to be abstracted from all privileges, from all enjoyments, from all those things that are dear to him, if he knows it to be Gods will, and mind, and the glory of God is concerned in it, from all selfe-willing, though he should never enjoy any more comforts in the world; for here is selfe-deniall: to be willing to be abstracted from those things that hinder communion with God, to be willing that God for the glorifying of his name should leave me in the dark so long as I have but union with himself, is but only as to the conveniency, and the acting of that glorious love to myself, else it is unworthy for a Saint to will such a thing. But I say, here is that a hypocrite cannot do, he cannot be willing that God should shame him to glorify himself, he cannot desire to be blasted in those things, those comforts which he most gloried in, he will fret against God, he can never endure it. A Saint, like Jonah, may be pettish for the present when the Gourd is gone, but he continues not so: But a hypocrite let him be poor in the eyes of those Saints he converses withal, and his heart will never submit to God. But I go on now, and come to show you the strains of hypocrisy in those three things:  
First, As to duties in general.  
Secondly, In prayer in special.  
Thirdly, In converses with Saints, and in the world; we will go as far as we can at this present.  
First, A Hypocrites acting as to duties in general; take all the Commandments of God, and that in these ten particulars at least, I desire you to observe them, and try your own spirits.  
First, Every one that is an hypocrite hath a bias in every duty, something that turns him always; though he may seem to look at Christ, yet certainly he looks another way; though he may seem to go to the promises, yet he hath another end than to be sanctified and made pure by them: there is never a hypocrite in the world but he hath such a bias, that cast him which way you will, that shall lead him, either applause of men, or some secret corruption that acts within him at the same time if he be faithful to his own heart: and it is the end rules the action; what a man's aims are, that a man is in his duties; if nothing but pure grace, and Christ, and glory will be of only concernment, than it is a sign I am carried out by other principles than hypocrites act from, but I shall know commonly this at the end, or beginning, or at the first moving to a duty, or the turn of it what hath been that which carries me on, still there is a bias: after I have done, what is that which poises my spirit in the duty, or what moves me to it, or what is that I aim at in it: If a man's aims in every duty be not primarily the glory of God, secondarily to desire the enjoyment of God in a man's own heart, it is an hypocritical act: O it is strange to see, when a man runs on a long time fairly, evenly, as it were, when the bias comes to have his weight, than you shall see him at length turn with the bias. As the strength of a man's hand in throwing a bowl is so much, that there will be no sight at present of a bias, but when it is set, and the strength of the hand off, than you shall see which way it will turn: So you may try your own spirits; there is a thousand secret kinds of shifts that pass up and down a man's spirit so insensibly in duties, that none knows them but a man's own heart, if he be faithful; if a man be not high in his aims, and high in his ends, all his duties are lost, they are to no purpose at all.  
Secondly, know this, that you may know a hypocrite in his duties, that he is most forward and zealous in external duties, more than in internal.  
For the opening of that, know there are two sorts of duties.  
First, These that are purely the acts of the soul within a man, as selfe-examination, and meditation, and inward humblings, and mournings of the soul before God: they are perfectly the workings of the soul within from the consideration of the things laid before them, as the object is, as the grounds and reasons of mourning and rejoicing are, so those inward actings are: these you shall find that a hypocrite seldom takes delight in, or is considerate about.  
Secondly, there is a second sort of duties, which I call external, and they are of two sorts, and hypocrisy is seen in both: they are external both, but the one is more public, the other more secret, as to preach or pray among others, that is more public: Now you shall find a hypocrite is more forward, more strict in those duties than in secret duties, more in the external than in the internal. You shall find that hypocrisy it lies in this; first,  
There will be a perfect carelessness as to these duties that are inward, seldom examining and ripping up the heart: seldom going to God in the humbling frame of a man's heart, studying the nature of humiliation, that mourning and humbling of a man's soul in duty, and for duties, and as to meditation, to meditate what is Christ, and what I have done against Christ what is the frame of my own heart, very seldom any of those things at all: And if it comes to a pinch the man is quiet, or at least he finds a conveniency to turn it off: If upon examination of his heart he finds not things so well as he would, he will turn off them by some trick: whereas a gracious heart is never well, never better than when he is ripping up all his bowels, than when he is in soule-worke, when he can look within, there is his great and mighty work he looks after: you shall very seldom find that the Closet-hypocrites if they do these things, and make some trial of them, yet when they come to the pinch they will have something to divert them from the strength of their objections.  
secondly, And so now as to external duties, do but compare secret to public, they are mightily taken with those duties that are most public, will be mighty curious in them; but if you come to secret duties they slubber them over, any thing will serve that; if they can but say they have been upon their knees, or done a duty in their Closet, or in their Families, although no care of the nature of those things. That is the second thing: and my Brethren, you should fear and try your own hearts by it, if you have but any consideration, look seriously into your own spirits what is that that takes you up most, whether those things that are the immediate things of the soul, those duties that do so purely belong to the nature of your condition, those things that are so within, that they can only be tried by your own spirits, and the spirit of God in them, or whether you are more choice in externals.  
Thirdly, know this as to duties in general, Hypocrites have their exceptions, and limitations, they have their choice, they will pick and choose, have what is most suitable to flesh and blood, and what is most suitable to their condition, what is most plausible, those duties they will close in withal. But it is, my Brethren, contrary to a Saint; indeed he knows there are the great things of God that his heart is taken up with. But as David says, then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments; a hypocrite will neglect his duty if he finds it too redious, or if it be a hindrance to him in the world, he loves not duty in itself, but he hath his choice, and those that are suitable and convenient, those he follows on; and this you will find to be a close trial for the best sorts of them, you have some so zealous in some duties, that you would think their souls were in them, but come to other duties, they have no sense of them: for if I did love duty in itself, I would not balk any thing, be glad of every opportunity, there is Christ and heaven in this as well as in the other; but few hypocrites ever look after this, they will pick out duties suitable to the times, and suitable to their own humours, and fit to the places they live in, but if they come to a duty that will put a man to it, and wherein a man must be laid in the dust there will be a shrinking of the soul of a hypocrite; pray consider of it, and apply those things home to your own hearts; he that doth not love every duty, that he knows to be a duty, and would gladly do it with all his soul, and doth not study to know his duty, he is an hypocrite. Oh, to see some men, and some great Professors, how fair they will be in some actings and duties, but come to others, they cannot abide them, they cannot away with them, there are such winsings, such turn and deviations in their spirits.  
Fourthly, know that hypocrites in their duties make a great deal ado about little things, and neglect the greater and main things, and this is one of the great things Christ chargeth the Scribes and Pharisees withal, they make a great deal of ado about little things that are in themselves fit to be done, but neglect the greater and the more weighty and considerable things, so says Christ, Mat. 23.16. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites, that say, if a man swear by the Temple it is nothing, but if he swear by the Gold of the Temple he is a debtor, and Luk. 11.14. You tithe mint and cummin, etc. Now if you find you are curious in your own spirits about outward little things, (suppose garments) and are not so curious about spiritual things, which should be acted in a man's soul and spirit, it is a most dangerous sign of hypocrisy, those things, saith he, aught to be done; you ought to be exceeding careful, even of tything mint and cummin, you ought to be careful how you carry yourselves in every thing in the world, but you ought not to have left the other undone; to put weight upon this, and the strictness of the Gospel upon this, and yet do far worse, never looking at the wickedness of your own hearts within, and the envyings of your own soul, and passions, but you can for a pin or a point be careful, this is hypocrisy, neglecting the great things of the Gospel, these aught to be done, but the other ought not to be undone. An hypocrite deals in small ware, as I may say, he takes care only for a little outward concernments, and garb of Religion, that is all.  
Fifthly, This is a discovery of a hypocrite as to duties in general, wherein his hypocrisy is seen, that he never minds to get the spirit of a duty, or to a duty, that is the holy blessed frame of it, but only cares how to act handsomely and takingly in his duties abroad in the world, (for in truth there is most of his actings abroad in the world) he cares not to get the frame and the spirit of his duty, he only cares for a handsome deportment in it.  
Now the frame of a duty in the general is thus, to get our hearts in a posture fit for the nature of the duty we are about; for,  
First, The frame of a duty, and the spirit of it, is to get your heart in a preparation to meet with God, that is one thing which a hypocrite never looks after; how shall I meet with God? What frame should I be in when I come to meet with God? What should I meet with God about?  
Secondly, The frame of a duty is to get the heart spiritually behaved before God in a duty: truly few look after it. I wish that the best Saints did look after it more, but a hypocrite never looks after it at all almost, a spiritual behaviour that lies in that inward proportion of a man's soul before God, according as he is to act to God, or expect from God; if I go to God in a mourning frame, to beg something from him, then can my soul behave itself in that poor and low condition, as one that expects purely that which I want from heaven; I ought then to be mighty humble, and in a frame to get that of God; if I come to rejoice and joy in God, then must I be in that frame that all the faculties of my soul may rejoice in him, and be in a heavenly spiritual tune, this should be the frame of my soul, that spiritual behaviour which I cannot tell how to express so well, as in that inward decorum, in that inward proportion of a man's soul unto God, according to the nature of his duty. And then  
Thirdly, which a hypocrite never looks after, it is to have workings in them suitable to expectation, and to what I would express to God, and expect from God, which a hypocrite never hath, those glorious desires and breathe in the vigour of my soul carried out according to the weight and nature of things; so that I say all those things show you what is the frame of a hypocrite in a duty: If he can but carry it on handsomely, with quietness, and conveniency, and come off fairly to his own conscience, and to Saints, he little minds what his soul hath been doing, what his heart hath been acting all the while. And then  
Sixthly, Pray you observe this: That a hypocrite in the midst of all his zeal, and glory of his duties, he is secretly weary of them: you shall find it clear in your own spirits, if ever you have been convinced of the workings of this sin in your souls, especially if they be duties that do not bring him in present profit, some internal, or external things he wants. This is that which God complains of in Malachy, They were weary of the Sabbath, when will the Sabbath be over that we may go to our buying and selling? For the truth is, a hypocrite is but a perfect slave and drudge to duties, he is hurried on either by necessity within, or some lust or fear which moves him outwardly, but he is weary, it is a burden to him, he hath no freedom at all, for no man can have a freedom that hath not a principle; it is against his nature, he is forced to it, he hath weights hang upon him that moves him to it; but it is not so with a gracious man: thy Commandments are not grievous, he can be content to do all duties ever, for says David, How do I delight in thy Law, it is my meditation day and night: but a hypocrite can be willing to be free, if it were not on some other ground, he thinks them to be shackles of gold at the best, no more: he cannot be without them, because of those things he lays before him as his ground, and aim, and end: but he would be glad to be handsomely freed of them. Now with a Saint it is not so: his knees may fail, and his hands hang down, but his heart never: he would do all Gods will, and he is sorry he can do no more than he doth, he is sorry the body should fail when the spirit lives; a Saint seldom fails in his heart and will, for the most part the will is present. I would do more, but I have a cloggy body, and I have a nature which is contrary to it, but I have a real will. Now it is not so with a hypocrite, he is secretly weary of his duties in the midst of all his enjoyments.  
Seventhly, pray take this along with you: That you have all his Religion in a few duties, take him out of duties and he is a common man: this will be a trial to your hearts if you put them to it seriously; take him out of prayer and preaching (if he be one called to that work) there is all his Religion, come to any dealing of corruption, there is his best part past, he is no more religious than he is in these duties; whereas Religion is a life out of duties as well as in duties, a man is every where going out after God, Religion will move him and breath in him: but a hypocrite take him out of any duty he is about, and you have no more Religion, he will be as vain and foolish afterwards as you can imagine; but if ever you would know a Saint, take him out of his duties as well as in his duties; see how the fear of the Lord is upon him in every way, in every walking, how the dread of the Almighty awes him; but a hypocrite it is a wonder to see how flourishing he will be in duties; but come and take him out of these, he knows in his conscience there is nothing left, no power, only he was carried out to the duty by something that lay upon him externally: therefore lay this to heart.  
Eighthly, all duties that hypocrites do are but the colour of some corruptions that they keep privately in their own hearts, that they may keep them more undiscernible from the world, look to it; all their duties do but cover lusts, do but nourish corruptions, they do pray, and hear, but it is to keep in ambition, or pride, or lust, or whatsoever it be, that is all they do, or to keep up a constant kind of correspondency with their relations: and this advantage a hypocrite makes of his duties, that after he hath done with duties, he takes an advantage to act his corruptions; How many men they go to prayer, if it be a fastday, they go to fast, and after they have done their duties, they think they are secure, than they may to their lusts and the world again more eagerly, they may then give themselves a little more way, they have been so long in duties, and their hearts are now warm to their corruptions after they have done their duties: Oh these are the secrets of some men's thoughts and hearts; I heard of a known Professor in London, who would be all the morning two hours in prayer, and then he would say, now let the Devil do his worst, and then play all his rea●s; Oh, the damnable deceits that are in men's hearts, as to deceits in that regard: and so a hypocrite if he can but shuffle off his duty, thinks then he may act and speak more freely than if he had not done his duty: this is a wicked strain of hypocrisy that is found in many men's spirits. Then again,  
Ninthly, herein lies the hypocrisy of men in duties, that they can be content with the performance of the duty though they have not dealt with Christ in it, and gotten something purely from him in it: And this, my Brethren, is a certain vein of hypocrisy, and the common frame of hypocrites, they will be upon their knees a long time together, and never look for one reception from Christ, and go off their knees, though they have not had any discovery of God unto their poor souls at all. A Saint, though he should pray like an Angel, I mean, speak the most high and and glorious words in the world, and if he should have all the whole world of Saints to applaud him in his duties, he would hate himself, and abhor his duties and all, if he cannot meet with Christ in them it is impossible he should be pleased, for his soul is set upon it, and it is that which is the object, that which the soul hath in his eye, he cannot be without Christ; The power of a Command will force a hypocrite to his duty, but the reality of the enjoyment is that which a Saint looks after; If I have not gotten some lovetoken from the Lord Jesus, if my heart be not in a spiritual frame through the operation of the spirit, and communion with Christ, the soul is not satisfied; look to your souls what manner of frames you have.  
Tenthly and lastly, to add no more at this time; A Hypocrite never grows in or by his duties at all, he is the same man he was to his corruptions and enjoyments, he may grow more fluent in his expressions, manage them externally more neatly, have an easiness of utterance, and a frequency, but he grows not at all, as to inward spiritual enjoyments, his corruptions never die, and this is a sad symptom to many souls that have run a long time in duties, and no body can perceive the least sensible growth in the world, nor they themselves, though they have lived so long under the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, praying zealously with much heartiness, one would think, and no fruit, no corruptions mortified, there is no more inward apprehensions of things, no more growth than if they had never begun the Gospel, now, I say, that is hypocrisy.  
Now some may say, what is it to grow in duties?  
First, Then a man grows in and by duties, when a man is more endeared to the spiritual nature of those things, his heart more affected with the heavenly nature of what he is about.  
secondly, Then a man grows in and by duties, when the soul finds more spiritual power to perform his duties, he goes on more easily, more spiritually, and more freely.  
thirdly, Then a man grows when a man is fitted by one duty to perform another: when in one duty, I pray now, I can pray anon in my own heart, as to the inward frame, I do not speak of the outward expression, for that will grow by custom, but now I hear, and I can hear better the next time, be more open to take in the things of God: he grows in it; so it is as to meditation and self examination, when I can come and try my own heart now, and I can every day get more spiritual insight into my own soul.  
Fourthly and lastly, I grow in and by my duties, when as I get a daily life in them, an addition, a vigour, and spirit, and life, that whereas I began with a fainting spirit, and feeble knees, my heart now grows warmer every day, my spirit grows stronger: and as a Child finds daily strength and vigour of spirit, so I find a vigour in my spirit. A hypocrite runs his round, he grows not at all, there is no spiritual motion in him, but just the same as to the inward frame of his heart; though you and I may think he grows, yet he doth not grow, for all growth is by an addition to the same nature; if you should see a heap of stones heaped up, you do not say it grows, it is not a growth, but an adding stones to stones, it must be in the degrees, and spirit, and life of the same nature, there lies growth.  
I should now have come to the second thing, which is hypocrisy of men in prayer, which is a thing especially to be discovered, for there is nothing a hypocrite is more excellent in, than in prayer, and nothing he esteems more than that; and there is nothing by which a hypocrite gets more esteem and a better opinion in the world than by prayer, for it is a duty so much commended in the Gospel, that all the worship of God is placed in it. My house shall be called the house of prayer, it is made the Character of a Saint: behold he prays; it is that which every Saint hath need of every moment, and it is is that the Saints are most in of any other duty in the world, and there is the greatest excellency of a hypocrite of any thing, and to discover him there, you would find him out to purpose; for a man in prayer, if he hath got that curiosity, as some have done, he speaks as if he were wrestling with the Almighty, and as if he were prompted by some Evangelical spirit, and assisted by a mighty spirit from above, that a man thinks he is a perfect Saint if he have a mighty fluency as to expression. I should in many particulars have showed you the deceit of this.  
But I will conclude all with a word or two of Use.  
Use. First, to every soul to look to his own heart in his duties, there is most hypocrisy in duties, more than in any other way of acting, there is the closest hypocrisy in a man's duties that can be: there is his pride, and selfe-ends acted to purpose, all other actings are but gross, a man may see them easily, but as to duties they are carried so closely no man can know them; Alas, if a man should be found in his Study always praying, who would not think him an excellent Saint? yet he may be the perfectest hypocrite in the world, nothing of God and Christ in his prayer, it is not the length or the measure you must look after, nor how you have acted them, but how you are moved and acted in them: Oh, my Brethren, most glorious Professors in duties will be found another day in strange frames before God. We have preached in thy name, O Lord, say they, so Lord we have prayed night and day, kept all meetings in the Town or place where we lived, and been at so many fasts, and kept all public days, and kept them closely: Yea soul, so thou mayest: but if you have no more than that, depart from me, I know you not; you are no better, you never minded me, you never had the frame of the Gospel in your own spirits, you never knew what it was to be out of your duties, and have the workings of my power in your hearts, you never knew what it was to deny yourselves in your duties, to be made nothing for my name and glory.  
Secondly and lastly, I beseech you (my Brethren) be not content with any thing but what is purely of God, what is a reality in the Gospel, pure realities. Truly, my Brethren, the fairest faces will one day look like death when God comes to view them; be more afraid in duties than in any other way, the most spriteful men in duties, that we little think of, will be wrinkled like old men one day upon a sudden when God comes to deal with them about the things of the Gospel; be more afraid of yourselves in duties than in any other way, for though you are in the ways of God as to outward actings, yet you are under the most spiritual temptations that can be, you will wonder to see one day how many thousands will be placed at the left hand, that have passed through all the forms of duties to the uttermost; therefore be not content with any thing, but what you find perfectly real, bring it to the touchstone again, and again, let it be written with the Sunbeams in your hearts; look to your principles and ends, mind the vigour and strains of your spirits in duties, observe at what rate you act, still be looking that way; Oh, to be a sound Christian is a most glorious thing. Give me that soul that can say, I have many things that I am ashamed of before God night and day, but I am sound, I am real, though I were to be searched by God. I have that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that inward sincerity, that is, not only a simplicity of spirit, but such a shining judgement upon my own condition, that I know how I stand before God, and I know whom I have believed, and how I have believed, and how I have prayed, and heard in the Gospel; I know it, the divine spirit was in my bosom in such a place, in such a corner, the Holy Ghost was in my spirit; I know that I was carried out in such a duty merely by the life and strength of God, when I had no power, when I was as weak as water: Oh! this would be a comfort indeed to a poor soul. Many are glad to be lulled asleep, if they can but be said to be religious and saints, and follow the things of the Gospel, they think they are happy. No, soul: thou must have a principle in thy soul, and an eternal work upon thee; thou must know what God is, and what Christ is, and what God in Christ is, what it is to have thy corruptions struck at the heart, and be laid as low as hell in thy own soul, before ever thou enjoy any thing of God in thy own soul. And when thou hast done so, thou must try all over again by a spirit of fire and burning, and have not only thy own reason to witness, but the Holy Ghost and Scriptures to witness to what is in thy heart, to what thy conscience speaks, and all these things will be brought to you one day, though you look slightly over them now.  
Oh that men would be careful to avoid hypocrisy, this wicked leaven that is in so many souls, to discern the leaven that works in every part so invisibly: Beg of God a spirit of sincerity, to keep you from your own hearts, beg of the Lord that he never would leave you under any slight ordinary common workings of spirit, but put you to it every day, show you your own frames, never be quiet until you find those real things, and then having a little grace, yet if in sincerity, you will find your souls in a happy estate: Oh you souls that have this mercy from God, bless him, and magnify him for ever, you have the earnest of immortality in your own souls.   

SERMON V.  LUKE 12.1. 
Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy.  
I Have in many exercises endeavoured to open to you the nature of hypocrisy, what kinds and sorts of hypocrites there are in the world; and the last time you may remember we shown you the actings of hypocrisy, as to duties in general, for hypocrisy is most acted in duties; a man may find out his own deceits in many things more easily than in duties, for in duties there are such fair colours, no man knows how to discover himself or others, if he be not careful in his own heart.  
But there were three things propounded at the latter end, which we could not come to: not only as to duties in general;  
But first the hypocrisy of men in prayer, and how a hypocrite is discovered there.  
secondly, as to communion and converse with Saints and godly persons.  
And thirdly, as to his carriage in the world, those three we would speak to at this time.  
First, Hypocrisy as to prayer, which is a duty that hypocrites most glory in of any; that is the duty wherein Saints get so much of God, and have so much experience of God in, it is a duty that is used as the common way to get whatsoever a soul would have; let your requests be made known to God, therefore there is no duty a hypocrite is more exact in than that, for he imitates a Saint, that is the nature of a hypocrite that he imitates a Saint in those duties he is most in, that he gets most by: none knows the incomes that Saints have in the duty of prayer, how much of God is let into them, and how much their souls are let out unto God, when none know it; it is a duty that is of that request among those that are godly, that if a hypocrite be not good at that, he is good at nothing, if he be not very curious there he will be of little account; for it is common for one to desire to pray one for another, and with one another, abundance of incomes come by it in a spiritual way; and therefore that is the care of a hypocrite to do that well whatever he neglects, and you shall find that as to their parts they never excel so much as in that duty, wherein they excel and go beyond many Saints, as to the outward performance of it. I shall show their hypocrisy therefore as to this.  
And first in general, know that all that a hypocrite doth, as to prayer, is from an art of it, not from a spirit of it within him; some do distinguish it thus, between a gift of prayer, and a grace of prayer; but I had rather take it in these terms, for graces are gifts, and we must come and distinguish again and again of common gifts, and spiritual gifts, and supernatural gifts, and supernatural gifts of such a kind, etc. but this is clear, that all that ever a hypocrite doth in prayer is from an artificial motion in his spirit; my meaning is thus: he hath gotten by industry, by imitation, by converse, by custom, and use in that duty, such an art, that there is nothing either belongs to prayer, or the exact performance of it outwardly, but he hath it with more abundant curiosity than the best Saint hath, that he strives to perfect himself in exceedingly.  
But take this for the general rule, that is rather from an art than from the spirit prayer, and many times he gets the art so curiously, that he refresheth many Saints and poor souls by it, though he have little of the sense of it on his own heart; he acts that part so exactly and carefully to the sight of men, that it works much upon the affections of all that hear him, and converse with him: This I speak now as to those that are most careful. Indeed there be some sorts of hypocrites that are not so curious, that are rather for a mere outward form, and are very dead in it, and make it up some other way, but take hypocrisy in general, it is seen most in prayer.  
In the second place, and more particularly to discover this hypocrisy to you as to the art.  
First, know, that the great study of a hypocrite is about his expressions more than for any impressions, or any real sights of the nature of his condition or estate; as if he were to mourn for sin, and open his own heart, he studies to set it out in the most melting way, though his heart be not melted, or if he be to set out the love of God, he will do it with the exactest expressions, but he finds not the love of Christ constraining, and those expressions flowing from that love in his heart.  
secondly, as to that, as his expressions, so his greatest enlargements in that duty of prayer is when he is most in public, not so much in private and secret deal with his own heart; this is now to those that deal with others, dead at home, enlarged abroad: Oh my Brethren, this is a most wicked frame of hypocrisy in that duty, when men look at their words, not at their hearts, to make their hearts speak within them; if I be enlarged in prayer when I am with others, and dead when I am in private, it is a certain sign I have nothing in my heart, only some outward gales fill my sails.  
Thirdly, as to that know, there is a secret rejoicing in the very manner of the expressions of a man's wants or of his Petitions, whatsoever he desires of God, which none but those find that have to deal with those things in their own hearts.  
Fourthly, And which is as to expressions again, know that a hypocrite, in the fourth place, is more troubled when he wants an enlargement as to expressions, than when he wants a power of affection to duties, and to God, according to the whole nature of what he is to act in that duty; a Saint can content himself more with a sigh and a groan, than all the external enlargements that can be; if a hypocrite can be enlarged as to gifts, he can easily dispense with some deadness as to the frame of his own heart, pray you observe that; if you cannot be in your closet as vehement in sighs and groans as if you were in company with others, if your inward motions do not prompt you to as much vehemency of soul to go out to God to beg what you want, and long after him to enjoy what he hath communicable to your souls, when alone as well as when before others, it is a dangerous symptom of hypocrisy, it is a sign certainly that I have somewhat at the bottom that is not sound; therefore consider that.  
Secondly, As to particulars, know, that a hypocrite loves to lengthen out his duties when he is to perform them before others, and to hurry them over in private; truly most Professors are as Papists in that, for they tell over their private duties as so many beads, till they come to a public Mass, than they are solemn, but there is nothing of Religion in all those things: if they come to company, than they do every thing circumstantially, exactly, than they lengthen them out according to time and every proportion, and this is a very close discovery of hypocrisy in any soul, that is slight in private, and can hurry over his duties there, yet can be mighty solemn when he is in a public place; pray you consider that.  
Thirdly, Take this for a Rule, a hypocrite both in private and public prayers, he flags at last, this will come close to every one's heart, the longer he prays the worse he is, the heart more dead, best at first, at the beginning he is zealous: it may be sense of wants presses him, something holds him up, but the longer he goes on the worse he is. But the contrary is now in a Saint, the longer he is with God, the more his heart is with him, he grows in his duties; though he be dead at first, he will be sure to get some review of God, some quickenings, some enlivenings, though he have been long getting up his heart to a duty, yet when once it is up, he finds the water flows in, the more he is with God, the more he gets up his soul, the divine nature gets more breath and strength by breathing after God, the longer it breathes the stronger it breathes; a hypocrite hath much ado to keep up his affections to the first start, either privately, or publicly, hardly able to keep in his spirit, but he is at a loss as to the divine nature of those things as to the glory of them; therefore he is fain to pump and strain for expressions when his affections are lost; this you will find as a perfect secret in your own hearts that know and are privy to your own souls.  
The Spirit may indeed withdraw sometimes, but takes it commonly and ordinarily, the soul is never so moved as when it is touched in the heart; but a hypocrite you shall have his duties done very slightly at the latter end, when there should be most vigour, but you shall find the duties of Saints, when once the soul gins to get heat and warmth with the love of Christ, and sense of wants, and pure thoughts of the love of Jesus Christ, it can pray everlastingly, if he had a body fit to his soul he could be always praying; and though a Saint may fail in expressions towards the latter end, yet his affections are higher, he can hardly leave Christ, or the thoughts of him, he would be always with him; there is abundance of ado to get up our hearts to any frame, but when once it is up, and goes on with the strength of God, than he finds new assistance every moment coming in; you shall have a hypocrite at first, like a fountain, flowing in expressions, but he gins to grow low at last, and just so much water let out as may maintain him for a while, and turn his wheel and motion: but take a Saint, he is commonly best at last, as to faith, and spiritual workings in his own heart; And this, my Brethren, will a little inform you of the nature of hypocrisy as to prayer; for a hypocrite acts for himself, and from self-strength, and any artificial motion, as a Clock or so, grows slower at latter end, until it be wound up again; so it is really with those men.  
Fourthly, The hypocrisy of men in prayer is seen in this, that an hypocrite never goes with an absolute present sense of his needs of assistance, or of acceptance, either of the Spirits power, or of Christ's intercession; if he go to Christ for strength, it is to employ it to his own ends. But, my Brethren, there is no Saint goes to a duty ordinarily and commonly, but he goes with that deep sense of that perfect need he hath of the Holy Ghost to supply him, he can do nothing; though he have parts, yet he sees he must have his assistance, else he cannot act, and when he hath acted, he sees as much need of acceptance at last as of assistance at first. A hypocrite acts merely from his own strength; in some extraordinary duty it may be he may cast up his eye, and say, Lord carry me on in this extraordinary duty, but commonly in prayer he never fees the need of the Holy Ghost to teach him how to pray, how to move to God, and what to pray, and that Jesus Christ should hold out his mediation, and stand between him and the Father to make a perfect atonement; there is nothing will discover hypocrisy more than this, if you do but consider it seriously; for there is no hypocrite that ever was unbottomed of himself, his own strength, that ever saw the eternal constant need of Christ.  
Fifthly, That I may not hold you long; a hypocrite in his duties he prays for those things with seeming earnestness that he never prized, nor knew the worth of; He prays for pardon, it may be elegantly, with exceeding affections, as to our hearing, but he never knew what it was to have pardon, to have divine incomes in his heart; he prays for enjoyments of Christ, but yet he never knew the worth of an enjoyment of Christ; and that is discovered in these particulars.  
First, In that he can quiet himself with common hopes of him; I hope I shall have him, though now I have him not, and so takes his duties instead of Christ for present; he can pray for Christ, and yet content himself with a general common apprehension that he will show himself good at last, though he have no earnest pressing, nor longing for him at present.  
Secondly, it is seen in this, that the soul secretly dislikes what he prays for, as to those enjoyments, as to the power, and spirit, and life of them; there is no hypocrite, but if he pray for to be transformed, to be made like unto Christ, and be sanctified, but oh, he hath a secret regret, when he comes to the practical part of it, he could rather wish there were no such thing, or he had stood upon his own bottom.  
Thirdly, and especially it is seen in this, that those things are matter of petition, but not any ground of endeavour after the enjoyment of them, they are only the bare matter of Petition: I pray for them, and seek after them, but I never endeavour for them; I pray for Christ, but never look after him; I pray to have my sins mortified, but I never take the course to have that virtue, and that power from Christ that may kill my corruptions: we only put it into our prayers as complemental acts and no more. Those prayers that are not accompanied with earnest hearty endeavours to get the things prayed for, according to the rule propounded, are hypocritical. I pray I may be pardoned, and I go on in sin, and never look after the mediation of the Lord Jesus, nor study how these blessed conveyances are made over to my soul; Oh there is a mighty strain as to that.  
Sixthlie, A hypocrite in prayer calls God Father by his own spirit, not by the spirit of adoption, pray you observe that; by his own spirit, for he hath not the spirit of prayer, which is the spirit of adoption; now that you may know the spirit of prayer, what the meaning of that is, he calls God Father by his own spirit, not by the spirit of adoption.  
First, He goes not to God from an inward sense of fatherly love, there is no hypocrite in the world but he hath a secret inward frame of spirit, whereby he looks upon God as an enemy, and judge to him in his greatest enlargements; he goes not to God from the sense of fatherly love, though he may call God father with abundance of variety in expression; pray you consider that: no man can call God father but from the spirit of adoption, but from the sense of his love shed abroad in his heart in prayer; I go to him, because his love as well as my needs works me up to go to him, the tastes of the sweetness of that fatherly love works up my heart, I cannot but go to him.  
secondly, this spirit of prayer lies in that sutablesse of a sonlike affection unto God: that suitableness of a sonlike affection and nature unto God, whereby I go as a Son unto a Father. Now that is certain, a hypocrite hath no relation to God, he never minds him as a father, he hath not that inward propensity, that inward love and affection unto God as a Son, which lies in the working of the heart inwardly unto God as unto a Father: as it is in nature, so it is in grace; take a child, and tell him it is his Father, from once he knows it is his Father, there will be an inward working towards him more than to any person in the world, there will be some disposition in the heart that will answer presently your representation of him as a Father; so it is in the Gospel, when you go to the Father, there will be something that will answer this; thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us: the soul must cry Abba, Father: that no hypocrite can do in the world, he cannot act as to a Father, but his own spirit prompts him: strength either of his necessities, or the strength of his abilities carries him on.  
Seventhly, know this as to a hypocrite in prayer: his heart fails him when his enlargements fail him, which is contrary to a Saint, which is contrary to the heart of a Saint; his heart though he can but groan, though he can but chatter as a Crane, yet his heart is up, if he have any promise, there he hangs, if he can have any thing to build up his soul in, it keeps up his heart, any twig to hang on. But nothing but comforts and enlargements can keep up the heart of a hypocrite; but a Saint from the inward working of the Spirit can keep up, though he should have nothing else; but a hypocrite in duties, if he should be but once denied enlargements, he is as dead as a stock. Take but a Saint under a promise, though he wants enlargements, let God shame me as to that, I have enough in the promise, and the inward groan of my soul are more to me than all enlargements.  
Eighthly, take in this too: a hypocrite shows his hypocrisy in prayer, that he makes his prayer his shift upon every turn, upon every occasion, it is his prayer bears him up still. After that he hath done any thing that is unsuitable to the Gospel, if he can but go and pour out a prayer he is well enough; his prayer is that which charms him into quietness after guilt; by prayer he gets his ease, and retires to it; if he have committed some fault in his ordinary course of life as to his relations, if he can but go to prayer, there is all his life and refuge, that is all; he licks himself whole by prayer: for it is a duty man should go to God in, and a duty of drawing a soul to God, and when I beg of God pardon, I am so quieted, though I never get the ground of pardon, he cannot be quiet until he hath been upon his knees, and then he is well, this is his common shift: but a Saint can never be quiet, though he pray night and day, until he hath gotten in prayer Christ's blood, and have hold upon Christ as the atonement and propitiation.  
Ninthly, Then especially take in but this, that I may add no more upon this head; if he can but ninthly get tears in prayer, than he is well, for he makes his tears to wash away his guilt, and mingles his tears with Christ's blood; if he can but blubber his cheeks in tears, oh how is he content? how much is he satisfied? whereas tears are the most dangerous signs of Hypocrisy in the world, if they be not the juice of a broken spirit, the droppings of a melted heart, the dews of a soul that hath been under the sights of love; there is the most dangerous signs of hypocrisy that can be possible, that when a man's prayers are bedewed with tears, than he is well, he hath then no need of Christ's blood, he mingles his tears with his sacrifices, and that is satisfaction enough at present. You will in these things see enough of your own hearts, if you have had any dealing with them.  
Secondly, Now let us view a hypocrite as to his converse with Saints, his communion with them, and see how we can trace him there.  
First, In the general you must know, he is very careful to keep in, and keep a correspondency with Saints: else he would be a profane person, and would not be respected by Saints, all his strive are that he may keep in there, and commonly he steals in so secretly, so closely among them, that none knows how he is gotten in.  
But you shall see his hypocrisy.  
First, This is the hypocrisy of men as to converse Saints, that they have inward prejudices against convincing walking Saints (if there be any such in the world,) he will be sure to have his heart work secretly against them, however he carry it to themselves, he hath a secret inward regret against close convincing walking Saints. I would I could speak that word so loud that it might be understood, for it is hard to find such a Saint in the world; yet take one that hath a watchful and observant eye, he cares very little for his company, but only for a design.  
secondly, as to converses with Saints, a hypocrite labours always to dress himself so, that he may be very handsome when he goes abroad: that is his care always, he cares not how he is at home, how careless, and neglective, how sleight in his duties, how unworthy in his actings, so he may but keep up a fair correspondency with those he is still abroad with; he will speak much of heaven and Christ, tell you of repentance, and experiences abroad: but oh, not a word of examining his own soul, or a word of God at home, and this is the most wicked strain of hypocrisy that can be, for all his design is to gather all the good thoughts of men up and down the world, keep himself so, that if he should come to fall or falter (as he fears he shall) he might have abundance of votes of good men for him.  
Thirdly, as to converse with Saints, an hypocrite hath an affected tone, or garb, or carriage, whereby a man may be thought to be singular, to have somewhat more than ordinary of mortification, or spiritual strains of glory: this is as wicked a strain of hypocrisy as can be; Some men affect a particular tone of language, or expression, some a whining expression, some so neatly, and others so seriously, that they would be thought to be grave and mighty sober men and Christians, and they have an affected tone of their own; it is the vainest way of hypocrisy that can be to speak of divine things, as if they were whining them out, and weeping them out, and speaking with such gestures as may give the world too much ground to make Religion ridiculous, whereas their natural language is not so, but they have affected such a way and garb that they would be thought some body; and this, that in praying, and preaching, and conversing with some persons, they would be thought to be them alone that take in all the sense of things, and they have no more sense than Posts.  
Fourthly, which is a main one, as to converse with Saints, a hypocrite hath his heart rising against a close, faithful, nipping reproof of other Saints. Saul could never endure Samuel after he told him so faithfully about that business of his Sacrifice, out of my sight, so you have many instances about the Prophets and the Kings, you have some hypocrites carries it so cunningly, that they will take a reproof very well, but hate you ever after, have an evil eye upon you that you must keep out of the way of him; a hypocrite would not have others know his distempers, he is afraid he shall here something he knows he is guilty of, and he cannot abide that, he would be thought somewhat by others, though he knows somewhat by himself: he is afraid he will be put to it, which he cannot endure, to have his graces questioned; that is a perfect sign of a hypocrite as any in the world; he would have all men take it for granted: what, not I a Saint? that have been accounted a Professor so long, and now be questioned for my graces? yea soul, and be damned for it too: thou a soul that cannot endure to be reproved? I confess there be some ways of reproof that would make a man hate reproof, when it is for things that are common, when it is for poor and vain things, when done out of passion, and not done with care and tenderness to a person, and with the weight of the glory of God upon a man, it is hard for the best Saint to take a reproof so; but when there is faithfulness, and reality to men, dealing with their souls, and purely touching their consciences, and rise of heart, and then cannot endure reproof: I may say, if thou be not a hypocrite, or will prove one, there is none in the world: it is a sign thou art devilish proud in thy heart, and lovest a corruption, and hast a lust thou art loath to part with, and wouldst gladly cover in thy own spirit, thou wouldst live at large, and not have thy heart known to thyself, nor others; thou wouldst live at large, thou lovest some corruption. A Saint desires to have corruption killed every day: Oh that I did but know wherein the flaw lies of my graces, wherein the mistake in my own spirit lies, he would be glad of it. Thou art a wicked hypocrite that lovest not a scrious close reproof, though it cut thee at the heart; and then I would say this: that it is the perfect character of a Saint, if he can take in a reproof in the sharpest manner, from the sharpest tongue in the world, if it discover his corruption, and strike at it, it is a sign a man is out of love with his sins, and wants a way only to be rid of them, he is glad when it is made odious to him by any body.  
Fifthly, The strain of hypocrisy, as to communion, lies in this, that a hypocrite doth inwardly sleight and contemn Saints below him, and envy Saints above him, you will find it too true in the hearts of many: he sleights first any that is below him, he hath a poor and low esteem of them, he is a poor ignorant fellow that understands not any thing of God, though it may be the breathe of that poor soul unto God are far beyond his: he lives in himself, and any that are below himself are under some reflections of the inward workings of his own heart. Then he hath a secret envy against them that are above him, he lives so that he would always be at one stay and frame, he cannot abide that any should attain more than himself, if they do, they are proud, or high, or vain; and if they do not come up to him, he thinks him a poor low professor, though his soul be groaning night and day after Christ.  
Sixthlie, Another strain of hypocrisy is commonly in this, that a hypocrite is mighty censorious and prying abroad into other men's faults, and sleight and careless for the seeing to his own heart for the same thing, or worse; this is Christ's Charge to the Pharisees, Cast out the beam, thou hypocrite, out of thine own eye before thou find fault with the mote in thy brothers; he hath a beam at home in his own eye, and he will not charge his own soul before God: he can see a little thing in another, charge him with all unsutablesse: but to his own conscience, though he fee many a desperate corrruption in his own heart, he lets it alone, as if he never were the man guilty of them, Eagle-eyed abroad, Owle-eyed at home; take heed of censuring, else you had need be very through at home; it is a dangerous sign of hypocrisy if you be not curious at home: if a man be thorough with his own spirit he may be through abroad, Christ gives it himself as a sign of a perfect hypocrite; when a soul shall see a mote in another's eye, and leave a beam in his own.  
Seventhly, Hypocrisy lies in this as to communion with Saints, that a hypocrite cannot love Saints but of one size, one that agrees with him in his own humour and opinion; That you will find in the New Testament, the Pharisees could not endure them that were not of their own opinion, they would persecute them to the death; so some men cannot endure any one, though never so much grace and grace and godliness, if they be not of the same opinion, that is a sign it is not for holiness or grace in any soul that you affect them.  
In the eighth and last place, to add no more as to this, know as to converse with Saints: Every hypocrite hath his secret back door, and vein with carnal professors, though he have communion with Saints now and then, and make that his profession, yet he hath his private haunts, where he shows himself in his colours one way or other, some secret ways of iniquity he hath with others, though he professes to be in communion with Saints; that will appear, and doth appear often, for still his vein lies that way, his humour lies that way, though his eye seems to be this way, there is the humour hid that way in the man, and there will be as familiar embraces among the one as the other when it comes, and as hearty kind of rejoicings with the one as with the other. A secret wicked back door that they take, and they think there will be none to tell: Now they will be telling of the greatest experiences, and anon in the greatest wickednesses, at least countenancing of them. I would now come to the third thing, wherein it is acted as to civil converses and I shall show you.  
First, That a hypocrite can put on any face according to any persons or times in the world; among Saints he will be a Saint, and comply with them, among others be as suitable, he can take up any form, so Religion be that that may cover all at last, for he fits his actings to his ends, which are various according to several parties, and companies; and several Societies shall have several actings, he will be zealous if the times will admit it, he will be hot and violent, and if his company will not serve him to that, he will be as dull, as heavy again, put on a sober temper, and wear grey hairs, be curious, and critical, and serious in the Gospel; and this is very common, my Brethren, and this is the politic hypocrite; there are hundreds of these in the world, they swarm up and down England at this day, men that have no more Religion than beasts, as to power and principles in their own spirits: turn every way, and every where with the times.  
Secondly, These men show their hypocrisy in this, they make Religion subservient to every principle of men, and every design.  
Thirdly, in converses about civil things, he will wipe his mouth at small and little things. A little oath sometimes, a covert lies, speaks very demurely, hardly gotten out, (as it were) he can pass it by as his common infirmity; if he tell a little lie in a bargain, spare me in this, says he, to go to the house of Rimmon, he will take his allowance though it be not given him.  
Fourthly, He studies perfectly to please men, and he is troubled more when he displeases men, than when he finds his heart unsuitable to God.  
Fifthly, He cares to keep off scandal to his person more than guilt from his conscience; no matter if he can keep off scandal though guilt lies fast.  
Then sixthly and lastly, to say no more, such a hypocrite as this in all his converses will meddle no more with Religion than may fit his Calling, and his Relations. As the King of Navarre said, he would launch no further into the deeps than he might come in again with the same wind, no farther than sight of the shore; so it is with hypocrites, if such a way of God be never so precious and pure, I will not meddle with it, I must take care to my Family, not to my soul; therefore the ways of Christ never come into countenance with such men till it be countenanced by the world, you shall never have them hot and zealous till the State have made way for them: you shall never have them care for Religion, where the power must be practised, till the State do it.  
I have done in one word, that is, I beseech you take heed and beware of hypocrisy, it is that which is in every duty, in every act you do, when you act fairest you are in most danger of hypocrisy; when you think you are lying in the dust, you are not free from the most desperate hypocrisy; when you think you are weeping out your heart for sin, you are not free from that damnable leaven of hypocrisy; when your contemplations are so high, as you think you are abstracted from all the world, and the enjoyments of it, that you imagine you are up in glory, yet you will see that hypocrisy is a secret spirit that runs through all your actings, it is such a secret thing that it will mingle with your best duties, and make you hypocrites in the very acting of them: Oh! that men would but look to it, nothing like pureness, sincerity, reality, inward integrity, to be true to God and my own conscience, to take my heart every day and cut it in pieces by a spiritual inquisition, and daily trial, nothing like it, after every duty to ask my soul what is done, after every prayer to anatomize every petition again, and know how it was in the frame and workings, and the answers and returns, and the blessed consequences of it upon my heart, nothing will do well else; what a dissection will it be when an old hypocrite will be opened? What that will be none knows yet, what a consumed Lungs, and Liver, and Heart will there be, strangely eaten out, and none knows how it comes; the substance of the body will be well liking, all the flesh fast and sound, nothing but the vitals eaten, strangely eaten as with a Moth and Canker; It will be so with you, I beseech you fear lest it grow upon you: Beware of hypocrisy, look to it every day, for it is in every duty; and above all things look after that clear, pure, sincere temperature, and integrity of spirit in every duty, whereby you may walk with God.   

SERMON VI.  LUKE 12.1. 
Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy.  
I Have showed you in several exercises what the characters of hypocrisy is, what they are in many states, how to trace them in duties in general, in prayer especially, in communion of Saints, in actings in the world, and civil respects.  
But you may remember, at the first opening of the words, I told you that there were some sorts of hypocrites that did not so much discover themselves, but must be discovered by the truths of the Gospel that are propounded, they are not so conscientious of want of integrity, as they are wanting in principles; those we have most endeavoured to discover.  
But in the second place I told you, some there are that know themselves to be so, at least they have secret conscientious checks of conscience, yet go on in profession: I would a little speak to them at present, and then make application of the whole.  
There are many, I say, that knows themselves to be unsound in their own spirits and yet go on in profession, and that you would think strange; and it is more strange to think a man should be a hypocrite and not know it: than that a man should know his hypocrisy and yet go on in it.  
I shall in the opening of this show you,  
First, That it may be so, and that it is often so, and most hypocrites show themselves to be so.  
Secondly, I shall discover how it can be that they can go on in profession so easily and freely as they do.  
Thirdly, Wherein their hypocrisy still lies.  
First, That it may be so, and that they do go on so, I shall make it clear in these particulars; and I beseech you observe.  
First, Take the common principle of a natural conscience, which is enlightened, (for every hypocrite hath an enlightened conscience) it is not so dull as it is in other men, unless it be after a long time of hypocrisy; but the natural conscience of a man will tell him thus, that this is not right, you do not this according to this rule, for there is a light left in a man's conscience till God give a man over to blindness and darkness, there is is a light will always give a man a check without there be some eminent thing to silence conscience at the present, as it was with the Heathens in the second of the Romans, their consciences did naturally accuse, and excuse, them upon the common principle of that light of nature imprinted on them, this is not just, this is not suitable; though they had not such written rules before them, yet there were such dictates suitable to the impression that God left upon their natural consciences, much more an hypocrite, an enlightened hypocrite under the Gospel; but a natural conscience will tell a man really, and check him in a duty, and say, this never came from the mover, this motion of yours did not run freely in your spirits, this prayer was but pumped, it comes not from the fountain, you had some by-end or other; did you not aim at this or that, some applause or comfort to yourselves, never minded Christ? Conscience will speak if you be not judicially hardened: it will speak very loud to a man, at least it will give a man such checks as a man shall consider, and by the custom of it conclude, that it is thus and thus with him: For look as it is with the Saints under full light, and full evidence, so it is with a hypocrite under the enlightenings of his conscience: says Paul, I have lived in all good conscience unto this day, that is, walked according to the principles of reason and Religion, according to the light I had, lived in all good conscience unto this day, never strained my conscience.  
Now it is impossible for a man under enlightening (if he have not a mighty secure frame of spirit, or wonderful dexterity of colouring his heart) but natural conscience will reflect upon him, and say, this was not intended right though the action was done, this was not so spiritual, nor so firmly acted before God; you know you had your intention besides the rule. But than  
secondly, Take such a conscience under the Ministry of the Gospel, where there are Characters given on both sides, where hearts are dealt withal seriously, and with abundance of clearness, where the design is to anatomize the spirit, to give characters of a Saint, and give distinctions between common graces, and those graces that are purely sanctifying, changing and transforming the soul, and those that are common, and work nor the image of God in the soul, if you have any light (as hypocrites have abundance of light, otherwise they could never play their tricks so as they do) it is impossible but the heart should say, this is not right, I find not this right in my own spirit; it is impossible they should lie under these things and have no convictions, no checks secretly that he is truly such an one.  
Thirdly, He may by reflecting upon himself know it by his getting in his duties, if he had nothing but that which he gets in duties, when he hears how Saints get communion with God in duties, how their souls are taken up with Christ, what glorious enjoyments they have of God, in Prayer, and Sacraments, what glorious frames they find upon their spirits when they have communion, he knows he can hardly get from one duty to another; the truth is, a hypocrite is the poorest, miserablest soul in the world: he never hath any thing but what he gets from hand to mouth, when he comes to die he is a beggar, nothing at all to live on, and he knows he never met with Christ so as to humble him and to lay him low, he knows when he hears other Saints speak of the Gospel, and the sweetness they have had in the sights of Christ, pardoning and applying his love to them: he knows he hath not these things; when he comes to action he is as dead, and as low as may be; and as I told you, he is poorest and worst at last.  
fourthly, God delights to discover a hypocrite, he delights in that exceedingly, and commonly doth it, and lays it upon a man closely and wonderfully by wonderful flashes of spirit, and God delights to do it.  
First, Because it is a secret that none can find out but himself, therefore he delights to anatomize a wicked, cunning, deceitful heart.  
secondly, God he delights to do it, because he loves to put a special mark upon them of all persons in the world, those that have deceived others shall deceive themselves, he put a mark upon the first hypocrite in the world that ever was, that he changed his countenance, so that if you had no more, take them altogether and you shall find, that a man may very well be a hypocrite, and know himself to be so, and yet go one; nay, it is very hard for a man to be long a hypocrite under the Gospel but he must lie under the checks of it. But  
Secondly, you will say, how can this be? How can he continue in Congregations, in Churches? how can he continue all this while and not be terrified, and not leave off all profession? My Brethren,  
In the first place, pray take in these things, know it is the most deluding sin in the world, the most pleasant sin in the world to a man, as men love by Art to imitate nature, they are mighty pleased with it to represent Nature in Art, how men give up themselves and their studies, and are pleased with it; there is nothing more pleasing to a man as hypocrisy is, that he can turn himself at any time here and there, & evade all things that are laid upon him by the Gospel. (It is just as you see with those that are your thiefs or cutpurses, that have a curious art and dexterity to do it; they will take a man's purse out of his pocket so exactly, that he cannot know it is done, but they are gone, and when they come together at night, they rejoice and brag who hath done the best feats,) so hypocrites cannot but know in their natural consciences it is against the rule, but there is abundance of pleasure in it to cheat themselves, and cheat others, till God work mightily upon them: for to imitate a Saint in every thing, and do it exactly, pleases a hypocrite, that he can delude others: when he hath been in prayer, cozened and deluded the best sort of men in the world, as I have heard some say, they could delude all the Saints in the world, for that is pleasing to a man that nourishes his self-love, and that does carry him on to act, so as to be well thought of by others, it shows a man an artificial man that can thus and thus move up and down the world, and none see him, or take notice of him, all think him a blessed Saint; I am confident there is no sin so pleasing to a soul as hypocrisy is, for it will have so many varieties of Artificial motions laid before it to act by, that a man is not tied to one or t'other, but still acted in variety, and the sense of divine things is not on his heart at all, as I shall show you in the second place.  
Secondly, he may go on in profession though he know himself to be so; he may go on, because he knows not the nature and vileness of his sin at all, only sees he is not as he should be, and it is the same with other sins; he may lie long under a sin, so long as Conscience is not pressed on with an unresistible conviction, only a general cold conviction is upon him; he sees that he hath done so and so, and he is so and so, but there is not any thing of the power of conviction upon his soul, for then a soul should not be able to stand under it, but cry out he cannot endure it; but commonly it is with hypocrisy (such a pleasing sin) as with other sins; a man sees the guilt by the rule, but not by the light of a divine conviction, strangely working in his soul and spirit, and so goes on as those did which the Prophet speaks of, you lie, and steal, and commit adultery, and yet come and appear before me; they had brazen faces for all that, they never felt the power of conviction upon their spirits, and if God should show any man any one sin, he would never act that sin, but he would abhor the very sights of it; But there are such poor common general convictions merely from conscience; conscience hath a power within a man, but it never stirs with terror till God anew, as it were, shows his sin, and his miserable estate by sin, by a light from heaven, and so sets conscience afresh a working; God then gives it a new Commission to charge his soul, he goes to duty though he knows himself full of hypocrisy, yet he can go to duty as quietly as can be; a man may know himself to be a hypocrite and yet go on in it; because  
Secondly, He thinks he shall wear out his hypocrisy by his duties, though he perform them in it, though he contract guilt by them: and most of his hypocrisy is in his duties, and that is exceeding strange, but it is most true, for a hypocrite thinks by his duties to wear out all his deceits; as he colour's his hypocrisy by it, so he hopes to wear it out by it, he hopes it is a work of time, though he have a bad heart yet he hopes to have a better heart, though he never looks to Christ for it.  
Fourthly, He hath something at present that he gets by his profession, something that is suitable to some end, some lust or other of his own, and that keeps him up, notwithstanding those general convictions; I know not how to call them convictions, they are so cold and poor upon a man's heart, but he hopes to get something, either applause of men to be a good Christian, or something to be thought of by men, or to get some peace of conscience, that the violence and desperateness of wrath fall not upon him. Ay, but  
Fifthly, which is most of all, that I may show you this; God doth judicially give up those kind of hypocrites that have begun without him, took up profession without any workings of God upon their souls, he gives them up commonly unto a reprobate mind, that you have so commonly named in the New Testament, so injudicious as they cannot understand their own condition, but go on still, see no more in one condition than another; but that I may speak of Gods dealing with hypocrites in this way.  
First, As I told you, God delights to discover hypocrites, so he hath most judgements upon them of any in the world, and he discovers them commonly, either  
First, By some secret giving them up, or withdrawing strength; giving them up to some corruption, or withdrawing strength from them absolutely, that they find nothing of former strength at all: so he doth many times with those that have lived upon parts, gifts, and endowments, it is ordinary for God to leave them, as you have it in John 15. they whither, the life and sap that they were wont to have is withdrawn, and the spirit is gone, so it is with many; and certainly that is the Reprobate mind; taking away from the understanding that common light, that the soul shall only look after the outward part of a duty, but never knew the life of it, never understands nor distinguishes when he is in a bad or a good condition. Oh! look after the impression and sense of the things of God upon your souls.  
secondly, The way that God takes to discover hypocrites, he gives them up to some eminent corruption to break out as to discover them; as it was with Judas, he had many gnawings of conscience doubtless under Christ's Ministry always, and under Christ's eye, but he was never discovered till he gave him up to that covetous heart, that wicked corruption that lay most in his heart, than he was discovered presently, than thirty pieces of silver was enough for Jesus Christ. Either God gives them up to deadness, to be twice dead, that is, dead in their own hearts, the meaning is, they lost both their natural affections, and the affections they had on their hearts by common gifts and workings, they lost both, and now nothing takes hold of them; or else he gives them up to some eminent corruption, that all the world sees there is one never minded the Gospel, now it is broke out; or else  
secondly, As to that head, God gives them up unto a despair, which is very common, and that is twofold:  
First, Either secret despair, they tug in duties, may by night and day, when they are pressed in conscience, and they get nothing, go to Sermons and they find no blowings of the Spirit, no breathe at all upon their hearts, and so grow into a secret despair insensibly.  
Now there is a secret kind of intermission in Saints, but this soul goes on and never finds any thing of God or Christ.  
Secondly, There is a terrifying despair which sometimes God gives them up to, whereby they are terrified with the hideousness of the wrath of God, crying out they are damned, they are damned, and they never commonly get out of it: you never hear of any hypocrite in the Scripture that ever got out when God laid a charge upon him; because God would have souls walk so purely and clearly with him in all their duties.  
Now as you see how he may know himself to be so, to be thus, and yet act; so see the nature of his hypocrisy; and take it in short.  
First, though he know himself to be a hypocrite, and to be unsound, yet he is loath to have it said so, or have it discovered, he cannot abide that, he would not have any one think so, though he knows it himself, but yet would walk so exactly as he could; so it was with Balaam, Num. 21.22, 23. all along how gladly would he have gone to curse the Israelites? but God would not suffer him: though he knew he was a most wicked notorious hypocrite, and a witch too, yet how would he pretend to Balack he would go to God; he would gladly have done it, but God had a mighty check upon him: it was a Prophecy to all the world, how all deal with Saints should be, though he spoke good things, and he could not but speak them, yet he would gladly avoid them for the money, and still he had an over-awing of God upon him: So it is with many hypocrites, though they know themselves to be unsound at the heart and bottom, yet they would have all think well of them, what they want of integrity that they would make up in the handsomeness of their deportment and carriage up and down the world.  
Secondly, Though he know himself to be an hypocrite, yet there is none will be more censorious of hypocrisy in others, even to poor Saints; but that is a common rule, he will be severe in the censuring of others, and he may think by that, that others may think him far from hypocrisy.  
Thirdly, Nay, what shall I say? in the third place know this, though he know himself thus to be in that condition, yet he never strives to root out the wickedness of that frame out of his own heart, but to smother it, and cover it, and palliate it from the eyes of men some way or other, not to destroy it in his own spirit, but smother it, so that it may look Saintlike still; but a gracious heart, as soon as it discovers hypocrisy, as he sees the strains of hypocrisy in his heart, he looks to root it out as soon as it is discovered. But to speak no more to that, let us now come to the application of it to all your hearts.  
First, If this be so: I beseech you once again to put your hearts upon the serious consideration, and examination of your own estates; what are you? Now you look well, come to hear, you are not in sight so ugly, what are you within? Have you not strange strains of hypocrisy if you be not hypocrites? I beseech you look seriously to your own hearts: this is the end of all this discourse, to put men seriously upon the trial of their own spirits, that they may not be unsound in the Gospel, that they may not have a rotten spirit within, that the liver, and lungs, and heart be not corrupted whilst they deal with the great things of the Gospel; that is, that the faculties of the soul may be purely acted to God; there are more hypocrites now in the world, than in any one Age since the Creation; it was a hard thing to pick out one formerly; but God will show many of them in these days, he is a trying the world, and as he goes along he will try spirits most. Oh, you have trials under the Gospel, have you got a clearness? Can you say you have a glorious inward freeness with God? Oh, what use have you made of the Gospel? Have you inward glorious incomes of God from the breathing in of divine frames in your actings towards God? Let me ask you but these common questions.  
First, Cannot you find some time to play with your sins sometimes, so they by't you not, and sting you? Cannot you take some recreating times for your sins and corruptions? Pray you consider of it; a hypocrite doth so: he dares not make a trade of it, but he will make a recreation of it now and then, he loves that he dares not practice, you can now and then play with your wanton thoughts as long as they do not fly in your face, you can delight yourself in your secret wishes: Oh that I were at it; look to your own souls. Nay, what is this Religion that men speak of? do you find such kind of things in your hearts? he that can play with sin for recreation can join himself unto sin for delight, and to be one nature with him: a Saint hates appearances, he cannot endure the thoughts of it.  
secondly, Are there not some sins you call little sins, and some duties you call little duties, and some duties that you never lay upon your conscience? Look to your hearts in that, you are never humbled for the commission of sins, or the omission of duties, it is a dangerous symptom of hypocrisy. A hypocrite will be sure to make distinctions in the Gospel; there be some secret workings up of corruptions and sins, as vanity of thoughts, distraction in duties, and secret rise of corruptions, and desires in a man's heart which he never chargeth his conscience withal, and some duties he never lays upon conscience, so long as he can pass through the main body he never cares for the special circumstances of the Gospel. A gracious and upright heart says: Shall I call that little that is against the glory of an infinite God? It is the object makes the sin great, not the act: this duty hath as much authority upon my heart though never so mean, though but to wash a Saints feet, as to offer the greatest sacrifices before the eyes of all the world.  
Thirdly, Let me ask you this, Are you not afraid of trials, and to be throughly discovered to your own hearts? Do you not endeavour sometimes, if possible, to evade the strength of a conviction, and the strength of a word from God that is laid upon your heart, afraid to look into your own hearts and see your spirits, to be discovered to yourselves? do not you many times hush conscience, and say, be quiet conscience, stay a while to your own consciences, I will be better, I will strive against it, I will not be thus and thus carried away? do you not find these things? A dangerous symptom; a hypocrite endeavours to evade the authority of the Gospel, he is afraid to abide the power and the glory of it; if he cannot find out prudential considerations enough, he will get spiritual pretences, he will be sure if he can evade conviction he will do it, that is a very dangerous sign. And again,  
fourthly, Examine your own hearts, Is there not some of the fat of the Cattle, of the sheep, (to allude to that of Saul, for he was an hypocrite) in the going on in your duties, reserved? Is there not some Agag for honour's sake you would keep up, 1 Sam. 15 read over that place at your leisure: God bids Saul slay the Amalekites, destroy them all in the third verse, yet he reserved an Agag, and the best of the spoil, here was the discovery of his wicked heart, he would have sacrificed some of the fat things, he had a mind to triumph by Agag: he thought it was too much to destroy all those things, though God gave a peremptory command to destroy all, I will sacrifice them to God to make an atonement, only reserved some of the best to carry to my people in triumph, that they may see the out-going of God; that lost him his Kingdom, and discovered his hypocrisy first of any act, he had a secret lust to honour himself by it; have you none of the fat of your corruptions? Have you never a lust laid up? Is there never a corruption that your souls have countenanced, or do countenance?  
It is a dangerous sign of hypocrisy, if a man have any thing that the word of God saith is not the mind of God, that he reserves in his heart without utter hatred. Well, look to it I beseech you, and especially look to that of the trial of your spirits, whether you can be willing to be tried, for you shall find a hypocrite will appeal to God and his conscience, but he cannot endure to be tried by Saints, he will appeal to God if it be not so, yet he cannot endure to be put to it, to have his heart ripped open. Nay, it is very common to say, God knows my heart, but if you come to try his heart, and say, how can this grace stand with this corruption, he cannot endure that, he will hate the thoughts of it. And if you do try him him about his estate, you must not debate it with him, but you must take it for granted, else he will try your graces as well as you try his, and question your state as much as you his: And then if he be put to it at last, as to trial of his own spirit, he will save all with a whining confession, and that is all you will get of him; therefore look to yourselves as to these things.  
In the second place, I should now have come to have pressed on the exhortation of the Lord Jesus; beware of hypocrisy, you that are Christians, you that are real Saints should beware of it, and so to all sorts of professors, take heed and beware of it, and shown you these things. To have opened the nature of it, and the hideousness of it.  
And first from the danger of it to your souls, it is the most dangerous sin you can have in your souls, and that, First, because it is the last reserve, it is undiscernible, a man must search as with a Candle that finds it out: as the Jews were to search for the Leaven with a Candle, and then curse all the rest, it is a close sin: indeed there are some actings of it that are very gross; but as for spiritual secret hypocrisy in duties, compare them with actings they are exceeding close and undiscernible in the souls of men; a soul must dig very deep, and be very observant, and have a watch over his soul every moment if ever he would try his heart; it is so close and so cunning, that a man will hardly believe it is there, there is such a hidden motion upon a man, that he cannot tell how it comes.  
secondly beware of it: It is infectious, it is a dangerous infectious spreading nature, it will be over all the faculties on a sudden: it will represent you all kind of glasses that can be possible; it can in the morning give you one glass to look in, at noon another glass, and in the evening one different from both; take one part of the Law you shall see yourselves in it very fair, it spreads over all: it will, it may be, begin with your understandings, and give you strange sights and apprehensions of God, then come in upon your affections upon a sudden, and work them to this end, and to their end: it will kiss and kill at once; look to it, for it is the most dangerous sin of any in the world in a man's heart.  
For if the soundness be gone from a man's heart, what will he do then? A man cannot act like a man when the substance of the soul is gone, he cannot act, neither Scripture, reason, nor his judgement, but a particular close humour.  
thirdly, beware of it: It is the most inconstant in its motions, the most various in its representations, so many habits, and so many forms it will appear in to you, and alter upon every occasion, that it is impossible, unless a man be given up to try his own heart, to find it out: A heart, and a heart: you shall have a fair heart now, and a wicked heart anon: come and talk with a Person now, and you shall find them in a good frame, so as if they were commanded by the power of of it, come an hour after, and you shall find them in a wicked damnable strain of spirit, speaking like mad men, this is most common: especially come to talk with a man privately, what abundance of ingenuity there is: come to another action, and at another time, and he is not the same man, hypocrisy will appear, and this is the misery men's souls are juggled to hell, put in so many forms, they know not when they are right, know not what is the real complexion they should have in the Gospel, it is so various and so cunning: it juggles a man's soul to hell.  
Fourthly, It is the most odious thing to God of any, it takes his name in vain most of any, it is against his simplicity, omnisciency, his purity, God hates nothing more than this state, therefore he sets himself against hypocrites of all sorts of people in the world.  
I should have come to have showed you how to avoid it, what are the special remedies of hypocrisy, the special things to keep a man from the evil of it, the way to preserve a man from this dangerous sin: but I would not leave some poor souls without some kind of comfort; all this while many will say, Alas, I am the man: I am the woman: certainly I have been a hypocrite all my days: I would only speak a little comfort to such poor souls.  
First, know this: Jealousy of thine own heart, and severe inquisition into it, is a good hopeful Character that thou art far off that condition.  
There is a twofold jealousy that therefore you may not be deceived.  
First, A jealousy on probable grounds, secret and close symptoms, and hints from actings, which may teach many a soul that hypocrisy may have place in his heart; for I find this and that when I come to look on the whole strain of my life, I have not my heart so carried out in spiritual things: I never minded this and that in my actings: this is a jealousy that may consist with the knowledge of hypocrisy.  
secondly, there is a jealousy that ariseth from fear and care lest I should be such an one, from the hatred of the thing: thou seest the vileness of it, and thou seest thou canst never be quiet till thou hast the clearness of integrity made out to thee: that is good, that is sweet: none more apt to censure a Saint than himself; you know when Jesus Christ made the question about his betraying, the hypocrite spoke last, never spoke till he was put to it; every one said at the Supper, Lord is it I? Is it I? Every one had rather die than hear that word spoken; but when it comes to Judas, he was forced to it at last, and yet he would not confess it; but when the conviction lay upon him, and he must needs be under it, than he went out, and that was all you heard of him till he hanged himself.  
secondly, To comfort poor souls, they have no reason to conclude themselves hypocrites, when they are glad if God by any means discover and destroy their hypocrisy whatever way it be: for there lies the weight when God shall be blessed for discovering a man's heart to him: take this for a rule; If a soul can rejoice and bless God for his convictions of sin, as for his comforts after conviction it is a sign of a most blessed glorious spirit; though the sight of hypocrisy be the ugliest sight in the world, yet when he sees it he blesseth God for it.  
thirdly, Never think thou art an hypocrite, if thy heart is set against the nature of sin, and pursuest the enjoyment, of the nature of God, whilst thy heart is set against the nature of sin, and followest on the nature of God, that is, to be really possessed with a substantial enjoyment of God, when the very nature of sin is against thy heart, and when the nature of godliness is in thine eye as to enjoyment, to be fully possessed with that.  
fourthly, know this too: Never say thou art a hypocrite when no outward act can content thee, though never so glorious, without thou hast an inward frame according to that act, according to the inward spirituality of the Gospel, if thou lookest to have thy soul in a frame to thy duty, thou needest not fear hypocrisy.  
Fifthly, While thy soul is as much troubled for omission of thy duty as for commission of thy sin, thou needest not fear that thou art a hypocrite, while thy soul is as much troubled for omission of a duty, or an act of faith, or closing with Christ, or of any outward duty wherein thou hast enjoyed Christ, as for commission of sin, thou needest not fear thou art a hypocrite.  
Sixthly and lastly, thou needest not fear thou art a hypocrite whilst thou hatest thine own strength in thy duties as much as an outward act of sin, or the most distemper of thy spirit, or a corruption done in the wickedness of thy heart; I speak only this a little to divert the thoughts of poor souls that say, I am certainly under this frame of spirit.  
But look to your own hearts every one, if you find all these, or any of them in any life upon your souls, you are free from that state; but if you find not such an universal opposite nature to sin, but a frame to sin against God, if you find not such constant pure frames in your own spirits as to principles, intentions, and ends, you will never be able to free yourselves from such a state and condition.   

SERMON VII.  LUKE 12.1. 
Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy.  
I Have endeavoured in many exercises to open to you the nature of hypocrisy, and have told you the sorts of hypocrites that are up and down the world, and in Churches: Now in the latter days they grow more glorious than ever, therefore Christ's exhortation had need be more pressing; formerly hypocrisy was coursely clothed, could hardly step out among the Saints, they were so prying, and so cunningly careful to observe the dangers of the Devil in times of danger and persecution: Now when the Sun shines, fair days again, Religion seems to flourish in the outside of it, and there is a benefit, by the name of it, men will be very glorious in hypocrisy: and if ever there were need to press Christ's exhortation, it is now upon all sorts of men and professors: among his own disciples there was one among twelve, he bids them beware, take heed: It is a good caution for them all, Saints are subject to the strains of it many times, without they have an abundant care in their own spirits.  
Therefore that I shall do, is still to press this exhortation upon your hearts, that it may take some weight and impression: for believe it, however you look upon yourselves, or whatever thoughts others have of you, we had need to tell you to beware of hypocrisy, the better you are thought of, the more danger. And you may remember the last time, first I told you, you had need to look to your own spirits concerning this sin, because of the danger of it in its nature and workings.  
secondly, because of the ugliness, and vileness of it, of all other sins in the soul how it is that which is perfectly against the nature of God, his holiness and simplicity, his faithfulness and reality to the Sons of men, how it is that that makes a man like the devil most of any sin: he will believe, and is convinced of the things that the Gospel speaks of that they are true: but here lies the greatness of his wickedness, the cunningness of his deceit, that he sets up an art of deceiving in the world, to deceive the Sons of men that they should not believe the word of God; there is none like the devil, so perfectly like the devil as hypocrites, I have chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil, none is called a devil in Scripture but he: and there lies the suitableness that he is a liar, and hypocrisy is a perfect lie in the soul.  
Then I shown you the ugliness of it likewise, that it doth indispose the soul to every thing that is good, when one is in the best frame, as it were, that spoils all, it is of a poisonous nature.  
I shall go on to show you what is that you must continually look after if you mean to beware of it, and prevent it, as the care and remedy of this sad condition.  
Therefore first, as to the general, and as the main thing, if ever you mean to beware of hypocrisy you must principle your hearts, and farnish them with all the graces of the spirit, you will never be sincere else, you will never be sincere till you have all graces, and the workings of them proportionable in your souls and spirits, Ephes. 3. he begs of them to go on, and this I pray that your love may abound more and more in all knowledge, and in all experience, that you may be able to approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere, Phil. 1.9. A man must have all judgement, a discerning eye, for sincerity, doth not lie only in the intentions of men, but in the real workings of all the frames of the soul, of all the graces as they are in the heart, when a man can approve the things that are excellent, that is, he can judge them, and try them, and act them as they are discovered to be truths, that is sincerity: for sincerity is not so much a distinct grace as a result of the harmonious workings of all graces in the soul, there must be a rectified mind to make a man sincere, for it is not a good intention that will make an action good, or make you sincere in any action, but as it flows from inward real frames and principles that are suitable; Peter was an affectionate man, and he said to Christ when he told him of his sufferings, spare thyself, do not go and suffer, he did it out of a good intention, but he was rebuked for it, he had a clear intention, would not have the least hurt come to Christ, but it was against the design that Jesus Christ came about, therefore he said, get thee behind me Satan: It was not that sincerity, therefore the Apostle saith, that you may be sincere: Oh that sincerity of soul! it lies in those two things; that you may be sincere, you must be able to judge and approve things that are excellent.  
First, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it signifies such a strain as is without any mixture, hath no composition of any foreign thing in it, when every thing is pure in its native colour, you must prove all things, be able to try all things, and have a judgement of them: that you may be so unmixed in your actings, that you may have nothing at all of the corruption of the world in it; for we commonly in our duties mix our own ends, and our own interests, and engagements in the things of God, and whatever the intentions be, yet if there be any such mixtures, you are not sincere; though you may think you do well, and are very exact in the Gospel, yet you cannot be sincere whilst there is such a mixture in your principles and ends, 1 Cor. 8. A man is not sincere when there are any mixtures, when a man is carried on by inward motions of sin: Now, I confess, there will be many mixtures, but there are mixtures in intentions, and mixtures in principles, and ends: and these are dangerous, for a man cannot be sincere if these be predominant over him. As if I go to God, if it be not to glorify God, and to have communion with him, having the highest end, and do not act from a spiritual principle of holy love to him, and his glory, if I have any mixture in my intentions, though other things may come in accidentally, yet if they be incorporated in the principle, than I am not sincere.  
For to make up that sincerity, a man must have that spirit of sincerity that is pure to act from God to God, from the Spirit unto Christ. Now here is a pure way of acting, when the soul sees what it's own strength is, casts it out, lies at Christ's feet, is carried out by the assistance of God's spirit, will not have any thing but the strength of Christ, when the intentions go along together with the acting of these things, when there is a pure intention, that I fix but my eye wholly on one object, for there be many considerations that come in accidentally, but the eye is fixed upon one object; I must have Christ, and my soul is working after him, and there I centre my heart, that is sincerity indeed, so we should receive the sincere milk of the word, that is, that milk that is unmixed with the corruption of men, the sincere milk, 1 Pet. 2. therefore look to your own hearts, if ever you mean to avoid hypocrisy, you must be sure that you keep from mixtures, mixtures of unsound principles, and ends, self-love, selfe-ends, take heed of the air of the world, left that come in and fill your sails in your duties; take heed of any thing that may mix with your principles, & your ends; for in acting towards God, you cannot act purely, but you must act from single and entire principles in your hearts, and clear apprehensions of the object, and the end: And however you may conceive you act evenlie, and your heart is not feigning to be so in a duty; yet if you be not carried out in such a heavenly harmony of principles and inclinations, and your ends together, you will never be found to be sincere in the Gospel.  
secondly, the word signifies that clearness, that perspicuity that should be in a man's soul in all his actings: so saith the Apostle, that you may be sincere, the word signifies such a clearness, as when a man is under the judgement of the Sun, as under the Sun shining on a man's spirit, you will hardly avoid hypocrisy till your consciences be under a light, and a brightness of the glory of divine workings upon your hearts: for when your conscience lies under darkness and guilt as to the testimony it should give, you will still have shift off of hypocrisy from your spirits, to take off the weight and misery off from you; but the Apostle would have you to be so clear in your judgement of the Gospel, as if you were to be judged by the Sun itself, it should be found that there is nothing but sincerity: a fair testimony in every duty, that inward whiteness of a man's spirit in a duties, that it is not mixed with any bribings from without, nor secret evasions from within. And that shining from the conscience is so bright, that as the Apostle saith, this is the testimony that we have, the testimony of our consciences: A man should be so clear in his own spirit if he meant to avoid hypocrisy that if he were to be brought out to be judged before men and Angels, he might have such an inward brightness in his own spirit, that he might be comforted and refreshed in the sight of it.  
For you find this commonly, take hypocrites in the time of convictions, they have no testimony of God at all: Now take a sincere heart, though he be under conviction, yet there is such a light that he judgeth there is sincerity in his own heart, convince but a hypocrite of one thing he can give no account of the other: all comes in upon him, and challengeth him, for he hath no brightness within that will testify to his soul at a dead lift; when conscience accuseth, he hath nothing to excuse in his conscience from the clearness of the acting of true principles in him: I beseech you, if ever you mean to avoid hypocrisy, be sincere, and if you will get sincerity, you must get all these graces clearly shining and working in your own spirits, for you will be put hard to it to get sincerity while your principles are dark and not even; if you find not your principles and ends meet together, and your eye is singly set upon the Lord Jesus, and your hearts set for the glory of God, you will not have that inward plainness in your own hearts. Though the nature of sincerity lies much as to these two things.  
First, the clearness of a man's principles and unmixtnesse in them.  
secondly, a plainness and ingenuity in the actings of them; from these two flows that which we call that sincerity of spirit: To be free from sembling, and feigning of things, when I am not mixed, when I am without impurity in my motions as to what I act: though there be hypocrisy in some other things, yet there is not in those main things. So that the first thing I would commend unto you, if you would avoid hypocrisy, is to furnish yourselves with all spiritual graces of sincerity, that you may be justified before the Sun, that as they say of the Eagle, they try their young ones by the Sun, if they can endure the sight of the Sun they are then true: so you, if these things will endure the Sun, and the light of God, than you may say you act sincerely.  
secondly, if you would avoid hypocrisy, lie always under the dread of an omniscient eye, this is that that men are discovered hypocrites by: they know not what the sights of God are, that allseeing God, if I thought God did look into my heart, and did see me, it is impossible I should then go on in a way of sin and deceit to deceive my own soul, for to deceive the omniscient God: Hypocrites think in the general that God sees all things, but they lie not under the dread and awe of an omniscient God, no grace keeps a soul so much from hypocrisy as the fear of God, the awe and dread of God seeing into a man's heart; for though thy heart be close to others, it is transparent to God, he sees all the cunning of thy spirit, and veins of thy soul, how thou dost delude thy own heart, therefore if thou wouldst be sound, look after that, the fear and dread of God: Remember, what is it for me to be well thought of by others when God sees it not so, the omniscient eye knows I have a secret cunning heart for to deceive? He sees me, though I speak fair to this and that person yet God knows I am wrong, he knows I am lying when I speak a word, though others know it not: Oh, if the eye of God were but thought of by men, if we thought we had a divine presence with us, Whither shall I go? if I go to heaven thou art there, Psal. 139. if a soul were under this consideration, whither shall I go from thy presence? I may carry this sin closely and secretly, yet the eye of God is upon me, the Lord sees me: I had better all the world should see me than God, for he discovers me from the bottom: so much for that.  
thirdly, If ever you mean to avoid hypocrisy in your own spirits, be always considering the vanity of this sin of all other sins: A sin which there is no profit in at all: A hypocrite takes as much pains for all his cunning deceits as a Saint for all his sincerity; for a man to act as a King upon a Royal Stage, and the next moment he is in Rags, not a bit of bread, so here, a hypocrite, take him out of his duties, hath nothing to live upon but what they shirke up and down the Gospel for, and that is so miserable and so poor a life, that they would give over the ways of Religion, if it were not for shame; and when a man considers old age is coming on, there is a day of darkness, a midnight hour that must be upon my soul, God will one day take off all this disguise, I am well thought of by others now, but what shall I be then, there is a night up on me, but there is a day upon others, and that which is the day of the Lord to others will be a midnight to me, and that will be the time of the discovery of me to be miserable. Better a man had never gone on in such a hood, and have it plucked off, and to see such an ugly face: Oh, what hideous cries will one day be! Oh, that I had never made use of the name of Christ! Oh, that I had been through with my own spirit, that I had never deceived my own soul, that I had known what my condition had been before I played with the Gospel, and dallied with the things of Christ; I beseech you consider, to be clothed in darkness after you have seemed to be clothed with the brightest notions of the Gospel, it is a vain thing, a man gets nothing at all, lives upon the air, what men say of him, the good thoughts, and good words of men, there is all, for he hath nothing from Christ as to the enjoyments of the Gospel in his own spirit, and is not that sad? Again,  
fourthly, Look to beware of hypocrisy, for it is a dangerous thing if it go on to a height, hypocrites are seldom converted under the Gospel, the reason is, they wear out all those principles they knew, they curse themselves under the Gospel, they have heard over and over again the same things, and they make little of them in their own spirits; God seldom converts them, only that conviction that is commonly upon these that are hypocrites, is to show them their hypocrisy to be their misery, whereas to others the time of their conviction is the time of their conversion: When God comes to profane men and strikes them home, it is commonly to convert them, but as to a hypocrite, it is God's time to show him his hell and misery, and how he hath outrun his glass, and past the day of the Gospel: Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things of thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes: God loves to make such persons examples to the world, if they get a breath at the last day it is well. Therefore look to it you that begin to be formal, and to play with your convictions, and take them off now and then, dallying with the Lord, look to it, it is a thousand to one if ever you be converted, that that converts others condemns you: And tremble at this, that you should live under Ordinances and discoveries every day, and yet be no better; if you escape long without through-improved convictions upon your hearts, it is a dangerous symptom, it is a thousand to one God hath made but an essay upon thy heart. Where did you find that ever God convinced a hypocrite up and down the Gospel, that was a professed one, if you look through the whole Bible, but he left his mark upon them all the days of their lives? It is a dreadful thing; yet grace is not bound up, it is not limited at all, it may be God may show more riches of grace upon some souls, but it is not usual: therefore if ever you would be scared from hypocrisy take heed of that; when a man comes to die, and should come at last to refresh himself with the thought that he hath served God faithfully, and sincerely, and finds no comforts of all his duties and enjoyments, then to be convinced that he hath been one that hath deceived himself is very terrible, when he should have God eternally, then to have that time of times of his everlasting ruin; God will take some time or other to discover your hearts, and it may be he will discover them and you shall not be better, only let the world know, and your own hearts know what you have been, and leave a secret-deadnesse for ever upon your hearts, or fry in the wrath of it all your days, as you go up and down the world, consume you to nothing with the sense of wrath; Oh prise a sincere heart, and prise opportunities, and take heed of puttings off, and delaying time, and being careless of what you are about, for that is the trick of a hypocrite to put off, and think it will be better, and hug himself with some considerations, that time will be otherwise, take heed: the day of the Lord will be a day of blackness. And that you may be further set against the nature of this sin: (for that is my design) I beseech you consider the hideous doom upon hypocrites, the last doom upon hypocrites: when Christ would speak the uttermost of misery, he saith, he will give them their portion with hypocrites, they shall burn in the hottest fire, they and the devils together shall be companions in the uttermost wrath, the subjects of the infinite wrath of God, they shall be most enlarged for wrath, for they are vessels fitted for wrath, you know, as the Apostle speaks, so prepared, so enlarged for wrath: so is the soul of a hypocrite that hath lived all his days in darkness, and blackness, only restrained himself as to outward acts: but he is fit for wrath, he hath laid in such treasures there, that he is every day treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, that he will be forced to take in the thoughts of wrath, because he hath sinned against the greatest light, and opportunities, and advantages of the Gospel: Oh, therefore that you would fright yourselves out of hypocrisy, (if you can do nothing else) and formality, and mixed frames of your spirits; scare your hearts with the day of judgement, with the sadness of the doom, with the misery of the condition.  
secondly, If ever you mean to be free from hypocrisy, you must through with your spirits night and day, sound them to the bottom, let your line be long, let it down to the bottom of the well, give conscience leave to speak in the authority of God every day upon your hearts: beg of God to try you, to search you, as David said: Go every day to God to search you, and be glad, and beg of all the Saints to remember thee, for there is deceits of hypocrisy in every one of our hearts; never come off viewing of your spirits till you have discovered something or other: if ever you would be freed from hypocrisy you must do this; always keep a narrow watch upon the secret parts, be not afraid to look into your own hearts, but ask every motion what it comes from, whither it moves, try every thing in your own spirits; let not any motion go free unexamined in your souls, but have a severe censure of it; no duty but have a jury on it; look into the main frame of your spirits: try your principles and intentions first, try your motions, observe your ends, and how you attain them constantly; if ever men would be sincere and free of hypocrisy, they must be thus spiritually severe to their own souls: it is wholesome severity, it is blessed; it is the sleight common dealing with our spirits, (that we are formal and cold) that makes so many deceits in men's hearts which lodges so secretly within; we do not go to purpose with the search of our own spirits, challenging our hearts in every duty; we ought, I confess, to be careful how we question the motions of grace in our hearts: But a watchful Saint, if he will clear himself of hypocrisy, must be eyeing, and prying into every thing that he doth: observe his setting out in his duties, the carriage and frames of his soul, observe the tune afterwards that he is in, for hypocrisy will get upon a sudden into a man's heart, and a man will think himself to be an hypocrite presently if he be not thus strict and wary; so that if you will lay all these to your hearts seriously, it may be a precious means to keep you from the danger of this leaven, though it is impossible for to cure it, but only as you grow in grace, and get sound and sincere principles in your hearts. So much for the second.  
Use 2. However let it be a word of comfort unto some poor souls, that have all this while been harkening after hypocrisy, charging of their own hearts, for I would not let any soul go away but with some refreshment. Some will say, I see so much hypocrisy in my own heart, that I cannot but think myself one that never had any grace, or soundness in my own spirit: I know not what to do, or what to say to mine own heart; consider, I say, these things.  
First, know, it is good for thee to have thy hypocrisy discovered, it is a mercy to thee, and a favour of God that he will show thee thy inward parts, that he will discover the secrets of thy heart, whilst he lets others go in that estate, and never knows what is within all the days of their lives, only mind outward acts: this is so far from being a discouragement, that you should bless God for it, that he hath been pleased to show thee thine own heart, the strains of hypocrisy in a duty; God might have left thee to go on, and thought thyself what thou art not.  
secondly, Remember, the more thou discoverest the secret workings of hypocrisy, the more it is a sign thou growest in grace; for this is the great end of grace, as by the incoming of it to kill sin, so for to discover sin, and the secrets of it: the more spiritual any heart grows, the more he grows in the inward sights of his own heart, the more he comes to be acquainted with those spiritual kinds of wickedness in his own spirit: And be not therefore troubled at that poor soul, for it is rather a sign of thy grace than hypocrisy, than of any other impulse, because God doth still by degrees show thee thy own heart, so long as thy heart is against it.  
thirdly, be not discouraged by the sights of hypocrisy as long as thou findest a sincere heart from the discovery of it: that is, so long as thou liest in wait from the sincerity of thy heart to discover it, and likewise bewails it from the sincerity of thy soul; know that it is a true sign of a sincere heart, he lies in wait to discover his hypocrisy, he lays himself in secret observances continually to spy out the cunningness and deceits of his own heart. For you shall find those signs of a sincere heart.  
First, This will discover a sincere heart, that I may comfort a poor soul, though he may have hypocrisy in him, yet he will be most impartial to himself from once he finds it out, it may be he will be charitable to others, yet he will be severe to himself; if he find out any hypocrisy, he will be sure to fall on it with all detestation, he will charge his own soul, as if it were the damned soul, he will rather lay too much weight upon his conscience, lay it too severe on his own spirit, than any way excuse himself; but hypocrites will deal gently with themselves, if they have not an excuse at hand, they will not lay it home too much to heart: but a real Saint will say, Oh, wretched man: Oh thou unworthy heart, that should live so long, and have so many advantages to kill this lust, and art thou alive yet? Thou shalt never escape more, I will follow thee night and day with prayers and tears, it will not say it is my infirmity; it is my failing, but is will call himself a wretched man, a heart, and a heart, therefore look to your own souls as to that, and comfort your souls any poor heart of you, that though you find hypocrisy, yet you deal severely with it.  
A second Character of a sincere heart is, though he have hypocrisy in him, he is most jealous of hypocrisy: when he finds his heart most calm, and fair, seems least checked in conscience, hath most respect from others, oh then he is most jealous lest there be some deceit, he is always looking at bottom, always afraid through a spirit of care and holy jealousy within him, always afraid lest he be deceived, and when his heart seems to be so calm, so fair, any body would think his soul to be in a blessed frame, and a man himself can see nothing upon himself at present as to present actings, yet than he is afraid of those things that gives most advantage to the actings of hypocrisy.  
The third Character is, though he have hypocrisy in him, he loves to be throughly dealt withal, he counts the discovery of his heart to be a precious means of the saving of his poor soul: Oh how glad is he to see his own heart, and his hypocrisy, so he may but find it out to kill it, and go to God against it, making it the burden and mourning of his soul, he loves to find it out, he cannot abide any pleasing words to him, unless Christ speaks them, he cannot endure, that though he have abundance of hypocrisy, it will not for all that give any countenance to it, but earnestly rejoices to be throughly dealt with.  
Fourthly and lastly, though there may he hypocrisy, yet a sincere heart will stand upon a true account, he cannot endure to have any one to commend his heart, he would not be accounted more than he is, he loves to be ashamed, he cannot abide others to advance him in their commendations of his heart, that he sees so much hypocrisy in: so that I say, let this be a comfort to you if you have no more.  
But as to the sincerity of your heart, that you would deal with yourself, and would have a spiritual inspection with fear and jealousy always, that you may stand upon a true account still, that you cannot endure any body should commend your heart. There is no Saint but he knows his heart to be the worst part, he sees so much wickedness there, that he wonders how others can think well of him, he cannot abide that any one should conceive he hath such a heart that he mourns under night and day.  
So that I say, lay all these things together, and though thou dost find some hypocrisy in thy heart, yet be not discouraged, go on still to follow the rule of Christ, that when you find it you do not lie under it; for that will bring guilt, and will spread far, but comfort yourselves still that there is a seed, that you do really find that you are pursuing continually growth, that is the constant study of you, that you may be perfectly sincere, that all your frames may act so evenly with God, that there be no jarring at all, that your consciences may be kept continually under the power of the Gospel.  
But to conclude all: I beseech you look to it, you that are Professors, you have heard the nature of hypocrisy, you have heard what deceits there are in the hearts of men, you have heard the strictness of Christ to his own Disciples, how pressing he was upon them, now look to your own souls, try yourselves by all these things, examine your hearts over and over again, do not content yourselves with this, that you have names in the world, that you have abundance of inward kinds of experience, for now hypocrites will be growing up in the flourishings of the Gospel, they will have an imitation of faith, and of patience, and of joy, as the Gospel shines forth brightly, they will have an imitation of adoption, it is a wonderful thing to think how a Professor will bring himself into the fashion of a most glorious Saint, transforming himself into an Angel of light, as it were, striving to imitate every thing, and yet enjoy nothing, is loath to have his name expunged out of glory, out of the hearts of Saints. But alas the Lord will come and show himself exceeding dreadful to Professors in the latter days; there is a terror will be upon you one day, that you have only walked up and down and no more, you have found no sweetness, you have only cozened yourselves and others: Oh that is misery enough for every poor soul, and therefore remember what hath been said, lay it home upon your consciences, examine your hearts, common with your own spirits in the night-season, and remember there will be a day to discover the hearts of men, and you shall stand naked, unclothed, and God will set a mark on you to all eternity,  
FINIS.   

Reader, these Books following are Printed, and are to be sold by Richard Tomlins, at the Sun and Bible near Pie-corner.  

THe general Practice of Physic, Fol.  
The Fortune Book in Fol. English.  
Pleasant Notes upon Don Quixot, Fol.  
Mr Collings his Cordials, first, second, and third parts, quarto.  
His Vindiciae Ministerii, quarto.  
His Answer to Mr Sheppard, quarto.  
His Answer to Fisher and Hammond, quar.  
His Answer to Boatman, Priane, and Humfries, quarto.  
Dr Holdsworth's twenty one Serm. quarto  
Euclids Elements in quarto Eng.  
History of seven Champions, quarto.  
Packet of Letters, quarto.  
Cupid's Messengers, quarto.  
The Birth of Mankind or women's Book, quarto.  
The Perfect Pharisee under Monkish holiness, quarto.  
The false Jew, quarto.  
Mr Collings Five Lessons for a Christian to learn, octavo.  
His Faith and experience, octavo.  
Mr Wincolls Poems, octavo.  
Excellency of Christ, octavo.  
Erasmus Colloquies, octavo.  
Wings and Libourns Urania Practica, octav.  
Velitationes Polemicae, octavo.  
Perkins Catechism, octavo.  
Janua Linguarum, octavo.  
Brinsley's Cordelius, octavo.  
Mr Sidenham's Mystery of Godliness, oct.  
Watson's untaught Bridegroom, Twelve.