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duties of a man. So that here is a great iniquity to be parted from, an over-spreading iniquity. This Mat. 23. fin will get into all thy profeffion, Luk. 20. into every whit of it, and will make

15.

19, 20. Ezek. 8.

12.

Mar. 26.

the whole of it a loathsome stink in the nostrils of God. Hypocrifie will be in the Pulpit, in Conference, in Closets, in Communion of Saints, 2 Tim. 1. in Faith, in Love, in Repentance, in Zeal, in Humility, in Alms, in

20, 21.

Col. 2.

3.

2.

5. 2 Cor.6.6. Mal. 2.23.. the Prison, and in all duties. So Mat. 23. that here is, for the keeping of thy 15. foul upright and fincere, more than ordinary diligence to be used. HyMat. 6. 2. pocrifie is one of the most abomi1 Cor. 13. nable of iniquities. It is a fin that dares it with God. It is a fin that Luk.12. 1. faith, God is ignorant, or that he delighteth in iniquity. It is a fin that flattereth, that dissembleth, that offereth to hold God, as it were, fair in hand about that which is neither purposed nor intended. It Hypocri- is alfo a fin that puts a man upon fea vile studying and contriving to beguile, and deceive his Neighbour, as to the bent and intent of the heart, and alfo as to the cause and end of acti

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ons. It is a sin that perswadeth a man to make a shew of Civility, Morality, or Christian religion as a cloak, a pretence, a guise to deceive withal. It will make a man preach for a place, and praise, rather than to glorifie God and save fouls; It will put a man upon talking that he may be commended; It will make a man, when he is at prayer in his, Closet, strive to be heard without doors; It will make a man ask for that he desireth not, and shew zeal in duties, when his heart is as cold,, as senseless, and as much without favour, as a clod: It will make a man pray to be seen and heard of men, rather than to be heard of God. It will make a man strive to weep, when he repenteth not, and to. pretend. much friendship, when he doth not love. It will make a man pretend to experience, and fanctification, when he has none; and to faith and fincerity, when he knows not what they are. There is opposed to this fin, fimplicity, in nocency, and godly fincerity, without

which three graces, thou, wilt be an Hypo

Hypocrite, let thy notions, thy knowledge, thy profeffion, and com. Pro.16. 2. mendations from others be what. Pro. 2.

Luk. 216

159

they will. Helps against this sin there are many, fome of which I shall now present thee with.

1. Believe that Gods eye is always upon thy heart to observe all the ways, all the turnings, and windings offitt

1.2. Believe that he observeth all thy ways, and marks thy actions. Fro.5. 21. The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

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3. Believe that there is a day of judgment a coming, dand that then all things shall be revealed and Luk. 12.2, discovered as they are. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, nor bid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have Spoken in darkness, shall be heard in light, and that which ye have spoken in the ear in Closets, (hall be proclaimed upon the house tops.

2.

4. Believe that an Hypocrite,

with the cunning and shrouds for

his bypocrisie, can go unfeen no farther farther than the grave, nor can he longer flatter himself with thoughts of life. For the triumphing of the wicked Job 20.59 is short, the joy of the Hypocrite but for a 6, 7, 8. moment. Though his exellency reach up to the heavens, and his head reacheth unto the clouds: yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung, they which have fren bim, shall say where is he? He shall fly away as a dream and not be found yea, he shall be chased away as a vi fion of the night.

5. Believe that God will not Luk, 20 spare an Hypocrite, in the judgment; 47. no nor punish him neither with ordinary damnation: but as they have here finned in a way by themselves, fo there they shall receive greater damnation.

Of all fins, the fin of Hypocrifie bespeaks a man most in love with fome luft, because he dislembleth both with God and man to keep it.

For a conclusion upon this seven fold answer to the question above propounded; let me advise those that are tender of the name of Chrift, to have regard to these things,

Farst

1.8.

First, Be well acquainted with the word, and with the general rules of holiness; to wit, with the moral law, the want of this is a cause of much unholiness of conversation. These licentious and evil times, wherein we live, are full of iniquity, nor can we (though we never so much love God) do our duty as we are injoyned, if we do not know it. The law is caft behind the back of many, when it should be carried in the hand, and heart, that we might do it to the end, the Gospel, which we profess, might be glorified in the world. Let then the law be with thee to love it, and do it in the spirit of the Gospel, that thou be not unfruitful in thy life. Let the law, I say, be with thee, not as it comes from Mofes, but from Chrift; for though thou art fet free from the law, as a Covenant for life, yet thou still art under the law to Christ, and it is to be received by thee, as out of his hand, to be a rule for Con. 9. thy conversation in the world. What then thou art about to do, doit or leave

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