Divine Characters in Two Parts

CHAP. XXIII. The Believing Hypocrite, Is an Infidel under the visor of faith.

FAITH is the primum vivens, the first thing that lives in a Christian, as such. And as the natural heat is the general instrument of the reasonable soul to fashion and adorn her house of the body; so is faith the general instrument of the Spirit, to fashion and reform every part of the new creature. Now, it may be thought, that of all graces, Faith is most peculiar to the truly regenerate; and least communicable to any other; for the Apostle, not only saith, all men have not faith : but calls this grace, the faith of God's Elect , as belonging to none but those of that Corporation. And it is an undoubted truth that true saving faith which justifieth and saveth, is nowhere found but- in them that are truly and actually regenerated.

Notwithstanding, for as much as Temporaries are said to believe for awhile ; that he tasteth of the heavenly gift (and what more heavenly then faith, that gives heaven upon earth, that is, peace with God, and unites unto Christ; who is the way for our poor earth to ascend from earth to heaven?) and, that it is said that many believed on Christ, upon sight of his miracles, to whom he would not commit himself ; that Simon Magus also believed : yea, that the Devils themselves, who are enemies to Evangelical truths, and have no part therein, do yet believe and tremble ; it cannot be wholly denied that hypocrites (who are indeed Infidels, as to saving believing) do after a sort believe. Not only as seeming to others, even to God's dear children who cannot judge of the heart, (as Simon, to Philip ) in the judgment of charity and probability, to partake of faith: but, even to themselves, in the judgment of partiality, to believe. For as they delude others, by their outward conformity in profession, so they most of all, and most dangerously deceive themselves by some of those hand-maids which accompany saving faith as well as theirs.

For this hypocrite doth not lay a false ground as the Worldling doth, He that hath worldly wealth is in God's favor; but, his ground is true enough, He that believeth on the Son of God shall be saved. But his error is in the Assumption or application, when he assumeth, or rather presumeth, But I believe on the Son of God. Herein other men may be abused, who judge both according to the outward profession they see in him, and the charity they have in themselves towards others; and himself also may be much more deluded, he being most willing in his own behalf to be deceived. Only Christ, who knoweth all men, and what is in man ; and, from the beginning seeth who they are that believe not : knoweth this man to be an Infidel or unbeliever; and will also, early or late, make it known both to his own conscience, and to all the world .

But because it concerneth every man to know his own estate, and not to hood-wink himself through willful blindness, in a business of such high concernment; until Satan come at the hour of death, and make him, not only by clear conviction of his judgment and conscience, but by woeful and inevitable experience, to see and find himself to be his prey; and, to the end the common delusion whereby every man is apt to be overtaken and ruined, thinking and presuming that he hath faith, and hath believed in God ever since he could remember, prove not his everlasting confusion; It will be good, yea necessary, for everyone to consider what Christ sometimes said to such self-deceivers, that followed him with others for the present, and thought as well of their own faith as any in the company, there are some of you that believe not . And again, one of you is a Devil . All seemed to believe, but especially the Twelve. He saith not, none of you believe (although at times he found the best of them, to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of little, weak faith when they had most need to have it stronger . But some of you &c. that is, such, who following him, were apt upon occasion to fall from him, and accordingly did; yea, to betray him, although of the Twelve, as Judas . Such even while they believe are Infidels. They be not the men they take themselves to be, they do not the thing which they suppose they do, as shall anon appear.

On the Contrary, the true Christian, even in his feared infidelity is a Believer.

The true Believer hath his non-age of faith; and, his diseases too, by lapses into sin; and, his weakenings of it, by temptations; in all, which he is in great straits, fears and perplexities. In the non-age of his faith, even while he believeth weakly, (yet so well as he can,) he cries out, Lord help my unbelief . I confess I have much infidelity in me, more infidelity then faith, Lord cure me of this: help my Infidelity; that is, ease, and rid me of it.

David, and Peter by their great falls, gave great wounds to their faith, insomuch that they astonied it, that it was not able to move, nor breath; it lay sprawling upon the ground, ready to yield up the Ghost: yet even then, it might be said of their faith as Christ of the Rulers Daughter whom the father, and all the company concluded to be now dead, give place, the maid is not dead, but sleepeth . Even their faith was not then dead, although cast into a dead sleep.

I know a Bellarmine, or some other confident Papist, or his younger brother the Arminian, will, for this, serve me, as the Fiddlers did Christ, even laugh me to scorn, for so affirming : but this is no less a truth, for all their laughing. David had still the holy Spirit in him, untaken from him, when he was at the worst of his sin, and at the lowest of his sorrow for it. Take not thy holy Spirit from me . He could never make such a prayer, if the Spirit were wholly departed; for, as yet he had it. And this was the prayer of faith, for he was heard in what he prayed for. And, as for Peter, he was fenced and fortified by the prayer of Christ, who was heard always , and ever sped at the throne of grace, I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not . It failed in the act, but not in the habit: for albeit it was not so strong as to hold out in the High Priests hall; yet it was so true, that upon the first look of Christ towards him after his fall, he got up, went out, and wept bitterly .

So temptation may prevail so far, as to make a Believer to fear, and ask; will the Lord cast off forever? and will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? doth his promise fail for evermore &c? Yet, after all this, faith (that seems to be dead, when it lies only hid) breaks out, and tells him the truth; that the mistake is in himself. This is but his own infirmity so to think and speak of God: he hath cause to judge otherwise of God, and would do so too, if he would but look back upon God's former dealing with him, therefore faith doth put him now upon other work, and instead of complaining of God, to rejoice and take comfort in him. I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High : those times wherein God spake peace to his soul, and assured him to be his God forever. Thus, he had recourse from feeling to faith, which yet was alive, although so deeply raked up under the ashes of temptation, that he verily thought it had been quite extinct.

Thus, this hypocrite is in the matter of faith, as the wanton woman living in pleasure , dead while he liveth; the true Christian is as Eutichus, sleeping; and, falling down from the third loft, is taken up dead, of whom yet it may be said, trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him . The one as Sardis, hath a name that he liveth, but is dead ; the other is as Abel in another sense, who being dead, yet speaketh by his faith . The one deceiveth others, by a visor of faith; and afterwards himself, by a conceit of faith, (being loath to question that which he sees so many others to believe;) the other first undeceiveth himself by casting away that visor, and laboring after the truth of faith; and then undeceiveth others by the fruits of his faith, with before were but counterfeit.

In giving this hypocrites Characters, I shall first give those by which he deceives others in show, and himself in conceit; and then those by which he deceiveth, whether it be in the matter of Assents or of application, or of the inward joys and contentments which he apprehendeth in himself, as the fruits of that faith to which he is a Pretender.

[Character 1] This Hypocrite is a counterfeit in the Church, that is, a Church hypocrite.

There are many counterfeits in the world, and all naught: counterfeit fools, that have wit, and conceal it, the better to make fools of others: counterfeit cripples that have limbs, & use them not, that they may live by loitering; counterfeit trades-men, that either make a show of wealth, & have it not, or pretend losses, & need not, that they may gain either more credit by the one, or pity by the other than they deserve. But, as it was said of the virtuous woman, that many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all; so may it be on the contrary, of this hypocrite, many counterfeits have done cunningly, and wickedly, but thou exceedest them all.

This hypocrite deceiveth the Church, even of the Elect, whom the Devil himself cannot wholly deceive , by joining with them in Church duties. Thus Ahithophel, by his walking with others to the house of God in company, deceived David; for, even then, wickedness was in his dwelling . Thus, the disciples of Christ were deceived in Judas, till his wickedness brake out, they thought him to be a believer as well as themselves; which made Peter to say, in the name of them all, we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ , when yet Christ knew one of them to be a Devil . So at another time, he speaketh in the behalf of all, we have forsaken all and followed thee, , what shall we have? Thus not only Philip, but even the same Peter, long afterwards was deceived for a while, in Simon Magus, who gave in his name to Christ, received the seal of baptism, & not only joined, but continued with Philip, and the rest of the Church , among whom he passed for a true Believer, till the nuts were thrown before this ape, the giving of the Holy Ghost, of which he hoped to make a good market, and thereupon would have bought that gift at any price; by which he shown himself in his colors, and was discovered.

Thus many Church-Papists either by dispensations, or at least by dissimulation, for impunity, credit, preferment, (or haply, for worse and more dangerous ends) appear sometimes in our Assemblies, yet are arrant Romanists still in heart. Many Church-Atheists (who, as 'tis to be feared, make up the greater number in all Church-Assemblies in the world) respecting neither God nor his people (no more then the unjust Judge when by importunity he did justice,) seek to delude both; frequenting the Assemblies of the Saints, joining in the exercises of prayer, hearing, receiving of Sacraments, taking it in scorn not to be accounted good Christians and true Protestants, yet in their hearts despise the power of godliness wherever they find it.

Such an one will, perhaps, talk of good things, commend the Preacher and (it may be) his Sermon too, profess liking of some special points in it: above all, points of comfort, wherein he seems to claim a great share. And such an one hath his reward, which is, to be well thought of; and made much of for the time, even of the Saints, which is all he looks for. But what is he the better for all, or any of this? When not only God, but his own heart also condemneth him within, all the while; and all men shall see, and deride him hereafter?

On the Contrary, the true Believer is one that answereth his name.

He is what he is reputed. He knoweth that a good name is not to be despised, but is better then precious ointment . Therefore he is desirous both to be, and to deserve to be well thought of among the faithful; yet hating to be well thought of without a cause; and afraid to be better thought of then there is cause; forbearing all boastings, and shows, that might make any man to think of him above that which he is . Therefore he labors to be, and to find at home, what he is thought to be abroad. Am I accounted a believer? It is enough, saith the hypocrite; but, saith the faithful Christian, the more cause have I to look thoroughly into my own heart, and make it out to God and my own conscience that I have faith indeed. For, well he knoweth, that not he who commendeth himself, or is commended of others, is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth . And that, he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, whatever show he make of Abraham's faith; but, he is a Jew that is one inwardly, with the heart believing unto righteousness , whose praise is not of men, but of God : not of men, without God; but, of God and men too.

Thus, the one is ready to accept of acclamations and respect from the godly, upon no better terms then the Sorcerer, who for fear he should not be cried up to his desert, gives out himself to be some great one ; the other is as Andronicus and Juniae, who were old disciples, and of note among the Apostles; yet made no such noise by their own cracklings; the one careth to get a good opinion, the other to deserve it: the one resteth in man's judgment, knowing it to be mistaken; the other labors to add the witness of his own conscience, yea of God himself, that he may not deceive, or be deceived.

This hypocrite is a mere Cheater of himself as well as others. [Character 2]

Somewhat he hath, or rather seemeth to have of faith: and this contents him. The stony ground upon receiving the seed with joy, for awhile believes ; here is faith supposed, but at most it is but a seeming faith; as appears afterwards, by the taking from him that which he seemeth to have . He had not faith indeed, he did but seem to have it. Something of faith appears in him, he hath some illightning, some taste of the heavenly gift (which I take to be faith;) of the good Word of God, and of the powers of the world to come (as Balaam of the happiness of the righteous after death;) and so far forth it cannot be denied that he is Partaker of the Holy Ghost . Yet neither is this sincere (for then should he never loose it and fall away; ) nor sufficient because as yet he believeth not with the heart unto righteousness. Yet, because he neither doth, nor can go further, this contents him: yea, many times, less serveth his foolish heart to make this wild conclusion; I believe, because I profess the same with others that do believe, and because others who are godly and judicious do take me to be a believer. What greater cheat can any man put upon him, then he willingly puts upon himself by this loose kind of arguing?

On the Contrary, the true Christian is more afraid to be cozened in his faith, then in anything else.

He knows that not only the Devil will seek either to delude him with a false faith, or rob him of that which is true, which made Paul above all things desirous to be satisfied concerning that . That being the godly man's shield wherewith he is able to queneh all the fiery darts of the wicked ; but, that his own heart also is apt to deceive and abuse him, as Peters did when he durst to give it out even to Christ himself, Lord I am ready to go with thee both into Prison, and to death . Therefore in the same breath wherein he saith; I believe, he cries out, Lord help my unbelief , lest his heart deceive him. He remembers Philip's speech to the Eunuch, desiring to be baptized, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest ; he contents not himself with some flashings of light darted into his understanding; some taste of faith, or of the Word, or powers of the world to come to make his mouth water only; but he looks after an illightning that illightens the whole soul, as the day-star arising, (and never setting) in his heart ; as that which doth not only warm him, as the sun a cold wall; but, cause his heart to burn within him . He strives to believe not only animo in his heart, but ex animo with and from the whole heart, not feinedly, or with a double heart; not partly, or with a divided heart; but though imperfectly, yet truly, with a perfect heart. For faith where it once comes, let it enter in at what part of the soul it will, it is like leaven that runneth over the whole heap of meal, it penetrates every part of the soul, and not only takes up a room there, but acteth in it and by it in every act that true faith truly putteth forth. It is a faith unfeigned , that giveth credit to God in all things; but, to himself in nothing, without God and his Spirit witnessing with his heart.

Thus, this hypocrite is like him that so often tells his lie to others, that at last he comes to believe it himself; the true Christian finding that all men are liars ; and that the heart is the greatest liar of all , being deceitful above all things, he giveth least credit to that of all others: the one is contented to delude his heart with a painted fire, as fearing it would, (if true,) be too hot for his lusts; the other is careful to blow up the coals, that by the heat in all parts of his soul he may experimentally find and feel his faith to be no counterfeit.

[Character 3] This hypocrite assenteth to some truths of God, but not for God.

We have seen what he seemeth to himself, and others to be, and is not: we come now to see what it is that he hath of faith, and which he taketh for faith: beginning with the first Act of faith, which is Assent.

He heareth the Gospel, and is so convinced by his own understanding and reason; that he cannot but yield unto the apparent evidence of it. The Devils themselves do as much as this : not in honor to God the first Truth that speaketh in his Word, but because by reason and experience their understandings are convinced, that they cannot deny it. Thus may a Papist be said to believe the Scripture, and the matters contained therein; not because God there speaketh, but because the Church so teacheth: which is not to believe God, but man, and to give Assent not to the truth of God upon his own single authority, but to the truths which the Church pleaseth to acknowledge; upon her own usurped liberty. And what greater indignity can be put upon God, then not to believe him upon his own word, but upon the credit of a surety, too often known to be partial and false? Let such an one but be told by that he calls the Church, that God never taught such a truth, that only faith justifieth, he dares give the lie to God and all the world, that shall go about to persuade him that that is a truth, let the Scripture speak it never so clearly. But, tell him of justification by works and inherent righteousness; you shall have him assent hereunto even unto obstinacy. For indeed, in all points delivered by his Church, instead of assent he bringeth obstinacy: not that he is persuaded of the truth of what he holds, but is resolved that all the world shall never persuade him to the contrary. Not so much for love of that he maintaineth, (for what love can he have to the doctrine of Justification by inherent righteousness and good works flowing thence, who is a stranger to good works and an enemy to all righteousness? ) but in hatred of the other side, that desires to depress man, and to exalt free grace. Such also, are all Jews, and most Heretics.

This Hypocrite, if a Scholar, where he is pleased by being admitted to take the height of Divine truths by his Jacob's staff, Philosophy and force of reason, that is of human ratiocination, he professech to be a great Believer; and to give firm Assent. But all this faith is but philosophical, human, and the child of discourse. What can be so concluded, he yieldeth unto, in the rest he will 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 suspend his belief: and you must think he deals modestly and friendliy that he proceeds no further. But if it were possible so to believe the whole Bible, and the entire Body of Religion contained in it, yet were this not faith, because not upon the credit of God's testimony. This were rather, with the Orator (c) to confess the truth, then to belive it.

On the contrary, the true believer setteth to his seal that God is true.

God saith it, therefore he believes it so firmly, that if need be, he will seal it with his blood. He believeth the Creation of the World, and the immortality of the soul, and not some, but all other divine truths contained in the Word, not because the Church teacheth it, or because Saint Austin, or any or all of the Fathers have avouched it; but, because Moses, David, Solomon, the Prophets, Evangelists, Paul, or other Penmen of the Holy writ have delivered it from God himself: And those not as they were men learned, wise, holy, &c. But, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 inspired and infallibly assisted by God himself . So saith the Apostle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God , that, the World was made of nothing. A Christians understanding is the disciple of faith; and his faith, of God. He crediteth man in the things of man; but, none but God, in the things of God.

Thus, this Hypocrite in assenting is like him that reads his neck-verse, not so much minding what is in the book, as listening after what his ordinary bids him say; the true Christian is as the Samaritan after they had heard Christ, who told her that first invited them to come unto him, now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard him our seves, and know that this indeed is the Christ, the Savior of the World . The one saith, I believe but knows not whom; (whether a general Council, or Pope and Cardinals;) the other saith, I know whom I have believed .

This Hypocrite resteth in a bare assent, without trust. [Character 4]

He assenteth that God is Holy, Wise, Just, Merciful, Omnipotent, &c. But he trusteth not in him for the fruits of any of these properties, that he will be so and so unto him. He believes him to be Holy, but not as trusting in him to make him so; to be Wise but not to cast himself upon his wisdom: to be Just, but not as to do him justice against his enemies, to be Merciful; but not as showing mercy to or having mercy in store for him: to be Omnipotent, but not as one that will stir up himself and come and save him: And so, in the rest of his Properties, and Promises. He hath a faith to confess a judgment, but none to take out execution.

He hath a popish faith, a faith of generalities, but none to cast him upon particular promises with application as having any warrant to cast himself upon God by virtue of those promises. By assent, he lays a foundation, such as it is, but never builds upon it. He makes a proposition right, He that believeth shall be saved: but he hath no skil in the assumption, I do believe, and therefore can never infer a comfortable conclusion. Or, if he go some what further, it is but for a fit, a start, some short time: he believeth God for the time, upon some present feeling, or taste of his goodness in temporal things, or haply also in spirituals: but it is not upon this account that he casteth himself upon God, but that God casteth all he hath into his lap, of his own good pleasure and bounty. But, as the taste and feeling of such undeserved love and kindness soon vanisheth in this hypocrite, so doth his trust in God, so soon as the sense of Divine Goodness is over, although the blessings themselves remain.

On the contrary, The faith of a Christian delights to cast him upon God, as appropriating generals unto himself.

He looks upon general promises, as made in particular to him, as well as to others; yea, if at first but to one, many hundred years ago, he will have a share out of it, as all believers are taught by the Apostle to cast themselves upon God, for all necessaries, by virtue of that promise, God hath said, I will never fail thee, nor forsake thee; ; which was never made to any one particular, but only to Joshua, and that upon an extrnordinary occasion which might seem to confine it to a far narrower compass. And albeit charity delights not to go alone, but to take in all whom it conceives to have God for their Father, saying, Our Father: but faith shows itself most in particularizing, saying, I believe.

Faith looks upon God's warrant as a command to apply general promises as made particularly to every believer, and to apply them to himself in particular. Remember thy promise unto thy servant wherein thou hast commanded me to put my trust . A Christian therefore is not contented with these general propositions, Christ came into the world to save sinners, without going further, and saying and believing too, of whom I am chief . God is the Savior of all men, especially of them that believe , in whom he professeth himself to trust. He desires God to speak out to him in particular, say unto my soul I am thy salvation . He saith with Thomas, my Lord and my God ; with Paul, who gave himself for me . So doth every Christian, not by special revelation, above Scripture, but by the very properties and nature of faith itself which enableth all Saints to comprehend what is the breadth and length and depth and height , of all the mysteries of the Gospel in the general promises of God, thereby to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge, to every man's own soul in particular.

And this he believeth not only when he actually feeleth, but even when he feeleth not sensibly the love of God towards him, but rather the contrary. For even then he is resolved, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him , for his faith (no more than hope) is not grounded upon sense, but upon promise. As the sap is not always in the branch, yet ever in the root: so the sense of spiritual privileges and comforts by virtue of the promises, is not always in the believer, yet the ground of his consolation is never removed, because that is so firmly laid up in the promise, that when in himself; his soul refuseth to be comforted, yet the Word is a continual spring to refresh him, that when he can find no comfort in his own feeling, he finds it in the Word, and is able to speak in faith, that is my comfort in my trouble, thy Word hath quickened me .

Thus this hypocrite is like a Geographer, that coasteth a Country, and can give you an exact map of every nook and creek in it, but brings home nothing for himself out of it: the true believer is as Caleb and Joshua that so discovered Canaan, that themselves meant to go up and possess it: The one looks upon the Word as not belonging to him, the other layeth hold upon it as his own heritage forever .

[Character 5] This hypocrite assenteth to the truth, but without experimental knowledge.

He speaks of the promises by hear-say, not as tasting them. He discourseth of them, as a man writeth of the wars of such or such a Country, who was never in it, or not in the action: or, as he that describeth strange Countries, but never travelled them himself. As a blind man discourseth of colors, as a patient, that commends Physic, believes the Physician in all he writeth, or speaketh, but will make no proof of his art upon himself. Thus the hypocrite believes the Gospel, or at least tells you so, yet never made trial of it, nor means to do. He is as those that would hear Christ's words, but never come in to himself, that they may have life . It is delightful to read or hear the great works and miracles which Christ did, and upon that account, he readeth the stories of his life in all the Evangelists, but never cares nor seeks to be Evangelized, or to find any of the power and influence of the same Christ upon his soul, according to that power which he exercised upon the bodies or souls of men, in giving them first, faith to believe, and then cure upon their believing. He is no more desirous to feel the power of Christ, and to have experience of him in himself, then the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the rest of the Jews to whom he preached, and before whom he wrought all his mighty works, were, to be doers of his Fathers will, that they might know of his doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether Christ spake of himself . He had rather according to the proverb, believe than try; because he is a spiritual sluggard that is loath to take pains, or a cunning fox that knows the Word will not please him, if he make trial of it: and therefore it pleaseth him better to take that for granted which he never did, nor means to try.

Contrarily, the true believer hath experience of what he believeth.

He never assenteth to any Word upon the Authority of God speaking in it; but, from his own experience, he can after write probatum est, upon it. Herein he differs from hypocrites and devils, that whereas they believe not for God's sake, but their own: he believes first upon the account of God, and then upon trial, further believes from his own experience as the Samaritans did Christ.

Thus Job did not only hear of God by the hearing of the ear, and thereby believed; but his eye also saw him , which further confirmed his belief. There is great difference between hear-say, and sight; between discourse, and acquaintance; imagination, and sealing to the truth of God .

An hypocrite may hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches, but only the Christian knoweth the meaning of the Lord, and the mind of the Spirit, because he only hath the mind of Christ . The secret of the Lord is revealed to them that fear him ; his own conscience and heart is a commentary to him written by the same Spirit, that speaketh in the Word to make him know it. This, to the true believer is a seal to the truth of Scripture to satisfy him fully that it is the truth of God. Which a Papist will not, must not acknowledge: because he takes not his seal from the experience he hath within him, but from the suppository Church without him. Nor indeed can any natural man be capable of such a confirma • ion.

This is that wherein the meanest Christian goeth beyond the greatest Clerks (unsanctified); yea, beyond Satan himself. Because the Christian hath received not the spirit that is in the World, but the Spirit which is of God, that he might know the things that are freely given him of God ; which Spirit not only teacheth, who is a child of God, but also beareth witness with his Spirit that he is the child of God . So that his experience extendeth to those things that are most spiritual, and most remote from sense. Many taste how good the Lord is in outward things, how good he is to beasts: but, the true believer tasteth how good he is to his children, and among them, to himself.

Thus, this hypocrite is as the parents of the blind man, that could tell that he was their son, and that he was borne blind, but by what means he now seeth, they knew not : He knows the thing to be true, but that is all: the true believer is as the blind man cured, that not only knew the thing to be true, but had experience of the truth: the one believes the Word, because he cannot gain-say it, the other, because his own trial of it witnesseth on God's behalf, that it came out from God. The one may commend it as he that commends what he knows not, that he might be thought a man of art and judgment; the other commends it, as he that hath tasted the old wine, and thereupon prefers it before the new .

This hypocrite assenteth to the truth, but not so as to be transformed into it. [Character 6]

He talks much of his faith, but shows nothing of the fruit, especially of this most natural and most proper fruit of it, without which all other fruits are to little purpose. He is, in his soul, for want of true faith, like the three children, in their bodies, in the midst of the fiery furnace, through the strength of faith; on whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was one hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them . No more power hath the Word (which this hypocrite assenteth unto) upon his heart. He is not so mcuh as altered in the least, unless to the worse. As he that is not better, is certainly the worse for his knowledge in the Word.

Such light of knowledge and such assent may be compared to the light, and influence of the Moon, which shineth, but without heat; hindereth not, but rather increaseth the cold, stirreth up humors, but allayeth none; worketh upon men's bodies, as upon the Sea, causing a flood of humors that rise high in diseases. His knowledge warmeth not, it is an illumination without vegetation. His cold profane heart is not thawed, but rather frozen harder in the dregs of sin. The more knowledge, the less zeal, more coldness, more pride and self-love. For such knowledge puffeth up . His wisdom and his knowledge perverteth him, so far is it from transforming him into the same Image. This is all his faith, a bare knowledge: and this knowledge makes a full sea, an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and Paroxisme of sin in him: and is the high-way to the sin against the Holy Ghost.

Contrarily, the true believers faith of assent, not only affecteth, but transforms him.

He never by faith looks into the Word, but he beholds in it the lively Portraiture of Christ, and is thereby changed into the same Image from glory to glory . Faith never exerciseth itself upon the Word, but it hath this effect, it translates and transforms the believer every day more and more, till Christ be thoroughly formed in him. The Sun is both the husband and phycisian of nature, his sight both heats and heals, it cleanseth the air, concocteth humors, dissolveth vapors; so doth the knowledge and faith of Christ in a Christian; it doth beget and reform him, it brings h • m to his due shape and proportion. For it brings him to the Sun of righteousness which brings health and cure in his beams, or wings.

It kindleth in him the fire of love, the flame of zeal; it stampeth and imprinteth goodness in his heart; abateth in him the love of the world, and of himself; so that he saith with Job, mine eye hath seen thee, therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes : and with David, I have seen an end of all perfection, but thy Commandment is exceeding broad . He could never have seen how narrow this world is, and how easily a man go round all the perfection of it, if he had not seen how broad the Word is, and what influence it hath on a believing soul. He never believeth the Word, as the truth is in Jesus: but he puts off the old man, and puts on the new .

Thus, this hypocrite, hath a body or shadow of faith, but without the soul; the true believer hath the life of faith manifested both in his soul and body: the one boasteth of faith without any work of faith upon him, or in him; the other makes out to all the world the truth of his faith by the work of it in him, as well as by those produced by him.

[Character 7] This hypocrite applieth the Word, without assent, or knowledge.

Hitherto we have seen his haltings in Assent, we shall now find him as lame in the application, when he claims a part and a share in the Word of faith, and in all the good things promised in it, as having a portion therein. Before we found him laying a foundation, such as it was, without going on to build an house, he gave some assent, but without application; now, we shall see him raising of an house, but without a foundation; very busy ln laying hold on promises, before his assent ever closed with them upon the account of God's authority, or he ever clearly and distinctly understood what they contain, or what terms to be had: which is a building of Castles in the air; or at best no better then building upon the Sand.

He boasteth of faith, and layeth hold on the promises, but with the faith of ignorant people for the most part, who think they trust God very far, when they either have no need of him, or are ignorant of him, and lean only upon their own foolish hearts, instead of trusting in God; the more blind, the more bold; For, how can they believe in him, of whom they have not heard , by the ear of faith as we • l as by that of the body? As the mad man at Athens, standing on the key with his Tables in his hand, entered all the shipping and goods in the Port as his own: but, without Bill of lading, consignement, or mark of his own. So this hypocrite writes down in his book, not in his heart, all God's mercies and promises of more; without any warrant, or mark, to enable him to land them and to bring them to his own storehouse: or so much as knowing, or looking into them to see what they contain.

On the Contrary, the true believers knowledge goes before his assent, and both before application.

He knows that true faith is assensus cum notitia, an assent grounded upon knowledge. He first knows that the son of God is come, and that he hath given him an understanding to know him that is true , and that this is the true God, and eternal life. He knows that all the Promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen . So that hi first care is to know whom he hath trusted . then, for what , and upon what terms and conditions , that if God do speak peace, he must set down this for a firm resolution to return no more to folly. To all which he fully assenteth, and as firmly assents to the conditions, as to the promises themselves: this being an undeniable conclusion that everyone that calleth on the name of the Lord must depart from iniquity ; and that God speaks to the wicked that dares to apply otherwise, with detestation & terror, what hast thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee ?

He knoweth more over, and findeth in himself; after this, the seals of God, not only those of the Sacraments, which are outward and general; but also those more special and privy seals of Adoption and Sanctification: these are his Bills of lading, true consignements, and the marks by which he knoweth the promises, and graces of God in them do truly belong unto him.

Thus, this hypocrite presumes to lay hold upon promises and mercies, as the Danites boldly entered Micah's house, and took away, his Ephod, Teraphim, and graven Image without his leave, even when themselves scarce knew what it meant: The true Believer, as David in taking home of the Ark ; he will lay hold on nothing of God's, without seeking of God, and offering up of peace-offerings before the Lord, for fear he should make too bold with God in so doing; the one lays hold on all without examining his Title, the other makes sure his title before he presume to lay hand on anything.

This hypocrite applieth, by wishing. [Character 8]

In this he is Balaam up and down, let me die the death of the righteous: Oh that when I die I may fare as he! Oh that I might then have a part in his happiness! Thus, the sluggard lies lazing and stretching out himself wishing for bread, but will rather starve then labor. If wishes would make him rich, who but he? for wealth But the Proverb tells us, what becomes of Wishers and Woulders. The eazy lazy wish slayeth the sluggard, the desire of the slothful killeth him, because his hands refuse to labor . He coveteth greedily all the day long . But hath nothing, because he will do nothing for it. His covetousness is not that of the Mammonist that riseth up early, and goeth late to bed, and eateth the bread of carefulness, and even over-laying himself with toil and labor: but it proceeds partly from necessity that cries for supply, and partly from slothfulness that would fain have it with bare wishing, which because it is easily done, he is the more greedy in wishing: and because he is eager upon it, he thinks that will do it, and so he cozens himself till he starve.

Such is this hypocrite, fain he would have the blessings of grace and glory, if bare wishes would do it. O that Christ were mine! O that I might go to heaven and be saved! O that I had such a mercy, such a blessing! O that I were assured of my salvation! but will do nothing for it, not so much as pray for it, unless in a faint, lazy, dull, cold manner, that himself can scarce tell whether he pray, or not. He doth wish but not pray, therefore he coveteth and hath not. To wish, and not take pains in the use of means, is not only vain but presumptuous, it is a desire to have a thing besides God's order, and without his leave. Therefore as the groundless hope perisheth, so the idle wish vanisheth.

On the Contrary, the true Christian applieth by apprehending and laboring:

He stretcheth out not only his tongue, but the hand of faith to lay hold on Christ in the Word and Sacraments, if by any means he obtain him: He follows on close, he leaves no means unassayed if prescribed of God, that so he may apprehend that for which he is apprehended of Christ Jesus . He as earnestly desires to apprehend, that is, to use all means to lay hold upon salvation, as ever Christ laid hold upon him to bestow salvation on him. He doth not only wish he may be saved, but worketh out his own salvation with fear and trembling . His faith is energetical and active, it abhors sloth and idleness.

It is true that sometimes the desire of faith in a person regenerate, is faith: but not, in the hypocrite; because in this man, desire is never accompanied with any prosecution of apt means to attain the thing desired; but, in the regenerate, it is seconded with labor and diligence, with striving and industry to compass the thing desired, which therefore is not only accepted , but seconded and assisted by God, that will surely fulfill the nesires of them that fear him, he will hear their cry, and will save them . For as in journeying desire with travail, brings a man to the place, or at least sets him forward in his way: so it is in our travail towards heaven. He that cannot go, creepeth; and he that doth but creep, getteth ground; but he that lieth still, is never like to be nearer. The desire therefore of a child of God, doth not rest, but prosecute: such desire giveth not only propinquity, but also possession in part, and assured hope of the whole.

Thus, this hypocrite is like David, wishing for some of the Waters of Bethlehem that was by the gate , but never thought of adventuring for it, that being then a garrison Town of the Philistines: the Christian is as those three mighty men of David, that no sooner heard him speak the word, but they presently brake thorough the Host of the enemy, and fetched it: the one is as the foolish Virgins that fain would have entered after the bride-groom, but were refused, because they through idleness and sloth neglected to provide oil for their lamps in time; the other is like the five wise Virgins, that desiring to enter with the Bride-groom, were admitted, because careful to provide oil in due season.

[Character 9] This hypocrite will apply and believe some things whether God will or no.

None, at sometimes, so great a Courter of God, as this hypocrite, sometimes he will not take so much as God bids him ask: Witness Ahaz, who being bade to ask a sign to confirm the prophecy for deliverance of himself and his people, in plain terms refused, saying, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord . He would have the Prophet to know that his faith needed not such a confirmation, and that he believed him without it: but, hypocrite as he was, he soon shown plainly that he believed him not at all: for he that would not ask a sign from God, to avoid tempting of the Lord, refused it, not as not needing it, but as believing that if he had it, it would do no good: for therefore he that did neglect God's means, set up means of his own in the place of God. For after his pretending so much faith in God to deliver him from Rezin the King of Syria, and Pekah King of Israel, as not to trouble him to work a miracle to assure him of these, he presently sent to Tiglah Pileser King of Assyria to come and help him against those his enemies that arose up against him , who came indeed upon the invitation, pretending his aide; but, in the issue, he proved his ruin, as was foretold by the same Prophet , upon his refusal of the way that God put him upon for deliverance.

Sometimes he will force himself (as Saul, to offer sacrifice) to believe what God never promised nor spake. He will believe events without means, miracles without a word, as Papists believe transubstantiation by miracle contrary to the Word and all right reason: and as the Jews by an obstinate and arrogant faith, will needs believe in a Messiah not yet come, although they have found themselves blinded and deluded above one thousand six hundred years already; longer than the Mohammedans have been abused by their prophet. Such an hypocrite is he that will needs believe he shall be saved by Christ, although he repent not of his sins; that God will be merciful beyond what he hath spoken in his Word, but not so severe as he hath threatened. Whereupon, he is settled upon his lees, and saith in his heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil . He will not trouble himself for every miscarriage of man, but at last will take pity and save him however. He will therefore bless himself in his heart (let God say what he list to the contrary) saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine own heart to add drunkenensse to thirst .

On the contrary, the true believer dares not promise to himself anything from God, without a Word for his warrant.

If God say to David, I will build thee an house, David can then boldly press God in prayer for performance. The Word that thou hast spoken, concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, stablish it forever, and do as thou hast said . Here he can be importunate and never give over till he hath an answer to his full satisfaction. Therefore he goes on to double and treble the same petition , For thou Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house, therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. And, as if this were not enough, he comes over it again, And now O Lord God (thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant.) Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee: for thou, O Lord God hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.

But if God have made no such promise, he then remembers his rule, Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted him at Massah . Not ask what God never promised, to try what God can do, and will do, if you have a mind to put him to it. He will not put God upon the trial whether he be able to do what sinful man craves, and whether he be amongst his people or no , and resolve to try it, by putting him upon that which they have a mind to; so that he must do that, or they will conclude that either he is not among them according to promise; or not able to make good what he hath promised. The believer is of another spirit: He looks for a word, and that he lays hold upon as carefully as Benhadad's servants did on the words of the King of Israel, which they diligently observed, and hastily caught . Or, as the Church, that so soon as ever those words, surely I come quickly, be out of Christ's mouth, she hastily catcheth them, saying, Amen, even so come Lord Jesus .

Thus this hypocrite is like Israel in the Wilderness, when God will have them to march, they will not; when he forbids them, they are mad to go, and presume to go up against his prohibition, thinking now by their over diligence to make amends for their former disobedience; the true Christian is seriously bent to do that in sincerity, which Balaam spake out of necessity, and much against his will. If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord my God, to do less or more . The one is as he that saith, as they, today or tomorrow, we will go into such a City, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain, not knowing what shall be on the morrow ; the other is as he that saith, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that .

This hypocrite applieth promises, but not threatenings. [Character 10]

He believeth the Gospel, wherein he hath no part; but, not the Law, by which he shall be judged. He is willing to trust God for mercy, but not to fear him for his judgments. He is willing to hear of heaven, but not of hell. He likes better to be told that God is merciful, than to hear that he is just; or at least that mercies, not judgments belong to him. For, saith he, what use is there of terrors, but to make men despair? and, to drive Judas to hell? Therefore he finds great fault with those that preach terrors. What! will ye drive men into desperation? And no marvel, for he would have others preach no otherwise to him, then he preacheth to himself. He preacheth not so roughly to himself, he prophecieth smooth things to his own soul; therefore cannot abide that others should prophecy evil to him, though he be as Ahab, a none-such for disobedience, one who hath sold himself to work wickedness . Therefore he saith to the Seers, see not; and, to the Prophets, prophecy not right things: speak unto us smooth things, prophecy deceits .

On the contrary, the true Believer taketh heed unto, and hold upon every Word of God, as well as any.

He esteemeth all God's precepts concerning all things to be right . He knoweth that no Word of God is in vain, or fruitless, nor shall return unto God void, but shall accomplish that which he pleaseth, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto he sent it (x). . He findeth he hath need of that hard hammer, to break the stone of his heart. Even in the finishing of his salvation, it is good, not only to work, but to fear and tremble . Yea, when God is doing most for him, he trembleth in himself, that he may rest in the day of trouble ; as fearing God for the very judgments he executeth upon others; and lest he should provoke God to bring the like upon himself; and lest for want of holy fear and trembling instead of finishing his salvation, he finish his damnation: for they that do not the former, certainly do the other.

Thus, in serving God, he will serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling . He will labor after that grace more especially that may quicken him to serve God with reverence and godly fear, even in the receiving of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, as knowing God to be a consuming fire to all that will not so serve him . Therefore with Paul, he will spurr himself up to duty by the terrors of the Lord ; yea, sets a woe before himself, to make him more diligent in preaching the Gospel . He findeth fear to be the best Watch-man, and therefore counteth him blessed that feareth always ; but, calamitatis seges securitas; the fool rageth, and is confident, which makes him careless to his confusion; but, the wise man feareth, and departeth from evil .

Thus this hypocrite is not as the devils, but worse, for they fear and tremble; whereas he believeth a falsehood, and presumeth; the true believer is as the blessed man that feareth always; The one will be his own carver, the other refuseth nothing that God sets before him: The one trusteth God without fear, till at length he fear God without trusting in him: the other so feareth God in his greatest trust in him, that he is sure to take hold of God in his greatest fears.

[Character 11] This hypocrite will trust God for heavenly things, but not for the things of this life.

He thinks it safest to cast himself upon God for the greater, but not to trust him too far for less matters; for the heavenly inheritance, but not for earthly maintenance; as if herein, God had left every man to use his wits and industry to shift for himself. His faith seems very strong in believing his salvation by Christ, but not able to bear him up against temptations to sin in providing for the things of the world. And no marvel both his faith by which he believeth is but a fancy, and salvation in heaven is in his esteem no better; therefore, there he can make you believe anything, because he apprehends no danger of miscarriage: for it is not to him a pin to choose, whether he get to heaven or not, however he hath taught himself to speak otherwise. But as for the things of this life, he looks upon them as matters of substance indeed; his fancy-full faith cannot fasten upon the promises of them, because he sees that no man gets them but by his own wit and industry. And 'tis not promises (in his opinion) that ever made any man rich: therefore he resolves to look to himself, and to take the best course he can to be rich in the world.

If he did indeed equally value heaven with earth: he would be as loath to trust God for that, as for this. He is content to trust him for heavenly things, because he looks upon them as trifles in comparison of earthly; but denieth him credit in the things of the world, as being of more consequence and value in the hypocrites esteem. He deals with God, as some wary men do with slippery chapmen, they will trust them for a small parcel, or for some braided wares, or things out of date; but not with any commodities of use, and in present request, which are every man's money.

On the contrary, the true believer makes no difference, but equally trusteth God for all.

He knoweth that godliness hath the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that to come . That God is as much engaged to give him daily bread, as pardon of sin, or glory itself; that the promise for the one, so far as it is good for him to receive it, is as absolute as the other. He doth indeed value heaven before earth; but relieth equally on the promise for both, because the same God promiseth both, and is equally engaged for both. Therefore David prays as confidently for building of his own house , here, as for the house of his soul, eternal in the heavens. He remembereth that his heavenly Father knoweth that he hath need of these things , and that he careth for him; therefore however he will be diligent in obedience to God, to honor him in a lawful calling, yet he casteth all his care, for the issue, upon God that careth for him .

He will not take thought for anything, as mistrusting God will not provide in a lawful way; but is afraid only of his own heart, that he should dishonor God by stealing, or by any other unlawful course of getting gain; and so take the Name of his God in vain , by not casting himself wholly upon God for maintenance, when he hath professed before all the world, that he hath trusted in God for this, as well as for heaven.

Thus, this hypocrite, in heavenly things pretends to more faith then any wise man would wish him; the true believer, in earthly things hath no less confidence in God, than may keep him in the way of God to procure them. The one is like a mad man that leaps for joy to think in how good case he is, for heaven; the other is a sober friend that pities and laments his condition, when he sees him, notwithstanding his boasting of faith, to take such indirect ways to the things of the world.

This hypocrite applieth mercies and promises without conflicts. [Character 12]

He is instantly cock-sure (as we say) of everything that he layeth hands upon. He is not in the least troubled with fears and doubtings, that they belong not to him. He knows not what doubting meaneth. The fool believeth every word , not with God, but with man that seeks to cheat him by flattery, speaketh to him. What is more improbable, or impossible, then a man wallowing in all wickedness and living in impenitency should conclude to himself that he is in the way of salvation, and in a capacity to apply all promises made to believers for that purpose; yet this the fool believeth, and saith, I shall have peace , he doubts nothing of it; and wonders any man else should; for, fools cast no perils, nor admit any questioning of their title to what they would have. Thus the fool flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful ; until men hate him for this wickedness of his self-flattery, as well as for the rest of his villainy.

Indeed he that believeth on good ground, is opposed by Satan, and sometimes causelessly conflicted with by his own conscience, so that he knows not what to think of himself and his title to the promises; yea, sometimes God himself hides his face from him, that he cannot tell what to think of God's meaning towards him; and then he is troubled to purpose . But corruption is not offended with presumption, but rather cherisheth it. Neither is Satan's Kingdom weakened, nor his conquest less by such confidence, but more assured. For, who would desire more of his vassals; yea, of his enemies, then that they should be secure ?

Contrarily, the true believers faith is militant.

As his own condition in this world is not only a wayfare, but a perpetual warfare, engaging him to wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principality, against powers, &c. So his faith is, and must be always in arms, in conflicts and agonies, not only against infidels abroad, but against infidelity at home, making him sometimes to cry out, Lord help my unbelief: yea, not only against devils, but as Jacob against God himself that will try our faith, as a man that tries his own sword by bending it up to the hilts, so that his infidelity flies out sometimes so far, as to say, All men (Prophets and all) are liars ; I am cast out of thy sight, &c. Not that hereby it followeth that it is best to doubt of salvation ; for, the command is, to give diligence to make it sure . And what God enjoineth, who shall forbid, or neglect?

It were a wild conclusion; that because we sometimes do doubt, therefore we always must doubt: or that because by reason of sin dwelling in us, we cannot at sometimes but doubt, therefore it is a part of Christian modesty, yea of duty to doubt always. They deceive themselves who cannot be persuaded that they have infidelity, doubting, yea, some Atheism to cope with; and they, no less, who count doubting a friend. The believer knoweth by experience that it is not an ingredient into the nature of a faith, but a poison against which faith striveth: nor belonging to the constitution of a Christian, but following him as a disease; and such a disease against which he laboreth (how ever weakly) and not which he ought to feed, all his days. The very doubting of a Believer tendeth to a resolution; as, when an objection is moved, that it may be removed. He resteth not in doubting as a Sceptic, as knowing that it is neither needless, nor impossible, by ordinary diligence, to resolve, and be assured.

Thus, this hypocrite is as Laish, in which the people dwelt careless, being quiet and secure, having no business with any man , and so were easily over-run by the Danites, when they thought of no danger; so is he by his infidelity while he glories in the undisturbednesse of his faith; the true Christian is as the Centinel that is never off his watch-Tower day nor night, hearkening diligently with much heed, and crying a Lion , until God make him answer, that the enemy that he feared is fallen, and broken: the one by security is ruined, the other by fears and conflicts is preserved.

[Character 13] This hypocrite conceiteth that he apprehendeth Christ, but is not apprehended of Christ.

He is confident that he hath so surely taken hold of Christ, that Christ and all his benefits are undoubtedly his: He thinks he can, for a need, show you Christ in his hand; as a Papist can his Crucifix, or mock-Christ; and can lay out all the benefits of Christ before you so exactly and methodically, that you shall not call for one of them, but he hath it ready to show; at least, in a map, or picture; in his head, in his brain. In a discourse he is cunning and nimble at it, as ever Judas, or Alexander the Coppersmith were. And because it is so perfectly at his tongues end, he strongly conceiteth it to be in his heart too, where it never came.

He relieth more on his faith, than on the truth of Christ. Let Christ say what he will to the contrary, yet if this hypocrite have but a strong conceit that he is a partaker of Christ, all that Christ can say, shall never beat this opinion out of his head, which he calls faith in his heart. He resteth more on his own strength, than on Christ's power. And is sure he hath Christ, because he thinks so: and, as if he were able to take Christ prisoner at his pleasure, he talks so confidently and freely, what he can put Christ upon and make him at any time do for him, as if he had made him as sure, as the Tyrians, who used to tie their gods with chains, that they might not forsake them.

But all this while, no sign or show of Christ's apprehending of him: he hath nothing of Christ formed in him, no substantial solid image of Christ, but only a paper-picture appeareth upon him. Where Christ comes he goes presently to work; If any man be in Christ, and Christ in him, he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a new Creation, not only patched up, and painted over in some places; but, old things are passed away, and all things are become new . This is to be apprehended of Christ, when Christ so takes hold, as to take possession of the whole man, to new mould and model him, to put on him the whole new man, which, after God is created in righteousness and true holiness , to which this hypocrite is altogether a stranger.

On the contrary, the true believers apprehending of Christ is mutual.

He never apprehendeth Christ, but it is for that for which he also is apprehended of Christ . Thus the Patriarchs and Fathers of the Old Testament, were said to embrace or to salute the promises , they and the promises kissed each other, as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , doth import. The Spouse never comes near Christ, but he kisseth her with the kisses of his mouth ; he doth communicate all his graces, of his fullness she receiveth grace for grace . And this is both the safety and strength of a Christian, that as he hath Christ in his hand, so Christ hath the believer in his: so that when faith is weak in the believers hand, yet the Christian is strong in Christ's hand, and enabled upon good ground to say, when I am weak, yet then am I strong . For, Christ is mighty to save ; and well is it for the believer, who of himself is weak in his greatest strength, so that by his own strength shall no man prevail , but he is now held by and in a stronger hand, and kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation .

This is it that makes him even an omnipotent man; for, all things are possible to him that believeth : because Christ holds him fast united in his own hand, that all the power of Satan cannot make him to let go his hold, nor obstruct him in obtaining anything from God; because he not so much holdeth fast Christ, as he is holden fast by Christ. Therefore it is that even he who one while looking on his own palsy-feeble hand of faith, cries out complaining? Quis eripiet, &c. who shall deliver me ; another while (relying upon the power of Christ, and on his hand out of which no man is able to pluck him ); he casteth his gauntlet, and with triumph saith, Quis abripiet? who shall separate me from the love of Christ ?

Thus this hypocrite indeed embraceth (what is fabled of Ixion embracing a cloud instead of Juno ) a shadow instead of the substance; an imaginary Christ of his own fancying, instead of him who was the Son of God; the true Christian is partaker of him, who so lays hold upon him, that he transforms him into the same image: the one by his imaginary Christ produceth nothing but Centaures, monsters in opinions and practice, of whom that Proverb, men's non in est Centauris, is verified, for he can effect nothing that he undertakes; the other is in the hand of Christ, as wood assimilated into the nature of fire when cast into it.

This hypocrites faith is but one handed. [Character 14]

And that hand is a left-hand too. He hath an hand to receive, but none to give. And an hand that more gladly receiveth blessings of God's left-hand (as Austin stiles them) earthly blessings, rather than those of his right-hands, such as are all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ . Or if he seem to desire these; willing he is Christ and all his benefits should belong to him, but he will give nothing for him. He is willing with the young man to have treasure in heaven; but, not part with his own treasure upon earth . He likes well a bird in hand. If God will cause all his goodness to pass before , this hypocrite he likes well of that; but if God will have him to extend any of his goodness to the Saints, such a request is as welcome to him as that of David to Nabal , which he never meant to grant.

While God saith, I give, his hand is stretched out: but when God saith, give me, either thy heart, thy tongue, thy wealth, thy life, &c. he soon draws back not only his hand, but his heart also. He comes unto God to get by him, and not to give to him; and therefore saith in effect, as Pharaoh , Who is the Lord that I should let such or such a thing, my wealth, liberty, life go for him? What is the Almighty that I should serve him? Is all come to this? I expected great matters from God, and doth God come a begging, or borrowing to me? This is the language of the hypocrites heart, however his tongue be employed.

Contrarily, the true believer never comes to God without two hands.

He never brings an hand to receive Christ, but he with the other gives himself unto God as one that is alive from the dead: yea, there is not a member of his body, but he consecrateth it as holy to the Lord, by laying his hand upon it, and offering it up, as, not only an instrument to work for God, but as a weapon of righteousness to fight for God, if need be . He never laid hand upon a mercy, but he accounted it as a debt on his part, to offer up the sacrifice of praise; For, although he know God's grace to be free in respect of money, that is, of merit to procure it, yet he will not let it be so free, as not to return some duty and service upon the receipt of it. In this sense he follows the Council of Christ, to buy ; but, with God's money, not as deserving the gold he purchaseth, but as performing the homage which he oweth.

He knoweth that God would never admit of a lame, or imperfect sacrifice. If it wanted anything it must not be offered upon his Altar. He will therefore never offer up a maimed imperfect faith, that hath not an hand to work by love, as well as an hand to receive for necessity. He not only saith with Abraham, Lord what wilt thou give me ? but he resolves with Abraham, to offer up his only Son, and that by the same faith wherewith he received him, whensoever God calleth for him .

Thus, the hypocrite is like the sluggard who pulls one hand out of his bosom, wherewith he may receive; but hideth the other in his bosom wherewith he should labor: the true believer is like Aaron that layeth both his hands upon the head of the goat , that he may give as well as receive, the one is as lame in his hands, as Mephibosheth in his feet; and so cannot stir for God, but as others (whether his pleasures or profits) carry him up and down: the other is dextrous and strenuous in giving as well as receiving as knowing; it to be a more blessed thing to give then to receive .

[Character 15] This hypocrite is more affected with terror then with comforts.

We have seen what he is in the matter of Assent, and Application, or trust: we must now trace him further, and consider his feeling, as the effect and fruit of both the former; especially of application. For it is not possible that Application should be without affection. And the affection is according to the objects apprehended, and the manner and measure of man's apprehending of them. The objects of faith most proper for Application, are either threats or promises; answerable whereunto the heart is affected, either with terrors and discomforts; or with peace and joy. In which method, the remaining Characters of this hypocrite are to be carried on.

He seemeth to be much affected with joy upon the Application of promises: but, as the application was but counterfeit, and pretended for his own better grace, so his joys and comforts are but forced and without continuance, as we shall show anon; but his terrors, upon the apprehension of threatenings, affect him indeed. For these are not feigned (as his comforts be) but real, and such as he can neither avoid nor dissemble. The reason is, because the comforts being but from his own straining of promises, applied without warrant, or leave from God; they affect but from the teeth outward; but his terrors arise from another foundation, the setting of his sins in order before him , and setting home of threatenings, by God himself: so as now he cannot but be terrified in another manner then before he seemed to be comforted.

He was comforted in jest, but is terrified in earnest. In the one he made show of what he had not, in this he cannot dissemble what really lies heavy upon his heart, this like Pharaohs lean kine devoureth the fat, so that there is no sign or relique of them remaining. The one was but a borrowed thing, but this is the portion of his cup . No sinner in Zion so much afraid, as the hypocrite; fearfulness hath not only overtaken, but surprised him . It is a thing he looked not for: and therefore affecteth and amazeth him the more. A Pistol shot off at ones powle, makes the stoutest to tremble, when he would not so much as startle at the going off of a whole Canon, when he seeth the fire given to it.

Every hypocrite having a guilty conscience, must needs when God takes him to do, have an accusing conscience too, especially when the light of the Word shineth upon it, letting him see in what terms he standeth with God his Judge. Now, the Word is to his conscience, as the Sun that shone upon the water early in the morning, causing the water to appear to the Moabites as red as blood; and then to conclude this is blood ; and therefore calling upon conscience, to gaul him to purpose, as they to themselves, now Moab to the spoil. Now, even Felix a Judge, trembleth before his prisoner, to hear of a judgment to come . For now he seeth that there is a judgment for all, and a hell for the wicked, but chiefly for the hypocrite, and therefore now he knows there is no escaping of devouring fires, and of everlasting burnings. He is therefore now terrified to purpose, whose comforts and joys were but a pageant for show.

On the Contrary, the true Believer is most affected with Comforts.

Contrariorum eadem est ratio. If the hypocrite be most affected with terrors, because these are most properly applicable to him: then the believer must needs be most affected with comforts, because these are not usurped, but properly belonging to him, and shed abroad in his heart by God himself, when once he hath made him capable of them. Time was, while he was yet unregenerate, that he was under a spirit of bondage: and then fear chased him up and down like a smitten Deere till he got sight and hold of Christ by faith: but after faith was once come, he was no longer under that smarting rod, but received the Spirit of Adoption enabling him to call and cry to his formerly-angry Judge, Abba Father .

The proper food, and state of God's children is Consolation : this is the breasts allowed them of God . There is indeed an use of terrors belonging unto them, to humble them for sin, and to prepare them for grace; but, terrors are not their proper allowance as they are children, but only as the rod or ferular to keep them in order. Sometimes fire is useful to the living, but clothes are more proper for all times and seasons. Men use to clothe the living, not the dead, to whom, according to the ancient custom of some countries, fire was rather applied; yet sometimes fire was made use of for the benefit of the living. Clothes warm by cherishing and drawing out the natural heat that is within: they never warm a dead body. But fire will heat, yea roast and burn up dead flesh. The clothing of a Believer are the mercies of God in Christ covering him with the robes of righeeousnesse and clothing him with the garments of salvation . And, he having in him the inward heat of saving faith, these clothes do warm and comfort him. But the fire of judgment is more proper for the Reprobate, first not warming, but rather burning him at present with an adventitious and unnatural heat; yet, beginning with cold, as a fever that begins in shaking, and quivering, and ends in scorching comforts are his clothing, the fire of terrors, the hypocrites portion.

Thus, this hypocrite holds forth comforts, as commodities painted upon a cloth without his door, but apprehendeth terrors as a fire in his bones: the true Believer feeds upon comforts as his meat, and upon terrors as his physic: the one makes use of comforts, as a chap-man of his credit, when he knows▪ to his grief, that he must shortly shut up, and hide his head; the other hath comfort within when he is at the lowest without, because his faith hath compounded with his creditor, who will again set him up.

This hypocrite feeleth, and beareth terrors unwillingly. [Character 16]

Even when he beareth least, he is soon weary, and desireth to be eased: But if God give him his load, he is as a wild Bull in a net . He saith not, hîc ure, hîc seca, here lay on the seiring Irons, cut and launce, as sometimes Austin; but, as Pharaoh, entreat the Lord to take away the Frogs from me , these croaking terrors that creep upon me wherever I go. He murmurs and repineth at terrors, but labors not to be truly humbled under them, and therefore strives to be rid of them, as Saul of his evil spirit. For no man is willingly tormented in that flame which tends to burn him up. Therefore Felix being terrified, putteth Paul to silence. He will hear no Preacher that shall follow him still with the terrors of the Judgment to come, although they be no other but the terrors of the Lord. No man will endure a corroding smarting plaster, of which he hopes for no good. Thus Cain being affrighted, stayed not till God put him away; but, the place and communication being too hot for him, He went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the Land of Nod , that is, in a place of exile, banishing himself in the most remote country that he could find. And Judas despairing, turns his back upon Christ, never coming more at him. So this hypocrite looking for no good of his trouble, cares not how soon, or by what means he rids himself of it.

On the Contrary, the true Believer willingly bears the terrors of God, till humbled under them.

He knows that it is good for a man to be sometimes under terrors, that he may thereby take occasion to lay himself low before God: Therefore albeit no afflicton be joyous as such for the present, yet he bares this as a man doth a corrosive to eat out proud flesh that hinders the cure of his wound. David was under great terrors for his great sins, but when he was lowest in the Dungeon we find him praying for taking away his sin, purging of his heart, and creating of a clean heart in him, and then, and not till then, to be freed of the Rack that he was upon.

He is content to stoop under the hand and discipline of God, patiently learning by bearing the power of his wrath, that he might after taste a more full draught of his sweetest mercies. He hath ever hope in his greatest tortures, as he that is sick with physic given for his recovery, that his terrors shall end in comfort, his hell in heaven. Therefore in the greatest terrors he runneth not from God, but cleaveth closer to him as a child to his father when most frighted with the rod; O Lord, saith he, I have heard thy voice, and was afraid. What then? Did he hide as Adam? or, go away from God, as Cain? No, but cleaves close unto God by prayer, revive thy work, that is, of mercy; in wrath remember mercy . Yea, so far is he from desiring to be eased, till he be humbled and bettered, that he rather fears God's hand will be taken off, and the plaster plucked off, before his deadly wound be cured.

Thus, this hypocrite makes no other use of the terrors of God seising on him, than the impenitent thief on the cross, that fell to railing at Christ, because for his sake he sustained such a dolorous death to bear him company; the true Believer is like the other thief, by his torments brought to a more thorough sight of his sins, and to justify God in his proceedings, with rebuking of his fellow, and closing with prayer to Christ to receive him to his Kingdom: the one blasphemeth, the other prayeth.

[Character 17] This hypocrites peace is without capitulation or parly.

Hitherto we have seen his deportment under terrors, we shall now view him in his supposed peace and comforts.

He would not be thought to be without peace with God, nor much interrogated, when or how made. That he rather would have to be supposed, then sifted. He hath framed to himself a peace with God; but without God. He is fallen into it, and is strongly persuaded of it: but he knows not how he came by it, or upon what terms. It is not a peace of God's proclaiming, but of his own devising; God peremptorily bids Isaiah to proclaim this to all the world, There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked . Therefore when this hypocrite talks loudest of his peace with God, he cares not how little he hath to do with God in it. He will rather have recourse to them that say, peace, peace, when there is no peace .

Thus, he talks of peace as if a Rebel should dream or fancy to himself a peace between him & his Sovereign, without ever treating with, or submitting to his Prince, but still continuing in Arms against him: I shall have peace, saith he, though I walk on in the stubborness of mine own heart to add drunkenness to thirst . This is rather a peace with the Devil, a covenant with death and hell , not with God; it will never hold, it shall be dissolved ; when God proclaims war, the Devil himself will break the league and be the first that shall fly in his face, and take him by the throat. God will not only disclaim, but dissolve it. His Covenant with death shall be disanulled, and his agreement with hell shall not stand . This peace is no better than for a thief to get a pardon of the Hang-man. This peace will be no discharge, it is but his own forgery. His peace is no other but the suppressing of the clamour of his conscience forth present, by hardening his heart more in that sin for which his conscience sometimes whips him, and winking with his eyes that he may not take a full view of his sin so often as conscience would hold before him the glass of the Law, till he can no longer stifle the terrors of God within him.

On the Contrary, the true Believer will have his peace with God, from God, or not at all.

He will have God speak the word: or, he knows it will do him no good, whoever else proclaims it. His resolution is, I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his Saints . If he speak it, it is worth accepting: otherwise 'tis not worth the hearkening to. Cause me to hear the voice of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice . He had rather be in trouble still, then to come out of it without a discharge from God: say thou unto my soul, I am thy salvation . He values not salvation itself, unless it come from God.

Not that he despiseth the peace of conscience within, if true. He is not ignorant that if conscience rightly informed and duly doing his office is God's mouth to his soul truly renewed by grace. And therefore, if his heart, freed from self-love and partiality, condemn him not, then he hath or may have confidence towards God . Then, and not before, the heart speaketh as God speaketh, that is, from the Word in the mouth of the faithful Minister, to whom the Word of reconciliation is committed . The Lord createth the fruit of the lips peace . He bindeth and looseth by his Ministers, not as giving away unto man his own authority or infallibility, to bind and loose at his pleasure; but, commissionating him as his Herald, or Ambassador to declare and publish God's own binding and loosing, as to the rule of either, leaving to man the application of the rule to particular persons. As • he Priest that was to view and order a person, or house infected with the plague of Leprosy; first, giving him the symptoms of the spreading; and signs of the abatement of the disease, and then appointing him diligently to view the Patient, and by those symptoms and signs to proceed with him. Thus God absolved, David repenting, by the mouth of Nathan, the Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die . But this God doth upon condition too: he will speak peace to his people: but, let them not turn again to folly . Never Prince received Rebels to mercy, but under the strongest assurance of future allegiance.

Thus, this hypocrite pretends to peace upon no better terms then Rogues to a Passe which they have made for themselves underan hedge. The true believer never accounts himself at peace with God, till he be justified by faith, and hath gotten his peace through our Lord Jesus Christ . The one hath gotten his peace from hell; the other from heaven.

This hypocrites peace with God is without war with his enemies. [Character 18]

He would have peace with God; and, by his own telling he hath it: but he is loath to espouse God's quarrels; and to engage in any of the Wars of the Lord, either offensive, or defensive; lest he should thereby have war with some of his nearest neighbors and dearest friends and allies, the corruptions within his own breast, with which he resolves to hold all correspondence and peace.

His peace is without purgation; yea, without pacification: for the quarrel on both sides is still maintained. The hypocrite harbours the old Traitor sin, against even the Prince of peace, and God still abhorreth the receiver and abettor of his enemies, as much as he doth the chief Rebel; God comprehendeth none in his peace, but with express exception of sin, and with condition not only to bear arms, but to fight stoutly with the whole Nation of this Amalek, with whom he hath sworn to have war unto all generations . Or, if he do make some preparation, and muster up his forces against the Amalekites, yet he takes no heed to the charge and order he hath received from God in the prosecution of that war.

God's commission and command to Saul is, now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and asse . This hypocrite, as Saul will muster up his men, and form a very great Army and make as if he would not leave so much as one man or beast alive. But what is the issue, the common sort, the lusts that he cares not for, they perhaps are destroyed, his swearing, drunkenness, lewd company, &c. are cast off; but Agag the King , his chief, his capital lust is spared; so also the best of the sheep, oxen, and all that was good, whatever lusts or means of serving and feeding his master lust; only that which is vile and refuse, that will be a disgrace to him among his new company, that he is content to destroy utterly . Thus the hypocrite pleaseth himself in deluding of himself and the world for awhile, until God send Samuel to tell him his own, and to let him know that, notwithstanding all his specious pretences of saving of some of the best, for sacrifice, that this was no other then rebellion, which is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, which Saul had so sharply punished; nor then stubbornness that ran up as high as the greatest iniquity, even Idolatry itself (k), that God himself would never endure even in those that were nearest to him. So that, how ever this hypocrite at present takes all to be peace between God and him, yet it will not be long ere God send a Jehu, his own conscience or somewhat else against him, of whom if he demand, Is it peace? he is sure to receive no better answer then Jehoram from Jehu , what peace so long as thy secret, thy beloved sins of whoredom, covetousness, pride, &c. are yet so many, and remain unmortified? In vain then shall it be for him to fly; for Jehu will then draw his bow in full strength; and cause the arrow of God entering his back, to go thorough his heart.

On the Contrary, the Believers peace is a change of war.

His peace with God is his war with sin. Before he fought against God in behalf of sin: now, he comes over to God, and bears arms against his former Lord. He is engaged in a war still, and not only dippeth his foot in the blood of his enemies, but causeth the very dogs to lick it up; he mustereth up all his graces, and not only so but all moral virtues too. He is content his members that were formerly weapons of war, should not be turned into plow-shares or pruning hooks, instruments of peace; but be employed still as weapons▪ only the war is changed. He will not now give up his members as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin, but of Righteousness unto God .

He passeth from the worse and weaker, over to the stronger and safer side. As Jehorams messengers turned behind Jehu, so he behind Jesus. And as Jezebel's Eunuchs offered themselves to the service of Jehu, even to the casting down of their Mistress out of the window, so the true Believer approveth his fidelity and love to Christ, in laying hands upon and destroying of that lust, that sin which before he served. A peace therefore he hath with God, but no security from war in the world. Upon every assault or conspiracy of sin discovered, the alarm is sounded, he stands to his arms, and goes out to battle upon every insurrection of concupiscence, aid from heaven is demanded, and granted: his life is a continual warfare, even when his peace is at the firmest with God.

Thus, this hypocrite comes to God for peace, as the Gibeonites to Joshua; for a league wilily pretending that he comes from a far Country, merely upon the fame of the greatness of the Name of the Lord: but, the true Christian comes unto him as Amasai to David, bringing with him the children of Benjamin and Judah, saying, Thine are we David, and on thy side thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee and peace be to thy helpers . The one mistakes a truce for a peace, the other makes a sure peace never to be dissolved: the one contents himself with peace in the world, although he have none with God: the other hath peace in Christ, even when he hath tribulation in the world .

[Character 19] This hypocrites joy in believing, is as an hasty birth, or too early spring.

Joy in the Holy Ghost, is the brightest luster of faith; unspeakably glorious, so that he that truly feels it cannot express it; much less comprehend it. To this therefore as well as to peace, this hypocrite layeth claim, but without a Title. He hath a joy, but it shoots up too fast to be right: the hast it makes to get up shows plainly enough that it grows up out of the Dunghill. A worldly joy, with a false name given it: It is too soon ripe to be good: and therefore proves quickly rotten. His heart is like tindar, it takes fire of joy so soon as it is but stricken upon, not like more solid wood that asks more labor to kindle it. The Temporary is said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , immediately to receive the Word with joy . The joy is in, as soon as the Word. But this is fancy, not true joy; fancy is quick, consideration is slow: and that fruit which lasteth longest comes up slowest. That Gourd which shot up in a night was as soon destroyed. His joy is as a sudden blaze made with straw, or thorns: not enough to warm him, even when it flames highest.

Contrarily, the true Believers joy takes more leisure.

He hath sometimes a winters night of heaviness, before the morning joy appeareth . Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart ? And they that sow in tears shall reap in joy . but, joy is a grain that is long ere it shoot up, and be white to the harvest; the husband-man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it ; and, the more precious, the longer he waiteth. The good ground brings forth fruit; but, with patience . Faith indeed, in some sense maketh hast, to lay hold on the promise, but, maketh not hast , to reap it, or to claim performance. Faith maketh hast to make sure of Christ: but doth not make hast as an hungry distrustful creditor, that is ready with a Sargeant to arrest him, even before the day. He can stay for his joy, so he be sure of it at last, not, as undervaluing it; but, as accounting it worth the staying for.

Fancy is very nimble, especially in mad men: but, in sober men, judgment is slow, because mature. Presumption is forward, deliberation is cautious. Presumption catcheth at all probabilities, appearances, possibilities; and so, fisheth all night, and catcheth nothing But faith pauseth upon the matter, considers difficulties as well as furtherances; and will not adventure to cry 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I have found it, till it be for some time possessed, that then it may rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory . It loves not to set foot on any ground of joy, until it hath made that ground its own.

Thus, this hypocrite is like a flash of lightening, as soon gone as come; the true Believers joy, is as the morning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day , The joy of the one is as the joy of children at a Bon-fire that doth nobody good; the joy of the other is as the joy of harvest, wherein all have their share and portion.

The hypocrites joy never came out of sorrow. [Character 20]

That which is light sown, & soon up, can have no deep root. The stony ground that wanteth earth will never be able to yield an enduring fruit, for lack of moisture to feed it There is little hope of harvest, or joy in it, when the former, and the latter rain hath not made way for it. There is no reaping in joy without sowing in sorrow. This it altogether wanting to the hypocrites joy; unless perhaps he hath been under the watering pot of some worldly sorrow, which may keep herbs alive, but will never make them thrive to purpose. Such sorrow will never end in joy, but rather in death . For the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment ; his joy is a triumph without a victory, a trophee without a fight; a Judgment without debate, and hearing of both sides: The Jews rejoiced in the Baptists light, for a time : they were much taken with the news that the Kingdom of God was so near at hand: but that joy vanished; like beauty that lasteth not long even where it is in greatest perfection (because, but skin-deep;) that they never mourned with him : they took no notice of the necessity of repentance which he also preached: nor, of bringing forth the fruits thereof . Even Herod was glad to hear him, but not at all humbled for the sin which John reproved. This is a very pleasing delusion to our hypocrite, to comfort himself in the hope of good; without troubling himself to repent of the evil.

On the Contrary, the Believers joy is the harvest of sorrow.

Heavinesse is the fore-runner of joy to him that is heavy with godly sorrow; as carnal joy is the inlet to all hellish terror, where godly sorrow takes it not at the rebound, and makes it fly back to make him mourn that is so full of false joy. Such joy is the ground of sorrow, as godly sorrow is, of spiritual joy. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted . Christ's way of giving joy is to give the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness . He never strowed joy, but where he found the waters of mourning running, and even overflowing the soul, whereby he finds the Believer to have need of some dryer path and some more pleasing steps to walk upon. This, the Believer knowing will go this way, or none, to joy.

In him therefore joy succeedeth sorrow, as the thread the needle; he remembering that promise; blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh . It comforteth in sorrow, for he saith, as the Psalmist, upon good experience, in the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts refresh my soul . No sickness; no Physic; no wounds, no plaster. And as true joy ariseth from, so it is cherished and increased by godly sorrow: for, as the sufferings of Christ abound in him, so also his consolations much more abound by Christ .

Thus, this hypocrites joy is like fire in an oven soon ready to blaze; the true Christians joy is like fire in the Smiths forge, that will never burn kindly, till it be thoroughly sprinkled with water: the one blazeth, the other heateth: the one, the greater it is, the more it scorcheth and burneth; the other, the stronger it is, the more it dissolveth and melteth the metal that is cast into it.

[Character 21] This hypocrites joy is only for the present.

He is rather jovial, then truly joyful. Let all things be to his content, and he can be wildly merry: Let anything cross him, and he is thunder-smitten. He can with Jonah rejoice in his Gourd while it flourisheth, but be angry to the death, if it wither. He is like the Melancholist, all in extremes: transported with joy, or suffering an inundation of sorrow. But his desire is to be joyful, while it will hold. When Christ the Bridegroom is with him, he rejoiceth greatly; because of the Bridegroom's voice . He knows there is now good cheer, music, and mirth good store present, or at hand; everyone can be merry at a wed • ng; else, he will not come there; Yet it is not so much the presence of Christ, as the good cheer and the mirth of the company that gladdeth this hypocrite: the circumstances of his presence; not the virtues of Christ, but his feast and favors: as many a man is loved and commended for his good-house-keeping, that is little regarded for his justice and piety. If Christ once with-draw himself, this hypocrites joy is lost, not in godly sorrow for his absence, but in discontent at his own loss of the loaves.

On the Contrary, the true Believers joy is perpetual.

His joy no man shall take from him . He looks on joy not only as a privilege, but as a duty. The precept is, rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice . Therefore he studies to be joyful in his God. He looks upon the promise too, of everlasting joy upon the heads of the Redeemed, who shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away . Therefore he endeavoreth to rejoice evermore , Christ is never absent to faith, therefore faith, even when the eye seeth him not, believing in him, rejoiceth with joy unspeakable and full of glory . And when Christ is most present, the joy of a true Believer is rather in him then in his gifts. Lord lift up thou the light of thy countenance upon us . I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied with thine Image, and, with thy likeness .

He joyeth more in himself, then in his hospitality; in his holiness, then in his bounty. In his inward presence, then in his outward additaments. Yea, when Christ is absent, the Believer fainteth not: because Christ hath not forsaken him, although he with-draw his presence, he hath taken care for his security whatever happeneth. In the world he may have tribulation, but Christ tells him this for his comfort, I have overcome the world . He takes care for this, and did it in his own person before he left the world. Therefore with faith (and not without some comfort) saith, I will wait upon the Lord who hath hid his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look to him .

And although sorrow then be seasonable, for the friends of the Bridegroom is taken from them . Yet, this departure leaveth not the Believer without some joy to think of his return. Indeed to rejoice with Christ in the prosperity of the Gospel is no sure sign of grace; for many rejoice with the Bridegroom at the marriage feast, yea, and not none that have not the wedding garment. But to mourn in absence, and to find no comfort but in remembrance of his former company, and in hope of his return, this is of the Spirit and of the Bride. I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God.

This hypocrites joy is but a say, or a taste only.

[Character 22] Many take a say of that they buy not, and taste of that on which they feed not. The Merchant will deny no man a say, or taste of his commodity. Such a taste hath the hypocrite of this heavenly gift; It seems to him a goodly thing, and worth having to him that would go to the price. And he is willing to subscribe to the blessedness of God's Israel: The Lord his God is with him, and the joyful shout of a King is amongst them . It is good being in their company at such a time, when even the King himself shouteth for joy at their company and society. Thus his heart is tickled with the taste and consideration of these things, as in reading of a pleasant story which concerns his fancy more then his interest: or in hearing the description of a pleasant country, whether he hath a months mind, but no settled resolution one day to go.

On the contrary, the true believers joy is deeply taken in, not only as present food, but as an earnest of more joy.

The bargain is driven and concluded between God and him. Therefore as when a trades-man buys of the Merchant, after they have bargained, he takes some part of the commodity which he is able to bear, home with him presently, till he can get home the rest of his bargain: so doth the believer, he carries home joy with him, as being no burden, yet of much Contentment to him, and this he takes as a beginning and earnest of eternal life. And God speaks unto his heart, when he takes up this joy, as you like this, so shall you find the rest, and better. So soon as he believeth to purpose, as taking God for his own, he rejoiceth with joy unspeakable. He considereth of heaven as a City prepared for him, and of God as his main portion in it, and of joy as the chief food, he shall there feed upon: therefore he labors to take in as much thereof at present as he can hold, because he looks upon it as his own, with which he may be free, and of which he heareth Christ, the chief author of it, speaking to all such as he is, Eat O friends; drink, yea drink abundantly O beloved . He looketh upon heaven as his own, in which his name is written , to be one of the possessors of it, as a portion cast out by God's own lot for him from all eternity, and that as his eternal inheritance forever to be enjoyed.

According to this interest, is his joy; a sincere, massy, substantial, feeding, nourishing joy; a full joy, even when without outward things wherein the hypocrite rejoiceth most. It is that which gives him not only contentment, but strength. It layeth hold on God even when he is departing, and lives upon him when the believer cannot live in himself.

Thus, this hypocrite rather makes a show of joy, then ever took it down: the true believer takes it down, even when he makes no show of it at all: the one floteth upon the face of the water of joy, the other diveth down to the bottom of it: the one likes it, but bargains not for it, the other selleth all he hath to buy it.

This hypocrites faith throughout is but a spiders web. [Character 23]

Take it not only in what it seemeth to be: but, in what it is too in all the parts and effects of it, it is a mere spiders web: curious, but slight; cunningly wrought, but good for nothing; artificial, but not stable, or useful. It is smooth as a bulrush, but not to be leaned upon. Thus God chargeth the hypocrites of old, that thought much he did not save them as in former times; they weave the spiders web , they trust in vanity, and speak lies. All their faith was but a spiders web, and that is no other but vanity to be trusted in: and while they speak great swelling words of vanity, in magnifying this web, this vanity; they speak but lies, their own consciences cannot (if they may speak) but tell them that they know all that they speak of it to be lies. And therefore God tells them plainly, their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works .

This is the hypocrites chief house, his strongest cittadel, upon which he leaneth, but it shall not stand; he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure . He shall hold it, and thinks he needs no better, but it shall not hold him, much less hold out with him. It seemeth to be a strong piece, while a man hath no need of it; but if he need a strong Fort, or Bulwark, he will soon find this to be what Tobiah in scorn spake of the Jews building, even that which he buildeth, if a fox go up he shall even break down the stone wall . If this hypocrite lie down on this bed for pleasure, it may serve for a shift; but if he be conscience-sick, and must lie by it, and trust to the strength of the bed-cords, he will soon find the weakness of his confidence. Every affliction how small so ever, will prove a besom to sweep down this web . But trouble of conscience, will be as the hail of vengeance, that sweepeth away the refuge of lies: and the terrors of God's wrath; as the waters that overflow his hiding place .

On the contrary; the faith of a true believer is too strong for Hell.

This makes him as Mount Zion, that cannot be removed, but abideth forever . No storms can overturn it, because built on a rock ; and on such a rock, that the gates of bell shall not prevail against . This makes the righteous to be an everlasting foundation ; when the wicked passeth away as a whirl-wind. It makes the believer to be a tree, well rooted, (because planted of the Lord ) which is not blown down by the strongest wind, but rather more settled, and more deeply moared, or rooted; so is the faith of a true believer, by the sharpest afflictions. The more affliction, the more assurance. That which blows away the hypocrites trust, and dissipates his joy (as wind doth a bubble) confirms the faith of the Elect, which the more it is pressed, the more it flourisheth; the more it is trodden upon, the more fruit it yieldeth.

Abraham against hope, believed in hope ; against all hope that by course of nature might be expected, he believed in hope which by faith he had conceived in the God of nature; and prevailed. Jonahs faith failed him not even in the Whales belly, out of the belly of hell I cried, and thou heardest my voice , saith Jonah to God in the triumph of faith Paul, when he fought with men , that were indeed but beasts in conditions, wanted not strength; but when he fought with Satan that went to buffets with him , his strength was doubled. His faith laid fast hold on God's strength, as Jacob of the Angels, and thereby found his grace sufficient for him, and God's strength made perfect in man's weakness .

What say I, with men, or with Satan? when Jacob had power with God, and prevailed ; and the woman of Canaan, with Christ; who gave both the Bell, and the Bucklers to her faith, as we use to speak? The Bell, when he cried out with admiration, and as it were ravished with joy to see it, O woman great is thy faith . Great indeed, that from the name of Dog could retort the argument, and out-argue the Lord of reason, and make that a prevailing argument for mercy, which Christ had used against her as his last and strongest reason to deny it; (but such is the nature of true saith, that if God take up the sword, faith gets within his weapon, and in his very bosom sheltreth herself from his blow.) And as he gave her the Bell, for her faith; so he even throws her the bucklers too (which the devil could never wrest out of his hands) as unable to stand out any longer against her; Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt.

Thus, the believing hypocrite hath spun a fair thread of imaginary faith, which if good for anything, serves only as Judas his halter to hang him; but the true believers faith is as the net-work of brass that encompassed the Altar , whereby he is secured against all annoyances: the faith of the one is like Mephibosheth, lame of both his feet , that it is not able to stir a foot to God upon any occasion; the faith of the other is like the Angel, having one foot upon the sea, and the other upon the earth , as being able to encounter and vanquish all difficulties both by sea and land.

CHAP. XXIV. The Hoping Hypocrite, Is he that hopeth in God without God.

AS is the mother, so is the daughter, saith the Hebrew Proverb . Such as this hypocrites faith is, such is his hope: the one is a reed shaken with every wind; the other a bladder filled with wind; which we must therefore prick and let out. As faith is the primum vivens, the first thing that lives, so hope is ultimum moriens, the last that dieth in a Christian. If it were not for hope, ofttimes the heart would break. While there is life, there is hope; and while there is hope, there is life in a Christian. It therefore concerns everyone very nearly, that would enjoy clean life, as we say, to see carefully to his hope, that he be not cheated, as this hypocrite is, with an imaginary false hope that will perish, when he hath most need to lean upon it, and to be borne up by it.

True it is, that he can no more entitle himself to hope, than unto faith; but he that hath the fore-head to lay claim to the one, will have the impudence to challenge a right in the other. Therefore we often read of the hypocrites hope; not that he indeed hath it, but strongly imagineth he hath it. He believes so with the best faith he hath: therefore is that often attributed to him, which he so confidently claimeth, that yet neither is, nor can be at all truly found in him. So, we call him the hoping hypocrite, not that he truly hopeth, but only seemeth so, and would so be esteemed.

A hope he hath, and that (if you believe him) is in God; but such, as God never wrought nor owneth. For, true hope is a supernatural grace wrought by God in the heart of a true believer, whereby he waiteth and expecteth the accomplishment of all the promises which by faith he hath believed. God who is the God of all grace , is particularly styled the God of hope , as being the Author as well as the object of all hope that is true. But how can this hypocrite entitle God to his hope, whom he never knew, but by the hearing of the ear, and whose hope is wholly destitute of all those properties which are in that hope which God worketh in a believer, as we shall after demonstrate? True hope is also as properly the daughter of faith, as grace is the workmanship of God. Charity therefore is said to hope all things, because it believeth all things . How then can he hope anything with a supernatural hope, that never was owner of saving faith?

It is not denied that faith differs from hope in sundry things: faith is before hope, and leads it up to the object, hope followeth as faith leadeth; they differ in their objects; faith hath for its object the whole Word of God; hope, only the promises (we believe the torments of the wicked, but we do not hope them;) the object of faith be things past, present and to come; but the object of hope is only something future ; the objects of faith be all things revealed, the object of hope, only good things to come. They differ also in their acts, faith assenteth to, and applieth the promise; hope expects and waits the accomplishment; faith gives interest, hope expects livery and seisin; faith is employed about reconciliation and holiness of life; hope is chiefly taken up about the retired and ravishing thoughts of glorification, the end and crown of faith; faith in some part, takes possession of Christ here, hope waits for a more full and glorious possession and fruition of Christ hereafter. But all these differences notwithstanding, there is no parting of these two graces; he that will have one must have both: he that wants the one, cannot be truly possessed of the other. I therefore conclude that what ever this hypocrite boast of his hope, it is but vain boasting; he will one day find it so, when God shall unmask him, and give him the just recompense of reward, fo all his counterfeiting, which he must expect; for, coyners and counterfeiters of the Princes money was never reputed or punished less then high treason. And what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul ? His hope, that is, his boasting of it, might be an inlet to some profit and gain among men; but the taking away of his soul shows what his hope was at the best.

On the contrary, the true Christian never hopeth in God, but he doth it from God.

God first by his Spirit works hope in him, before he presumeth to hope in God. He hath first the habit before the exercise: And when he hath that, yet he sets it not on work without a ground to work upon. He first looks on the promise by the eye of faith, before his hope dares expect the thing promised. Whatsoever God promiseth, hope waiteth for; so that the promise is the ground, as well as object of hope. Faith is the plummet, Hope the Anchor, and love the Cable of the Christian soul. The Anchor must have ground to fasten on, ere it can secure the ship: and the ground must be sounded by the plummet of faith, ere the anchor be let down. Abraham had first a promise, of which faith took the depth, and then he sets the anchor of hope, to fasten on it for the accomplishment thereof: and so, against hope he believed in hope .

Yea, the promise is so the ground of his hope, that he makes it the only ground. God's goodness, power and faithfulness, looked at by some as grounds of hope, are not so to him, without the promise: for, what warrant can he have to hope in God's goodness, faithfulness, or power, but by virtue of the promise; and, that promise applied by faith? But, when once he hath made sure the promise, then these are excellent props and pillars to strengthen his hope, even to rejoicing in hope . He therefore fastens his anchor upon the promise, and the things within it, and upon nothing else.

He knoweth indeed that faith is the ground of things hoped for ; and so he makes use of it, not as the object on which hope fasteneth, for that is only the promise; but, as the inlet to hope to fasten on the promise, faith having first laid this foundation, that God is faithful God, and his words are true , and he hath made the promise, which faith believeth, applieth, and resteth on; and so lays a good ground for hope to build expectation of accomplishment thereupon. Therefore he saith, I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, in his Word do I hope . His waiting is his hoping; and, God's Word, that is, his promise, is the ground of his hope even in God himself.

Thus, this hypocrite, is as she that undertaking to discern a needle on the top of an house, would still stand in it that she saw the needle, even when by her own confession she could not see the house; for he professeth to hope in God, yet never came so near God as to believe in him, or to know what he is, and what he hath promised. The true Christian is as Abraham's servant, that when meat was set before him, would not eat, until he had told his errand, and had some assurance of speeding in the thing he went for; so the Christian will not feed himself with hope, till he see what God hath in store for him, upon which he may fasten. The one hopes in God, in whom he believeth not, the other believeth, and therefore hopeth to purpose.

This Hypocrite will hope, what he neither doth, nor dares believe.

[Character 1] We have seen in his description, how preposterous he is, to hope before he have faith: here we shall find him superstitiously modest, in not daring to believe what he professeth to hope for. It is presumption, saith he, to make too sure of my part in heaven by a certainty of saith, faith must go no further than generals. Christ came to save sinners; of which number I hope to be one, but I dare not absolutely believe it. I shall never desire more then a certainty of hope, leaving certainty of faith to presumptuous ones that dare be so bold with God. Thus he divideth hope and faith, which like hypocrites twins are never asunder.

Hereby he declareth plainly what his hope is, when he neither knoweth the Scriptures nor the power of God. For, if faith be the ground of things hoped for, what can he hope for that by faith he believes not? He can look upon rem verbi, the thing promised, by hope, before he beholds verbum rei, the Word of promise, by faith? Faith looketh on the evidence and assurance which is the promise, in regard whereof the thing promised is present to faith, which is the evidence of things not seen . Hope looks on the inheritance and performance, in respect whereof the promise is expected. And what more absurd, than that hope should have any certainty at all without faith. anymore then an anchor should have any stay without ground to fasten upon. Hope is the anchor of the soul , and faith must go before to sound the ground or hope cannot do its office. No marvel then if this hypocrites hope be as the house of spiders ; for such is his vain waiting for heaven without faith, who because cannot believe (not finding in himself the conditions and effects of faith), will yet pretend to hope to do himself a pleasure; but by no means to believe; because that is too much: as he accounts everything else, which he seeth in others and cannot reach himself.

On the contrary, the Christians hope is subordinate unto faith, what he dares not believe, he dares not hope.

He looks not upon hope as a natural prop to stay up men's hearts that have to do with men, whom he cannot well tell what they be, or what they intend. Sometimes their countenance, words and carriage promise fair, but without any positive and certain engagement by word or writing: sometimes, they are more severe and reserved: and sometimes when they promise, it is but a man's promise; and nothing more sure than this, that men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie, to be laid in the balance they are altogether lighter than vanity ; therefore here many times, let him be as strict an observer of man as he can, and by the judgment of charity judge of him as honourably as he can, yet he knows not well what to believe, to be sure of it; therefore he dares not be over confident: many things fall out between the cup and the lip; and how many have broken promise that yet have been counted very honest and just of their words? He will therefore not be over confident: only because he seeth all things have a promising aspect, he will hope well. And further than this he dares not go. This is human hope in man; and yet this is all the hypocrite hath in God.

But the true Christian hath to do with a God that liveth forever; and changeth not , nor is there in his nature so much as the least variableness or shadow of turning . He knoweth whom he hath believed, and his hope is of a more sublime and divine extract, and given him immediately by the God of consolation ; therefore here keeps to the nature and rules of this hope, which is as inseparable from faith as heat from fire. If he rejoice under hope, it is because he hath access by faith ; and never dares to expect performance by hope, till he first give glory to God in believing the promise. And then against all discouragements of human hope, he believeth, in divine hope ; he believeth so as to be in hope and assurance of the performance . He knows that the God of hope must not only give him some joy and peace, but fill him with all joy and peace in believing, ere he can abound in hope . And that hope so built and bottomed will never make ashamed .

Thus, this hypocrite pretending modesty betrays his ignorance and infidelity both at once; his ignorance of the true nature of hope to which he pretendeth; and his infidelity, in not believing God upon his Word; the true Christian declares his true modesty and faith too in not daring to own any hope towards God, but that which springs out of faith; the one plays with the word hope, without the thing; the other improves the thing to the utmost, because he hath both word and thing in him.

[Character 2] This hypocrites hope is carnal.

It savors more of the dunghill, not only for the pedigree and extract, but for the use and exercise of it. For, how ever this hypocrite will sometimes seem very eager after the things above, as David longed much after some of the waters of Bethlehem; yet, as David would not drink it, but poured it out upon the ground , when brought unto him, so this hypocrite is not inwardly so hasty or thirsty after the things of heaven, when God even thrusteth them into his bosom, and stretcheth out his hand all the day long, to persuade and draw him to accept thereof; he will rather pour out this water of life upon the ground, or cast it behind him; and, when Christ again and again, yea, very often would have gathered him in for himself, as an hen her chickens under her wing, he would not come at him : But he runs yapping or chirping after any meat thrown by any other hand before him, or rather lieth scraping in a dunghill, till the Kite make him his prey.

So that, if you mark him strictly, you shall see him for one wish for true grace, to put out ten for a large estate, peace and freedom from trouble in the world, for towardly children, and good portions for them; for honor, preferment; his hopes run most naturally and strongly this way. O that I could once get such or such a thing done! then were I made forever (perhaps, undone forever:) but as for heaven, and for giving you an account of his hopes that way, and of the reason of that hope which he vaunts to be very high in him: you shall seldom or never hear him that way inclined, unless when he is casually asked the question: and then commonly he gives such an answer as tends more to commend himself, than to give glory to God, unless from the teeth outward: rather to save his credt, than to comfort his soul from any solid ground of consolation laid up in him.

On the Contrary, the true Christians hope is heavenly.

He labors not so much strengthen his hope touching the things of this life, as to get assurance of better, that is, of heavenly and everlasting consolations and of good hope through grace. He neglecteth not the meanest promise for the meanest b essing of this life, no more then he resteth in the greatest. He looks higher, he never resteth satisfied, till he get the hope laid up for him in heaven , and hope for it with full assurance unto the end . His hope is as the needle truly touched with the load-stone, that never stands still, till it directly point to the North-pole; it never resteth and fixeth on anything below heaven. Yea, heaven itself is too little to satisfy his hope, unless God himself may be had and enjoyed too, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none on earth that I desire beside thee . Here his hope is in his element: here would he dwell, till he enjoy his hopes.

Thus, this hyp • crite pretending for heaven, lays out all his hopes upon earth, as the Mariner that roweth one way, and looketh another; the true Christian setteth his hope in God, and affections on things above, and not on things below ; the one hath his eye towards heaven, and his heart in the dung-hill; the hope of the other is as the woman clothed with the Sun, having the Moon under her feet .

[Character 3] This hypocrites hope is Popish hope.

This hath been in part made out before . But that is not all nor the worst; for he that dares not be assured of God by an assurance of faith, dares hope in himself, as believing there is cause. He believes he hath good works enow to warrant his hope in God; yea he believes it to be no better than presumption to hope without merit. Thus with the Pharisee, he delights to tell God a story of his own good works. But he thinks to salve all with this, that he placeth no confidence in works done by strength of nature, or before regeneration and justification, but such as the fruits of the grace of God in his heart. And did the Pharisee do less? He begins his story with God, I thank thee I am not as other men . He attributes to God and his grace, his being better than others: so that a Pharisee, a Papist, and this hypocrite all agree in this one conclusion that their hope must be grounded in part at least upon their upon their own works and merits, or they offend in hoping; which offers an high affront to the free grace of God, as if his grace without concurrence of man's merit were not ground sufficient to hope in God, notwithstanding all his promises in Christ.

On the contrary, the true Christians hope is a despairing hope.

Not in the sense of the hypocrite who despaireth of God unless he find somewhat in himself to eek out his hope; but in David's sense, I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me . He despairs of anything of his own, that he may hope only in God, as he had before expressed himself, through thee will we push down our enemies; through thy Name will we tread them under that rise up against us . In the same instant wherein he begins to hope for heaven, he utterly despairs of all means and merits of his own to bring him thither, and cordially joineth with the people of God in that just confession; We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities; like the wind, have taken us away ; and therefore he wholly relieth upon the free grace, and undeserved mercy of God in Christ, as that self-condemned Jesuit , after all his wranglings and forced concludings against it, is even compelled to conclude this to be the safest way.

Thus, this hypocrite is a proud man that transgresseth by the wine of pride, which the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth , hath caroused to him, and put to his nose to make him drunk also . He will not so much as hope for heaven, unless he may, in part at least, earn it at his fingers ends: the true Christian when he looks upon himself, is as the Publican, smiting upon (if not his breast, yet) his heart, and saying, God be merciful unto me a sinner ; and when he looks upon God, he saith, In God we boast all the day long ; the one will not trust in God without some hope of himself, the other cannot hope in God, until he despair of himself.

This hypocrites hope is a lazy loitering hope. [Character 4]

He fain would have heaven, and hopes for it; but he makes no hast towards it, or to make sure of it. Counterfeit hope is in show very modest, because in truth but a counterfeit, and knows well that she shall come short of what she hopes for, and therefore no hast, to be made ashamed. Shame will come fast enough upon her, although she make no haste towards it. Few people after sentence, make haste to the whipping post, or galllows. This hypocrite knows his hope must perish, therefore he will hold it up, and himself in it; so long as he can. Hence he will tell you, he is not so hasty to be gone out of the world, as some pretend to be; he can stay for heaven, till his work be done on earth. And, if God will let him live to Methusalems age, before he take him out of the world, he shall be very well contented: not because he can hope for any great content here, but because he hath less hope of any when departed hence.

And, as for those things which strike terror to the wicked, and are as daggers to his heart, death and judgment: he is so far from hoping for either of those days, that he heartily wisheth they may never come, and trembles to hear and think that they will come, as not only Felix an Heathen, not yet admitted within the pales of the Church, did at the very mention of the judgment to come ; but even the sinners in Zion are afraid; and among them none like the hypocrite, who is nothing but trembling all over, to consider how ill he shall be able to dwell with devouring fire, and everlasting burnings . Thus, the hope of the hypocrite is not so earnest or hasty, it can very well stay; and the longer the better.

On the Contrary, the hope of a Christian is earnest for the thing hoped for.

When once he is in hope of the thing believed, his hope makes him earnest for the possession of it. Hence Paul calls his hope his earnest expectation. Yea, the expectation that is in all creatures to be delivered from the vanity and bondage of corruption to which they are subject by man's sin, until the dissolution of the world, is called a groaning and travailing in pains , even as a woman in travail longs to be delivered, and thinks even the shortest time long, till she be over that work. There is nothing that looks like hope, but it is very earnest, much more then is true hope earnest, not in show only, but in deed. He saith as David, my soul waiteth for the Lord, more then they that watch for the morning; and lest men should think he had watched so long that he spake this between sleeping and waking, not well knowing what he said (no more then Peter, on Mount Tabor ) he repeats it again, I say, more then they that watch for the morning . Look how a poor watchman, that hath sat up and been abroad in a cold night (whiles others hath been taking their rest and sleep in their warm beds) doth watch for the first break of day, that he be discharged and take some rest also; so earnest is a Christian after God, when once he truly hopeth in him. Neither is true hope dulled or discouraged, but rather whetted and made more earnest, by delays. As Gregory the Great hath well observed. Cuncta desideria dilatione crescunt; si non, desideria non fuerunt. All desires are increased by delay: if not, they were never true desires: wishes they may be, hope they are not.

Yea, hope is so earnest, that it is earnest by grace, for that which is to nature most terrible. What more terrible than death? yet the Christian desireth to depart and to be with Christ ; he hath in him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a lusting, a longing after it. What so dreadful, as the last day? yet even the Christian (who in many things sinneth every day) can no sooner hear a message from Christ, surely, I come quickly: but the Christian catcheth it as hastily as ever Benhadad's servants did the word of Ahab, to save their masters life, and takes him at his word, Amen, Even so come Lord Jesus . Not that such a day can be without terror, even to a Paul , in regard of the expectation of nature: but yet it is otherwise to grace, and to this grace of hope; for this makes them, who have received the first fruits of the Spirit, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to groan (or sigh even with tears) waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of their bodies ; and still to be looking for, and hastening to the coming of the day of God .

Thus, this hypocrite pretending hope of heaven, makes no more haste out of the world, than Lot out of Sodom : the true Christian hearing of Christ's coming, is as the Spirit and the Bride, that saith come . The one talks much of heaven, but likes well to stay upon earth; the other is so full of his hope, that he looks upon his body as fetters, and on the world as his fail.

[Character 5] This hypocrites hope in some things is very impatient.

He is not so patient and well contented, to stay for heaven and the day of judgment, but he is on the other side as eager, earnest, and impatient after the enjoying of his hopes on earth. Here he must be served presently, or God shall hear of him, and the world shall ring of him. If he do but hold up his finger to heaven, he thinks God must attend him presently, and that he should be with him at a whistle. But, if he not only pray, but fast too, and God do not presently answer and gratify him, although it be but in some sinful request to enable him to commit more wickedness, he presently arraignes God, at the hypocrites own bar, Wherefore have we fasted, saith he, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge ?

If any evils befall him, or others, and he hath waited some time for their removal, but sees them continued: he flees out into a rage, yea breaks out into blasphemy, this evil is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer . He thinks he may justify any impatiency and malapert carriage towards God, if God make him wait but an hour beyond the time that this hypocrite sets him. If God cross him in his hopes of outward things: then, hope and wait who will: for his part he will take another course: he hath not the patience to tarry the Lord's leisure: he will not longer follow providence; but either lead it, or leave it.

On the contrary, the hope of a Christian is a patient hope.

He can be as earnest as another for heavenly things truly hoped for; but he can with all wait the Lord's leisure for any things of this life. Therefore as hope is an expectation, so it is a waiting too; for if we hope for that we see not, we do with patience wait for it . Hence the Christian when he hopeth, saith, I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, in his Word do I hope ; then he hopeth in the Lord, when he waiteth patiently for him . True hope makes a Christian patient till God satisfy his hopes; therefore patience is called the patience of hope , as being no less requisite to hope then water to blood in the veins. For he findeth that things hoped for are not visible, unless to faith: hope that is seen as present to the eye, is no hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? He also considereth that the chiefest things hoped for, are furthest off. It will or may be a long time before he be in full possession of heaven, and of God in glory. He must go to heaven through the grave, where his flesh also must rest in hope , and there it must stay and rot, and dissolve to dust, ere it be raised and possessed of its hope. Yea, there is one thing more that will exercise patience to purpose, and that is, the flouts and scoffs of hopeless wretches in the world, that mock and persecute him as Ishmael did Isaac , and as the wretched Jews did Christ upon the cross , for his very hope. Thus Paul found it to befall him and his fellows. Therefore we suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God . In all which respects the Christian is well aware that he hath need of patience (and accordingly arms himself with it), that when he hath done the will of God, he may receive the promise .

Thus, this hypocrite discovereth his hope to be counterfeit in expecting heavenly things by this, that there he can be content to stay long enough; while in the mean time he is so impatient in earthly things hoped for, that he will not tarry the Lord's time and leisure to receive them; the true Christian declares his hope to be right in that it can both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord , till the Lord's time come; and that although it tarry, yet he waits for it, till at the end it speaks ; the one is as Saul that will not tarry till Samuel comes, although Samuel delayeth not a day set for his coming , the other, is as the husbandman that waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it .

The hypocrites hope is a dull melancholic hope. [Character 6]

He talks of hope, but so sadly and dully as if his heart were fuller of sadness and fear, than of hope; his hope in God breeds no cheerfulness in him: he is like David under a cloud, the act of of whose hope is intermitted; his soul is cast down and disquieted within him , not because he hoped, but because at present he did not hope in God, which David calls upon his soul to do. But it was never so with David, when he actually exercised his hope: for, even then, when he hoped not, he could tell his soul, that if she would but hope in God, he should soon turn his mourning into joy: hope in God, for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God ; and this he could not apprehend, but he must needs praise him with joyful lips . But the hypocrite is all amort and lumpish at heart, even when he talks most of his hopes. Even in laughter his heart is sorrowful, and the end of his mirth is heaviness , because his hope must perish .

He may sometimes force a mirth upon himself, and be thereby merry at heart too for a while. But he is never the merrier for his hope; his mirth is from some other cause, either wealth flows in upon him, he hath had the better of his adversary, he swims in pleasure, or he is naturally cheerful, but the joy of the wicked is but short, and the rejoicing of the hypocrite is but for a moment . God will unmask him, and turn his inside outward, wherein every man may read written upon his heart, lamentations, and mourning, and woe .

On the contrary, the Christians hope is a merry hope.

Not merry, like Nabal's when he was drunk , but as the people, feasted by Sololomon at the Dedication of the Altar, who were glad and merry in heart for the goodness of the Lord . He rejoiceth in hope ; sometimes joy in believing goes before and makes way for hope , As David, when he speaks of his hope, he makes joy the prologue, my heart is glad, my tongue rejoiceth, and then adds, My flesh also shall rest in hope . Here joy is the inlet to hope. But hope is never without true joy as the result of it, because hope expects, and makes sure of the chiefest object of the greatest joy.

Sometimes hope deferred proves the fainting of the heart, making the heart sick ; but this is human, not true supernatural hope, the hope of the hypocrite, not of the Christian; for he can wait when the hypocrite will not, and is sure, that early or late, in God's good time, the desire, that is, the thing hoped for, cometh to him, and shall be to him as a tree of life. And albeit the object of hope be some good not yet enjoyed, while the object of joy is present good in possession, yet the Christian looks at two things at once in his hope, the one is, the assurance of the thing promised and by faith believed, and this causeth expectation and waiting; the other is the excellency of the thing assured, and this causeth joy; for if glory be promised, and hoped for, he will rejoice under the hope of the glory of God . And to speak properly and truly, there is no joy but in hope (except joy in believing ) for what joy can any man take in the things of this life, if he seriously consider that he hath no hope of a better? If in this life only we have hope, even, in Christ himself, we are of all men most miserable . Can a man rejoice, when he indeed considereth that he lieth under the greatest misery? It is only for a fool to go laughing to the stocks; and for a beast to go leaping and skipping to the shambles .

Thus, as Cain had his countenance cast down, notwithstanding his sacrifice ; so this hypocrite hath a sad heart in the midst of all his most glorious pretences to very high hopes: the true Christian is as Abraham, laughing for joy at the news of a Son, when he had given so much glory to God , as to believe and hope it, how improbable and impossible soever the performance of that promise was to flesh and blood; in the ordinary course of nature: the one derogates more from God by his dumpish sadness, then he gives him honor by his hope; the other honoreth God both in his hope that is true, and in his joy that is full.

[Character 7] The hypocrites hope is a loose and unclean hope.

His hope hath no cleansing property in it, it suffers him to be as lewd, filthy, and secure in his lewdness as the Atheistical Epicure in Maenander, Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall die . He talks much of his hopes to go to heaven, but he never provides for it by cleansing himself from that filthiness which is in him, and will lie as a barin his way. His hope is at full tide, yet cannot spare one tear for sin, he hath no hand for the poor, nor for any good work. He hath no stomach to endure fasting, no knees for praying, no time for humiliation, for washing his hands, or for purifying his heart . He knows God is merciful, and therefore he will take the more liberty in sin. If God should, saith he, deal with me according to justice, then I confess I am gone and undone. But God, he hopes, will be more merciful then so, there be thousands in the same case, which, God forbid, should go to hell. Wherefore serves Christ but to keep him and them thence? Many such roaring hopers there are in the world, that talk this out aloud; and if God will accept of him upon these terms, well and good; if not, he will run the hazard. But, this hypocrite is of a more demure and austere deportment: he professeth hope with his lips, and doth keep in from open and professed debauchednesse; yet in his heart he so carries his confidence, that he concludes, he shall have peace howsoever: to all such may justly be applied that of the Prophet, The Lord hath rejected your confidences, ye shall not prosper in them.

Contrarily, true hope is a purging hope.

Hope is to the Christian under Christ, a refiners fire, and fullers sope , it will separate the dross from the gold, it will purge out all that filth, and those spots that ordinary water cannot cleanse. He that hath this hope purgeth himself even as God is pure . What hope, but that of being made like unto God in a more glorious manner then now we are capable of, when we shall in glory see him as he is ? He that hath those promises that God will be his Father, and he shall be his son, will purge himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God . For well he knoweth, that this God requires of all that desire and expect him to be a Father. Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you ; he therefore mortifieth his earthly members, fornication, &c. upon this very account and hope, that when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we appear with him in glory . He that is most in hope is most employed in mortification and holiness of life; his hope is like a careful governor that stirreth him up to all duty; upon expectation of a full reward. Because he is assured, that though the Gates of heaven stand open to him and for him day and night, yet there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, or worketh abomination, or maketh a lie .

Thus, as the four Lepers that being put out of the gates of Samaria, fell to the Host of the Syrians , minded their bellies more then their cure; so this hypocrite, if he can but compass what he hopes for, let others look out for holiness that will; but the true Christian is as the Leper that is first healed of his leprosy by Christ, before he will press into the presence of God to show himself to the Priest ; the one presseth into the marriage-feast without a wedding garment, and so is cast out with disgrace and confusion: the other is as the Lambs wife that makes herself ready for the marriage, by being arrayed in fine linen clean and white , and so she is married to the Lord forever .

This hypocrites hope is uncertain and doubtful. [Character 8]

If he be not careless altogether, but looks a little about him, he knows his hope to be of so base an original, and so mere a phantasme that well may he doubt, not as one of little faith, but as having none at all. Therefore he is always wavering, floating like a wave of the sea. Now in some hope, by and by concluding there is no hope ; And because he knows that if it be once taken for granted, that hope gives assurance, then he is gone: therefore seeing he cannot hope to get assurance himself, he will do his best (or rather his worst) to drive all others from assurance too, that all may fare alike.

Hence, he calls assurance of salvation an unhappy security, presumption and a faithless persuasion ; and so it must needs be in him that is so void of faith.

On the contrary, the hope of a Christian gives full assurance of the thing hoped for.

I deny not but some who have true hope may be without assurance, as he that is truly living may be without health. But where hope hath her perfect work, it worketh assurance, as naturally as life produceth not only motion, but a good state of health that the body may move with more vivacity and activity. As faith begets a plerophory of faith; so hope, a full assurance of hope to the end . Hence hope is compared to an Anchor, and is called the Anchor of the soul, which hath these two properties, to be both sure and steadfast ; now an Anchor must take not only true hold, but fast hold, or it can never secure the ship. If it take fast hold the ship is safe, unless the ground be loose and uncertain: but here is no fear of that, because this Anchor enters into that which is within the veil, which is no other then Christ himself now in heaven, and there appearing in the presence of God for us.

Yea, such assurance doth hope give to a Christian (unless when extraordinarily assaulted by some violent temptation) that it makes him (having a promise believed by faith) to hope, as Abraham, not only for things difficult, but even impossible in nature, and contrary to all human reason: as he did for a son long after Sarah was past child-bearing. And even the troubled conscience, when most tossed on the waves of temptation, dares not let go his hold to cast off all hopes of heaven, when it sees nothing but hell before him, but resolves thus, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him , and is of his mind, qui nihil potest sperare desperet nihil. He that cannot hope at all, let him not despair; for though he hath nothing in himself to ground hope upon, yet when he looks upon the promise, there is hold enough for his anchor.

Thus, this hypocrite is as the adversaries of Judah, that when they could not be permitted to build with God's people, hired Counselors to hinder the work ; so he sets Jesuits and others to plead against that assurance, which he cannot get: the true Christian is as Zerubbabel, bringing forth the head-stone thereof with shouting, crying, grace unto it ; the one disgraceth the assurance of hope, because not acquainted with it, the other gives her her just due, as having experience of it.

[Character 9] This hypocrites hope is a presumptuous hope.

He is ever in extremes, without taking hold on the mean. Either he is all for doubting, or all for presumption. If he be not for controversy, to dispute against hope, he is for impudence to abuse the name of hope while he goes on in wickedness. Either he bears himself out upon his hope, even when he knows and confesseth that he walloweth in all iniquity without so much as ever thinking to do otherwise, in hope God will be kinder then he threatens to be ; or at least makes bold at the present to go on in sin, taking day to repent hereafter, presuming he shall live to that day, and have grace at command, to repent, as the fool that having gotten wealth, thinks of nothing but of enlarging his barns, and gives his soul her glut of pleasure for many years, when he had not one day more to live . Or he builds upon his external formal profession of Religion, and from thence concludes an assured hope of salvation, when he cannot be ignorant that his heart is like the inside of the Pharisees pot, filthy throughout, how fair soever the outside be, to whom Christ denounceth a woe, & denieth salvation .

On the Contrary, the true Christians hope is humble, and coupled with fear.

He never looks with hope upon the promise of entering into God's rest, but he fears lest he should through unbelief, impenitency, or other miscarriage, even seem to come short of it . He will so manage his hope, and his hope will so qualify him, that he will be so circumspect and diligent in all his walking, as not only not to fall short of heaven, but not so much as give any occasion to himself or others, as to seem come short of it. He will walk exactly, accurately , and look diligently lest he fail of the grace of God ; lest by any carelessness, earthly mindedness, or other lust he abate or cool, or blunt the edge and activity of any grace of God within him; working out that salvation which he thus hoped for, with fear and trembling , not as doubting the issue of his diligence, but as fearing, yea, trembling at the very thoughts of giving way to negligence; lest that happen to him which befell Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right, and afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing, was rejected, though (when it was too late) he sought it carefully with tears .

Thus, this hypocrite takes that counsel of the Devil, which Christ with indignation refused, casting himself head-long from the highest pinnacle of presumption, hoping for some good Angel to save him from destruction; the true Christian hath learned of his Master, not so to tempt the Lord his God ; the one abuseth his hope to his irrecoverable ruin, the other improveth it to his everlasting salvation.

CHAP. XXV. The Fauning Hypocrite, or feigned Lover. Is he that, in loving, loveth not.

AMong those glorious Stars, Faith, Hope, and Charity. Charity is of the first magnitude; the greatest of these is Charity , Faith and Hope have their use, but Love is transcendent. Faith and Hope are wrought by God, yet are not in him: but, God is Love. Faith and Hope bring us unto God, but Love shall be turned into union with him in heaven; they bring us to heaven, but this shall abide in heaven. Among the elements, fire is most eminent; among metals, gold is most refulgent; among the stars, the Sun is most resplendent; and among graces, love is supereminent. Therefore the hypocrite will be tampering with this grace above all other. As we have therefore traced him in his walks and attempts upon Faith and Hope; so we must now inquire into his arts and disguises in the matter of his love.

All graces have need to beware of being alloyed by the levaen of hypocrisy; but, most of all, love the bond of perfection ; which, being more familiar, and communicative, is most apt to be counterfeited and abused: Philosophers make Justice the sum of all virtues, but God makes love the comprehensive grace that contains in it all duties, even to the fulfilling of his own whole Law . Therefore Christianity setteth love in the first place, like the chief of the first three, among David's worthies ; being the mother of Justice herself, and giving form unto her. A just action not done out of love, is not justice. All duties proceed from love, and love is a duty that is owing to all. He loveth not, that performeth not every duty out of love. He payeth not his debts, that rendereth not love: this is a debt that grows due faster then it can be paid, and must be always paying, when all other debts are discharged. A man must not only give; but in giving love, saith the Philosopher, he may leave giving, but not loving. Among spiritual graces (which are all Kings daughters, of the blood-royal coming down from the Father of lights) love as the principal Lady of honor, holds up the train of faith in the wedding solemnity, and is given with her, as Bilhah with Rachel to bear fruit for her unto Christ.

This makes love to be so often counterfeited, where true love is wanting. Many that are far from love, yet being ashamed to profess hatred, cover their hatred by deceit, till their wickedness can be hid no longer, but showed before the whole Congregation . Simulation and love are incompatible. He that loves, cannot feign, and he that feignes, cannot love. He therefore that counterfeits love, is worse then he that coyneth counterfeit money. The Devil began his legerdemaine, he first invented, and practiced this Art upon our first parents, pretending more love to man than God himself; he having even then seven abominations in his heart to blow up all mankind at a blast.

Ever since, he hath kept a School of deceivers, wherein he hath trained up many cunning Scholars, but none like the religious hypocrite: nor in any age hath he brought forth so many Crafts-masters in this trade, as in this: never more show, never so little love. He that hateth, dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him . They speak vanity every man to his neighbor, with flattering lips, and with a double heart do they speak .

But this hypocrite exceeds the ordinary sort and size of dissemblers with men; for he carries his dissembling up as high as God himself, and seeks to put as great a cheat upon heaven, as upon earth; being grown so cunning, as those cut-purses and pick-pockets that will use their Art, not only in the face of the Court, or at the very time and place of execution of some of their fellows: but, will pick the pocket of the Judge himself. God may say to him, as Delilah to Sampson , How canst thou say I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? All is but lip-love. He flattereth him with his mouth, and lieth unto him with his tongue (x). Pity it is, that so excellent a virtue as love, should be so embased. Indeed, he many times dissembles with an ill grace, as he that carries a long sword unker a short cloak; and sometimes he is taken in the manner. But yet he will adventure again, and force his endeavor beyond his Art, delighting in no trade so much as to be a Jacob to supplant his brother; or, a Judas, to betray his Master; or, a Devil, to out-face his Maker. He covereth hatred with a cloak of love, in dealing both with God and man. He will put his skill to the venture, though loath to bring it to the trial. He ever returns hatred for love, and ever makes show of most love when he intendeth greatest hatred: not that he always means so, or hath it in heart to think so; howbeit in the issue it always proves so. For he that maketh show of love without real intention of good, doth really hate, although at present he intendeth no ill.

On the contrary, the true Christians love is real, it is, what it shows to be.

He keeps to his rule; and therefore loves not in word, or in tongue only, but in deed and in truth . For well he knoweth that this is made by God himself a most distinguishing character between those that are made up of guile, and those that savor of sincerity, to dare to look God in the face; for, hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him . The deed witnesseth our love, and the truth sanctifies it: or rather, the deed witnesseth it before men; and the truth, before God to our own consciences. He knows that among others, love, and true love are for the most part two things; but, in himself he would have them an Identity, because he would have his love to be (as it is required) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without dissimulation .

It is true, that love is no love, unless it be true, no more then the picture of a man is truly a man. Nevertheless, he that seeks for love in the world, shall meet with more pictures of it, than substance; and those pictures, to bear away the name of love from that which is love indeed. The Christian that he may not deceive with a show, purifieth himself to the unfeigned love of the brethren : because the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and faith unfeigned ; he strives therefore to demonstrate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the naturalness, that is, the sincerity of his love in all things . He loveth naturally, that is, as borne with it (in his regeneration) in his heart, loving with a pure heart fervently, being born again, &c. striving so to love, as Christ hath loved him .

Thus, this hypocrites love is more in show then in substance; the true Christians love is more in substance then in show; the one pretends love, as Absalom did justice, when he meant to be most injurious; and, kissed those whom he meant to draw into rebellion ; the other hath learnt of Christ, to do more then he will promise; the one makes a show of what he never meant, the other truly intendeth what he showeth forth both to God and man.

[Character 1] This hypocrite loveth God, but not for God.

We will take a view of his fawning first upon God, then upon man; and, in both discover him to be but a feigned lover.

He would be thought not only a lover of God, from his cradle; but, to go beyond all others in love, yet never went so far as to love him truly. He loveth God; but, for his own ends ; as a flatterer , not as a friend; to gain by him , not to bring honor to him. He loves himself in God; not God for himself. He loves God to serve his own turn, not to serve God. As God, he hates him; as omnipotent, he fears him: but, loves him only to serve himself of him. He makes use of God that he may enjoy the world, rather than use the world so, that he may enjoy God; If he may be sure of wages, he will serve God for a while; but, God and he are of two such cross and contrary dispositions, that he cannot heartily love him, even while he serveth him. And therefore when he hath received his wages that he served for, he ofttimes leaves his service, without giving him lawful warning. He loveth God, if you will believe him, but, hateth his brother made in the image of God, and therefore is not to be believed . His love is mercenary, as the Swiss soldiery for the sold, or pay, whatever the cause be. As the hireling loves his Master, not for himself, but for his wages.

On the contrary, the true lover, loveth God for himself.

He loveth God, not only for what he doth; but, for what he is. He hath reason to love him for his love. But finds cause to love him more for himself. The object of love is some excellency in the thing love fasteneth upon. If it love more for somewhat in that object which feedeth the lovers humor, and suits best with his disposition, this is lust, not love: for he loveth him in hope to enjoy what himself hath a mind unto, rather than for what the party in himself truly is, without reflection upon himself. And this love is mercenary, if not fornicatory. Ille mercenarius, &c. He is a mercenary that hath his eye upon the wages more then upon the work. And he is no better then a fornicator, who loves God merely to enjoy his own pleasure. But the true Christian loves God better then all the world, yea, better then heaven itself; Whom have I in heaven but thee ? he loves him for himself. He cares not for heaven, were it not for God. Nay, heaven is no heaven to him without God.

Not that it is unlawful to love God for, what he doth for those that love him; but, that it is more noble and genuine, to love him for what he is in himself. We cannot be without the former, therefore good reason we should love him for the supply he affordeth. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice, and my supplication , saith he that was no feigned lover, but yet, because that is a truth in Divinity as well as in Philosophy, Quod efficit tale, est magis tale, that which makes good in the effect, is much more good in the cause. Therefore, every man that rightly understands the worth of the effect, must needs know the cause and fountain whence that effect issued, to be worth much more: and that, if anything in the effect requireth love, the goodness of the cause commandeth it much more: So that the Christian is then most rational, when he most passionately loves God for himself. The infinite wisdom, goodness, power, holiness, love, mercy that is in God, as in the Ocean, must needs attract more love from a wise and considerate lover, than those streams that issue thence. Herein the Christian takes pattern from God. God loves for his own sake; therefore a true lover loves God chiefly for God, as he is in himself. For he that loveth God because God loved him first , and duly considereth that God did thus not for his sake that now loves God: but, for his own, who was first in the love: he cannot but make that the chief ground and object of his love in God, which God himself made to be his own in loving man.

Thus, the hypocrites love to God is like that of Amnon to Tamar , he was first sick for her; and then having satisfied his lust, was upon all other accounts more sick of her; the true Christian is as Ruth that loved Naomi, even when she had no more sons in her womb, of which, Ruth might hope to choose another husband ; the one loveth God to make God his servant: the other loveth God to be his servant; the one loveth God as a King that can advance him; the other as the fountain of holiness that doth delight him.

This hypocrite loveth God, but not in Christ. [Character 2]

He loves him as a God able to help him in his need; but not as a father, out of pure natural affection. He may love him as a Jupiter, an helping father; but not as a Father in Christ by Covenant . He loves him as Lions and other beasts of the wilderness, who seek their meat from God , but not as a child going to a father for bread. He loves him for a blessing upon his land, for the precious things of heaven, that is; for the dew of heaven, and for the deep that coucheth beneath; and for the precious fruits brought forth by the Sun, and for the precious things put forth by the Moon, and for the precious things of the earth, and the fullness thereof , rather then for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush , upon his soul: or, for those rich and precious promises whereby he might partake of the divine nature, and escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust . He looks up to God's providence, more than to his promise; as a Creator, rather then as a Father in Christ; as his creature, rather then as a child accepted in the beloved . He desires rather thriving children, than an heavenly Father: a barn well filled, than a God of grace: a good flock of sheep, rather than the good shepherd; a good teeme of Oxen, rather then a strong God, as his by Covenant . He hath good skill in the blessing, as Herams servants had in hewing timber to make an house for the God which they knew not; but, little of Solomon's knowledge of the true God for whom the house was built; or, of the interest his people have in him. He never looks after a Christ; but when he is dropping into hell: or as roaring boys that never mention him, nor think of him, but when they swear by him. Let him have the blessing, and let others dispute the title, or his interest in it. He that loves not God for God's sake, will not much look after Christ, so he may have what he loveth better then either.

On the contrary, The true Christian never thinks of loving God without Christ.

He considereth that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself ; that therefore there is no loving of God, but in the same Christ; naturally man hateth God, and must be reconciled, ere he can love him. He then in whom he is reconciled, must be the person, the medium, in which he meeteth God to love him. Yea, he knoweth that there is no coming at God but by Christ. He must be Christ's before he be God's: and even then, no man comes to the Father, but by him . And the Father bl • sseth him with all spiritual blessings in Christ . So that as we come not at God but in and by Christ; so neither doth God come at us, but in and by the same Christ. He must therefore love God in Christ, or not at all.

Nor doth he love God in Christ as the way unto him only; but, as in the relation of a son to his father He loves him with a filial love, as made a son in Christ, accepted in the beloved , and as expecting such love from God as becomes his adoption, more than as fitted to his present necessities as his creature and servant. He looks not for ordinary things only which every servant in the family may expect, but he expects a love due to an heir; and, in that capacity, loves him, not only as his strength , but as his Father that hath given him his Son; and, with him all things ; as, all things are his, and as he is Christ's, and Christ is God's . His love can no more reach God without Christ, then he can reach the Sun with his hand.

Thus, this hypocrites love is like that of the whore-monger that pretends great love to his neighbors wife; but, not for her husbands sake, or with his privity; the true Christian is as the chaste Spouse, who loves her husband in, and for God, that hath set them into Covenant; the one loves God without Christ, and so loves neither; the other loves God in Christ, and so performs his duty to both.

[Character 3] This hypocrites love to God is grounded upon expectation.

He hath ever respect to some future benefit: upon this account he is a soothing fawning suitor, not unlike of the young men, who profess great love to old widows, or deformed creatures, if very rich, in hope once to be fingering of their bags. He loves with palpation, as feeling after what he hath in his eye; but not with palpitation of heart, as thirsting after God for himself, or for mercies received. Benefits past are with him swallowed up, and forgotten. He loveth God, not for that he hath, but for what he would have further from God. While there is any hope of any good to be further gotten by courting of God, this hypocrite will be a diligent waiter, an obsequious Parasite . But if he once find that God, for his secret wickedness and hypocrisy, begins to hedge his way with thorns ; to cross him in his designs and hopes of gain, or deliverance out of those briars he hath by his sins cast himself into; then, he throws off all attendance upon God, and discovers plainly for what he had all the former while made love unto God; namely, not for miracles, or ought else past; but, in hope of more loaves, whereof he had before eaten and been filled .

He can, with the Israelites , flatter God in extremity, and court him in hope of deliverance. In his perplexity, he will with Pharaoh, confess the Lord is righteous , but not depart from his own unrighteousness, a great point of hypocrisy, when a man makes use of love, or of the name of love to traffic and trade with it for gaining of some commodity; which being obtained, the love is presently cooled, or perhaps turned into hatred. For an unthankful man never loves him to whom he is most beholden. There is indeed a proud thankfulness, when men ashamed, professedly to brag, use thanks as an usher to their pride: I thank God I am a better man than he, &c.

Contrariwise, the true Christians love is grounded upon experience.

This worketh in him both thankfulness for what is past, and assurance of supply in time to come. He boasteth not what, but acknowledgeth whence he received, that it may appear God is a gracious giver, and himself an happy beggar. He is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a lover of God, because, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , beloved of God. He loveth much, because much is forgiven him. Quid retribuam? What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits? is his Motto. He is to be loved exceedingly, by whom he is, lives, and is made wise. The loadstone of love is love. They easily love more, who find themselves to be more beloved. He therefore carefully keepeth a faithful record of all the Lord's mercies: among which special and spiritual mercies have as it were a Dominical letter set upon them to bring them more readily to mind. If he owe himself to God over and over for giving him his own being; how much is he in debt for God himself! God gave me, saith he, to myself by Creation, he restored me to myself by redemption. I owe myself twice over for myself: what shall I render to God for himself!

Thus, this hypocrites love is like the shadow of him that goeth from the Sun, it leadeth the way to the benefit aimed at, which being obtained, the shadow still runs forward after more, and the man still following, leaves the benefit received behind him, without returning to give thanks; the true Christian is like the shadow upon the Dial that numbers the degrees of favors received; the one loveth for the bird in the bush; the other is glad and thankful for anything in hand, which he looks upon as an earnest of more.

This hypocrite loveth God with a secondary love. [Character 4]

He cutteth out the Lord an hard penny-worth of love, such as he can afford with respect to his profit, his pleasure. When his own turn is served, he will think of God: But his turn is never served, that sets his heart on anything save the Lord; Other objects do but irritare amorem, provoke appetite, but never satisfy desire, or warrant the lover from being miserable. These last days abound with such miserable lovers, who having a form of godliness; are yet lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God .

This hypocrite can borrow from God's day, and from his service, for his own affairs; but in no case from himself, to bestow upon the Lord. His own six days will not serve the turn: but, as David must have Urijahs one sheep, so must he have God's one day who hath reserved no more unto himself. If a feast (though not unlawful in due time and manner) or a pastime come in the way, so that one must yield, either no Prayer, Sermon, or no pastime, God must be the loser. He is not early and forward in holy exercises, but driveth off, till the time grow too short. So God hath either no service, or to no purpose.

Delay is a degree of denial. To let an honorable friend stand knocking and dancing attendance till we be at leisure, and all our own business done, were great incivility. But men answer God so, as he forbiddeth them to answer one another. Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give thee . It was the Churches fault that she opened not readily unto Christ , and she paid deer for it . In the mean time this is the best of the hopocrites service; in whom self-love driveth into straits the love, not only of man, but of God. Where in the first place, love and honor are due, it is a wrong to put Christ our husband and Prince to take the second. To honor him with a secondary honor is treason; as, to love him with a secondary love is adultery.

Contrarily, The true Christian giveth God every way the prime of his love.

True lovers are the only Larks, the only Nitingales; they are early and late, day and night expressing love. David prevented the night watches . He thought on God by night, yea at midnight ; With my soul have I desired thee in the night, and with my spirit within me will I seek thee in the morning . The morning prayers and meditations do sweeten and sanctify the day. Evening prayer is a sweet close of the day-light, and haply of our life. Therefore a Christian goeth to his bed, as he would to his grave, and riseth in the morning with a taste of the resurrection. He seeketh first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. If any love be too proud to come behind that love, he giveth it a bill of divorce. Tuas res tibi habe, take thine own, and be packing. Out of doors with the bondwoman and her son; else were he not fit to follow Christ as a Disciple, or a true lover, but must hear that sharp reproof uttered with indignation, Get thee behind me Satan .

Thus, this hypocrite is as a woman that promiseth marriage, but she must first marry, and bury another husband; but the Christian contracteth with the Lord in verbis de presenti, to be presently his, only his, and that forever; the one will follow Christ when he hath first done his own business which he minds more, and loves better; the other, as Peter and his fellows, forsake all to follow Christ , without indenting, or preferring ought before him, whom he loves more than himself.

[Character 5] This hypocrites love is soon cooled.

Fond lovers are soon on, and soon off: their love is soon kindled, soon quenched; like children, won with an apple, lost with a nut. So this hypocrite loves God before he knows him, and flies in his face, or flies off, so soon as he feels him in the least, contrary to expectation. Although he want nothing, yet he is angry for any good another receiveth, for any love expressed to another. He is a murmurer as the Israelites of old, upon every occasion is hard to be pleased, but never seeks to please; he must have all the love, although he show none; which argues not only a weak faith, but a wavering love. He is up in arms, and at defiance with God every day for one trifle or another, for bread, for water, for quail, which shows him to be but an humorous peevish lover, whose love is too dearly bought, and more hardly kept. He is such a lover, as will soon turn enemy, and blaspheme the Lord to his face, if he want his will, or fail of his carnal desires.

On the contrary, the true Christians love will take no check.

Many waters cannot quench his love, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for this love, it would utterly be contemned . Lovers, the longer acquainted, the more loath to part, and the more desirous to meet again. Their days of absence, and of want of full fruition, is a life of longing and sighing. Sometimes they are joyful, sometimes sorrowful: now, a breath; then a reconciliation, and thereby a re-enforcement of love. Then, the love-tokens walk; so it is with the Christian. His love to God may be disturbed by temptation; but, it is not extinguished by infidelity, or put out of the course of obedience by violence of passion or despair. For, seeing all things work together for good to them that love God , therefore a resolved Christian (as Job ) is thankful even for afflictions.

He considereth that the change which appeareth in God's dealings towards him, is occasioned not on God's part, but on his own, whose heart is started aside from God, and become out of frame. All is kindly taken by the truly loving soul, because assured of the fidelity of God, and of the reality of his love. He acknowledgeth the same love, though he find not the same effect. For when the case differeth on man's part, the course on God's part, must needs vary, yet without variation of his love. In health, food; yea, a feast: in sickness a bitter potion, and purgation proceeds from the same love. Wherefore the true Christian can cast himself upon the love of God, though God should think fit to kill him out-right . As those that sailed with Paul, must needs keep the ship, as the only means of safety; so a Christians safety, in the midst of the greatest storm, is to continue in the love of Christ, which giveth him footing, as it were, on dry land, in the midst of the sea of this world.