Caner. Of Sincerity, andthe contraries.; Chap.! 6, i83 r. For the matter. Our Saviour faith. NoMan putteth new and oldCloth to Luis; î 3g gether in a Garment, or newWine into old Veffels. This mixture of Religion cor- rupteth it : as that of theTurk,,. is a Religion compounded of all é and the Pagans worfhip divers Gods. The Whore of Babylon is faid to have a mixt Cup, Rev. 18. 6. z. For the mixture ofaffeflions. As our Religion ought to be fincere, foour affefti- Rev.3.rd; ens. Amixture of hot and cold , makes luke-warm , which temper is lothfome to Chrift. The Religion offuch is for their ends , not for Gods glory : as they which fought Chrift for the Loaves. They are deplici corde, as Saint ?almscalls them. John There is no worfe fault, than to be lukewarm; therefore we mutt be refolved to be Jan''r'$' either hot, or cold. 2. The other extream forbidden, is thedefeft, as that ofmixture in excels, that is, when Men will fo reform and purifieReligion, that they deftroy it, Pray. 3o. 2j. The wring ng of the Nofe bringeth forth Blood pi mungit nimium, fangteinem elicit, he that will make his Nofe too cleer , makes it bleed ; fo when Men will cleanfe the Church too much , inftead of purifying it from mixtures incompofi- tion, they give it a bloody Nofe , as Salaries, and Hereticks ufually do , who always pretend reformation, when they rend the Church, and wake it bleed, fome- times to death. The means of fincerity in Religion. I. There is no better, than that which is implyed in that with of Chrift, I would thou wert cold or hot : we mutt avoid luke-warmnefs which caufes wavering in Religion , and come to a rcfolution ; we muff refolve to bewhat weprofefs , and to flickto the truth : then we (hall be melfncerum, pure Hony, fine cera, purified from all mixture. z. When we are refolved to adhere to the truth , then we mu:l come to the price, and value aright. It is true, that yob faith. Man knoweth not the price of it. Job.28,r3. Though we would give our felves, and all we have for ir, yet we cannot, give a toll price for it; and therefore muff not for any price part with it. Merchants ufe to fct a mark upon their Cloths, or other Wares, of the loweft price they will fell them at : now the truth is of fuck a value, that we cannot fet any price where- upon to part with it. How high foever our pricebe, if we part with it , Godmar fay to us, as the Prophet doth in the Perfon of Chrift , when they weighed for his price thirtypieces of Silver, a goodly price it is that I was valued at bythem ; a price Zach.t r.1 n; more fit tobuy Pottheards, and thereforehe cafts it to the Potter. Surely God fits no filch price onus, or valued us at fo fmall a rate,however we value Chrift,or his truth ; t Car.t.ióe -Empti eflis precio, faith faint Paul, we are bought with a price, more than thirty pieces of Silver, not with corruptible things, as Gold and Silver , but with the Blood of Chrìft, as ofa Lamb without fpot : a Infer price would not ferve to redeem us, for if it would , all Ihould have gone rather than he; therefore as heprized us, fo mutt weprize him and his truth , above all corruptible things in the World. The figns of fincere, or true Religion have been handled before : we [hall touch only a few. - 1. True Religion afcribes all good to God alone, and gives no part of his honour to any Creature. - z. It favours not Man in his corrupt delires; 'tis no Doftrine ofLiberty, butte. llrains all carnal liberty ; it teaches us to defpife Father andMother, Friends, yea, a Mans felt, and all for God. 3. It is free from thofe mixtures which have been the decay of Religion which were r. mingling it with errours of vainPhilofophy, which Saint Augufine callscoI f.a.t rationes philofophorism, oloufe, acute, the acute, and yet obtufe, or blunt reafons of Philofophers. Thus Clemens Alex. and Origan by Plato's 51ä2n and ;4riftotles 447s¡xaor Mitered divers errours into the Church z. With. Jeveith Fables, which the Apol'le bids Tittle beware ofieivifh Rites and Ceremonies abrogated by Chrift, which he calls egena infirm elements, weak and beggeliy enaiments. heart 3 ' m dot!' penetrare cor, it pierces into theSoul, circucifes the , mortifies all cal hai lofts atao delres; falle Religion reaches chiefly to theoutwardMan: True Religion
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