The Flypocrites Mocklf<Jligion deteBed. 21" when they profefs to love the worfhippers of God. They love not their money, nor lands, nor lulls with fuch a kind of love, I am fure. They have alfo alwayes good defiru; but they are fuch moc~de(tru as thofc in Jan:eJ 2· 1 5· that wiilied the poor were fed, and clothed, and ~armed, but gave them nothing towards It : And fuch good dtfiru as the fluggard hath that lyeth m bed and wifheth that all his work were done, Prov. 2 I· 25· 7:he defire of t!Je Jluggard kJUttb hzm, bcc.m[c his ba 11 ds rtfufe to lAboJtr. They pray, hue with moc~-praytrJ: you would little think that they are fpcaking to the mol\ holy God, for no lefs than the fav ing of their fouls, whe~ t~ey arc more fe:. rious in their very games and fports. They pray for grace, but they cannot ab1de H: They pay for Holimf!, but they are refolved, thef11l have none of ir: They pray againft their fin, but no en– treaty c:m perfwade them from it. They would have a MocJtmini(iry, a Mock,;djfciplim, a fduc~Ch~trch, a Mock,; Sacrament, as they make a Mocl(~profeffim, and give God but a Muck.;obedimce, as 1 might (hew you threugh all the particulars, bur for being tedious. And all is, becaufe they have but a Mock-faith: They believe not rhat God is in good earncH with them in· his commands and threatnings and fore~telling of his judgements: As Lut to his Sons-in-law. Gen. 19.14: He feemeth to thenJ as one th~i mocked : and therefore they ferve him as rhofc thac would mock him. 0 wretched hypocrites! Is this agreeable to your holy profeffion? You call your felves ChriHians, and profdS to believe the doctrine of Chrifi: Is this ·agreeable to ChriHianiry ? to your Creed, to the ten Commandments, to the Lords Prayer, and to the reft of the W·ord ofGod ? H1d }'OU ~one but The limi!i- "' rhe holy Jealous God to make a mock of? Hld you nothi~g lefs than Religion, and matters offalvation tu~eofSuperand danml tlon eo play with? Do you ferve God as If he were a child, or an Idol, or a man of flm~)l~ to flraw ? that either knoweth not your hearts, or is pleaft!d with toyes and complements, and (hews, ~~~~~~~it the and faying over certain words, or acting a part before him as on a fiage? Do you knowwhllt you more d.form~ offer, and to whom? His Power is Omnipotency: his Glory is ten thoufand fold above that of the ed:. Ar.d as Sui1: his Wifdom is infinite: Millions of Angels adore him continually: He is thy King and Judge: ''ho.fommelt he abhorrerh hypocrites : If thou didfi bur fee one glimpfe of his glory , or the ineanell of his ~~rrur~;h Angels, the fight would awake thee from thy dreaming, and dallying, and frighten thee from thy ~t~r~:·,~ r..~ canting and trifling into a ferious regard of God and thy everlafti.ng Hare. Mal. 1. 8. Offer thi1 noW good forms to thy Governour: 1ViU he be pleafetl with thee, or accept thy per[on, {aitb the Lord of Htdh. If your ;>nd. ord~rs, fervants fet before you upon your Table, the Feathers infiead of theFowli and the Hair and Wooll corrb~t 1 ~13 • i~tlead of the Fle(h, and the Scales in~ead of t~c Fi~1, .would you n.ot think1they rather rnockt than ;~~~Y~bfus-.. ierved you ? How dear·have fame pa1d even m th1s l1fe for mocltJng God ? Let the cafe of Aaro1u v:incd. .St>ns, Lev. 10. 1, 2, 3• and of Andniai and Saphira, Al1s 5· inform you : Ifwich the Fig~tree, Matth. lor~ B 4 CIJn 21. 19· you offer God Leaves only intlead of fruit, ·you are nigh unto curfing, and your end is to be El!j{ of 5 "..._ burnt: Do you not read what he faith to the Church of LiJodicea, .Rev. 3· 15, 16. I would tbou were pt • cold (}7' hot: Beca•fe tiJott art lukJwarm, and ntitber cold 110r hot, I ~iU JPue i.het out of my mouth: tha,t is, either bean open Infidel, or a holy 4ownright z:.taloJtJ Cbtifli.m: But becaufe thou cu/lcft thy felf a Chrifiian, and hall not the lift or zeal of a ChriHian, but cuverefi thy w)ckednefs and carnality with that holy name, I will call: thee away as an aborninable,vomir, It would make the heart of a believer ake fO think of the Hypocrifie of mofi that ufurp the name of Chrifiians, and how cruelly they mock themfelves. What a glory is offered them, and theY. lofc it by their dallying? what a price is in their hands? What mercy i~ offered them, and they lofe it by their dallying? What dadget is before them, and they will fall into it by their dallying! Doth no.t the weight of your falvation forbid this trifling? You might better fet the Town on tire-, and make-a jeafi of it, rhan jeafi your fouls into the fire ofHell. Then you will find that Hell is no jeafring matter : If you mock your felv:es out of your falvation, where are you then ? If you play wich time, and means, and mercy till they are gone, you are Undone for ever. 0 dally not till you arc pall: remedy. Alas poor dreaming trifling Hypocrites! Is time fo fwifr, and life fo !hort, and death fo fun.:: and near, and God fo holy, jutl and terrible, and Heaven fo glorious, and Hell fo hot, and both cver!aHing, and yet will you not be in earncil about your work ? Up and be doing, as you are men ! and as ever you ~::are what becomes o_f you for ever! Dtp/Jrtfr.,om iniquity, if you will name the name ofChrift 1 2 Tim.2. 19• Let not a cheatmg world delude you for a momenr, and have the kernel, the heart, while God hath but the eAlpty fhell.A mock,:Religion will but keep up a muck,_-hopr,a mocJt-peace,and a mocl(-joy and comfort till Satan have done his work, and be ready to unhood you and open your eyes. Job S. 1 3· So a,.e tf,e paths ofaUtbat forgtt God, and the Hypocrittsh"ft JhaU ptrifh. Job 27· 8, 9· For wlw istbebope oj' the hypocrite, though ~t bath gained, when Gud ta~eth arr.ty bi1 foul? IVill God bear hjs cry wlun trouble cometb upon him l Job 20. 4, 5 1 6, 7· Knoweft tbou 1101 thiJ of old--tho~t the triump/Ji; 1 ,, of thf wicked i1 Jhort, and the joy of the hypocrite bttt for a moment. Tbougb his exceL'ency mou1~ up to th~ Heavetu, an~ hir head reach unt~ the Clouds, ya be Jh.aU perifo fo~ ever like.bi1 own dzmg, they whtchbave fitnhzm, jhallfay, where uhe? Away then With hypocnt!Cll formJ!tty ahd diilli ance, and be ferious and fincere for thy foul and wit)J tby God. F f 2 PAR 'I'
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=