Chap. 7.] THE SAINTS/ REST. 97 does his chief business and conversation. He is usually an ignorant, bold, conceited dealer in controversies, rather than an humble embracer of known truth, with love and obedience. By his slighting the judgments and persons of others, and seldom talking with seriousness and humility of the great things of Christ, he shows his religion dwells in the brain, and not in his heart. The wind of tempta- tion carries him away as a feather, because his heart is not established with Christ and grace. He never, in private conversation, humbly bewails his soul's imperfections, or tenderly acknowledges his unkindness to Christ ; but ga- thers his greatest comforts from his being of such a judg- ment or party. The like may be said of the worldly hypo- crite, who chokes the Gospel with the thorns of worldly cares and desires. He is convinced that he must be reli- gious, or he cannot be saved ; and therefore he reads, and hears, and prays, and forsakes his former company and courses ; but he resolves to keep his holdof present things. His judgment may say, God is the chief good ; but his heart and affections never said so. The world bath more of his affections than God, and therefore it is his god. Though he does not run after opinions and novelties, like the former, yet hewill be of that opinion which will best serve his worldly advantage. And as one whose spirits are enfeebled by some pestilential disease, so this man's spirits being possessed by the plague of a worldly dispo- sition, how feeble is he in secret prayer ! how superficial in examination and meditation ! how poor in heart-watch- ings ! how nothing at all in loving and walking with God, rejoicing in him, or desiring him ! So that both these and many other sorts of hypocrites, though they will go with you in the easy outside of religion, yet will never be at the pains of inward and spiritual duties. And even the godly themselves are too lazy seekers of their everlasting rest. Alas ! what a disproportion is there between ourlight and heat, ourprofessionand prosecution! Who makes that haste as if it were for heaven ? How still we stand ! how idly we work! how we talk, and jest, and trifle away our time ! how deceitfully we perform the work of God ! how we hear, as if we heard not ! and pray, as if we prayed not ! and examine, and meditate, and reprove sin, as if we did it not ! and enjoy Christ, as if we enjoyed 5
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