.-- . A choice Bed of Spices. 295 their ends being felfiih and carnal, all their pretentions and performances are but beautiful abominations in the fight of God. An hypocrite has alwayes a fquint eye, and fquint ey'd aims, and fquint ey'd ends in all he does. Balaam fpake very religioufly, and he multiplyed Altars and facrifices ; but the, thing he had in his eye was the wages of unriefteoufnefs. jehu deflroyed bloudy Ahab's houfe, he executed.the venge- ance of God upon that wicked family ; he readily, refolutely and effeaually deflroyed all the worthippers of Baal, but his ends were to fecure the Kingdom to him and his Ahib and the Ninivites failed in fackcloth, but it was meerly that they might not feel the heavy judgments that they feared would overtake them. The Jews in Babylon failed and mourned, and mourned and fafled feventy years, but it was more to get off their chains than their fins, it was more to be rid of their captivity than it was to be rid of their iniquity. Look, as the Eagle hath an eye upon her prey when the flies higheft, fo thefe Jews in all their failing, praying, mourniir, they had only an eye to their own eafe, deliverance, freed.om, &c. in all their Religious duties they were aced from evil princi- ples, and carried on by. felf-refpeas ; and therefore Daniel denies, that in all that feventy years captivity they had prayed to any parpofe. All this is come upon as, yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniqui- ties and under/land thytraeth. It is the end that dignifies or de- bafeth the a6tion, that reaifies it or-adulterates it, that Pets a crown of honour, or a crown of flume unon the head of it.. He that commonly, habitually, in all his duties and fervices, propofes to himfelf no higher ends than the praifes of men, or rewards of men, or the flopping the mouth of natural confcience, or only to avoid a fmarting rod, or meerly to fe- cure himfelf from wrath to- come, he is an hypocrite. The ends of a mans a &ions are alwayes a great difcovery either of fincerity or hypocrifie. Look, as great gifts, not fweet- tied with fincerity, are no ornaments to us; fo great infirmi- ties not fowred with hypocrifie, are no great deformities to us. An hypocrites ends-are alwayes below God, they are al- wayes below glorifying of God, exalting of God, walking with .........-......--. Numb.22,23. iChattcars.i_o 2 '<intl.,: 1 Km . g. 2I. . jormhz. -e ., I e g ca.7, j) 6. Dan.9. 73..
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