OfEypo,crifle in Rtligion~ i:nand; but where hypocrifi~ is, there is rottenndfe at the cote; there cannot be any claim made to pardon of finne or etemal lire. ImperfeCt grace is fiill grare, but feign(d grace is none at all; aman is·a mtn,tbough unfound and fick· Jy, but a piClurf of a m3.n is no man at all;. fo that hypocrifie takes away the very effence and true nature of grace, it flrikes all dead immedilltely. / - To this DoCtrine an Objetlion may be made, Ifgodly men 0/?jell. are obnoxious eo bypocrifie,' if they may know and difcern - this in themfelves, how then lhall he difference himfelf from _aconvinced hypocrite? Doth not the Apofile fay,I loh.j.20. If our hearts CQndemn m, God u greater then our hearts? and therefore the difcovery of hypocrifie in our felves, may make us cafi away all our hopes. To thist~e Anfwer is eafie, 1. It canno~ be denied but An['IJ'. that hypotrtfie as well as other finnes, doth m fome meafure - abide in the godly, Every manu a liar,faith the Apofile,Rt~m. 3-4- and this lie, this faUhood in every man, bath its Humps fiill, though the main branches be Jop'd down, who can fay he bath fucb apure flngle eye, that it looketh on God directly, that it never is caft afquint? who can fay he alwaies hitteth the mark, that there are no dregs jg his wine at all? But yet though cbis be fo, and the g<;>dly know it, yet in the· f~cond place, they bewail it, they bemoan it; This guile and deceitful heart is an heavy burden, and a great conrufion to them. You fee Davidcried out, that'he wu a blelfed man \'tfhofe Jinne W..u pardoned, and in whofe ffi' it there u r.o gnile., Pfal.3 :1..2.. How often doth David pray that God would deli· ver him from lyi~ag and from every falfe wa_y ? How often doch he pray that his fieps be direCted, that he may walk in' even paths? But it is not thus with the notorious hypocrite, he knoweth ir, and is not troubled at it, but rather rejoycttY _to fee himfclf thrive in it. Did the Pharifee bewail that he-was but a painted wall, that he was awhited Sepulchre r Did he look on himfclfas abominable to God and man? No, but in all things jufiified himfelf. z. The g(ldly mans hy-pocriJie is burgradual,not total; Its but in fome meafure or degrce,aod its decayiflg and languithing daily, becaufc uprightndfe - · · of /
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