Chap. é. An Expofition upon theBoek of J OB. Verf. i 7. 103 Secondly, Note, Tha t the thriving of hypocrites, their greeniefs andflourifbing is only outward. The tree is green before the Sun, but he is withered in his foul. Hypocrites doall before theSun, to be feen, or in the fight of men.They arc of thole who reboil againfl: the light,whch would keep them from fin, and they fay, No eyefeesus, while they are finning. But they love the light which iirews any good they do then they fay,O that all eyes did fee us.Pharifees pray in the mar- kits, and blow a trumpet when they give alms, that the ears of all, as well as the bellies ofthepoor, may be filled with their cha- rity. Comefee myzeal, faith Jehu. Mofes was faithful!, but he never laid, Come fee my fidelity.Jofhua was valiant in the batrels ofthe Lord, yet he never Paid, come, fee my fortitude. The up- right heart cares not to be thus before the Sun : He delights in fecret holinefs. His goodnefs is not lets priz'd, or leis pleating tohim, 'becaùfe it is hidden. He takes infinitely more content in being and doing good, then in being known to be or do good. Thirdly, Taking, before the Sun, to note the extream heat of theSun, we may obferve thus'much from it, That an hypocrite may endure trouble andperfecutionfor his pro- feffion. He is not like the rufh which prefently withereth,but he is fomc- times like a tree that flandeth it out before the Sun a great while. We know that many have not onlyperformed outward afsofho- linefs, but they have fonietimesfuffercd in a holy caufe; they can . be pa(liive in obedience,as well as aaive, and yet have fallen away at the lafl. Before the Sun ofprofperity the hypocrite will conti- nue greenvery long ; and before the Sun of perfecution he may continue,green awhile. It is conceivedby mofi that Alexander the. Copperfmith token ofby Paul (2 Tim. 4. i 4.) as 'a man very grievous to him, Alexander the Copperfmith elidme much evil, he oppofed the Apolie,yet, I fay, this Alexander is conceived to be the man of whomwe read (As. 19. 32.) that flood to Paul, when he was inthat danger at Ephefus ; there he had like to have loft his life for appearing on his fide, the text faith They dragged him out of themultitude to the marketplace.It is pofiible for an hy- pocrite tobe green before the Sun of perfecution, at leaf} before force fcorehing-beams of that Sun,though he is not able to bear it when it cones to the utmoft tryal,to the extream heat of the day. P Thus
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