t38 The Difcouerie ofHypocrifie. now miflikeit, yet hereafter theywillcrie outvpon vs that wee dealeno more ., plainly with them ;and ifeuer theLord doeconuert them,, theywill then con. fefíé, that the dire&and powerful! applyingofthe world, was thechicle meaner cinder God torecouerthem. So much for the fini point, the natureofthe mini. fieryoftheGofpell. Now next weare tofpeakeofthevieof ir,and that is todifcouerand make it knowne , what trees be fruitful!, and whichbevnprofitable, who bee trueand foundChrifhans, and who bee hypocrites. Now (faith %ohn)that theaxe is put to the reote,ir,will appeare what is in you s before,you'wcre fhroudedtrader the name ofAbrahamsfeede: but itaM, newthat theword ispreffedhard vponyour confciences, the hypocrife that lyeth hid willbeemade manifcfI,and it willbee found that you are nothing lefle then youmake (hew of. So that this istheefe Doiirine ,}, ofthe word preached , to makeakindeof reparation amongftmen, tobring to light their hypocrifie and falfhood, which before deceived both others and themfelues, and becaale oftheir formal) fbeweswhere well reputed of. Whena man walketh through the wood, it is hard toknow by the eye what treesare . good, and whatvnfound; manya one there May bee, which is ftraight without, which yet is rottenor hollowwithin; there maybee a good rindeor a great top to that tree, whichyet is good for nothing,but the fire ; but when theworkman commeth,and laieth hisaxe to the rooteand felleththem; then thatwill be(cone which before wasvnknowne, and then there followetha feparationofCome to the fire,andofothers tothebuilding;whereasbefore, they grew vp all together, and there feemed to bee no difference: Even fo ifa man comeamonganvn. taughtpeople,he (hall find them,ina manner,all ofonemimic formatters ofreli- gion,holding one courfe,& couchedvnderonecommon titleofChriflianity:but let this axebe oncelaid to their hearts; then it will appearewhat eachman is, and till then, it is vnknowne indeed whatreligion there is in him. Heethat then can endure the hewing, and groweth more and more fafhionablevntogood things, he (hallbe for the Lords ere: but he,who the more he is wrought on,the more crookedhe prooues , and becommeth everyday the more vntoward,fhall be laid aide, and referued untothe Mil iudgement ofthe Lord. There be fundry fìmilitudes in the Scripture,bywhich this point is declared. In this chapter,the bVede ts word is calledafirme in Chriffs hand b,by whichhe purgethhisflo.ore t the MI and the goodcorne lie together vponan heape, till that parts them; the wind thewetb'whatit isfor the dunghill,andwhat for the garner. So theGofpell prea. ched, fundreth the children of the kingdome from thediuels portion. In the eChp.a;,56. prophecieofJeremy ,itis comparedtofree, which bath adouble effe&,towage the Rubble & thedroffe,and to purifie that whichis refineable,as gold and frluer. dEpleçt;:, It iscalledleghywhich makethailrbingtmanifefld, whichbeforelyeth in the dark, e r.Cor,g.g were thought tobeall ofonecolour. It is called h,ubandrye, which fheweth what ground is good,and which is barren It was laidofChrift, that he fhouldbeadle ring of Come, andruin ofCome, aflout efeeaee,and a preview fiese, and thatbe fLake a.;ç, his comming, the tboaghuofmanybearufbouldbee difeoteeredF. Asit was inthe perfonof Chrifl, fo in the wordofChrill,it dothas it wereanatomize the hearts ofmen , and pluckes offthevizard from the Hypocrite, layeth forth the poyfon thatlurked before, and difplaieththe gall that lay hidden in the heat:. We may fee the truth hereof in examples: before lobs ßsptifcame preaching in the g Mae. ;.a. W ildernefle, Repent,far thekingdom ofbeano it at band e, all things feemed tobe well, they wereallcircumcifed,all the childrenofeAbrahaw;but when he laid his axe to the row, therefolloweda diuifron:fomethought well of him,and thought bLuk,;,tç. that he had beene the ChriRh, others faidplainly, Hebedadinelli. So when ,Mar,rr,ra, Chrit} çàme and preached, many folk heartswere difcouered, which before kMaga. ;4. Were taken to be goodmen: force defsre their hogges rather then his comps. tLuk.g,a . niekt force brought him to the fide ofa hill, from thence tobreake hisnecke / t Come
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