Firft Commandment. Nay, an Hypocrite mull: needs be an Atheill:, and in his heart deny many of God's glori')US Attributes, but efpeciaUy his Omnifcience, and fay within himfclf as thofc, pf. 73· 1 I. TujiJ, God Jha!l not know; and t5 there know!edge. in ~he moft High? ~or did they but believe that Good looks through all thCir D>fglllfes, and that Ius Eye, which is Light unto it fe lf, pierceth into their very Sonls; did they but ferioufiy confider that all things are naked and before him; that he knows our thoughts afar off, and is privy to .ou~· clofeft ~efigns, they Would not certainly be either· fa daring.- ly wicked, or fo clulddhly fooltfh, as to plot upon God, and feek to cozen and delude Omnifcicnce. . 95 Now this Prophanenefs of the Hypocrite in feeking Temporal Things by Spiritual Pretences, is much more abominable than the Prophanenefs of others who feek t hem by unjnll: and unlawful means; for the one only makes Impiety, but the other Piety it felf an Infi:rument of his vile and ford id Profit, than which therC cannot be a greater fcorn and contempt put upon Rel ig ion. Si.whly, He is a prophane Perfon who makes what God hath fanCl:ified , common· 6. and unhallowed:. And have we not many !itch propha ne Perfons among us? M:my that abufe the holy and re\•erend Name of God, which ought to be had in thC higheft efrcem and ,tenera tion, about light and frivolous matters:; who only make mention of him in their idle Chat, but are mute and dumb when any thing lhould be fpokcn to his praife; ma ny that prophane his SJbbaths, and altho' God hath liberall y allowed them fix: Day.s for the Affairs of Earth, yet will not fpare the feventh for the Affi1irs of Heaven, but impiouOy invade what he hath fet ap:trt and confecrated for himfelf, and his own immediate Worfhip and Service. Many that never fpeJk Scripture, bnt when they abnfe it, making the Bible their Jeft-book, and proftitnting thofe Phrafes and Expreffions, which God hath fanCtified to convey unto us the knowledge of himfclf, and eternal Life, to the Laughter and !\1irth of their loofe Compani_ons: So that thofe very words which the Holy Ghoft infpired into the Pen-men of the f1.crcd Scriptures, for the Edification of the Church, the Dev.il infpires into there Wretches for their own ·Damnation, and the Dlmnation of thofe that have plcafilre in fuch horrid Prophanenefs. Sevemhly, He is a prophane Perfon who dcfpifeth Spiritu:~l Privileges and Enjoy- 7 · ments: Upon this very account the Scripture fets that black and indelible Brand upon Efau, Lejl there be any prophane perfom among you, M Efau, w!Jq (or one morfcl Of lllb. mutt fold hiJ binh-r~ht. And why is Efou ftigmatized as prohane for felline; his Birthp 16. right, but hecaufe m thofe firft Ages of the World, the Firft-born or Eldeft of the Familv \V:ts a Prieft, and that facrcd Function by right of Primogeniture belonged unto him? And therefore, we read that the Tribe of Levi were taken by God to be his Pri_cfts and Minifl:ers, in exchange for the Firll:-born: Now to flight and undervalue an Office fo Holy and Sacred, a Privilege fo eminent, a Dignity fo fublimc and Spiritual, to part with it only for the fati sfying of his Hunger, was a fign of a prophane Spirit, in preferring the God his Belly, before the God of Heaven, and fo r ever renouncing his Right of Sacrificing to the true God, only that he might Sacri fice one pleafant Morfel to his impatient Appetite. And certainly, if it were f6 prophane in E[au to Oight and contemn the Pricfrhond in hirnfelf, they are alfo prophane who vilifie it in others, and make thore the Objects of their loweft Scorn and Contempt, whofe Office it is to Stand and Minifter before God and Chrift. Certainly, if a Dilhonour done to an Ambalfado.f, reflects upon the Prince that fent him, will not Chrift account it as an Affront and Injury done unto him, when youaffi:ont and injure thofe his Mem:ngers and Ambaffadors whom he hath fent to treat with you in his Name, and about the Concernments Of his Kingdom > But not to fpcak mnre of this, left we fhould be thought to plead for our felves : Arc not thofe prophane who defpife <ind contemn the high Privileges and Dignity of the_ Child.ren of God; who defiJife thofe whom God fo high!)' honours as to adopt tl_tcm mto Ius own Fam1ly, admJt them mto near Commun1on and Indearments with htmfelf, to make them his own Sons, and give them the Privilege of Heirs of etcrn~l Glory? Donbtlcfs, he who defpifeth him thtt is begotten, defpifeth him likeWI~e that beget teth; and the common DifrefpeB: which is Jhcwn to the Servants and ~~~::r~n of God, argues a fecrct Contempt of him who is their Mafter and their No_w lay thefe things to your own Hearts, and bring them home t~ your own ConfcJcnces, and fee whether you are in none of thefe particulars guilty of Pro- . phanenefs:
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