REGENERATION. 359 veries we have of God, the viler will every thing of self appear. Nay,further, duties and performances are often very ill measured by us ; and those seem to be first which indeed are last, and those to be last which indeed are first. I do not doubt but a man, when he has had distractions to wrestle with, no outward .advantage to further him, no extraordinary incitements to hope, fear or sorrow, may rise from his knees with thoughts that he has done nothing inhis duty but provoke Godwhen there has been more workings of grace in contending with the deadness of the soul, than when, by a concur- rence of moved natural affections and outward provo- cations, a frame has been raised that to the party him- self has seemed to reach to heavenso that it may be this perplexity about duties is nothing but what is com- mon to the people of God, and which ought to be no obstruction to peace and confidence. 2. As to the complaint that we find hypocrisy in our hearts, you know what is usually answered : it is one thing to do a :thing in hypocrisy, another not to do it without a mixture of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy, in its full extent, is every thing that in matter or manner comes short of sincerity. Now our sincerity is no more per- fect than our other graces ; so that in its measure it abides with us, and adheres to all we do. In like man- ner it is one thing to do a thing for vain-glory or to be seen of men, and another not to be able wholly to keep off the subtle insinuations of self and vain-glory. He that does a thing in hypocrisy and for vain-glory is. satisfied with some corrupt end obtained, though he be sensible that he sought such an end. He that does a thing from right motives but with some mixture of
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