EptjileofS. PoodleTina. a. CHAP.I.I6. j may be one ? I feemy felfe come behind fuch as there, and fo haueloa a 1 3 u great dealeofpaincs, ofhopes. Anfw. As Chrifi (aid w theyoungman vauntingof keeping all theláwes ofGod from his youth, ens thing is ntark.ra,r. et Wanting, fo it is to this man, which ifthouhaft , thou as farre excee- deft him as light dothdarknes,thouggh thou wantefi a great deale of his appearance:What this is,the next note fheweth. The fecond note is in therewords, But indeede they denie him : that is, all the religionoían hypocrite is oncly in outwardproefíion feparated denv2gof from the inward fnceritie ofthe heart. All that we haue fpoken of him ehepowerofie. isbut a hueles forme ofgodlineffe , in which thepower of it isdenied, 2. Tim.3.$. Men may be laid todeny a thing three wayes : a. with the N nfol,min tongue. 2. with the heart thus the Atheift denieth God , PIal. 24. r, r,irsv:,b .,tra ; infimulaeiso. 3. with the life or aEtions, which is here properly meant. For aske the pcubncmenaa. tongues &wordsof there menconcerning their courfes,all wll appeare fce anuIm rem. to be fifhwhole, but aske their hues, andyou {hall heare their workes dicere & opera ( which are farre more euident witneffes with oragainl a man , then his «r ';;' °¡,f¿ words) fpeake otherwife. Or grant they doe many glorious works to <cadr.scrm. e the eie,yet cuen herein after a fort God is denied , in that they are lame, ñb and indeedccarkafesofgood aëìiot:s,without any foule to quicken the; all is externall,and in fuch workes they may bevery bulìe, but fpiritual- ly they performe nothing. Thus Chrift chargeth the Scribesand Phar.i- fiet with hypocrifie, in that they outwardly appeared righteone, but in- Mar.a;.,8. wardly were like the graues full of putrification and rorteones. And if narrowly we examine themoft glorious appearäces addskind ofmen, we (hall out of theScriptures more euidently fee the light of this truth, which teach vs that there is a generation that draw ncereGodwith their lippes,but their hearts arc farre remooued from him, fo as though he be rcr,r,, ncere their mouthes,hie is farre from their raines : they can come with fheepe andoxen to feeke the Lord,Hof. 5.6. but not with faith and re- pentance in their hearts and therefore /hallrhey finde him ? If God de- lighted in outward facrifices, theywould glue himmany a one,but that lacrificeofanhnmbleand contrite fpirit, which is his delight they de- pfar.53.r7 raine from him. Hence is all their righteoufnef a compared Co amorning dove, which maketh (hew as ifit wouldwater and moisten the heart of theearth, but it only aar.deth a little vpon the face or crufi of ir, and the (inne rifing,it prefently vani(hethaway. If they cleaue to the Church for a while,theydo not with full purpose of heart cleauevnto the Lord. If they abfiaine from euill, it is more in regardofman then of God, or their care is but to cutoff the wafh boughof fin, but they leaue the bole &aumpe handing, to ftoppe thecourfesofmore fhamefull and grolle finnes, but not todamme vp the fountaiue. If they doe anygood , they are
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