Serm. I. Of Sincerity towards God andMan, and bethink themfelves of making their Retreat in time, andof agreeing with their adverfary, whit he isyet in the way. So that conftáncy to our Religion in cafe of Danger, and fuffering for it, is the belt Proof ofour Sincerity. This is the Fiery Tryal, as the Scripturecalls it, which will try what Materials we are made of, and whether we love God and his Truth in fmcerity. And thus I have confidered Sincerity as it refpeds God, and imports true Piety and Religion towards him ; and I proceed to the fecundConfideration. II. Of Sincerity as it regards Men; and fo it liignifies a fimplicity of Mind and Manners in our Converfation, and Carriage one towards another ; finglenefs of Heart, difcovering it feif in a constant plainnefs and honeft oppennefs of Behavi- our, free from all infidious Devices, and little Tricks, and Fetches of Craft and Cunning ; from all falfe Appearances and deceitful Difguifes of our felves inWord or Adion ; or yet more plainly, it is to fpeak as we think, and do what we pre- tend and profefs, to perform and make good what we promife, and, in. a Word, really to be, what we we would feem and appear to be. Not that we are obliged to tell every Man all our Mind; but we are never to declare any thing contrary to it : We may be filent, and concealas much of our felves, as Prudence, or any other good Reafon requires ; but we muff not put on a difguife, and make a falfe appearance and empty fhow Of what we are not, either by Word or Action. Contrary to this Vertue is (I fear) most of that Complement, which is current in Converfation, and which for the molt part is nothing but Words, to fill up the Gaps, and fupply the emptinefs of Dif courfe ; and a pretence to that I{indnefs and Efteem for Perfons, which either in truth we have not, or not to that degree whichour Expreffions feem to im- port; which if done with defign, is that which we call Flattery, a very odious fort of Infincerity, and fo much the worfe, becaufe it abufeth Men into a vain and foolish Opinion of themfelves, and an ill-grounded Confidence of the kind- nefs and good-will of others towards them ; and fo much the more dangerous, becaufe it hath a Party within us, which is ready to let, it in ; it plays upon our feif-love, which greedily catcheth at any thing that tends tomagnifie and ad- vance us ; for God knows, we are all too apt to think and make the heft of our bad felves, fo that very few Tempers have. Wifdom and Firinnefs enough to be proof againft Flattery ; it requires great Confideration, and a refolute Modefty and Humility, to refit the Infinuations of this Serpent; yea, a little rudenefs and morofenefs ofNature, a prudent diftruft and infidelity in Mankind, to make a Man in good earneft to rele& and defpife it. Now betides, that all Hypocrifie and Infincerity is mean in it feif, having falfe- hood at the bottom ; it is alfo often made ufe of, to the Prejudice of others, in their Rights and Interefts. For not only Diffimulation is contrary to Sincerity, becaufe it confits in a vain !hew of what we are not, in a falfe Muller of our Vir- tues and good Qualities, in a deceitful Reprefentation and undue Chanter of our Lives : But there are likewife other Qualities and A&ions more inconfftent with Integrity, which are of a more injurious and mifchievous Confequence to our Nature, as Falthood, and Fraud, and Perfidioufnefs, and infinite little Crafts andArts of deceit, which Men.pra&ife uponone another in their ordinary Con- verfation and Intercourfe. The former is great Vanity : But this is grofs Iniquity. And yet thefe Qualities dexteroufly managed, fo as not to lie too plain and open to difcovery, are look'd upon by many, as Signs,of great depth and íhrewd- nefs, admirably Inftruments of Bufinefs, and neceffary Means for the compafüng our own Ends and Defigns ; and though in thofe that have fuffered by them, and felt the Mifchief of them, they are always accounted difhoneft, yet among the generality of lookers on, they pafs for great Policy ; as if the very Skill of governing and managing Human Affairs, did conflit in thefe little Tricks and Devices : But he that looks more narrowly into them, and will but have the Pa- tience to obferve the End of them, will find them to be great Follies, and that it
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=