3 40 Ofthe Form, and Vol.IL on is a drie unpleafant thing, and a continual burden to him that afflatus it, and the more outwardly ffrift and holy he is, he is the more inwardly guilty; his Confcience never flings and galls him more, than when he is playing the hypocrite with God and Men: whereas a truly good Man, when he employs himfelf in as of Religion, or Juiftice, or Charity, hedoth it naturally, andhatha mighty fatif- fa&ion of mind in the doing of it, and if he were permitted to make his own choice, he would not do otherwife; but a hypocrite puts a force upon himfelf all the while, and ads againft his nature and inclinations, every thing he does in Re- ligion goes againft the grain, and becaufe it is unnatural muff be uneafie ; his out- ward converfation and demeanour is fet, and in a Frame, he does not move as he would but as he mull, and the fecret propenfions of his Nature are under a conti- nual reftraint. He bath indeed one advantage by his artificial garb, that he can more fecurely over-reach and defraud others by Phew of Godlinefs, while Men are not aware of his diffìmulation. But this commonly does not lait long, and only ferves a Man for a few turns; and when 'tis difcover'd the Man is loft, and no body will truft him. But fuppofe he could ferve himfelf of Religion this way for fume confi- derable time, where is the advantage ? It amounts to no more than this, that the Man bath the opportunity of beinga greater firmer, of making himfelf more mife- rable, and treafuring up to himfelf more wrath againff the day of wrath. So that he pays dear for all this in the end and iffue, as well as in the way. He fpends many a tedious hour in the fervice of God, and the exercife of Religion; more it maybe than many do, who fave their Souls, and get to Heaven. For as to the external part of Religion, a hypocrite mutt do all that which a truly religious Man does; he muff frequent the Church, and make as much fhew of Devotion as the bell; nay, it may be he prays more, and faits oftner, and is more bufie, and keeps a greater ftir in the outward part of Religion, than the fincere Chriftian; for being confcious to himfelf of his own hollownefs and infincerity in Religion, he thinks himfelf obliged outwardly to over-ad it in unfeafonable and fuperftiti- ous obfervances, and in all other arts of affected Devotion; and when he goes a- broad into theWorld, he is forced to lay great reftraints upon himfelf, and to be continually gathering his Cloak about him, as being afraid left any body fhould fpie what is under it. So much more troublefome it is for any Man to feem to be religious, than to be fo indeed. H. A mereForm ofReligion does upon fouie accounts bring a Man under a hea- vier fentence, than if he were openly prophane and irreligious. : He that makes a Thew of Religion, flatters God, but all the while ails and defigns again(( him : whereas the prophane Man deals plainly, and tho' he be a monftrous and unnatu- ral Rebel, yet he is a fair and open Enemy ; and the kii fes of a falfe friend are more hateful than the wounds of an open enemy. Upon this account it is that our Saviour denounceth fo many revere woes againft the Scribes and Phari- fees, becaufe they were wicked under a Phew of Religion. Wo untoyou Scribes and Pharifees, Hypocrites; and when he would fet forth the feverity of the Lord againft the evil Servant, Matth. 24. 51. He expreffeth it thus, He(hall cut him a- fúnder, and appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites; there (hall be weeping and gnafhing of teeth. As if the punifhment of Hypocrites, were the rule and flan- dard of the fevereft punifhment. He frail appoint him his portion with the Hy- pocrites. I will not deny but that a prophane Man is a worfe example to the world, and may do more mifchiefupon that account : but the Hypocrite is more mifchievous to himfelf, and of the two more odious to God, and fometimes does more prejudice to Religion by undermining it, than the other does by all his open affaults and batteries. God cannot endure tobe affronted: but he hates to be mocked. So that upon this account, it is like to go harder with the formal profeffors of Religion, than with the open contemners of it. And thus I have done with the four things I propounded to fpeak to from thefe words; wherein a Formof Godlinefs does confit; wherein the Power of it lies; by 5 what
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