IT is the use we have in hand; for which purpose some practical inferences have heen recommended to you; and others do yet remain. That which is the fourth inference you may take thus ;-That they cannot but be very gross hypocrites. who carry that semblance and shew with them, of having a standing in this kingdom of God; but were never thus born into it. Here we have these two things to do to shew that such pretenders are hypocrites upon this account and-to shew the absurdity and folly of that hypocrisy.

I. That there is manifest hypocrisy in the case. In order to the evincing this, we need only to consider with ourselves, that such persons really have not a standing in God's kingdom, and yet that they would be taken to have. Hypocrisy is when persons pretend to that good which they have not. It is not

any

kind of semblance which will put a glory upon us; but the simulation of some good or other; when men pretend to be better, or that their state is better, than indeed it is, or than

Preached January 23rd. 1677. Cordwainer's Hall,

they are. Nor is it necessary to a man's being a hypocrite that he should understand himself to be so; but only that he ⚫ carries a shew or semblance, whether he deceives others by it only, or himself also; of that good which he hath not. And that such persons are not of God's kingdom we have largely shewn already. They neither are, nor is it possible they should be, upon other terms than by being born into it. There is no other possible way to come into this kingdom, or to be made suitable to the nature and end of this constitution; but by being new born spirit of spirit. And therefore that good which such persons pretend to, they have not, whoever they are who are not yet new born. They pretend to be the loyal subjects of the kingdom of God, but it is no such thing, if they are not by a new birth, made so; for by their old and natural birth, and as they were born flesh of the flesh, they were never so. And yet it is very apparent on the other hand, that there are many who would be taken to be of that kingdom, though really they were never regenerate or born into it. And this added to the former, evinces the matter we have in hand; that such persons are egregious hypocrites, who are not of God's kingdom, and yet pretend to be of it. And that many of the unregenerate do so, we have such evidences of it as these:

1. That they are very loth to go under the contrary repute. There are none but are either subjects of this kingdom, or rebels against the authority and laws of it. There is no medium between rebellion and subjection; all are either subjects, or rebels. Now they do not profess rebellion, and think it inconvenient to go under the name of rebels, or avow rebellion against the Majesty of heaven. It is plain they would be thought subjects, and are loth to wear that inscription upon their foreheads : Here is a rebel against heaven. They would be thought to be what they are not.

2. They conform themselves to some parts of the law of this kingdom; that is, in such respects wherein their compliance is more easy, and less expensive, and wherein there is less disinclination of heart to it. There are many very easy externals, which being observed and complied with, a reputation may be gained, without any great pains, or inconvenience and loss, or without imposing too much upon themselves. There is an external obedience to the letter of the law, in some of the less principal commands and precepts of it: For if we compare them, we must acknowledge all that duty which immediately terminates upon God, to be more principal than that which immediately terminates upon men. Possibly they can be so content to put on the garb of just and charita

ble persons; yea, if you go with them no further than the externals of religion, they can be content to come to the public assemblies, and to sit before the Lord as his people sit; with their mouths, ore tenus, they shew much love, (Ezek. 33. latter end,) that is, they are very devout persons. And while they do all this, what doth it signify, but that they have a great mind to be, taken for subjects, and some of God's kingdom; and think it possible to gain a repute by such easy means as these, which they have no cause at all to regret.

3. They declare against the more open rebellions of others. It may be they will lift up loud outeries against very gross wickedness in other men, and condemn them for appearing to be, that which themselves in heart really are.

4. They claim the privileges of the subjects of this kingdom. They will have their children to be enrolled, even as theirs who are the members of it, and it may be, come themselves to the Lord's table. They expect the protection and blessing of the great King of this kingdom; though possibly they may not have much recourse to him about the concerns of their souls; yet they believe and hope, he will succeed them in their affairs, and prosper them in the world, and save them at last. Why, all these things plainly manifest, that they have a great mind to be taken to be of this kingdom, what. really and indeed they are not; and that there is a great deal of hypocrisy in the case. But

II. We are to shew the absurdity and folly of that hypocrisy. This will be manifest too, if you consider these two things -that it is without any colourable pretence, and-that it is without any valuable design. If one would put any semblance or shew of being what one is not, and manage the business with any wisdom or cunning, there must be these two conjunct, that is, the disguise must be framed with a great deal of art; and some considerable advantage must be got by it. For otherwise to make such a shew to no purpose, though there were never so great ingenuity shewed in it, is but to play the fool. But now the hypocrisy which is to be found in this case, must needs be absurd, as having neither colourable pretence, nor valuable design.

1. It hath no sufficiently colourable pretence. Some pretence there must be; otherwise it could not be hypocrisy. But there wants a specious and plausible pretence in the case; that is, that one should pretend himself to be of this kingdom of God, which consists all of select persons; and yet he never hath been born into such a state. To pretend to be in a state

73 into which there was no imaginable way to come, and with the supposed denial, which we must suppose in the present case; of the only way by which it was possible one could come into such a state. It is impossible there can be a specious pretence for this. But to be a little more particular: It is plain,

(1.) That men do in this case pretend to be that which they abhor. They pretend at present to be of the initial kingdom, or the kingdom of grace; that is in short, they pretend to be saints; every one pretends to be so, who pretends to be of this kingdom, for it is a kingdom of such : but being as yet unregenerate, they abhor to be so, and dislike the purity of that state to which they do pretend. This is very gross and absurd. And

(2.) They pretend to hope for what they do not desire, and that is equally absurd. They hope they say to be in the consummate and glorious kingdom above; but they do not desire to be there: for it is impossible an unregenerate, unholy heart can. No man can desire that which is unsuitable to his nature, and to which his heart, in its habitual inclinations, 'is repugnant. Every one who hath this hope in him, purifies himself even as he is pure, 1 John 3. 3. Now for a man to pretend to the hope of that, which in his own heart he doth not desire; this is a most absurd pretence. For though it is very possible to desire that which a man doth not hope for; there are many such irrational desires of things which appear in themselves worth the having; but which we apprehend no possibility of having such childish and foolish desires and wouldings there may be, of what we have no hope to attain. But it is impossible there can be, on the other hand, the hope of that whereof I have no desire; for hope doth superadd to desire, and therefore doth suppose it. Whatever I hope for I desire though I do not necessarily because I desire a thing therefore hope for it; for to make a thing hopeful to me it must be possible, and it must be arduous or attended with some kind of appearing difficulty. But I may desire a thing, merely because it appears good, whether I apprehend it possible to be attained or no; or though there is nothing of arduousness appearing in the case. It may be the object of desire, but not of hope.

And most manifest it is, that whosoever are not thus born spirit of spirit, have not any desire to be partakers in this kingdom rightly understood. That is, it is not possible that an unrenewed, unspiritual heart can desire the employment and business; the purity and enjoyments of that state; or the divine presence in which they are to converse. All by which they can so much as cheat themselves in the case, is only this, hav

ing taken up a defective or false notion of heaven, or a future state of blessedness; they hope they say, to be happy, when they die, without having ever formed a right notion, what that happiness is, or wherein it consists. But be it what it will, and though it is never so mistaken a notion, it is plain they desire that happines which they do desire, only as it is put in comparison with hell, not as it stands in comparison with earth. They had rather indeed be happy, with such an imaginary happiness, as they fancy to themselves in heaven; than to go to hell: but they had rather continue on earth perpetually, enjoying the good things it affords; than that heaven itself, though suited by their own imaginations never so much to the wish of their own hearts. An immortality on earth would be chosen rather. This is not to desire heaven as its blessedness or chief good; for whatsoever I desire as such, I desire absolutely. It is impossible I can take that for my chief good, which I would be content never to enjoy. As much as they pretend to desire heaven, yet they wish never to come there, if they could stay in this world always, and have what it affords them. Therefore I say, they most absurdly pretend to hope for that heaven, as their best good, which they do not so much as desire ever to enjoy. And

(3.) There is a great deal of absurdity in the pretence upon this account, that very often it is to be seen through. It is so thin and slight a cover that any eye may even see through it. All who are hypocrites are not artificial ones: there are a great many hypocrites, and the far greater part of them, who are mere bunglers at it; they are hypocrites without any skill or artifice; and so they take up a pretence which any body, with half an eye, may penetrate and see through. As if for example, a person who pretends to be a subject of God's kingdom, and yet makes it manifest in the course of his conversation that he stands in no awe of God at all, which is a prime thing in that subjection. So the case is very often, as the Psalmist takes notice, Psalm, 36, (beginning,) The wickedness of the wicked saith in my heart, the fear of God is not before his eyes. His wickedness speaks in' my heart, that he is one fearless of God, and who stands in no awe of him. So it is with many a man who professes somewhat of religion, that is, who doth not profess atheism, or rebellion against heaven; yet the wickedness of his course and practice is such as to speak in another man's heart, sure this man has no fear of God before his eyes. Now how absurd is this, to put on a covering and disguise, which doth not hide a man at all! The whole course of their lives proclaims them to be no other than earthly, carnal worldlings, while they pretend to be designing for heaven; for