A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…A cabinet of choice jevvels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…

But let all such hypocrites know, that dissembled sanctity is double iniquity, and accordingly at last they shall be dealt with, Mat. 24.5. But,

Secondly, No hypocrite under heaven is totally divorced from the love and liking of every known sin, there is still some secret lust or other,¹ which as a sweet morsel he rolls under his tongue, and will not spit it out; every Hypocrite tolerates some evil or other in himself, and takes liberty to transgress. An Hypocrite will make hard shift to daub up his conscience, and to secure himself from the checks thereof. After once the bag was committed to Judas his custody, after once he was chosen into that sweet office, he quickly put conscience ⟨p. 289⟩out of office,² and never left stealing and licking his fingers, whilst there was any money in his bag to finger. Herod knew much, and heard John Baptist, and had some temporary affections, and did many good things, Mark 6.20. But yet, 1. He kept Herodias his brother's wife, Mark 6.17. 2. He took away the life of John the Baptist, Mark 6.27. 3. He sets Jesus Christ at naught, and rejected him, Luke 23.11. As fair as Herod seemed to carry it, yet he lived in a known notorious sin, and unjustly murdered the messenger of God, and mocked and rejected Jesus Christ as a vile person. Some sin or other always reigns without control, in an hypocritical heart. As they say of Witches, that they have one familiar or another that still sucks them. An Hypocrite always reserves one nest-egg or another in his heart or life, for Satan to sit and brood on. Jehu did many brave things, but yet he kept up the worship of his golden calves. Naaman promises high, but yet he is for bowing in the house of Rimmon. The Pharisees were very devout, but yet they loved the praises of men, and the uppermost seats in the Synagogues. There is never an hypocrite in the world, but will do what he can to save the life of his sin, though it be with the loss of his soul. O Sirs! Satan can be contented that Hypocrites should yield to God in many things, provided they will be but true to him in some one thing; for he very well knows, that one sin lived in, and allowed, gives him as much advantage against the soul, as more. Satan can hold a man fast enough by one sin, as the Fowler can hold the bird fast enough by one claw; Satan knows, that one sin lived in and allowed, will mar all a mans sweetest duties and services; as one dead fly will mar the whole box of precious ointment, and as one jarring string will bring the sweetest music out of tune.