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…

he never carries on his work from inward principles of faith, fervency, life, love, delight, &c. Will the hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty? Ans. No, he cannot delight himself in the Almighty.¹ 1. To delight in God is one of the highest acts of grace; and how can an hypocrite put forth one of the highest acts of grace, who hath no grace? An hypocrite may know much of God, and talk much of God, and make a great profession of God, and be verbally thankful to God; but he can never love God, nor trust in God, nor delight in God, nor take up his rest in God, &c. 2. An hypocrite knows not God, and how then can he delight in that God whom he does not know? An hypocrite has no inward, saving, transforming, experimental, affectionate, practical knowledge of God; and therefore he can never take any pleasure or delight in God. 3. There is no suitableness between an hypocrite and God, and how then can an hypocrite delight himself in God? There is the greatest contrariety imaginable 'twixt God and an hypocrite. God is light, and the hypocrite is darkness;² God is holiness, and he filthiness; God is righteousness, and he unrighteousness; God is fullness, and he emptiness. Now what complacency can there be where there is such an utter contrariety. 4. Every hypocrites heart is full of enmity against God, and how then can he delight himself in God? The carnal mind is enmity against God, ³for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. The best part of an hypocrite is not only averse, but utterly adverse to God and all goodness. The Eagle (saith the Philosopher) hath a continual enmity with the Dragon and the Serpent. And so an hypocrites heart is still full of enmity against the Lord; and therefore he can never delight himself ⟨p. 323⟩in the Lord. 5. The stream, cream, and strength of an hypocrites delight runs out to himself, and to this lust or that, to this relation or that, to this creature-comfort or that, to this worldly enjoyment or that, or else to arts, parts, gifts, privileges, &c. and therefore how can he delight himself in the Almighty? An Hypocrite always terminates his delight in something on this side God, Christ and Heaven. Look, as the Apricock-tree, though it leans against the wall, yet it is fast rooted in the earth;