Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

You shall know it partly by the wearing, and by the use. A counterfeit thing is discovered by the use, as counterfeit colours they wear out, they last not long; a counterfeit drug is known by the working of it: a bow that is not sound, but rotten, you shall know it when it is used. When a friend is put to it, and comes to the trial, you shall know whether he be counterfeit by that. ⟨p. 264⟩So put this godliness to the act, see what it is when you come to performances, when you come to bring things into execution, you shall find, if there be nothing but a form, it will fail you in those cases. It will not do the thing, it carries a show indeed, but when you come to real and spiritual performances of the duties of godliness, when it comes to the wearing, when it comes to the use, there it fails and holds not out.

You shall know it partly by the wearing, and by the use. A counterfeit thing is discovered by the use, as counterfeit colours they wear out, they last not long; a counterfeit drug is known by the working of it: a bow that is not sound, but rotten, you shall know it when it is used. When a friend is put to it, and comes to the tryal, you shall know whether he be counterfeit by that. ⟨p. 264⟩So put this godliness to the act, see what it is when you come to performances, when you come to bring things into execution, you shall find, if there be nothing but a form, it will fail you in those cases. It will not do the thing, it carries a shew indeed, but when you come to real and spiritual performances of the duties of godliness, when it comes to the wearing, when it comes to the use, there it fails and holds not out.

And again, as it is discerned by this, so likewise there are some certain properties of it, which the form of godliness always wants. For as all graces have some peculiar properties, as effectual faith, diligent love, and patient hope, so hath godliness. Now it is too large a point to run through the properties of godliness, but a wise man that hath his senses rightly exercised, he needs not to stand to examine the truth of his godliness by the use and wearing of it, but he may examine it by that he hath learned, by that which he knoweth to be the true properties of it. As a skilful man needs not to try the drug he hath, by the operation and working of it, because he is skilful. Take a man that is accustomed to taste wine, a small taste serves his turn, by that he can presently discern of the quality and properties of that wine, whether it be strong or small, although he drink not much of it. You should learn to have this skill, and that is the thing we teach you to be accustomed to know the true from the false. It concerns you much, it concerns you above all other things. If you buy cloth that you take to be well wadded or dyed in grain, if afterward you find it to be but a washy colour, it is but the loss of that cloth. And so if counterfeit gold be put upon you, it is but the loss of that gold. But if it come to this, what do you lose by it? you lose the salvation of your souls. What if a man have a counterfeit deed of his Lands? he loseth but his Estate; but if a man have a counterfeit pardon, it costs him his life, he loseth that by it. Such is this godliness, your life and salvation depends