Gods husbandry

I Make bold (good Reader) to present unto thy view, this second part of Gods Husbandry, containing a few Sermons, which I preached upon the words of Christ, in the fifteenth of Saint Johns Gospel. My main intention herein was, to help the people of God, against that miserable sin of Hypocrisy, which in the former Treatise I sought to discover. Doubtless all our pains, and all our preaching, is little enough, and too little, to make men see, and reform so perilous, and withal so subtle a vice. This is a disease of so dark a working, as will hardly be discerned, until it be past cure. And though a man be not so totally possessed and overcome by it, as that he deserve to be called an Hypocrite, yet are the remainders of it (which abide in the most sanctified hearts, as the Canaanites amongst the sons of Abraham) exceeding troublesome, and exceeding noisome, calling for all diligence and labour to expel them. It is the daughter of ignorance and self-love, the mother of pride and self-conceitedness, the sister of vain-glory and contention. It is, of all sins, one of ⟨image 85⟩the most hideous, because it damneth those, that seem to themselves little less then free from all other sins. When the whole army of vices is fled before the face of virtue, and seems to have yielded a full victory, then doth this vice (as it were by stratagems and devices) undermine victorious virtue, and rob it of the victory which it seemed to have gotten. It is the refuge and hiding place of all other faults: neither can we further prevail against any corruption, then we prevail against this: neither can any corruption further foil us, then this doth lend it aide and succour. This vice maketh those things abominable in Gods sight, which to menward seem praiseable, and causeth that heaven doth detest, what earth applauds. It comes to Church with men, and poisons preaching, praying, hearing, reading, receiving the Communion, and all the parts of Gods service. It is bold to creep into the closet also with some men, and doth many times corrupt their most retired devotions. It maketh that the Lord accounts himself but mocked, when men account themselves to have well worshipped him. It turns mercy, justice, chastity, into vices after a sort, and causeth that they be in true judgement, but fair and gilded sins.

I Make bold (good Reader) to present vnto thy view, this second part of Gods Husbandry, containing a few Sermons, which I preached vpon the words of Christ, in the fifteenth of Saint Iohns Gospell. My maine intention herein was, to helpe the people of God, against that miserable sinne of Hypocrisie, which in the former Treatise I sought to discouer. Doubtlesse all our paines, and all our preaching, is little enough, and too little, to make men see, and reforme so perillous, and withall so subtill a vice. This is a disease of so darke a working, as will hardly be discerned, vntill it be past cure. And though a man bee not so totally possessed and ouercome by it, as that he deserue to bee called an Hypocrite, yet are the remainders of it (which abide in the most sanctified hearts, as the Canaanites amongst the sonnes of Abraham) exceeding troublesome, and exceeding noysome, calling for all diligence and labour to expell them. It is the daughter of ignorance and selfe-loue, the mother of pride and selfe-conceitednesse, the sister of vaine-glory and contention. It is, of all sinnes, one of