2. The second Case is, Case 2 whether an hypocrite may not serve God ⟨p. 24⟩with delight? I answer, he may; Herod heard John Baptist gladly, Mat. 6.20. and those that fasted for strife and debate, did delight to know Gods ways, Isaiah 58.2. An hypocrite may, out of some flashy hopes of heaven, show a delight in goodness; but yet it is not such a delight as is found in the regenerate; 1for his delight is carnal. A man may be carnal while he is doing spiritual things; 'Tis not the holiness and strictness in religion that the hypocrite delights in, but something else; he delights in prayer, but 'tis rather the showing of gifts he looks at than the exercising of grace. * He delights in hearing, but 'tis not the spirituality of the Word he delights in; 2not the favour of knowledge * but the lustre. When he goes to the Word preached, it is, that he may rather feast his fancy, than better his heart; as if a man should go to an Apothecaries shop for a pill, only ⟨p. 25⟩to see the gilding of it, not for the operative virtue. The hypocrite goes to the Word to see what gilding is in a Sermon; and what may delight the intellect. Hypocrites come to the Word as one comes into a garden to pluck some fine flower to smell to, not as a child comes to the breast for nutriment. This is rather curiosity than piety. Such were those, Ezek. 33.32. thou art to them as a very lovely song, of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument. The Prophet being eloquent, and having a pleasing delivery, they were much taken with it, and it was as sweet to them as a fit of music, but it was not the spirituality of the matter they so well liked, as the tunableness of the voice It was a sharp, yet seasonable, reproof of Chrysostom to his auditory. This is that (saith he) which is like to undo your souls, you hear your Ministers as so many minstrels ⟨p. 26⟩to please the ear, not to pierce the conscience*. You see an hypocrites delight in Religion is carnal; 'tis not the being nourished up in the words of faith *which he minds, 5but the eloquence of speech, the rareness of notion, the quickness of fancy, the smoothness of stile; he strives only to pluck from the tree of knowledge. Alas (poor man) thou mayst have the star-light of knowledge, and yet it may be night in thy soul.
2. The second Case is, Case 2 whether an hypocrite may not serve God ⟨p. 24⟩with delight? I answer, he may; Herod heard John Baptist gladly, Mat. 6.20. and those that fasted for strife and debate, did delight to know Gods wayes, Esay 58.2. An hypocrite may, out of some flashy hopes of heaven, shew a delight in goodnesse; but yet it is not such a delight as is found in the regenerate; 1for his delight is carnal. A man may be carnal while he is doing spiritual things; 'Tis not the holinesse and strictnesse in religion that the hypocrite delights in, but something else; he delights in prayer, but 'tis rather the shewing of gifts he looks at than the exercising of grace. * He delights in hearing, but 'tis not the spirituality of the Word he delights in; 2not the favour of knowledge * but the lustre. When he goes to the Word preached, it is, that he may rather feast his phancy, than better his heart; as if a man should go to an Apothecaries shop for a pill, only ⟨p. 25⟩to see the gilding of it, not for the operative vertue. The hypocrite goes to the Word to see what gilding is in a Sermon; and what may delight the intellect. Hypocrites come to the Word as one comes into a garden to pluck some fine flower to smell to, not as a child comes to the breast for nutriment. This is rather curiosity than piety. Such were those, Ezek. 33.32. thou art to them as a very lovely song, of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument. The Prophet being eloquent, and having a pleasing delivery, they were much taken with it, and it was as sweet to them as a fit of musick, but it was not the spirituality of the matter they so well liked, as the tunablenesse of the voice It was a sharp, yet seasonable, reproof of Chrysostom to his auditory. This is that (saith he) which is like to undo your souls, you hear your Ministers as so many minstrels ⟨p. 26⟩to please the eare, not to pierce the conscience*. You see an hypocrites delight in Religion is carnal; 'tis not the being nourished up in the words of faith *
- 1The hypocrites delight carnal.
- 2Cor. 2.14 [Greek or Hebrew].Cor. 2.14 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- *Chrysost.
- *1 Tim. 4.6.
- 5[Greek or Hebrew]〈non-Latin alphabet〉
