The peril of the times displayed. Or The danger of mens taking up with…

2. Beware of censuring these for Hypocrisy, who are careful to keep up the form which God himself hath prescribed to us. That God hath not only directed us how we are to Serve him with our inward man, but that he hath also told us how he expects that we worship him with the outward man, is a truth unconfutably ⟨p. 144⟩grounded in the Second Commandment. Now there are many that make nothing of this, but can take up with any form: and if there be any who pretend Conscience to keep close to what God hath revealed of his mind in this respect, and not to dare to go beyond it, they are ready to charge Hypocrisy on them; but let us consider:

1. That the most powerfully Godly, will be most Conscientious in this matter. True, to stickle here, and to regard nothing else, but in other things to lead a loose Conversation among men, is enough to detect men of falsehood, and shows that it is not the fear of God which acts them in this regard. But it is a thing to be observed, that God hath, in all ages of the Church, made his Institutions the great Test of the External Obedience of his professing people: and herein he hath asserted his Prerogative to appoint what shall be the Media of Communion between him and them: and hereupon if we look into the affair• of the Church of God in former times, we shall find that the most holy men, have been the most afraid of deviating here: and those mysterious ⟨p. 145⟩Prophesies in the latter part of Ezekiels Visions, have an eye to Gospel times, and we there find how God speaks to the Prophet, Ezek 43.11. Show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the Ordinances thereof, and all the Laws thereof. Again, there are some who are more careful than others in attending on external duties, they dare not to neglect them, or put them off upon vain pretences; and how many are there who condemn them for this as if they did it all but for a show? that they read, hear, pray in their Families, and wait upon the public Ordinances in season and out of season, only to make men think them better Christians than others; whereas doubtless the most hly men are the most careful in these performances, only they dare not to rest in these things.