Section 7: A plain discourse upon uprightness showing the properties… by Richard Steele | AskReformation

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:187p. 108–109

And what is more common in the World, than to brand every one for an hypocrite, that is but serious in his Religion? If any man do humbly and conscientiously endeavour to live according to his Covenant in Baptism, do set himself against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and deny the pomps and vanities, wherein the generality of men do wallow; presently his envious and carnal neighbours, when they can tax him with nothing, condemn him for an hypocrite: his outside is smooth, but inwardly he is an errand hypocrite: but his upright God, that knows his heart, will clear him sooner or later; at furthest at that great day of setting things at right. The Lord Jesus will come with his thousands of Saints, Jude vers. 15. to convince the ungodly world of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. See here you implacable wretches, this is the man, this the woman, whom you condemned for hypocrites; they were praying for you, while you were cursing them; I knew their uprightness and will now declare it, Thus shall it be done to those I delight to honour, and you must go ⟨p. 109⟩with a curse into eternal torments.

And what is more common in the World, than to brand every one for an hypocrite, that is but serious in his Religion? If any man do humbly and conscientiously indeavour to live according to his Covenant in Baptism, do set himself against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and deny the pomps and vanities, wherein the generality of men do wallow; presently his envious and carnal neighbours, when they can tax him with nothing, condemn him for an hypocrite: his outside is smooth, but inwardly he is an arrand hypocrite: but his upright God, that knows his heart, will clear him sooner or later; at furthest at that great day of setting things at right. The Lord Jesus will come with his thousands of Saints, Jude vers. 15. to convince the ungodly world of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. See here you implacable wretches, this is the man, this the woman, whom you condemn'd for hypocrites; they were praying for you, while you were cursing them; I knew their uprightness and will now declare it, Thus shall it be done to those I delight to honour, and you must go ⟨p. 109⟩with a curse into eternal torments.

:188p. 109–110

Rejoice in the Lord therefore, O ye Righteous, and be glad all ye of upright heart. Be not dismayed at mens rebukes, these Reproaches do but add to your Crown: And God permits them, to make you search your hearts the more. Though these be poor commodities, yet you may make a trade of them, and live the better for them. They charge you with the Foxes pranks, and you have the Foxes Nature. They charge you with one fault, and thereby you find out another; they write Hypocrite, and you subscribe Formal, Dead, Secure, and chief of Sinners. And know for your comfort, that your names shall have a Resurrection as well as your bodies; and you shall shine in glory, when your enemies shall only shine in flames. And even in this world your God doth justify you in their Consciences; the most of them could wish their souls in your souls stead, for all their talk; at least when pale death stares them in the face, then O let me dye the death of the Righteous, and let my latter end be like his. It is not oft that an hypocrite goes undiscovered to his grave; nor very oft that an upright man dies without the testimony of the Centurion, even from ⟨p. 110⟩men; Certainly this man was a dear child of God.

Rejoyce in the Lord therefore, O ye Righteous, and be glad all ye of upright heart. Be not dismay'd at mens rebukes, these Reproaches do but adde to your Crown: And God permits them, to make you search your hearts the more. Though these be poor commodities, yet you may make a trade of them, and live the better for them. They charge you with the Foxes pranks, and you have the Foxes Nature. They charge you with one fault, and thereby you find out another; they write Hypocrite, and you subscribe Formal, Dead, Secure, and chief of Sinners. And know for your comfort, that your names shall have a Resurrection as well as your bodies; and you shall shine in glory, when your enemies shall only shine in flames. And even in this world your God doth justifie you in their Consciences; the most of them could wish their souls in your souls stead, for all their talk; at least when pale death stares them in the face, then O let me dye the death of the Righteous, and let my latter end be like his. It is not oft that an hypocrite goes undiscovered to his grave; nor very oft that an upright man dies without the testimony of the Centurion, even from ⟨p. 110⟩men; Certainly this man was a dear child of God.