God, in a manner that feems moft fuitable to his end, fo that it is not Gods means that he ufeth, when he ufeth them, but his own: Nor doth he indeed worship God, while he feems to worship him; nor is in deed Religions, but feems Religious. It is materially (perhaps) Gods work that. he doth, and his means that he ufeth, but Formally they are his own, and not Gods at all when we meet with abundance of our people that are moft nimble intheir accustomed forms that know not what Religion, or Chriftianity is, nor who Chrift is, nor almoft any of the fubftance of the Gospel, it affures us that its eafie to be Infidels with Chriftian expreffions in their mouths; and that its eafier to teach a Parret to fpeak, then to be a man. As their bodies are but the prifons, or dungeons of their fouls, fo their formal words and ceremonies are used

to

to be the prifon, and dungeon, or rather the grave of true devotion. Their Religion is excessively laced; but fo fcant of cloth, that it covereth not their nakedness, nor keeps them warm. Its alwaies winter with the hypocrite in his formal lifeless fervices; and yet fometime his leaf doth never fall. He is like the Box-tree that knows no fruit, and yet its leaves are alwayes green. Whereever his heart is, the Formalifts prayers are always ready: For his prayer-book, or mesory is ftill the fame: He can fay them between fleeping and waking in his bed, and as he is dreffing or washing him, and the interpofition of a friend or fome intervenient word or business, is so small a rub, that it feldom puts him out of his way. Though he cannot make Spiritual his common bufinefs, he can make his Spiritual bufinefs common. Though he have

not

he

not the art, the heart, to manage, his trade or worldly bufinefs, with a holy and a heavenly mind, yet can manage his bolyeft bufineffes, with fuch a mind as he doth his trade. If you would know whether he be praying or playing, Preaching or prating, ferving God, or himself and the flesh, you must not fearch deep for an internal difference, but muft difcern it by the fhew and found of words. He is not one of them that are above ordinances, as turning every day into a Sabbath, and every thought into a prayer, and every morfel into a Sacrament: But he can turn every Sabbath into a common day, and every prayer into common thoughts, and every Sacrament into common food: and therefore that which is holy to others, is to him unclean. Hypocrifie is a natural Popery: It fillech the places of worship with Images, Inftead E

of

of prayer, there's the Image of prayer and instead of preaching, hearing, praifing God, and other parts of worfhip, there is the Image of worship and inftead of Chriftians, Believers, Saints (and I was going to fay, of men) there are fo many Images of thefe, Church-images are ufually handfomly adorned, and placed in a pofture of reverence and devotion; and fo are they. But life they have none, but meetly natural. They are feeing, bearing, speaking Images: but Images they are. They have eyes, but fee not; ears, but hear not, hearts,but understand

not.

And they are enemies to the life and power of Religion, in other's as well as in themselves. The Publicans were not fo bitter perfecutors of Chrift, as the Scribes and Pharifees were. He can hate and reproach the faithful by the spirit, though

though he cannot or will not pray. by the Spirit: For he hath the spirit of malignity, though not the Spirit of fupplication. He can rail without book, though he cannot pray without book, Were it as natural and eafie to be a Saint as to fcorn a Saint, and to worship God in Spirit and in truth, as to hate fuch worship, the man might become a Saint yet before he dyes. But his Vain Religion changeth not his nature, and therefore destroyeth not his ferpentine enmity, against the holy nature and practice of Believers (though perhaps the times may ftop his hiffing, or hinder him from putting forth his fting.) Thefe Spiritual worshippers, and heavenly diligent fort of Chriftians, that make it the main business of their lives, to honour God and fave their fouls, are ufually the greateft eye-fore of the Formalift. Many a difdainful thought he hath