3 Mark. A person may know his uprightness by the consciona- ble disposition of his heart about all sins, Psal. xviii. 23. Job i. 1. Hypocrites have still some way of wickedness. Such a soul as is upright, will make conscience of secret, as well as open sins, Job xxxi. 26, 27, &c. Prov. xii. 5. yea, of the least sins ; David's heart smote him for cutting off the skirt of Saufs garment ; yea, of sins which are in a sort more connatural to him, Psal. xviii. 23. In a word, uprightness appears in nine things about sins. (1.) It will endure trial, Psal. cxxxix. 23. (2.) It will often try itself (3.) It scares itself, and is suspicious. (4.) It will bless God for being kept from sin ; as David did for Abigail's counsel. (5.) It is more severe against its own sins than another's. (6.) It condemns sin in all ; in parents, as Jonathan in Saul ; in children, as Jacob in Si-
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meon and Levi : in great ones, as John Baptist in Herod. (7.) It grieves for its own sins, and the sins of others also. Rivers of wa- ter ran down David's eyes upon that account. (8.) It is more moved for sins against God, than injuries done to itself; as David cannot bear Goliath's blasphemies, yet can bear Shimei's railings. (9.) Abstinence sufficeth not without hatred ; and hatred sufficeth not without mortification.
4 Mark. Uprightness is known by a man's disposition about holy duties, and in holy duties. Five things manifest the uprightness of the heart.
1. Universalitij, Psal. cxix. 6. Acts xxiv. 16. Heb. xiii. 18. An hypocrite's obedience cannot be universal, because his grounds and motives are but particular.
S. By its Constancy, Job ii. 3. still he holdeth fast his integrity- There are three things in which an hypocrite may express great for- wardness ; (1.) When straits of conscience are on him, Isa. xxvi, 16. (2.) When duties arc not dangerous, Matth. xiii. 5, 6, 20. (3.) In the presence of others ; as Joash while Jehoiadah lived.
3. By .simplicity of obedience, when a man looks not at himself, but at God's command, 2 Cor. i. 12. and v. 14.
4. By the spirituality of obedience, when the very heart and soul, the spirit and affections act themselves, and co-operate with our services, 1 Cor. xiv. 15. Rom. i. 9. Eph. vi. 5, 6.
5. By the humility of obedience, hypocrites are proud of their work. When God enlarges the heart, a saint may rejoice ; but the hypocrite will boast. A saint gives all to God, 1 Chron. xxix. 13, 14.
5 Marie. A fifth trial of uprightness is, if the bent and purpose of the heart be unto God, Psal. cxix. 5. Psal. xl. 8. 1 Chron. xix. 31. Acts xi. 23. And this bent or purpose of the heart implies three things. (1.) An inward desire, joined with love, Psal. cxix. 5. (2.) An habitual inclination, not a sudden pang, Psal. cxix. 20. (3.) An active purpose, Acts xxiv. 16.
Six trials of sincerity, such as no hyijocritein the woi'ld can have, by Mr. Sydenham, in his treatise of hypocrisy.
Trial 1. To hate sin as sin, to hate it in its whole nature, in its first motions, not because it troubles the conscience, or brings me to hell, or renders me unsuitable to my designs and relations in the world, but as it is sin.
Trial 2. No hypocrite can delight to be made ashamed by God in its duties, to be made purely nothing in its own eyes, and the eyes of others. This a sincere soul can do ; he can take pleasure in the Lord's humbling of him. An hypocrite cannot endure to be outshone ; the principle that acts him is self-love : but a saint loves to be laid low before God.
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Trial S. No hypocrite can bless God, and love him from his heart, when God smites him in his dearest enjoyments or nearest lusts ; strike him in any thing that the eye or heart of him is upon, and he secretly hates Christ. Now a saint, in such a case, will cling to Christ ; he cannot but love him for all that.
T?'ial 4. No hypocrite can love the person of Christ, nor a saint as a saint ; he only loves to be pardoned by him, and have some comfort from him ; but never finds his heart to work in love to Christ, and have union with him, as the ground of all his comforts. And- so, for a saint, l^ves. him not as sych, but as so and so tem- pered and qualified.
TVlal 5. No hypocrite can go on in any spiritual work or service for Christ ^nth any contentment, without sensible comforts or out- ward respects, the wind of men fills his sails : but a saint can take pleasure in the poorest work of Christ, wherein he is least seen.
Tj'ial 6. No hypocrite in the world can long to be like Christ, as to be respected by Christ ; he cannot love the holiness of Christ, as the good things he gets by Christ : but a sincere heart, if he have never so much comfort, yet if he be not like Christ, is not pleased. And this is the first direction, try, by sound evidences, sincerity.
Direct. 2. Make choice of the fittest seasons for this great work, and set about this when you find your hearts in the most quiet and e^erious frame ; for as he that will see his face in a glass must be fixed, and not in motion ; or in the water, must not disturb or make any commotion in it ; so is it in this case, Psal. iv. 4. " Com- ^'. mune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
Direct. 3. Endeavour to cast out and watch against self-love^ lest thy heart being prepossessed thereby, thy judgment be blinded, and become partial in passing sentence upon thy estate : labour to bring thy heart to be willing to know the worst of itself: yea, and if thou hast all this while been deceived, to bless the Lord, that now, at last, thy mistake is discovered, and to be willing to lay the four*- dation new again. This you must do, for he that will put on the person of a judge, must put off the person of a friend.
Direct. 4. Laliour to keep upon thy heart a deep and lively sense of the approaching judgment, throughout this work, knowing what a potent influence this hath upon the conscience to make it deliberate, serious, and faithful in its work ; and therefore de- mand of thine own conscience, upon the resolution of each ques- tion. Whether it will own and stand to that it now speaks m the great day, when the counsels of all hearts shall be made ma- nifest.
Direct. 5. Go to the Lord by prayer when thou art going about this work, and earnestly beg guidance and- assistance from him
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therein : it is the work of the Spirit to seal uvid assure thee : and lie hath promised him to that purpose to such as seek him, Luke xi, 13. John xiv. 26.