So every one that is the child of God, he hath the virtue of simplicity. Simplicity is such a grace as extends to all the parts of our conversation As the apostle saith here, ' Mj^ conversation in the world hath been in sim- phcity.'
By nature man is contrary to this simplicity, since the fail. God made him right and straight, and simple, but as the wise man saith, ' he sought out many inventions,' Eccles. vii. 20. So that a man without grace is double in his carriage. And that from self-love, from self-ends, and aims.
And hereupon he must be double ; for there must be something that is good in him. For else evil is destructive of itself. If there were not some thing good, men could never continue, nor the place could never continue. And if all were good, and all were plain, and honest, that would destroy the ill which men labour to nourish. Men have carnal projects to raise themselves, to get riches, and this must be by ill means. There is an idol in their hearts which they serve, which they sacrifice to. Their self-love, either in honour, or in riches, or in pleasure, they set up something. There- fore a man without grace, he studies to be strongly ill ; and because he can- not be ill except he be good, for then all the world would see it ; hereupon comes doubling. Good there must be to carry the ill he intends the more close ; ill there must be, or else he cannot have his aim. And hence comes dissimulation and simulation, the vices of these times, both opposite to simplicity, and such vices as proceed from want of worth and want of strength.
For when men have no worth to trust to, and yet would have the profit of sin, and the pleasure of sin, and would have reputation, then they carry all dissemblingly. Where there is strength of worth, and of parts, and re- putation, there is less dissembling alway. It is a vice usually of those that have little or no virtue in them. A man of strength carries things open and Mr.
This dissimulation it comes from the want of this grace of simpUcity, both
Before, in, [and] after the project.
232 COMMENTARY ON
1. Before, as yon see in Herod. He intends mischief, when he pretends ho would be a worshipper of Christ, Mat. ii. 8. And so Absalom, he pre- tends he had a vow to make, when he intends murder, 2 Sam. xv. 7 ; a dissimulation, pretondinp; j^'ood when there is an intention of ill before.
2. So there is a dissimulation in the project for the present, which comes from this donblin<( ; when men carry things fairly outwardly to those with whom they live, and yet notwitlistanding have false and treacherous hearts ; as Judas had all the while he conversed with Christ. He covered his ill with good pretexts, a care for the poor, &c.
8. So after. When the ill is done, what a world of doubling is there to cover ill, to extenuate it, and excuses, and translations ! This is the sim- plicity that reigns among men where there is no strength of grace. Where there is want of simplicity there is this dissembling.
And with dissimulation there is simulation, that is, when w^e make our- selves sometimes worse than we are ; when we are better than we seem to be. Sometimes that wins on us too. Then we carry not ourselves simply.
For if we were good, we would be good everywhere. But a man that useth simulation, if he be in evil company he fashioueth himself to the com- pany, he speaks that which his conscience checks him for, he carries him- self vainly and lightly, he holds correspondence with the company. So that by dissimulation and simulation, there is a fault committed against simpli- city, which yields the testimony of a good conscience.
It is a base fault this simulation, which we think to be a lesser fault than the other, which is dissimulation. For whom do we serve ? Are we not the sons of God ? Are we not the sons of our heavenly Father, the sons of the great King '? and for us to carry ourselves not to be such as we are in the midst of the wicked world, it is a great want of discretion. St Paul would discover who he was, even before the bar ; David ' would speak of God's righteous testimonies even before princes, and not be ashamed,' Ps. cxix. 46.
And this is that which Christ saith, ' He that is ashamed of me before men, of him will I be ashamed before my heavenly Father,' Mark viii. 38. Let us take heed of dissimulation and simulation, which are opposite to this simplicity.
Again, this simplicity is opposite to curiosity, and fineness. And thus the apostle 1 Both in his calling and conversation, St Paul conversed in simplicity, as a Christian, and as an apostle.
As an apostle, he was not overcurious in words. He reproveth those foolish, vainglorious spirits, that were so among the Corinthians. He de- live ed the word plainly, and plainness is best in handling the word of God ; for who will enamel a precious stone ? We use to enamel that that hath not a native excellency in itself, but that which hath an excellency from something without. True religion hath this with it alway, that it is simple ; because it hath state enough of its own.