2 CORINTHIANS CHAP, I, VER. 12, 241
truth joined to all graces; as sincere hope, sincere faith, sincere love, sin- cere repentance, sincere confession. It is a grace annexed to every grace. It is the life and soul of every grace, and all is nothing without it.
Therefore it behoves us to consider of it, I say, not so much a distinct thing from other graces, as that which makes other graces to be graces, without which they are nothing at all. Ho much sincerity, so much reality. So much as we have not in sincerity, wo have nothing to God. It is but an empty show, and will be so accounted.
In philosophy, you know, that which is true, only hath a being and con- sistence. All truth hath a being, all falsehood is nothing. It is a counter- feit thing. It is nothing to that it is pretended to be. An image is something, but St Paul calls it nothing, because it is not that which it should be, and which the idolater would have it to be. He would have it to be a god, but it is nothing less. All is nothing without sincerity. Therefore let us consider of it. And that we may the better consider of it, let us look upon it in every action.
All actions are either good, ill, indifferent.
How is sincerity discovered in good actions ?
1. Sincerity is tried in good actions many ways.
(1.) First of all, a man that is sincere in the doing that which is good, he n-ill hace a mind prepared to know all that is good ; to know the good he stands disposed to, to know good, and to learn by all good means. There- fore he hath a heart prepared with diligence to be informed in the use of means. So far as a man is careless and negligent in coming to the means of knowledge, and to be put in mind of good duties, so far a man is an h}^)ocrite and insincere.
(2.) Again, in regard of good duties, a true, sincere Christian hath an unirersal respect to all that is good. He desires to know all, and, when any- thing is manifested to him, he intends to practise all. ' We are here in the presence of God,' saith Cornelius, 'to practise all things that shall be taught us by God,' Acts x. 33. 'I will have respect to all thy commandments,' Ps. cxix. 6, one and another.
The gromid of it is this, sincerity looks at God. Now God, he commands one thing as well as another ; and therefore, if a man do anything that is good, in conscience to God, he must do one as well as another. As St James saith excellently to this purpose, ' He that offends in one is guiltj' of all,' ii. 10. Because, abstaining from one sin, and doing one good for con- science, he will do all for conscience if he be sincere.
Therefore it is true in divinity, — a man that repents of one sin, he repents of all, if he repent of any sin as it is a sin, because all sins are of one nature. We must not single out what pleaseth us, and leave what doth not please us. This is to make ourselves gods. The servant must not choose his work, but take that work that his master commands him ; therefore sincerity is tried in universal obedience.
Partial obedience is insincere obedience. When a man saith. This sin I must keep still, herein ' God be merciful to me,' this stands with my profit, I must not leave this ; this sin I am affected to, as we see in Saul, — this is insincerity. It is as good as nothing to God-ward. It may keep a man from shame in the world, &c., but to God it is nothing. A man must have respect to all God's commandments. It is not done to God else.
(3.) More particularly, he that is sincere, he will have regard of the main duties, and he will have regard likewise of the lesser duties, and especially of
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242 COMMENTARY ON
■the lesser, such as arc not liable to the censure of men, nr to the censure and punishment of the law ; for there a man's sincerity is most tried. In great duties, there are great rewards, great encouragements ; hut for lesser duties, there are lesser encouragements. But if a man do them, he must do them for conscience sake.
Therefore this is sincerity, to practise good duties though they he lesser duties, and though they be less esteemed in the world, and less counte- nanced ; to practise them though they be discountenanced by the devil, and by great ones ; yet to practise them, because they be good ; and to love good things that the world cares not for, because they be good.
The practice of private prayer morning and evening, it is a thing we are not expressly bound to, but as conscience binds us. Therefore if a man be sincere he will make conscience of that, as well as any other duty, because God bids us ' pray alway,' 1 Thess. v. 17. So, to fear an oath for conscience sake, not to swear common or lighter oaths, — for I count him not worthy the name of a Christian, that is an ordinary swearer ; but — lighter oaths a Christian makes conscience of, because he looks to God. Now God looks to little sins as well as to great ; and there is no sin little indeed that toucheth the majesty of God.