The practice of all duties, therefore, is a notable evidence of sincerity. Herod did many things, but he had a Herodias, that spoiled all. And so if thou obey in many things, and not in all, thou hast a Herodias, a main ein. Alas ! all is to no purpose ! thou art an h^'pocrite.
(4.) Again, for good things, one that is sincere in respect to God, he is uniform in Jiis obedience, that is, he doth all that is good, and he doth it in one place as well as another, and at one time as well as another. He doth it not by starts.
Therefore there is constancy required in sincerity. Where sincerity is, there is constancy to do it in all times, in all places. Or else it is but a humour. It is not sincerity when a man doth it but in good moods, as we say. Therefore a man that is sincere, he makes conscience of private duties as well as of public ; of personal duties between God and his own soul, as well as of the duties that the world takes notice of; in one place as well as another. He is holy not only in the church, but in his closet ; not only in his calling as he is a Christian, but when he is about his par- ticular business. He considers he is in the presence of God in every place, at all timer,
St Paul everywhere laboured to have a good conversation. When he was at the bar, he remembered where he was, and he laboured to convert others. In the prison he converted Onesimus, Philcm. 10. When he had his liberty, he spread the gospel everywhere.
So in all places he w-as uniform like himself, M'hich shewed that he had a good conscience. And therefore he doth not say, I do now and then a good action, but my course of life, ' my conversation, is in sincerity.' So there must be sincerity in our walking, our whole conversation. Thus we see in good actions how to tiy our sincerity.
(5.) A sincere man in the very performance of good duties, he is humble ; because he doth all things in the eye of God. He doth it in sincerity with humility. He doth all good with reverence, because he doth it to God.
Humility, and reverence, it is a qualification of sincerity ; because what- soever we do, we do it in the eye of God. Therefore we are reverent in our very secret devotions in our closets. We carry ourselves reverently ;
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 12. 213
beccause when no eye seeth us, the eye of heaven sccth us, in one place as well as another. A sincere christian, is a reverent, and humble Christian, and this reverence accompanies all his good actions.
(6.) And when he hath done all, a sincere Christian that doth them to God, he is humble, and then he is thankfnl ; for he knows that he hath not done it by his own strength, but by God, and therefore God hath the glory. _
He is humble, because the;/ are mired with some infirmities of his. A sincere Christian is alway humble, having an eye to God. Thou'ijh to the eye of the world he hath done excellent well, yet he knows that God seeth* as he seeth. He seeth some defects, God seeth more, and that humbleth him. As we see David, 1 Chron. xxix. 14. Saith he, ' Who am I ? or who is this people, that we should be al)le to offer willingly after this sort ? All things come of thee ; of thine own I have given thee.' So he humbled himself in thankfulness to God.
2. For ill actions, (1.) a true sincere Christian beforehand he intends none He regards none in his heart. Ps. Ixvi. 18, ' If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayers.' His disposition is to regard none. He is in league with none. If he were, his heart were false, his conscience would tell him he were an hypocrite. He is subject to infirmities, but he doth not respect them, he doth not regard them. He intends not in his heart to live in them.
(2.) Again, if he fall into any sin, he is sincerely r/rieved for them. His heart is tender, and he sincerely confesseth them, without guile, Ps. xxxii. 2. ' Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile,' who when he sees he hath sinned, he doth not guilefully cloak and extenuate his sin. As we see Saul, he had many evasions, and excuses for himself, 1 Samuel xiii. 12. A true Christian will lay open his sin with all the aggravations that his conscience tells him of. As David saith, what a fool, ' and what a beast was I,' Ps. Ixxiii. 22 ; what an unthankful creature was I to sin against so many benefits and favours ! He will be ashamed and con- founded in himself.
(3.) And of all sins, a sincere Christian is most careful to avoid his personal sins. You may know sincerity by that. He that takes not heed to that which he is most inclined unto, he shall be tripped in it.
An hypocrite and false-hearted man, he doth good, but it is with a purpose to be favoured in some sin wherein he strengtheneth himself. He will do something, that God may be favourable to him in other things.