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crite has played the civil and religious man for a while upon the stage of this world, his last act, when his life is ended, is to be, indeed, and to act to the life, the part of an incarnate and tormented devil. He shall have his portion with the devil and his angels. Matt. xxv. 41. When fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites; who shall dwell with the devouring fire? who shall dwell with everlasting burnings? saith the prophet, Isa. xxxiii. 14. Happy were it for them, if this warning might effectually awaken them out of this damning security.

The evils of hypocrisy, though it doth not reign.

Consider likewise; that hypocrisy does much harm, even where it does not reign, and that more or less, according as it is more or less mortified.

For, first, it brings the soul into a general consumption of grace; no sin more so. Secondly, It blinds the mind, and insensibly hardens the heart; no sin more. Thirdly, It makes a man formal and careless in the best actions. Fourthly, It causes fearful sins, and decays of grace. Fifthly, It deprives a man of peace of conscience in such a manner, that a spiritual physician can hardly suggest any hope or comfort to him on whose conscience lies the guilt of hypocrisy; yea, hardly to him that does but fear he is guilty; for he refuses the comfort of his good affections and actions, saying, All that I did was but in hypocrisy. Lastly, Besides that, it brings many temporal judgments; it causes a man to lose many of his good works done in hypocrisy, 2 John 8; 1 Cor. iii. 15, though, through God's mercy, he lose not himself, because he is still found in Christ, and Christ's spirit of uprightness reigns in him.

Motives to uprightness.

Now to induce you to love uprightness, and to labour after it; consider the good which accompanies uprightness: First, temporal and outward; but Secondly, and chiefly, that which is spiritual and eternal.

First, Uprightness has the promise of this life, 1 Tim. iv. 8. It is a means to keep off judgments, Psa. xci. 9, 10, 14, or in due time to remove them.