IT was the saying of a Great and Wise Man, that most of the Creatures are worthy of our best Thoughts, and deserve our serious Observation: That some­thing is to be Learn'd from every one of them, as well from the smallest Insect under our Feet, as from the glitte­ring Canopy over our Heads; as well from the least Atome in the Sun Beams, as from the Glorious Lustre of the Moon and Stars. Naturalists tells us, That the Engle taught us Architecture, and drew the first Model of an handsom and convenient House; That the Spider shew'd the Weaver the use of the Shuttle and the Loom, the good Housewife to manage the Spindle and the Wheel; That Swallows were the first Profess'd Oculists; That the River-Horse taught us how to breath a Vein, and that we are ob­lig'd to several other Animals for many excellent Discove­ries; both in Chirurgery and Physick: We find too many of the Creatures instructing us in things that more nearly do concern us, Reading Lectures to us, and Discoursing with us, like so many Professors in Divinity: The Prophets direct us to the Stork, the Turtle and the Crane, to the Ox and to the Ass, to learn us Gratitude, and our time of re­turning unto the Lord. Solomon sends us to the Ant, to Preach to us Frugality and Thrift, and a Greater and Wi­fer than Solomon, to the Serpent and the Dove for Inno­cence and Wisdom.

Nay all the Trees, the Plants, and Flowers of the Field, from the Cedars of Lebanon to the Hyssop that springeth out of the Wall, are spoken of by the Holy Pen-Men, who condescending to our Capacities, borrow many handsom Allusions from things, that we are intimately acquainted with, from the Vine and the Fig-Tree, the Thistle and the Thorn; and indeed from almost all the Herbs and Greens of the Earth.

Thus Bildad introduces the Words Read unto you. Can the Rush grow without Mire? Can the Flag grow without Water? whilst it is yet in its Greeness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other Herb, so are the Paths of all that forget God, and the Hypocrite's Hope shall Perish.

In the Words we shall consider,

First, The Person, the Hypocrite.

Secondly, What his Hopes are, and how he comes to Hope.

Lastly, The End and Consequence of his Hopes, they shall Perish.

This indeed may be thought no very proper Subject for the occasion; the Tragical Story of the day, the horrid Cruelties, Barbarous Murders, and unspeakable Sufferings the poor Protestants groan'd under, might very well have been expected to have been fairly represented to our View: When Saul's Sword against the Amalekites, seem'd to be drawn among us, and to act with that large Commission, to slay both Man and Woman, Infant and Suckling, Ox and Sheep, Camel and Ass, only with this difference, that our implacable Enemies spared not so much as the best of the Sheep and Oxen: When the merciless Persecutors of our Fore-fathers, had not always so much goodness as to Kill, so much Humanity as utterly to destroy; But prolong'd their miserable Lives, took care that they might linger under their Torments, and feel themselves dye, and at last out of the abundance of their Compassion, dispatch'd them with a Stab at their Hearts, and that dreadful Imprecation, Thy [Page 3]Soul to the Devil. When the Blood of the Innocent was shed like Water on every Side, Lamentations and Wailings were Echo'd from every Corner, and our weeping Rachils sate bemoaning themselves, and had none to comfort 'em: When the Cry in most Places was something louder than that of Egypt, for there was scarce an English Family in which there was not more than one Dead; when the dead Bodies of Gods Servants that lay weltring in their own Gore were denied the common kindness of the Grave, and were given to be Meat unto the Fowls of the Air; and the flesh of his Saints unto the Beasts of the Field, and the most brutish fury of that bloody Crew was esteem'd Meri­torious, and thought to deserve not only the Encomiums of a Conclave, but the Apostolical Benediction. It may I say be expected, that I should enlarge upon these particu­lars; but hope that the Task may be equally ungrateful to us all; That as we delight not in the Effusion of any Mans Blood, so we Sympathize too far with the Sufferings of our Ancestors, to disturb the weary that are at rest, to lay open their Bleeding VVounds, to revive those persuasive Calls to Revenge, those Cries and fearful Screeches which run Parallel to nothing, but that in the Revelation; How long Lord, Holy and True, wilt thou not Judge and Avenge our Blood?

VVe shall therefore proceed according to the Method laid down, and as we insist upon the several parts of the Text, take some notice of the Hypocrisie and Dissimula­tion of our false Brethren, show you what their Hopes were, and that they also fell short of all their Expecta­tions.

First, Then we shall consider, the Person, the Hypocrite; the word Hypocrite in its Natural and Genuine Sense, sig­nifies an Actor or a Player, one who upon the Publick Stage personates another, imposes upon the Spectators, and pasles for the Man he only represents.

And indeed as the Heathen long since observed, the whole VVorld is a Large Theatre, where the generality of Men do no more than decently represent the Persons they would be thought to be; and the very best of them may put the same Question to themselves, that the Emperor Au­gustus did to his Friends, when he lay a dying; have not I acted the play of Life very well. For they are disguised in­to a thousand several shapes, are all mere shew, face, and appearance, and he that knows not how to act his part, to play the Hypocrite and Dissembler, knows neither how to Rule nor to Obey; he will make but an awkard Monarch, a rough unaccomplish'd Courtier, and in most Professions, will want many of those Qualifications, which usually po­lish and recommend a Man, to the good opinion of the mi­staken World. But then the word Hypocrite, signifies a Religious Cheat, a Wolf in sheeps cloathing, a Devil in the habit of a Saint, in the Garb of an Angel of Light, one who hath much the colour, but little of the substance, a great deal of the form, but scarce any thing of the power of God­liness; one whose best side is always outward, who makes it his business to be thought Religious, who labours not so much to be really good, as to appear unto Men to be so.

And now to draw up the Curtain, and bring him upon the Stage; First, Let us take a View of him at his Devotions. He enters into the place of publick Worship, with a solemn set Face. He perhaps prostrates himself on the ground, zea­lously lifts up his hands and eyes towards Heaven, flashes and disciplines himself after the manner of Baal's Priests, cries aloud, smites upon his Brest, and makes a Profession of con­fessing his Sins, with an humble, penitent and obedient heart.

By the shew he makes, any Man would imagine, That he was above the trifling Things of this lower World, that his Soul was upon the Wing, and full of heavenly Medita­tions, and that he was talking with his God, as familiarly as ever Moses did, even as a Man speaketh to his Friend; [Page 5]and yet all this while he is but acting a Part, mimicking the Saint, and giving a lively Representation of an extraordi­nary Pious and Religious Man. For he is Proud, Impeni­tent, and Disobedient; God is not in so much as one of all his Thoughts; he draws nigh unto him only with his Lips, and thinks of every thing more than of Him; he then only pretends to Worship, and perhaps in his whole Life, never made a hearty Prayer, nor sent up one sincere Peti­tion to the God and Father of all things.

But to shift the Scene, sometimes you may see the Hypo­crite in his Penitential Dress, in a hair Shirt, in the habit of a Pilgrim; or in Sackcloath and Ashes: At other times, you may observe him, hanging down his Head like a Bul­rush, sowring and disfiguring his Face, looking indeed like a Man that did afflict his Soul, mortifie his Members, and bring them into subjection to the Spirit; And yet these exter­nal Severities are rarely attended, with any inward Devo­tion of his Heart; all the while he keeps his Body Low, Thin and Meager, he feeds his Old Sins, he pampers and every Day recruits his Inclinations to new Transgressions; in the midst of all his abstinence, his Soul has its secret Revels and Frolicks in Sin, he drinks Iniquity like Water, and acts all Uncleanness with Greediness,

And as his Fasting is only acted, so are his deeds of Cha­rity. When he bestows his Alms, it is with all the outward Pomp and Solemnity that may be, in the Streets or in Pla­ces of the greatest Resort and Concourse; He proclaims the time of his Benevolence, to morrow I will give; He sounds a Trumpet before his good Dees, ratling his Mony into the poor Man's Box; and reaches out his hand with such a sad Countenance, with such an Air of Goodness and Compassion; as if he indeed felt their Wants; was their Brother and Com­panion in Tribulation, and bore a part in all their Sufferings and Necessities; and yet the kindness is only designed to himself, and were it not to gratifie his vain glorious Hu­mour, [Page 6]to get the Reputation of being pitiful and tender Hearted. Were all his Charitable Acts to be secret, and the World not to know, what either his right, or his left Hand did; they would be confin'd to a narrow compass, even end where they begin at home, and he would part with that Trash his Money, as if it was indeed, what the Rabbins call it in their Language, his dearest Blood.

If we look into the Hypocrit's Behaviour, in all other Cases, you never find them, without their little Shifts and Devices, to secure their Credit, without some specious pretences to palliate the blackest of their Crimes; I might in­stance in several particulars, but shall only name some few, relating to that Barbarous Rebellion in this Kingdom; and here the Popish Party tell us, they took up Arms in Defence of his Majesty's Person and Royal Prerogative; whereas in deed those great Pretenders to Loyalty, rais'd Armies, coyn'd Money, granted Letters of Reprisal, sent Ambassadors to foreign Princes, invaded and rifled all the choicest and most valuable Jewels of the Crown.

It was say they, A Just and Holy War, for the Liberty of their Consciences, and the freedom of that which they call their Faith and Religion, and yet at that very time, they en­joy'd such a licentious freedom of all their Superstitions, that if one of their own holy Fathers may be credited, the Frogs in the second Plague of Egypt were not more numerous, than the Priests and Fryers, that then swarm'd within the precincts of this one City; but it has never been thought any Reflection, either on the Piety, or Charity of the good Catholicks, to shelter their Pride and Ambition, their Ma­lice and Revenge, under the colour of Religion, to coun­terfeit Christ's Commission, to put his Cross into their Ban­ners, and to express their Zeal for the Lord and his House, in the Blaze and Flames of their Neighbours.

But then alass! The Protestants were the first Aggressors, and the Papists not daring to stay at home, Assembled to­gether, [Page 7]purely for the safety of their Lives, and their mu­tual preservation; and therefore admire that they should be call'd Rebels, who were only a few discontented Gentlemen, apprehensive of a general Massacre, and could not but make some little defence for themselves, and civilly oppose them, who first blew the Trumpet, and were ready for the Battle.

It would be endless to enumerate all the Pretences they made use of, for the advancing of their Cause, the frequent professions of their kindness and affection to their English Neighbours, the deceitful Kisses, and treacherous Embraces they gave them, the Crocodiles Tears they shed over them, till they had got their Goods and Arms into their Power▪ the Obliging Distinction they made for some days, between the British Inhabitants, till they had Complemented and Wheedled the Scotch too into the Snare, the breach of all their Articles, the Perfidious Violation of the most Sacred Oaths and Promises, and the many other little Arts and Pious Frauds, their Holy Church at that time especially Le­gitimated, to Decoy the credulous Protestants into their Nets, till they were miserably betray'd, and basely Butcher'd by those they Trusted, upon the insignificant Pledges, of their Word and Honour.

Thus if you follow the Hypocrite thro' all the other parts of his Life, the best thing you can say of him is, that he is a good Actor, he treads the Stage handsomly, he pronounces his Words with a Grace, and speaks his Part admirably well, he has the Garb, the Gesture and Countenance of a very ho­nest Man, of an Israelite indeed, in whom is no Guile, he looks like the Tombs and Monuments of the Dead, which are set off with a great deal of Cost and Charge, appear Beau­tiful, and make a goodly Shew, but within are full of dead Mens Bones, of Rottenness and Corruption; for he has not so much as one of those good Qualities he pretends to; take him but into the tiring Room, strip him, and lay aside his Robes, pull off his Mask and Vizard, that Paint and Fucus, [Page 8]which he lays on with so much Art and Cunning, he will then be seen as he is, a deform'd shrivel'd Piece, a miserable Spe­ctacle indeed; and yet for all that, he hopes he shall come off very well, and claps and applauds himself: And therefore in the next place we shall consider, what grounds he has for his hopes, and from whence they do proceed.

First, Then the Hypocrites Hopes may proceed from this; he has found by long experience, That his bare Pretences to Virtue, have served his turn very well in this World, pro­moted his Interest, and been as advantagious to him, as if it had been real: He has acquired it may be, a great Estate, Honours, and Preferments, by the appearance of being a good Man, got his Fathers Blessing by the smoothness of his Carriage, sound Favour in the Eyes of his Prince, by Dissimulation and Flattery, and with Absolom, stollen the Hearts of all the People, by his fair Speeches; his courteous and obliging Behaviour, his Honesty, such as it is, as far as he knows, has never been Mistrusted; and he hope still to carry on the Cheat, to deceive Heaven, as well as he has done Man, and concludes, That the same Arts which have Enabled him to go beyond his Brother, may do him the like Service, in Over-Reaching and Abusing of his God.

He has been Blest with the Fat of the Earth, and the Dew of Heaven; the Sun has Shin'd as Warmly, and the Showers of Rain, Refresh'd him as much, as the best of his Neigh­bours; he prospers in the World, and has Riches in Posses­sion, and he cannot but look upon such Blessings, as an ear­nest of some future Favour. By the large share he has of the things of this Life, he judges what proportion he may expect in the next, and from every lucky hit, still draw this inference, That he who has been so Fortunate, and had so much Goods laid up for many years here, must have some Happiness hereafter, at least a Childs Portion in Rever­sion.

But suppose the worst; seeing the Tares grow together with the Wheat, he hopes that at the general Harvest he may be thrown into the Barn among the other Sheaves; that the Counterfet may not be discern'd in so great a heap of Pre­cious Stones; that the goodness of the Foyl may give it such a Lustre, that it may sparkle even in the Eyes of God himself, and pass without suspition, when he comes to make up the fairest of his Jewels.

Secondly, The Hypocrite may hope upon this account. His constant endeavours have been to set himself handsomly off, to acquire all the outward visible signs of Piety and Ho­liness, without any regard to the inward purity of his Heart, and he has been so long used to dissemble with others, that he has even forgot to deal honestly and sincerely with himself.

The foolish Actor, who was to personate a King, when he saw himself surrounded with Guards and Attendance, with all the pomp and solemnity of a Court, tho he had not one Royal Quality or Princely Virtue, nothing of that largeness of Soul, none of those generous and noble Thoughts, which are absolutely necessary to so considerable a Dignity, to so high a Calling: He began to fancy that he was born for some great Designs, that he was cut out for a Crown, and really was the mighty Person he represented. So our Religious Player, tho he has none of the qualifications of a Saint, nor any Truth in his inward Parts. Tho he is utterly a stranger to all the great Duties of Religion, and never heartily bewailed or truly repented of any of the Er­rors of his life, yet he has worn the Robes of Right­teousness so long, that from the colour of his Habit he judges of the cleanness of his Heart; from the whiteness of his Garments, that he has kept himself unspotted from the World; and at last is given up to the strongest of Delusions, to believe himself, and concludes with the proud Pha­risee, That he is not as other Men are; That God cannot for­get to be gracious to him, but will accept his person, and receive him into his mercy and favour.

Thirdly, The Hypocrite may hope, imagining that there is some recompense due, to the good Figure He has made in the World, and that there is something of merit, even in his dissimulation. Religion in his opinion gets some credit, by the respect Men only seem to pay it. It is one proof of his virtuous Inclinations, that he hides and conceals his Vices, and surely think He, the outward Expressions of Piety, the bor­row'd disguise of Devotion, has a better Title to forgiveness, than down right Atheism and Profaness; a counterfeit zeal for the service of God, such a one as Naaman's in the house of Rim­mon, must be much less offensive, than to kick at his Sacri­fices, pollute his Sanctuary, and Convert that Holy Place, into an House of Merchandize, a den of Thieves.

For thus he may be willing to justifie and argue for Him­self: He constantly frequents the Church, no Man comes with more reverence and humility, or crys louder, Lord, Lord, than He doth, He fasts twice in the week, and makes little or no provision for the flesh, He is nicely Exact in observing all the minutest circumstances of the Law: had rather starve than gather a few Sticks, rather perish with Hunger than pluck a few Ears of Corn on the Sabbath Day; He gives Tythes of all that He possesses; It is a weighty matter, in his Opinion, to scruple the payment of so just a Debt, a robbing of God Himself; and He would not be guilty of Sacriledge, no not in that sense, for all the World; He gives alms, and has lent considerable Sums unto the Lord, and believes He has put his Money into good hands: He never turns so much as his Face from any poor Man, and he trusts that the Face of the Lord, shall never be turned away from him.

For his part, He cannot but think, he has contributed some thing to the honour of God, and the Interest of Religion; and could wish there were many more such Hypocrites as he is; That all our Leopards would rather conceal their Spots, and our Ethiopians change their Skins, than that they should publish their Transgressions, make their Crimes their Re­putation, [Page 11]declares their Sins as Sodom, and Glory in their shame.

Thus the Hypocrite, tho he has not liv'd up to the strictest Rules of our most holy Religion, nor made his Heart bend to the severer Precepts of the Gospel, yet for as much as his good deeds, have been transacted in the sight o fall the People, and in the face of the Sun, and his bad ones in his secret chambers, or in those darker recesses of his Soul: That his life may have been exemplary, and the Copy taking, seeing no Man knows the defects of the Original; That he has brought as he vainly dreams, no blemish to his Profession, nor done any publick dis­honour to his God; Tho He cannot pretend to that great Reward, due to the sincere, honest, and good Heart, to them that have born the heat and burden of the Day; yet he sees no reason why he may not hope for his Penny in the Evening; why He may not gather up some of the crumbs that fall from his Masters Table; why God may not dispence with a Com­mutation, and accept the formality of holiness, for real and substantial Vertue and Religion.

These may be some of the Reasons, which the Hypocrite gives for the hoes that are in him, These the Reeds on which He loans, the feeble props which shore up his tottering Expe­ctations; for after all the poor Apologies he can make for him­self, He is in a lost and undone condition, he must be mise­rable, he and all his hopes must Sink and Perish together, and that for these following Reasons.

All he aim'd at, in the whole course of his Life, was to be popular, to insinuate himself into the good esteem, and to get the praise and commendation of Men, That was the recom­pence he principally had an Eye to, and having had that in so large a measure, he ought not to expect or hope for any other. Had the Cardinal as he too late consider'd, serv'd his God, as faithfully as he did his Prince, He would never have cast him off in his old Age, nor have forsaken him when he was Gray­headed. Had the Hypocrite courted the favour of Heaven. [Page 12]with as much earnestness, as he did the applause of the World, had he been as ambitious of the Glory of God, as of the fair Character of his fellow Servants, he might have enlarg'd his desires, and promis'd himself; even all those good things, which God hath prepared for them, that sincerely love and truly fear Him: But seeing that all his good Works, were done upon no other account, but to be seen of Men that that was the Grand design and drift of all his actions, and that he made that his chief end, God has made it so too, he verily has had his reward, and must never look for more; he has had his Re­ward: It is indeed, one of the most terrible Sentences in all the Scriptures, and as the Learned interpret, imports thus much, He has receiv'd all that was due unto him; he has gi­ven God a Discharge, subscrib'd an Acquittance in full satisfacti­on, and can never in reason, or justice, demand and thing sur­ther from him.

But then again; The Hypocrites hopes must Perish, for he provokes & affronts God as much as the most leud and pro­fligate sinner living He professes a great reverence for him, it is part he tells you of his Creed, That God is present every where, that he searches the Heart, and darts his Eyes into every corner of his Soul, and yet he uses him worse then he would do the meanest Man, and securely acts the greatest Villanies, under his Eye, which he would tremble to commit, under the inspection of the poorest Child.

So that let the Hypocrite pretend never so much to believe, There is something of Atheism in his Heart; for without that he might dissemble with Men and Angels, but never du [...] entertain one thought of prevaricating with his God, of putting such tricks upon him, as Michol did upon Saul, of de­luding him with an Image, with a Puppet neatly dress'd, in-instead of a David, with a demure formal Saint in the place of a Man after his own Heart, and after his own Will.

Certainly, this must be a Sin of the very first magnitude God is in Honour concern'd to vindicate Himself, to cut off the hopes of such a wicked wretch, to make so daring a Sinner, a dreadful monument of his Fury and Indignation.

But supposing our Hypocrite not Atheistically inclin'd, That he is no stranger to the Principles of Religion, that he believeth in his Heart, that God regardeth not the outward behaviour of any Man, when his inward parts are full of wickedness; and then let him tell me, what he thinks of his own condition, what ground he has to hope for the Mercy and Favour of God, with whom, he has dealt so basely and unworthily. Will not his own Heart tell him, that his state is as desperate, as that of the loosest Libertine, will it not sink within him at the approaches of Death. The very mention of Hell make him Startle, fancy himself already there, im­magine that he smells the Brimstone and sees the Flames flash­ing in his Face? and then what will become of all his hopes, will not his first Reflections on the place of Torments, fill him with black and melancholy Thoughts, and make his passage out of this Life very uneasie and very uncomforta­ble.

Lastly, vain are the hopes of the Hypocrite, and all his fair pretentions to the happiness of another Life must fail and come to nothing, because the Punishments, of a peculiar Tophet, are ordained of old, and prepar'd for him in the World to come.

A Hypocrite among the Turks would willing compound for the easie pains of a Purgatory, for they believe that there are seven Caverns or Vaults in Hell, and assign the lowest and hottest for all such double Dealers and Dissemblers; The Jews tell us that at the general Resurrection, every body shall be forgiven, but Men of Gibeon; those vile Hypocrites, who with their old clouted Shoes, and ragged Apparel impos'd upon their Governour Joshua, But if we suspect their Autho­rity, Christ himself assures us, He who cannot lye has told [Page 14]told us, that Hypocrites have a place of their own, a Por­tion that do's properly belong to them, where there is no­thing but weeping and gnashing of Teeth. He thunders out wo after wo against them, no less than eight times in the 23d Chapter of St. Matt. And if Pharo's Dream was doubled unto him, to shew that the thing was Established, and that God would surely bring it to pass; may we not very well con­clude, that the Repetition of those Woes against Hypocrites, bespeaks the severity of their future Punishments, and that the everlasting Furnace shall be above seven times hotter for them, than for any other Transgressors. And indeed, it is but just with God to use them severely, who have not dealt truly with Him. That they should receive some special Mark of his just Resentments and Displeasure, that they should for ever lye down in their shame and cover themselves with their own Confusion, that they and even all their better hopes should unavoidably Perish.

And now as for the more particular hopes and expectati­ons of our arbarous and inhumane Enemies, indeed they promis'd themselves to do a very great and glorious Work, to kill and take possession of all; To suppress our Religion, and Establish their Idolatrous Worship, to wrest the Sword out of his Majesties Hands, to make themselves absolute Masters of this Countrey and set up a King of their own; and when they were well flesh'd and blooded, they made no doubt of Tran­sporting▪ their victorious Arms into England, of making that Kingdom such another Shambles, and not leaving the Memo­rial of the English Name under Heaven.

How far those Instruments of Cruelty, might have prevail'd, to what a height they might have swell'd the Rivers of that Land too with blood, had not an over ruling Providence in­terpos'd and stay'd their hands, who in three Months had turn'd this Island of Saints into a Wilderness of ravening Woles; Murder'd and destroy'd an hundred and fifty thou­sand Souls, God knows.

But blessed be his holy Name; Their hopes were in a­great measure Bafled and Defeated, and we have yet a Gracious King, a Nursing Father to the same Church, they then made such Havock of, and Persecuted with so much Rage and Vio­lence. That Vine which Gods own Right Hand hath Plan­ted, Flourishes in the Land, and after that excellent way which they still call Heresy; we even now Worship the God of our Fathers.

And for those great Incendiaries and Promoters of that un­natural Rebellion, those Blood thirsty and Deceitful Men, who would not that the English Monarchs should Reign over them; Few of them liv'd out half their Days, or went down to their Graves in Peace, their Cruelties have been Repay'd unto their own Bosoms, as they have done, so God hath Rewarded them.

And now if there be any Persons here present, who persist in the same Designs, act under the same Disguises, and truly bear Witness, that they allow the Deeds of their Fathers, what can become of all their Hopes, either in this World or in that which is to come? God forbid that we should pre­scribe any Bounds to his Infinite Goodness and Mercy, but without true and unfeigned Repentance, we may without breach of Charity Conclude, That they who have been Saints only in shew, shall be sav'd only in appearance, that their Expectations are all mere Notion; Their hopes a Golden Dream, and that they of all Men shall be most Misera­ble.

But let us who have better Principles be perswaded to act honestly and sincerely in all things, to let our Thoughts be always agreeable to our Words, our words consistent with our actions, to retrieve again if possible, that plainness and openness of Heart, which a few years ago seemed to be the best part of our Tempers and Constitutions, to take care, that there be no secret Hipocrisy lurking in our Hearts, nothing of Judas his design, mixt with our concerns, for the poor of [Page 16] Jezebel's with our Fasts, of the Scribes and Pharisees with our long Prayers.

An Hypocrite I told you signifi'd an Actor, or a Player, and now must ad, that the Play will shortly be done, and we must all take our leaves of the Stage for ever. A time will certainly come, when our Masks & Veils shall be pull'd off, all our Habits and Disguises laid aside, and we shall have no more Cloaks for our Sin, but shall appear in our own Shapes and Colours, the same wicked Persons; we were behind the Cur­tain; and all our Iniquities shall be openly expos'd to the Eyes of God, Angels and Men.

It will then be strictly inquir'd, not how long we have Liv'd, but how Well, not in what Pomp and Splendor, but in what Religion and Devotion; not what Estates and For­tunes we have left behind us, but what Souls and Conscien­ces we have brought along with us, and happy then shall we be: If we are able to say with good Hezekiah, Remember O Lord we beseech thee, that we have walked before thee in Truth and with perfect Hearts; That so we may at the last hear the Musick of that blessed Euge. Well done Good and Faithful Servants, enter you into the joy of your Master, Amen and Amen.