SECOND APPLICATION: Exhortation to all to see to it whether they be sincere or not

           Use Second.  Doth sincerity cover all a saint’s infirmities?  This shows how it behoves every one to try his ways and search narrowly his heart, whether he be sincere or hypocritical.

           First Argument. It behoves thee to search thy heart so, because all depends on it—even all thou art worth in another world.  It is thy making or marring for ever: ‘Do good, O Lord....to them that are upright in their hearts; as for such as turn aside to crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity,’ Ps. 125:4,5.  That the end the hypocrite is sure to come to.  He would indeed then fain pass for a saint, and crowd in among the godly, but God ‘shall lead them forth with workers of iniquity’—company that better befits him.  It is sincerity that shall carry it in that day.  ‘I will come,’ saith Paul, ‘to you shortly,...and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power; for the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.  What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love?’ I Cor. 4:19.  Oh friends! not Paul, but Christ, will shortly come unto us, and he will know, not the speech and soothing language of such as are puffed up with an empty name of profession, but will know the power, gauge the heart, and see what is in it.  Now, will ye that he come with a rod, or in love, to judge you—as hypocrites, or to give you the euge of a faithful servant?  Doth he not spend his time ill, that takes pains in his trade, and lays out all his stock upon such a commodity which, when he opens his stall, will be seized for false ware, and he clapped up for abusing the country?  All that ever the hypocrite did, will in the great day of Christ be found counterfeit, and be sure to be laid by the heels in hell for going about to cheat God and man.  Every man’s works shall then be manifest, that day shall declare it.  Even the sincere Christian where he hath tampered with hypocrisy shall lose that of his work; but the hypocrite, with his work, his soul also.

           Second Argument. It behoves thee thus to try thy ways when you consider how hypocrisy lies close in the heart.  If thou beest not very careful, thou mayest easily pass a false judgement on thyself.  They who were sent to search the cellar under the parlia­ment, at first saw nothing but coals and winter provi­sion; but, upon a review, when they came to throw away that stuff they found all [to be] but provision for the devil's kitchen; then the mystery of iniquity was uncased, and the barrels of powder appeared.  How many are there, that from some duties of piety they perform, some seeming zeal they express in profes­sion, presently cry omnia benè—all things are well, and are so kind to themselves as to vote themselves good Christians, who, did they but take the pains to throw these aside, might find a foul hypocrite at the bottom of them all.  Hypocrisy often takes up her lodging next door to sincerity, and so she passes unfound—the soul not suspecting hell can be so near heaven.  And as hypocrisy, so sincerity, is hard to be discovered.  This grace often lies low in the heart, hid with infirmities, like the sweet violet in some valley, or near some brook, hid with thorns and nettles, so that there requires both care and wisdom, that we neither let the weed of hypocrisy stand nor pluck up the herb of grace in its stead.

           Third Argument. It behoves thee to search thy heart thus, because the exercise is feasible.  I do not set you about an endless work.  The heart of man I confess is as a ruffled skein of silk not easily un­snarled; yet with a faithful use of the means, it may be disentangled, and wound up on the right bottom of sincerity or hypocrisy.  Job, when Satan and his cruel friends laboured to royle his spirit most, and muddy the stream of his former course and condition, by throwing their objections as so many stones into it; yet he could see this precious gem at the bottom sparkling most brightly.  Yea, Hezekiah, in the very brim of the grave, recreates his spirit with it.  Indeed, friends, this is a soul's encouragement, that it shall not want God's help in this search, if it goes about it with honest desires.  A justice will not only give his warrant to search a suspicious house, but, if need be, will command others to be aiding to him in the busi­ness.  Now word, ministers, Spirit, all thou shalt have for thy assistance in this work; only have a care thou dost not mock God in the business.  That soul de­serves to be damned to this sin, who, in the search for hypocrisy, plays the hypocrite, like a naughty, dis­honest constable that willingly overlooks him whom he searcheth for, and then says he cannot find him. Now, for the fuller satisfaction in this point, and help in the trial; it is that which both good and bad are mistaken in—the carnal wretch flattering himself his heart is good and honest; the sincere soul kept under fear of being a hypocrite, and Satan abusing them both.  I shall therefore, First. lay down the grounds with which a hypocrite shores up his rotten house, and will show the falsities of them.  Second. I will lay down the grounds of the weak Christian’s fear for his being a hypocrite, and the weakness of them.  Third. I will lay down such positive discoveries of sincerity as no hypocrite ever did or can reach to.