by Thomas Brooks
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
The first great work which men are to attend to in this world—is the eternal safety and security of their souls. Their next great work is to know, to be assured—that it shall go well with their souls forever.
A man may have grace—and yet, for a time, not know it; he may have a saving work of God upon his soul—and yet not discern it; he may have the root of the matter in him—and yet not be able to evidence it.
Many, whose graces are weak and much buried under fears, doubts, strong passions, prevailing corruptions, or diabolic suggestions—are inclined to suspect their weak grace, fearing that on account of the deceitfulness of their hearts they will be found to be insincere before God; but the weakest Christian may turn to the clear and well-bottomed evidences in this treatise, and throw the gauntlet to Satan and bid him prove if he can, that ever any profane person, any self-flatterer, any cunning hypocrite had such evidences, or such fair certificates to show for heaven as he has to show.
Several have observed how far a hypocrite may go; but my design in this treatise is to show how far a hypocrite can not go. Some have showed what a hypocrite is, and I shall now show what he is NOT. Some have showed the several rounds in Jacob's ladder that a hypocrite may climb up to—but my business and work in this treatise is to show you the several rounds in Jacob's ladder that no hypocrite under heaven can climb up to.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
1. A hypocrite's inside is never answerable to his outside.
2. No hypocrite under heaven is totally divorced from the love and liking of every known sin.
3. As a hypocrite's heart is never thoroughly subdued to a willingness to part with every lust, so neither is his heart thoroughly subdued to a willingness to perform all known duties.
4. There is never a hypocrite in the world that makes God (or Christ, or holiness, or his doing or receiving good in his station, relation, or generation) his grand end, his highest end, his ultimate end of living in the world.
5. For justification and salvation, no hypocrite can live wholly and only upon the righteousness of Christ, the satisfaction of Christ, the merits of Christ
6. A hypocrite never embraces a whole Christ.
7. A hypocrite cannot mourn for sin as sin, nor grieve for sin as sin, nor hate sin as sin.
8. No hypocrite is habitually low or little in his own eyes
9. No hypocrite will long hold out in the work and ways of the Lord, in the want of outward encouragements, and in the face of outward discouragements
10. No hypocrite ever makes it his business, his work, to bring his heart into religious duties and services
11. A hypocrite never performs religious duties from spiritual principles, nor in a spiritual manner
12. No hypocrite in the world loves the word, or prizes the word, as it is a holy word, a pure word, a clean word
13. A hypocrite cannot endure to be tried and searched.