Use. HEre is a sharp Reprehension to such as are Alchimy Christians, who do only make a show of1 godliness: like Michal who put an Image in the bed, and so deceived Sauls Messengers, 1 Sam. 19. 16. these our Saviour calls whited2 Sepulchres. They do not Virtutem colere, but colorare. In ancient times a third part of the Inhabitants of this Island were called Picts, which signifies painted; ‘tis to be feared they still retain their old name: How many are painted only with the Vermilion of a Profession, whose seeming lustre dazles the eyes of beholders, but within there is nothing but putrefaction (Matth. 23. 27). Hypocrites are like the Swan, which hath white feathers, but a black skin; or like the Lilly, which hath a fair colour, but a bad sent. Rev. 1. 3. Thou hast a name to live, but thou art3 dead. These the Apostle Iude compares to clouds without water, vers. 12. they pretend to be full of the Spirit, but they are empty clouds; their goodness is but a Religious Cheat.
Quest. But why do persons content themselves with a show of godliness?
Answ. This helps to keep up their fame. 1 Sam. 15. 30. Honour me before the people. Men are ambitious of credit, and would gain repute in the world, therefore they will dress themselves in the garb and mode of Religion, that others may write them down for Saints. But alas, what is one the better to have others commend him, and his Conscience condemn him? What good will it do a man when he is in Hell, that others think he is gone to Heaven? O beware of this; Counterfeit piety is double4 iniquity.
- To have only a show of godliness is a God-enraging sin: he who is a pretender to Saint-ship, but his heart tells him he hath nothing but the5 Name; he carries Christ in his Bible, but not in his Heart; some politick design spurs him on in the wayes of God, he makes Religion a Lacquey to his carnal Interest: What is this but to abuse God to his face, and to serve the Devil in Christs Livery? Hypocrisie makes the fury rise up in Gods face; therefore he calls such persons the generation of his wrath, Isa. 10. 6. God will send them to Hell to do penance for their hypocrisie.
2 To make only a show of godliness, is […], self-delusion. Ajax in his phrensie took Sheep for6 men; but it is a worse mistake to take a show of grace for grace. This is for one to put a cheat upon himself. Iam. 1. 22. Deceiving your own souls: He who hath counterfeit Gold instead of true, wrongs himself most. The hypocrite deceives others while he lives, but deceives himself when he dies.
3 To have only a name, and make a show […] godliness, is odious to God and man. The hypocrite is born under a sad Planet, he is abhorred of all. Wicked men hate him because […] makes a show, and God hate him because he doth but make a show: The wicked […]ate him because he hath so much as a mask […] godliness, and God hates him because he hath no more, Act. 26. 28. Thou hast almost perswaded me to be a7 Christian. The wicked […]ate the hypocrite, because he is almost a Christian, and God hates him because he is […] almost.
4 To be only Comets, and make a show of piety is a vain thing. Hypocrites los[…] · all they have done. Their dissembling tears […]rop beside Gods bottle, their Prayers and […]asts prove abortive. Zack. 7. 5. When yee […]asted and mourned, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? as God will not recompence a […]othful, so neither a treacherous servant. All the hypocrites reward is in this life, Matth. […]. 5. They have their reward. A poor reward, the empty breath of men. The hypocrite may make his Acquittance, and write, Received in ful payment. Augustus Caesar had great triumphs granted him, but the Senate would not suffer him to be Consul, or sit in the Senate-house. Hypocrites may have the praise of men, but though these triumphs be granted them, they shall never have the priviledge to sit in the Senate-house of Heaven. What acceptance can he look for from God, whose heart tels him he is no better than a Mountebank in Divinity?
5 To have only a pretence of godliness, will yeeld no comfort at death. Will painted gold enrich a man? Will painted wine refresh him that is thirsty? will the paint of godliness stand thee in any stead? what were the foolish Virgins better for their blazing lamps, when they wanted oyle? what is the lamp of Profession, without the oyl of Grace? he who hath only a painted holiness, shal have a painted happiness.
6 Thou who hast nothing but a specious pretext and mask of Piety, exposest thy self to Satans scorn. Thou shalt bee brought forth at the last day as Sampson, to make the devil (Judg. 16. 25) sport. He wil say, what is become of all thy Vows, Tears, Confessions? Is all thy Religion come to this? Didst thou so often defy the devil, and art thou now come to dwel with me? couldst thou meet with no weapon to kill thee, but what was made of Gospel-mettle? couldst thou suck poyson no where but out of Ordinances? couldst thou finde no way to hell, but by seeming godly? what a vexation will this be, to have the devil thus reproach a man! ‘Tis sad to be insulted over in this life; Cleopatra Queen of Egypt, when shee saw shee was reserved by the Enemy for a triumph, that shee might avoyd the infamy, put Aspes to her breasts, and dyed. What then wil it be to have the devil triumph over a man at the last day?
Let us therefore take heed of this kinde of pageantry, or devout stage-play. That which may make us the more to fear our hearts, is, when we see tall Cedars in the Church worm-eaten with hypocrisy. Balaam a Prophet, Iehu a King, Iudas an Apostle, all of them stand to this day upon record for hypocrites.
‘Tis true, there are the seeds of this sin, in the8 best; but as it was with the Leprosy under the Law, all that had risings, or spots in the skin of the flesh, were not reputed unclean; and put out of the (Levit. 13. 6) Camp: so all that have the risings of hypocrisy in them, are not to be judged hypocrites, for these may be the spots of Gods9 children. But that which denominates an hypocrite, is, when hypocrisy is predominant, and is like a spreading humour in the body.
Quest. When is a man under the regency and power of hypocrisy?
Answ. There are two signes of its predominancy. 1 A squint eye, when one serves God for sinister ends. 2 A right eye, when there is some sin dear to a man, which he cannot part with. These two are as shrewd signes of an hypocrite, as any I know.
Oh let us take Davids candle and lanthorn, and search for this leven, and burn it before the Lord.
Christian, if thou mournest for hypocrisy, yet findest this sin so potent, that thou canst not get the mastery of it, go to Christ, beg of him that he would exercise his Kingly Office in thy soul; that he would subdue this sin, and put it under the yoke. Beg of Christ to exercise his spiritual Chirurgery upon thee; desire him to lance thy heart, and cut out the rotten, and that he would apply the medicine of his blood to heal thee of thy hypocrisy. Often make that prayer of David, Psalm 119. 80. Let my heart be found in thy statutes. Lord, let mee be any thing rather than an hypocrite. Two hearts will exclude from one heaven.
Footnotes
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Non faciunt justitiam sed fingunt. Melancth. ↩
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Mar: 23. ↩
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Quis pejor an profitens impietatem; an mentiens sanctitatem. Bern. ↩
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Simulata sanctitas duplex iniquitas. ↩
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[…]. ↩
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Arietem occidit credens se Vlyssem interemisse. ↩
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[…] ↩
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Vivit adhuc […] quamdiù aliquae fibrae manent, sed agrè, & admodum languidè. ↩
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Deut. 32 5. ↩