the expence of his neighbours. Accordingly, he interprets and conftrues every thing they do in the worft fenfe. In a word, he condemns his neighbour with great feverity, while in the mean time he himfelf is guilty of the fame, or perhaps of greater crimes. "But, thinkeft thou,. O man, that judgeft. "them which do fuch things, and doft the fame, "that thou fhalt efcape the judgment of God?"

6. and Lafly, It never happens that hypocrites are faithful to the interefts of religion, in a time of perfecution; for, their hearts not being right with God, it is no wonder if they be not stedfaft in his covenant. While indeed the fun fhines, and the eye of the world fmiles on their profeffion; when religion is the fashion of the times, and they can procure re- . fpect or wordly advantage by it; nothing can apparently exceed their zeal and activity in the fervice of God. But if the clouds arife, and the winds of perfecution blow, like dry leaves in autumn, they fall from their feeming ftedfaftnefs. And this we find our bleffed Lord exprefsly marks as a fymptom of hypocrify, when, by the emblem of ftony-ground hearers, he represents them as only enduring for a while; but afterwards, adds he, when tribulation or perfecution arise because of the word, presently they are offended..

Thus I have endeavoured to give you fome diftinguishing characters of the hypocrite; the marks by which he may be known, and by which we may know whether we ourselves be fincere in our religious profeffion. I now proceed,

II. To enforce our Saviour's caution in the text, or to fhow you the evil and danger of hypocrify.

It is queftioned by fome, whether hypocrites or profane perfons be moft hateful in the fight of God, or do most harm in the church. How hateful they are in the fight of God, will appear afterwards. As

to

to the harm they do in the church, though it be not; fo great while their hypocrify is concealed, yet certainly the character of the hypocrite is of pernicious tendency, when it is expofed in its proper colours to public view. For they lay a ftumbling block in the way of others; they harden the profane; they grieve the generation of God's children, and expofe religion to ridicule and contempt.-Hypocrites are fo hateful in the fight of God, that our bleffed Saviour pronounces a woe against them no less than eight times in one chapter, "Woe unto you," fays he, "Scribes, "Pharifees, and hypocrites (m)." He exhorts his hearers, in his excellent fermon on the Mount, to beware of fuch as come to them in fheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. And when he threatens impenitent finners with the feverest punishments, he fays, they fhall have their portion with. the hypocrites, in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, where there is nothing but weeping and: wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

Now, if we inquire into the reafon of God's extreme hatred and averfion to hypocrites, we may eafily: discover it: For,

1. Hypocrites make a mock of God. They affront his infinite knowledge, and think to impofe upon him by a fpecious appearance; for while they honour him with their lips, their hearts are far from him. They have a form of godlinefs; but they deny, nay they are enemies to the life and power of it. With their feet they tread the courts of the Lord, and even fit at his table, but at the fame time they trample upon his ordinances, and prostitute them to their own bafe and fordid ends. Now, how great an indignity muft it be, to offer an affront to the omnifcient Jehovah? who requires truth in the inward parts; from whose eye nothing can be hid; who has exprefsly declared that he will bring every fecret thing into judgment.

(m) Matt. xxiii,

This

This is, in effect, to rob him of one of his moft glorious attributes, and to deal with him as if he were a Being that might be impofed on. And muft not fuch a difingenuous behaviour, fuch a bafe trifling withthe Almighty, excite his juft and dreadful indignation?

2. No other finner, in fo direct a manner, deprives the Supreme Being of that glory and honour, to which he is entitled. The unclean perfon, for inftance, is willing that God be glorified, provided he be allowed to gratify his fenfual appetites. The covétous man will pay homage and refpect to God, provided he may be allowed to retain and increase his wealth. The revengeful perfon has no objection that God fhould be honoured; only let him be avenged of his enemy, or the perfon who has injured him. But the hypocrite, prostitutes every thing that is most facred and valuable, to procure to himself honour and efteem. Nothing, furely, is more facred than prayer to God, than religious fafting, than giving of Chriftian charity, and partaking in the holy fupper. But the hypocrite, prostitutes all these; he fafts for no o ther end, but that he may appear to the world to be a mortified perfon; he prays, only that he may feem to be devout; he gives alms for the fake of oftentation; and he appears at the table of the Lord, that he may be thought a fincere Chriftian. Now, what is this, but an endeavour to dethrone the Majefty of heaven, and to exalt him who is created, above that glorious Being who created him? And O how hateful and provoking must this be to Him, who is fo jealous of his own honour, and will not give his glory to another 2

3. Hypocrites are the more inexcufable, and wor thy of condemnation, fince frequently, under the colour and falfe pretext of piety and charity, they seduce, and even fometimes corrupt weak and well meaning perfons. And, in this refpect, they are more dangerous than those who are openly profane;

for

for the openly profane cannot impofe upon any but fuch as have no mind to be religious: Whereas, hypocrites, under a fpecious outward appearance, conceal the deformity of vice, infinuate themfelves into the affections, and by good words and fair fpeeches deceive the hearts of the fimple. I do not indeed deny, that a profane perfon gives a more pernicious example to the world, and may do more mischief by fuch an example; but the hypocrite fometimes does more prejudice to religion, by undermining it, than the profane perfon by all his open affaults. The former, is an open and declared enemy, and therefore has it lefs in his power to bring calumny and reproach either on religion itfelf, or on thofe who have devoted themfelves to the obfervance of its precepts: But the latter, is a concealed enemy; he kifles when he would betray, and makes it almoft impoffible for those who have received no impreffions of seriousness on their own minds, to determine concerning the effects of religion on the minds of others. And, finally, it is much easier to guard against fuch as are openly profane and licentious, than against perfons of this character; because we are ready to efteem them fincere and upright in their profeffion.

4. The hypocrite is a character which God will moft certainly punish with great feverity. For, as he cannot be deceived by the moft artful appearances, and as he has a perfect knowledge of the hearts of all men, he will not fail, in due time, to make the hypocrite appear in his proper colours. This is what our Saviour exprefsly tells us in the verfe immediately following the text; "There is nothing" fays he, "covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that "fhall not be known," The day is approaching when he will take off the mafk with which hypocritesare now covered, the mask of all their counterfeited piety, when he will expofe them, with all their deformities about them, in the open light of day;

and

and then, instead of that self-applaufe which they were wont to feel from fuccefsful diffimulation, they fhall be covered with eternal confufion. Even on earth, there are times when God removes the deceit of the hypocrite, and difcovers him to the world. Affliction and perfecution have often made him known. But, if he fhould go down to deftruction by a private road, carrying this miferable comfort with him, that no one knows or thinks that he is gone thither; yet the last and great day will expose him to public view; and then it will be found, to his eternal disgrace, that while he thought he was impofing upon others, he was falling a facrifice to his own deceit; for the righteous and omnifcient Judge will then unveil the hypocrite before the affembled world; and all shall point at him, and fay, "Lo, this "is the man that made not God his hope; this is he "that wore a garment of righteousness to deceive "but God has now ftript him naked, and all men see "what he is."

Having thus fhewn you a few of the principal characteristics of hypocrify, and the evils of it, I fhall now, as was propofed, conclude with fome practical application.

Since then you have heard what an odious character that of the hypocrite is, let us put the matter to a ferious trial, whether we are merely Chriftians in name, or fincere and upright in our profeffion. This is an inquiry in which we are at all times much interested; but never more than on this occafion, when we are to make a folemn approach to God in the facrament of the Supper; for, by this approach, we profess to be his fincere and devoted fervants: And if you are not fo in good earnest, what a dreadful hazard do you run? Your profeffion of obedience will be an abomination in his fight, and you will eat and drink judgment to yourselves. But, on the other hand, if, upon a fair and impartial examination of

your