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Hypocrites
have their names from stage-players [Chrysostom], as rather playing than
working that which is good and virtuous; and the same, only upon the
stage, and to please lookers on. And
as amongst stage-players the same persons act divers parts, at divers
times, and those very different one from another; so is it with the
actions of hypocrites. They
hold no correspondence once with another; but some of them cover and other
discover their master’s shame; as Noah’s sons did their father’s.
And as such persons are never constant, for none can long play the
counterfeit untired [Seneca]; so neither are they free in any one kind of
good; but have a goodness rather like the water in a dead pit, forced out
at times with buckets; than of a living spring, which sends out its
streams freely and constantly. Yea
further, as Jacob, though for his father’s blessing he covered his hands
and neck very cunningly, was betrayed by his tongue and voice: so, hardly
can a counterfeit carry his matters so close, but that ofttimes, even in
one and the same work, there will be found a jar of the parts one with
another; so as either the tongue will check the hands, or the hands the
tongue, or both mutually; to the showing and shaming of all.
When great hypocrites and deep dissemblers are left of God to fall into
any gross or scandalous evil, they seldom or never recover their former
show of religion: neither, as one saith, will the lamb’s-skin, which the
wolf wears, being once shorn, ever grow again: but God in judgment leaving
them in some special temptation to gross wickedness, in which they lose
their credit in the world, which alone they sought, and so break the hedge
which formerly restrained them, doth punish their former close
dissimulation with after open profaneness.
Young hypocrites commonly prove old atheists.
It may well be said, as it is in the proverb, that, Hypocrisy is spun with
a fine thread: considering how hypocrites deceive, and overreach others,
and ofttimes, weaker persons those, that are wiser than they; how much
more, considering, how thereby they deceive themselves. In which latter there is a transgression and evil both in
deceiving, and being deceived. For
albeit a man may often without sin be deceived by another, yet never so by
himself: seeing the spirit of a man may, if it do not always, know the
things of a man. 1 Cor.
ii.11. This
self-deceivableness ariseth in men either from presumption, when they
think they need not; or from sloth, that they will not take the pains; or
from an evil conscience, that they dare not try and examine themselves,
and their works and estates with God, as they ought.
Besides hypocrites by false appearances getting credit with others,
come to esteem themselves better than they are, because others esteem them
so [Gregory].
This hypocrisy is indeed not only a base, but a foolish evil.
Base in dissembling the evil, which it hath, and is ashamed of: and
in counterfeiting the good, which it hath not, and is ashamed to seem to
want. And therefore notably
proud people, scorning, as they used to boast, to dissemble, seldom come
under this coat; but do usually appear to men, as void of grace and
goodness, as they are before God. Foolish
t is, if in nothing else, yet in covering form men that evil, which God
seeth, and hateth, and will punish with infinitely greater both loss and
shame and torment, than nay, or all men will, or can: and not only the
evil dissembled, but therewith the dissimulation also, which men legally
do not. Great must the
hypocrite’s portion be in God’s plagues: with whom, as the principle,
the apparently evil, as but an accessory, hath “his portion
appointed,” Matt. xxiv,51.
It is one thing to do a work in hypocrisy, which only hypocrites do; and
another thing to do with hypocrisy, which is still ready, alas, to mingle
itself with the work of God’s grace in all our best actions; as Tobiah,
and the rest of the heathen would have mingled themselves with the
Lord’s people in the building of his temple. The same may be said of
unbelief, indevotion, and the like corruptions.
It is no marvel, that atheists and epicures judge all that make show of
piety and godliness, specially above the size and custom of the times
conceited, fantastical and very hypocrites; seeing they measure others by
themselves. And knowing, that
if they should make the semblance of godliness, which the others do, it
should be no better in them than hypocrisy, and fancy; they conclude the
same roundly upon others, from their own premises.
And of this they are also desirous to persuade both themselves, and
others: themselves, for a kind of envious comfort in evil, that others are
as ill as they, and for their own hardening out of that imagination:
others, for their miserable credit, when they are not thought lewd alone.
They being themselves Sadducees would fain think others, and have
them thought Pharisees by others. A
tang [rank taste] of this also is to be found even in them who are not
void of all goodness, towards such as a little overstep them in the ways
of godliness.
Though hypocrisy be in itself a very odious thing, and so evil as it
corrupts all good in him, in whom it reigns; making both his works of
devotion and of mercy abominable to the Lord: yet considering how little
true good is in the world; it were well, for others, at least, that there
were more hypocrisy in many, than there is.
Which would help both to repress in them many gross enormities, for
shame, and to keep credit with men; which now, shamelessly, they practice:
and also provoke them to many outward good works, for the good of others
at the least, which now they wholly, and boldly neglect in professed
godliness and dishonesty.
Besides, hypocrisy yields, though it intend it not, a full and loud
testimony to true virtue and godliness; seeing no man, ordinarily, desires
to seem but good. Now if it
be a thing so desirable, even by their testimony, who want goodness, to
appear good; how much more to be so indeed.
What is the empty shadow to the solid body?
To shut up this head: as the shadow follows the body, so doth the
name and fame of good, true goodness, with equally-minded men.
And instead of a thousand compasses of device which men fetch bout
to obtain the name of good and virtuous, this one short, and right on way,
of being good indeed would serve the turn for the procuring it from all
indifferent and wise judges. The
most compendious way to this honor is, that in truth a man be, as he would
be accounted [Cicero], saith the heathen: how much more ought Christians,
who are persuaded of God’s providence in ordering this, and all his
other blessings upon themselves, and others, thus both to say, and think,
and proceed accordingly!
And look what recompense of honor or other reward, this plain and homely
uprightness, which of all other virtues, laudatur et alget, is
denied from men, God who seeth and loveth it, will plenteously supply.
“Blessed are the perfect in way: who walk in the law of
Jehovah,” Psa. cxix.1. To
choose the right way of God’s law first, and then to walk uprightly in
it, is to be guided by God’s own Spirit to heaven.
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