Hypocrisy Discovered, Sermon 1
SERMON I.
Luke 12. latter end of the firſt verſe.
Beware ye of the leaven of the Phariſees, which is hypocriſie.
YOU ſhall find, in the former Chapter, Chriſt charging of the Phariſees for their unſutable actings unto the rule, notwithſtanding all their profeſſion, and pronouncing woes againſt them of all ſorts of people: And here he takes occaſion upon the addreſſe of people, to open thoſe things further, and to apply what he had ſaid unto them; When he ſaw a multitude of people, many people gathered together, inſomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to preach and expound unto them; and this is the firſt Leſſon that he gave them, an admonition that they ſhould take heed of the leaven of the Phariſees, which is hypocriſie.
Now by leaven here of the Phariſees, ſome take the doctrine of them to be meant: but you know Chriſt tels them in another place (Math. 23.2, 3.) they ſit in Moſes chaire, all therefore whatſoever they bid you obſerve, that obſerve and doe: Yet certainly it may be taken for their doctrine here likewiſe, for they did manage their doctrine with hypocriſie, and did not plainly and clearly open the nature of thoſe things the Law ſpake of. But chiefly and eſpecially is meant here by the leaven of them, i.e. thoſe private and particular doctrines that they gave out from their owne Sect, from their own particular judgment: For when they expounded the Law, ſo far as it referred to Moſes, the Lord Jeſus gave them a warrant to heare them; but they have private inſtructions, and practices that will be as leaven to corrupt you, if you be not very exact. I need not to comment upon it, for my deſigne is only to open the nature of hypocriſie, and diſcover it to you both in the Churches of Chriſt, and up and down the world. And I have choſen this example of Jeſus Chriſt: now it's mighty emphaticall to conſider, who are the perſons he picks out, as who are the ſubjects of this admonition; The Phariſees, the ſtricteſt Sect among the Jewes, thoſe that had the greateſt name of Religion, that did moſt exactly (outwardly) follow all the rules that the Law ſeemes to command; they were expounders of Moſes Law (to give you but a ſhort hint of their life and actings) they gave themſelves up wholly to it: ſo you ſhall find up and downe all the New Teſtament, they were ſequestred perſons from all ſorts of men, muſt not be ſo much as touched by any: For ſo it ſeems there when the poore woman came to Chriſt, and touched the hemme of his garment, they wondred that Chriſt would ſuffer himſelfe to be touched by her being a ſinner; they were ſo exact, that they would have no legall pollution upon them, they would not eat a bit of meat untill they waſhed, eſpecially at a Faſt, then ſome of them would even goe to waſh their whole bodies, for feare any pollution ſhould fall upon them; they were ſo exact, that they counted all men but themſelves to be ſinners: theſe things you ſhall find up and downe the Scriptures, I need not name the places; they alwayes were faſting twice a weeke, would not touch any meat, ſo exact that they wore ſchedules about their armes and necks, whereon the Law was written, the chiefeſt and moſt poſitive Commandements; ſo exact were they, as to outward appearance humbling themſelves on purpoſe, ſo that they ſeemed to be moſt exact (Paul was of the ſame Sect which he gloried of) and yet the moſt hypocriticall and unworthy generation of men that ever were, and the greateſt enemies of Chriſt that ever he had, and there's none he gave that bitter language to as to them.
They did ever endeavour theſe two things:
Firſt, To intrap and intangle him with with their queſtions, to make him ſpeake ſomething contrary to the Law.
Or ſecondly, To blurr him if they could, to put a publique blot upon him before the people, and ſuch a kind of calumny that they might all hate him; therefore the greateſt woes that Chriſt pronounces are againſt the Scribes and Phariſees.
But to goe no further, obſerve only this;
Obſ. The more outwardly Religious men are, without ſpirituall Principles, the more dangerous they are to converſe withall: there's a leaven in them, there are no ſuch perſons ſo dangerous to converſe with the Saints as theſe, a man is gone inſenſibly, and taken inſenſibly with theſe things before he knowes where he is; the authority of the perſon takes hold on his heart: Can ſuch a perſon be ſo and ſo? he is duplicate page duplicate page rather fit for heaven then earth, and ſo a man ſucks in all the venome of his ſpirit and opinions; and ſo it was with thoſe that went about to be falſe Apoſtles, in 2 Tim. 4 chap. they went about cunningly to deale with men, and they gained exceedingly; and I am confident that in theſe latter dayes more have been deceived by the ſeeming profeſſion of men ſpeaking great things, and lifted up high in eſteeme then by any otherway, as they ſpeak lyes ſecretly and with hypocriſie; all their actings, and all they did was but hypocriſie.
But the thing I ſhall come to, is to open hypocriſie: Now that which I ſhall ſhew in the generall, is,
Firſt, what hypocriſie is? what the nature of it is? 2. and the ſeverall ſorts of it. 3. how it acts? 4. what the characters of hypocrites are, how they paſſe through all ſorts of duties?
Hyprocriſie may be conſidered theſe two wayes:
Firſt, as oppoſed unto the reality of the worke of the Goſpell in a mans heart, as oppoſed unto what's reall in a man, that's hypocriſie, when I have an appearance of what I have not; that's the firſt thing. I doe, it may be, conceive I have this and that which I have not, and ſo hypocriſie lyes in a defect of thoſe Principles that ſhould be in a man, it's oppoſed unto that reall worke in a mans ſoule, when I act thoſe things outwardly that I have no reall foundation for in my owne heart, pray, and preach, and heare, and doe all duties that are ſuitable to the will of God, and no reality of theſe things in my owne heart, nothing within but the ſtirrings of my naturall affections, and the like; when as a man hath not that clearneſſe of judgement to diſcerne his owne ſtate, and hath not that within him that is reall.
Secondly, hypocriſie is oppoſed to that inward ſimplicity of heart and intention in a mans ſpirit, when I doe profeſſe that which I doe not intend, that's hypocriſie; when I doe that in the Goſpell which my intentions are not reall in, and yet my intentions may be reall in the things I doe, but I have not a reality in the principle: but this is the groſſeſt ſort of hypocriſie, when it is oppoſed to that ſingleneſſe of ſincerity and intention; they are as Stage-players, act the part of them they know they are not. A man doth out of ſhew and vanity faigne himſelfe to be that which he is not; this is the ſecond ſort of hypocriſie, when I would be counted ſo for ſtrictneſſe and holineſſe that I am not, and there's now in the very intention of my ſoule hypocriſie. But hypocriſie may be without the intention, where there is not that ſpoken of in the 1 Philip. 10. that you may be ſincere, *foreignforeign, which is a very large word, and ſignifies that cleare judgement a man ſhould have, as if he were tryed by the beames of the Sun. Now though there be ſincerity as to intention, yet there may be hypocriſie as to the defect of the reality that ſhould be in a mans ſoule.
So that from theſe two conſiderations in generall, you may ſee that hypocrites may be of thoſe ſorts.
Firſt, a man may be an hypocrite and may not know it; he may go on in all ſorts of duties of Religion, and do all things exactly according to the letter of the Law, and do it with integrity in his ſpirit, as he thinks, not knowing that he doth it out of any falſe intention, hath not that cunningneſſe to deceive (as I ſhall ſhew you by and by,) not ſo cunning a hypocrite as one who deales from the inward wickedneſſe of his heart, on purpoſe to deceive: but yet he goes on, and never had the worke of God upon his ſoule; he follows on the outward Letter of the Law, goes on in a drudging way, he finds ſome naturall propenſity in his ſpirit to it from ingenuity, and common principles which are left in him by the Goſpell: ſo a man may be long in duties, (Paul was ſo) he profeſſeth, that what he did was out of Ignorance, 1 Tim. 1.13. he did not know he was an hypocrite, he had no deſigne to deceive the world, and to deceive himſelfe, he thought he was an exact man, and carried it as clearely as could be, he had no deſigne but to propagate his own principles, and he was above all the Phariſees, therefore he puts down himſelfe as the moſt zealous of them, and ſurely he had a good intention as to his own thoughts, as to deſigne he was, as it were, an innocent hypocrite. And ſurely ſo it was with the fooliſh Virgins, Mat. 25. they went on ſmoothly a long time, and ſlumbred, and ſlept, and thought themſelves as pure Virgins as the wiſe untill midnight came. And the young man in the Goſpell, Mat. 19. he came to Chriſt with a confidence in his own intentions, that he had kept the Law, or elſe he would never have come to Chriſt as he did, but yet he lacked ſomething, he wanted the maine principle, he wanted ſelfe-deniall, never knew what it was to caſt himſelfe upon the Lord Jeſus purely: All his hypocriſie lay in that. If there be but a naturall ingenuity and ſimplicity, and it come under the Goſpell, it will be mightily improved by a mans following the outward Letter of it, he will be as ſimple-hearted in all duties, as much as formerly he was by following the common principles of honeſty: therefore when the young man came to Chriſt, there was a kind of affection in Jeſus Chriſt to him, and a love to him, and yet this was his hypocriſie; he did all thoſe things, and had no intention at all to deceive the world or himſelfe by it, but he wanted the principle that ſhould have carried him on in all things: So that a man appeares to be what he is not, appeares to be a Saint, and does duties well, but is not, this comes from a want of principles, a defect in that; It is not my intention that makes me a hypocrite before God, but if I go on in profeſſion, and have not what ſhould make out that profeſſion to be from God, it is hypocriſie. Only theſe are the moſt to be pittied and bewailed that go innocently to hell; they thinke they have grace, and no man in the world can perſwade them to the contrary, and as ſtrong a faith as any in the world, and alas they have not; they thinke they love Chriſt, and would do any thing for him, but they never had that love flaming in them from the power of divine love, and ſpirituall Goſpell-principles.
Now the reaſons why men go on thus are.
Firſt, becauſe they never had the ſight of their own natures; they never were under the through-convictions of their ſinfull ſtate by nature, only bred up fairely and ingenuouſly in the Goſpell; God never ſhewed them their own faces in the glaſſe of the Law, only they have looked on the Law with their own eye, in their own proſpect; it is impoſſible, if God ſhewed a man his nature, he ſhould go without principles in his heart.
Secondly, It comes from a generall view of the Goſpell, meerly from generall conſiderations of the Goſpell, and outward rule, without any particular inward ſenſe of the ſpirit and frame that ſhould be in him: men looke upon the Goſpell as a Hiſtory, and never come to ſee what ſpirituall frames ſhould be in their hearts to every duty.
Thirdly, Men do find ſome kind of comfort in thoſe waies, and they have not thoſe checks of conſcience that others have, becauſe they are not ſo groſſe in their actings, but go on ſmoothly, without queſtioning their own ſtate, and their ſpirits are pretty well compoſed.
Fourthly, The maine and the great reaſon is want of through-examination, want of diving into the depths of the heart, not putting a mans ſelfe to it every day, men take up meerly the imitation, as it were, of others, and the ſhadow, and the outward expreſſion, and conſider them no otherwaies, whereas they are but ſhews; men never go no further in their own ſpirits than the outſides, never ſearch their hearts to lay them open before the Majeſty and Authority of a great God, and ſo they live and dye ſecurely. And is not this a ſad thing, that a man ſhould thinke he hath grace, and have no intention at all to deceive? That is, he hath not that cunning and deſperate frame, but only goes on and truſts his own judgment, and truſts his own generall apprehenſions, and hopes well of himſelfe, and thinkes ſurely he would do no wrong, do no evill, and this man ſlips down, and away to the bottome of hell; here is a hypocrite, though not a profeſſed one, he is deceived, though he intend not to deceive, for here is that I would have you look to.
☞ It is not your thinking and ſaying you have grace, you may be hypocrites for all that, if you are not what you appeare to be: you are a hypocrite whatſoever you ſeeme to be, and whether you think ſo or no. God thinkes ſo, and know's ſo, and you will find it ſo one day, when you come to have the vaile taken off from your eyes; Paul wondred what he was a doing when God opened his eyes, what he had been doing all this while. Therefore you had need be trying your hearts every day, dayly fearing your hearts, and jealous over your ſpirits, and ſuſpecting every motion, untill you have tried your hearts by Law and Goſpell, yea, and waited upon the Spirit for a new triall.
Now there is a ſecond ſort, and they are ſuch as are conſcious to themſelves of their hypocriſie, that they are not yet ſound in the maine, and yet go on in their profeſſion from their education, or for ſome deſigne, and cannot leave it, have many ſtirrings of God in their hearts under Ordinances from light convictions of the Lord upon their Spirits. And this is exceeding common, many go on a long time in profeſſion and cannot leave it, but have many motions of God in their ſoules, and many ſharpe reproofes from God, and yet cannot ſee a through work upon their hearts, yet go on and profeſſe, and hope it may be, but take themſelves for Saints continually, and muſt have their names enrolled for Saints in Churches, and yet have a jealouſie of their own hypocriſie, and go on ſo for many yeares under many regrets and wounds of ſpirit; they have many twangs that pierce them ſometimes, and yet the Conviction is not ſo ſtrong as to ſhew them their miſerable and vile eſtate, or to preſſe them on to the through worke of the Goſpell upon their hearts. And you ſhall find thoſe perſons very high in prayer, and very able to ſpeake well in their converſe with Saints: But they never met with God in duties, never had Gods aſſiſtance, never found that ſpirituall ſtrength; when they heare men Anatomiſing of ſoules, they are only for keeping up the glorious outſide, and the glory of outward formes; they have been ſome ten or twenty years, and knew that Chriſt never appeared to them, and yet they cannot leave off duties, conſcience and the outward rule lies upon them ſtill: this is very common: And ſo it was with Saul, he knew in his own heart that God had forſaken him, and yet he would be doing ſomething, he would have Samuel to pray for him, but God had left him: he knew in his own conſcience he was unſound, and had not done the will of God. And ſo a man may go up and down a great while, having a conſcience and ability as to outward actings, and yet never be ſound: God improving a naturall light ſo far as to outward actings, that he cannot chuſe but do thoſe outward duties, and yet he knows in his conſcience that he never met with God, and if he do, it is only to tell him thou art not ſound, and ſometimes he breakes out in extravagancies; theſe can find nothing in their hearts, but conſcience will be preſſing them on ſtill to keep up the forme. This is a miſerable ſoule. Certainely ſome men are ſelf-condemned, and it is impoſſible if ſo be a man have any ſtirrings of Conſcience, and live under the Miniſtry of the Goſpell, but he will ſome time or other (if he be a hypocrite) have ſome diſcoveries of his owne heart, when he comes to prayer, there is not that working of a ſpirit of Adoption; God may leave a man ſo in a generall kind of way, that he may not at all ſet out thoſe convictions, but thoſe that have their conſciences convinced of particular acts of ſin, when they turne Profeſſors they have often times conviction, as to thoſe acts, but let a man have never ſuch a daily hint that he is an hypocrite, yet it is no more to him to ſtrike him off his bottome and make him to be ſound, no more than if a man had a dayly ſenſe of ſin that he cannot get mortified, and he finds convictions not ſo ſharpe but that he can go under them and live, (though ſometimes they are ſore to him) and ſtop the mouth of conſcience. The Lords power comes not in with the Conviction; and certainely thoſe ſoules are mightily ſtartled ſoules, have mighty ſharpe convictions upon their ſpirits, but it is off againe, and they carry a generall kind of feare in their own hearts, but ſtill ſomething or other there is, and they muſt keep up: O take heed then.
Looke to your own hearts, what ſecret hints you have of hypocriſie, you that have lived long under the Goſpell, been given much to duties, look to your own hearts, how many twangs have you had in the night-ſeaſon in your ſpirits? You never met with God in the duty, though you prayed well, and read well in the ſight of men, though you have carried it faire up and down the world: what inward regret have you had in your own ſpirits? This is a lamentable condition, for a man to be ſo a hypocrite, that a man goes on under the conviction and cannot get from it, and yet goes on in duties ſtill. Now you have a third and laſt ſort, which is the groſſeſt ſort.
Thirdly and laſtly, a deſigning hypocrite, one that takes up Religion for ſome particular deſigne, which he knows the deſigne of in his own heart, as to get honour, or profit, or the countenancing of ſome particular laſt, or whatever it be; meerly that a man may cover ſome ſecret luſt, meerly to follow the opportunities and ſeaſons of the world: this is the groſſeſt of all: State-hypocrites, as I may ſo call them, thoſe that are only making uſe of the name of Religion on purpoſe to deceive, and begin all their evill in the name of God; theſe are the groſſeſt ſort that can be poſſibly. And there are ſeverall ſorts of theſe. Some that are more refined, as to be honoured among men, as Simon Magus, he would give any thing that he might have had the gift of the Holy Ghoſt, becauſe he thought it was a brave thing to do miracles that he might be accounted of among men, therefore he was in the Gall of bitterneſs.
There are a more refined ſort, which care not ſo much for outward kind of profit or honour, but they do follow on duties and the waies of God, meerly to quiet their conſciences upon ſome ſpeciall guilt as to former actings, to cover ſome kind of corruptions that they may be huſht, and be counted Saints beſides: That is a more ſpirituall way, for there be ſome ſo curious in a ſpirituall hypocriſie that no man can find them out, they have ſome old blot upon their conſciences that they would take off by a new way of acting, take it off from the ſight of others, and be accounted as new: I only give you theſe in generall, they have ſome ſecret corruption that is their darling luſt that they would nouriſh. This is now to be a Stage-player indeed: when I know I am a beggar, and yet ſhall put on the Robes of a Prince, when I know I have that unſoundneſs in my heart, and yet would be accounted a ſincere Saint, and would do ſomething that ſhall cover my corruption, and I would do duties becauſe I would get ſuch an honour: That is a moſt ſhamefull way: Theſe are the wickedeſt ſorts of men in the world; certainely there is none have more ſhame in their own ſoules than theſe, if they look into their own hearts.
I would therefore now apply this, and leave the reſt for ſome other time.
Applic. I beſeech ye therefore every one take in the exhortation of Jeſus Chriſt, take heed of this Leaven, this Hypocriſie, this wicked venemous poyſon that lies in all ſorts; moſt in Churches and Congregations where the Goſpell is Preached, we are leavened before we are aware, take all diligence and care, yet it comes in: This is that which Chriſt did adviſe his Diſciples of: take heed of that above all things; but before I go on, I would leave theſe Conſiderations with you, that you may not miſtake.
Firſt know, that there may be hypocriſie in the ſoule, and yet a man cannot be called a Hypocrite; There is Hypocriſie in every ſtate; you muſt not thinke that if you find ſome Hypocriſie you are a Hypocrite: I ſpeake this for the comfort of poore Saints; if they find any deceit or cunning in their ſpirits in their duties, then they ſay they are hypocrites; they are damned; no, I would have you to know, that Hypocriſie lies very cloſe in the ſoule of the beſt Saints; but only when the ſtraine of a mans ſpirit goes on ſo, then you had need looke to your ſelves when you find that Hypocriſie predominant.
Secondly, There may be great charges of hypocriſie as to particular actings, (nay, whole actings may be in hypocriſie) yet not a Hypocrite. Gal. 2.13. as Paul charged Peter with Hypocriſie, the whole act was done hypocritically, and he brings in Barnabas as guilty with him, he did diſſemble, ſo it may be with a Saint; he may diſſemble in an action, in a duty, and yet not be ſo in his whole ſtate. Therefore judge not of your ſelves by particular acts.
Thirdly, know that Hypocriſie is not only as to an outward duty, but in every motion of your ſpirits you muſt looke; it lies not only in groſſe deſignes to advantage ſelfe, but it grows ſecretly, you know not how it touches upon every part upon a ſudden before you are aware of it; In your love to Chriſt, ſtrange Hypocriſie! In your very motion to Saints, and expreſſions, what wonderfull vailes of hypocriſie. You muſt therefore looke exceeding narrowly, you muſt put on Goſpell-eyes to try hypocriſie in your own hearts. But I ſay however, whatever you do in the world, and whatever you be, be not Hypocrites, Shew your ſelves to be what you are, let the ſenſe of things ſo lye upon you, that you may not deceive. I ſay not, that profane hearts ſhould vent their profane thoughts, but lye humbly before God in a deep ſence of your deceitfull hearts. And make not the world beleeve you have ſuch and ſuch enjoyments, and ſights of Chriſt, yet have none.
☞ Take the beſt of men in the world, we that preach to you, we are in ſome kind Hypocrites: we thinke we are ſo and ſo, and ſpeake nothing but from our own experiences in our hearts; we may ſhew a perfect rule, and yet be Hypocrites in many things. Only there is the ſpirituall intention and reality to honour God, which is the only comfort; but we are not fully what we appeare to be, yet are endeavouring and preſſing on to be ſo, and that ſhews we are not hypocrites, though, in ſome ſenſe, every man may be called a hypocrite when he is not what he ſhould be.
Oh! take heed, take heed. But I ſay, be what the Goſpell ſaies, hold forth what you are indeed unto the world. I had thought to have named ſeverall ſorts of perſons, that had more need to looke into their own hearts about hypocriſie.
Firſt, thoſe that are of popular ſpirits, that are to converſe with many, theſe had need looke cloſely to their own ſpirits, for the moſt of our garbs and expreſſions are but very ſeldome true, and reall, but of the deep ſence of our duties to one another: Take heed therefore, leſt we gather up a name of hypocriſie: it is very hard to have much converſe with the World, and not be much in hypocriſie; without a man be much given up to reality of ſpirit: you will find your tempers, in that regard, how they are: you had need have more warineſſe in your owne ſpirits.
Secondly, thoſe that are of a naturall cunningneſſe, a naturall craftineſs of ſpirit, they had need to take heed, eſpecially when they come under the Goſpell, in opening their ſoules, and converſing with Saints; then that naturall cunningneſſe will be mightily improved under the Goſpell; if not mighty wary it will come up to a ſpirituall hypocriſie, if a man have not an exceeding care, and it is dangerous dealing with a perſon that is apt to cunningneſſe. There are exceeding many that are thus in theſe daies.
Thirdly, Thoſe had need to looke to their own ſpirits, whoſe Religion begins with ſome particular occaſion in the world; where Religion begins with the times, it is a thouſand to one but ſuch will prove hypocrites, and dangerous ones too.
Fourthly, Thoſe that are given to an outward ſtrictneſs and ſeverity to externall things, obſervance of outward actings, and circumſtances of outward formes, without they be very careful in them, for here lies hypocriſie, in doing all duties, in being moſt exact in the outward form.
We ſhall come to open ſomething hereafter, that if it pleaſe God all ſhall ſee if they be hypocrites or no.