A question has been asked, can a person be an hypocrite and not know it? I answer, no, by no means. Did not Saul know he was acting the hypocrite in his concession to David? Did not Judas know that he was planning to sell the Savour’s blood at the very time he eating the passover with him, and hearing his most heavenly discourses? Did not Jacob know he was deceiving his Father, when he said, “I am thy son Esau?” Did not David know that he was not mad, when he pretended to be so to save his life? Every person can tell, whether they most sincerely desire, from a feeling sense of need, a sense of pardoning mercy, and the enjoyment of God’s favour; or whether they profess religion for any other purpose, let it be what it will. It is to be lamented that many sincere characters have been guilty of hypocritical actions, and yet be sincere. Witness Abraham, Jacob, David and others. So also may hypocrites do many praise-worthy actions, and yet be hypocrites. Such are not real members, but mere excressences of the Church like falling hair or the parings of the nail. When Satan suggests to a believer, he is nothing but an hypocrite, his only remedy is by prayer and supplication to God, to make him sincere—and as to the world charging him with being an hypocrite, because they have fallen out with him, they are no judges neither of sincerity nor hypocrisy, only let us before God, the Church and the world, walk as consistently as possible, and let dogs bark on nor heed their howlings, the love of Christ in the heart will suffer that
She nor desires, nor seeks to know
The scandals of the time;
Nor look with pride on those below,
Nor envy those that climb.
One of our old divines has reckoned up thirty-two different species of hypocrites, and if there are as many thousand, it is an awful proof that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who but God knows it? But that the professing Church abound with it, is too evident; for instance:—
How many can shape their religion according to the times, like the Vicar of Bray; he was a Papist in the reign of Henry VIII; when the nation turned Protestant, the vicar turned also; when queen Mary came to the throne he turned Papist, and after her death and Elizabeth succeeded, he turned Protestant again; and being questioned about it, he said, he had nothing to do but with his vicarage—Vicar of Bray I was, Vicar of Bray I am, and Vicar of Bray I will be, whatever king reign. Such alas, we should find hundreds, were such changes again to take place in civil and ecclesiastical affairs. But are not such hypocrites? When a church clergyman swears to the doctrinal articles of that church, and declares he is moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon him that office, and yet hates some of the leading doctrines, and ridicules the work of God, the Holy Spirit, upon the hearts of men as enthusiasm, he is an hypocrite. When Dissenters, Independents, or Baptists profess Calvinism, yet are shy of the doctrines of truth, and swerve to the system of Arminianism, they are hypocrites. When such profest Calvinists sneeringly treat the grand doctrines of truth, as high doctrines, and thereby raise prejudices in the minds of their hearers against the truth as mere high notions, and those that preach it, they are hypocrites. When ministers accommodate their sermons to different sects and parties, to please men contrary to conscience, they are hypocrites. This reminds me of an anecdote, too true it is to be feared, when a minister came to a certain town to preach, one of the managers of the chapel visited him, and told him, he hoped he would not be very high in his sentiments; because, added he, you will see an old gentlemen in such a seat with a gold headed cane—he cannot bear the doctrine of the Trinity. And in another pew sits an old lady with a muff, she hates the doctrine of election, and as they are great subscribers to the place, it is a pity to offend them. And besides, you know, Sir, you can preach about a good many things besides. To comply to such Pharisees is the most arrant hypocrisy, and the man that would thus accommodate such, is an Hypocrite.
Taking up the ministry, for a piece of bread, for popularity, for respect, for a rich wife, or for any sordid purposes, such persons are Hypocrites.
Setting out in the ministry with sound truth, but sound truth becoming unpopular, and with a view to avoid reproach, as an Antinomian in principle, mingling grace and works, law and gospel, Calvinism and Arminianism, to keep up the name of being reputable, is Hypocrisy.
Persons coming into a profession, taking up religion for connection, trade, or for any other profit in temporal things, is an Hypocrite.
Pleading for holiness, morality, duty and consistency; yet living in secret sin, as his real element, though unknown to others, is an Hypocrite.
Searching out, spreading abroad, scandalizing, and rejoicing in the real or supposed falls, sins and infirmities of others, to cover their own sins, such are Hypocrites.
Pretenders to universal love to all, at the same time haters of truth, those who preach it boldly, and profess it sincerely, are Hypocrites.