POCRITE'S LIKENESS.

I brought forth many characters and the many blessings, &c. they enjoyed; yet this but came in, and as a good man, once expressed it, as a crook in the lot." We read of the great woman of Shunem, she had every thing her heart could wish, but, verily, she hath no child." David was much pleased to be the king's son-in-law, "but Michal despised him." Abraham had every earthly blessing, “but he was childless." What revelations Paul was favoured with, but he had a thorn in the flesh." John Vinall has many mercies, but he is paralyzed. Some of God's dear children are tried one way, some another; bnt from whatever source it will produce sorrow of heart, and cause them to say, in the words of my text, But I am poor and sorrowful; let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high."

I consider our dear Redeemer to be our salvation : "O Israel, saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation." And God the Father says, "He shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth." It may also refer to our salvation in the three-fold character of Jehovah : "He shall dwell on high; his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks."

What a song shall we have to sing to all eternity. I often, with joy, anticipate my happy deliverance from my afflicted body, and other trials I am sorely pressed with. What a mercy God has put this new song in our mouths. And many of you, my dear friends, will be amongst that happy number. In the prospect, then, of this happy time, may we. be encouraged to go on our way, and be willing to bear those crosses that are yet appointed to us.

May the Lord command his blessing to these brief remarks, and I add no more.

"To this man will I look, even to him that is of a humble and contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."-Isa. lxvi. 2.

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"-Matt. vii. 15, 16.

If we belong to the family of God, we shall never be long without a cross, in some way or other; but if we do not belong to God, Satan will let us alone. It is his work to disturb and distress the children of God, and to render their life unhappy; and it is his work also, to lull asleep those who are his own children. Better therefore be under the chastening hand of God all our days, than be fast asleep in the arms of sin and Satan. The whole world is divided into two classes only, the seed of the serpent, and the seed of the woman; and this we feel within. When God gives us to feel our own native sinfulness, when we feel all the deadness and carnality that is inherent in our nature; this, when properly felt and seen, will trouble us at times. But I hope when this is the case, that we shall not fall into that snare of the devil's which I have known many young believers to be trapped with, when Satan suggests, Oh, you are nothing but an hypocrite, your conduct and inbred sins prove it; you had better give up religion, or else it will make worse for you in hell! Listen not to this a moment, but may you be enabled to fly to the Saviour; be honest, tell him all that you feel and are ensnared with; plead his sufferings, obedience, death and intercession: beg the Holy Spirit to shew you these things in such a powerful way, as shall subdue sin; not root it out, as certain preachers say; no, the Canaanite will be in the land so long as you live, else where would be the warfare? How could we live by faith

on the person and work of Jesus; and where would be the use of the greatest part of his promises, and the accounts of the experiences of his tried saints? We have three combined enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil; but we have three glorious friends, the adorable Father, Son and Spirit. We have three besetments, passion, lust, and pride; but we have three remedies, Christ's obedience, blood and love. These, when seen, known, felt and enjoyed, produce three most blessed effects, abasement, humility, and self-denial; and this will lead to the practice of three things, prayer, hearing and obedience; and this will be a means of the gracious visits of three gracious, kind, and condescending Persons: "If any man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him. When he, the Spirit shall come, he shall abide with you for ever." Thus the connection of three things in experience, lead us to glory, where we shall be filled with three more. The Lamb in the midst of the throne shall lead them to fountains of living waters-Father, Son and Spirit: then with unspeakable joy shall we draw waters of everlasting delight from seeing, knowing, and being with God in Christ.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The heart means the whole man, body and soul, purged from sin, as pardoned by the death of Christ the faculties that are under the influence of divine favour; the conscience that feels guilt when sin is felt, and peace when faith is able to receive the atonement. The spiritual mind, will and affections, which are open to receive Christ as he is set forth in the gospel. The truth being received, gives Christ in actual existence in the mind, so that he dwells there; and let what will happen to us, Christ is uppermost. When Satan, sin, error, trouble, the deepest affliction, or the thoughts of

death, judgment and eternity, impress the mind, do observe this, Christ is still uppermost; the mind bends that way as naturally, in this sense, as a child runs home and clings to its parent in time of trouble or danger. A believer in this world is but gold in the ore; at death the pure gold is melted out and separated, and the dross cast away and consumed.

Hypocrites, liars, and dissemblers, spread a darkness over the face of things, and make spirituál men, like the blind, to walk softly and timorously; and crafty men, like the close air, suck that which is open, and devour its portion, and destroy its liberty and it is the guise of devils, the canker of society, and the enemy of uprightness, and of truth and peace in the visible church.

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He is a spiritual man with whom a blind man may converse; to whom in respect of his fair dealings, the darkness and light are both alike: but he that bears light upon his face, with a dark heart, is the real likeness of him that transforms himself into an angel of light, when he means to do most mischief. But false colour laid upon the face besmears the skin and dirts it, but it neither makes a beauty nor mends it. "For without shall be dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, backbiters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." In matters of self-interest they are wise as serpents, subtle as foxes, vigilant as birds of the night, rapacious as kites, tenacious us grappling hooks and the weightiest anchors, and, above all, false and hypocritical as a thin crust of ice spread upon the face of a deep, smooth and dissembling pit; if you set your foot, your foot slips, or the ice breaks, and you sink into it, and are wound in a sheet of water, descending into mischief, and suffering a great fall by your false confidence and unsuspecting feet. There is an universal crust of hypocrisy that covers the face of the greater part of professors in the visible church in this

awful day. Their religion consists in formality and outside appearance, and serves reputation or design, but does not serve God. Many of them have their heads full of the letter, of sound doctrine and experience but no grace in the hearts. Their promises are but fair language, and untie, like the air that beats upon their teeth, when they spake the delicious and hopeful words. Their agreements are arts and stratagems to deceive, measured by profit; and every thing is lawful that is gainful. And their friendships are trades of getting; and their pretended kindness of watching a dying friend, is but the office of vultures, the gaping for a legacy, the spoil of the body. And every thing that is ugly must be hid, and every thing that is handsome must be seen; and that will make a fair cover for a huge deformity. And therefore they think it necessary that they should always have some pretences and outward appearance of religion, sweetness of language, or affected silence, or grave deportment, or any thing that can be thought good to promote their self interest, pride, and covetousness. And grieved I am to say, there are many such characters in this awful day, both preachers and hearers.

The word, hypocrite, is borrowed from the stage, and signifies, one who personates another. The actor must be well acquainted with the temper, circumstances, foibles and excellences of the character he represents, or he would render himself ridiculous. In like manner, for a person who is altogether unacquainted with the sentiments, life, and conversation of a genuine believer, to assume the appearance of the real saint, he would expose himself to the censure of every discerning christian. Such an one would know, at first sight, that he was not the person he pretended to be; and therefore he could not impose upon any whose senses are exercised to discern between that which is feigned and that which is real. It

will follow, then, that as knowledge of the character is absolutely necessary in the former case, to pers‹nate with propriety, and gain applause; so also in the latter. But as no one who represents on a stage a man who has been dead a thousand years, can be supposed so mad as to think that he is the very person whom he acts, but must needs know he is not; so we may warrantably conclude that a real hypocrite must know that he is not a real saint.

It may be objected, that the cases are not quite parallel; that the human heart is so deceitful, the insinuations of the enemy of souls so fascinating, and men so naturally prone to entertain a good opinion of their state, that it is possible for them not only to impose upon others, but even to deceive themselves. Granted. And such is the conflict in many unrenewed persons between conscience and appetite, that it is not easy for them, or others, to distinguish between that contest, and the opposition which is in the breast of every renewed man, between what is commonly denominated the old and new creature. And there is still greater danger of a persons deceiving himself that sits under a minister who preaches the doctrines clear, but seldom or ever draws the character of a regenerated child of God; never describes his principles, motive and ends; the sources of his sorrows, fears and hopes; nor the frame of his mind, and the general tenor of his conduct. The situation of a person is equally disadvantageous, who attends a minister that is often insinuating, that the knowledge of our spiritual state is not attainable in the present life; that persons may be real saints, and not be sensible of it till they quit the stage of mortality; that a man may be a true believer, although his whole life is one scene of pride, covetousness, self-importance, self-confidence and presumption; but

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the sacrifices of God is a broken spirit;" a broken and a contrite heart,

which they do not possess, and thus they are deceived. Any person, even by a superficial examination of himself, may easily find from what principles he acts, by what motives he is stimulated, and what ends he has in view in making a profession of religion, and attending to its various duties, By comparing these with the description given in the word of God, of the principles, motives, and end of a genuine believer, he may perceive whether they coincide with it. If they do not, he has no scriptural warrant to conclude that he is a child of God, but that he is " yet in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity." If, indeed, he has adopted the sentiment, that it is impossible for a a man, in this life, to know whether his state be good or bad; he may, it is very likely, flatter himself that all is well. Because in hearing of sermons which exhibited sin in its horrid nature and tremendous consequences, the punishment due to it, and the unspeakable torments which await hypocrites and unbelievers, he has been greatly alarmed; and in hearing or reading discourses which described the happiness of the saints, their dis tinguishing privileges, and the joys they shall be put in possession of, he has found his passions greatly moved, his affections wonderfully raised, and his mind astonishingly elevated; he is apt to consider himself the subject of a gracious change, and think he is entitled to comfort. But these impressions, being like the morning cloud and early dew, he soon finds, from their transitory nature, and from what he criminally indulges and perpetrates in secret, that there is nothing of genuine religion in them. When his hopes of happiness from that quarter are cut off, and no expectation arises from any thing he has done, or resolves to do, he is miserable in his mind, beyond what language can express or fancy imagine, and frequently wishes he had

never been born, or that he had been any thing but a rational creature.

It is

What, then, is a hypocrite's end in making a profession of religion, and what are his principles and motives of action? It may be answered, selfinterest, or applause, or both. either to obtain the name of a christion, or, if he passes for one, to preserve that name; to rise higher in the esteem of the people of God, or to hush the clamours of a guilty conscience.

The hypocrite is a base person, and acts from base principles. All his religion originates in self, and terminates in self. He acts from no better principle than self, and has not in view a more exalted end. He reads, he studies, he prays, or even preaches about religion, with no other design than lucre, or to secure the good opinion that God's children may have formed of him. And as he appears to the best advantage in these religious exercises, when he has a croud about him, who admire his gifts and apparent graces, (for he has no taste for secret prayer and self-examination) so the good opinion of others confirm his good opinion of himself. If any compliments are paid him on account of his abilities, (for there are some weak enough to tell a christian brother or minister how much they are edified by his conversation or by his preaching; how much they covet his gifts and graces.) decency or good manners teaches him to reply, that it is out of character to praise a man in his hearing. But oh, how he is inwardly pleased, how he is secretly gratified with the encomiums passed upon him.

He says to himself, If they admire me for this, I will give them greater reason to do it. So he sets to work, reads, meditates, and commits to memory in private what he intends to say in public, merely to gain the applause of professors, and to ingratiate himself into their favour. If this end be not gained, oh, how he

pointed.

Moreover, the hypocrite is a wicked person. Whilst he makes a splendid profession, and is apparently fired with ardent zeal for God and godliness, he always cherishes some diabolical lust, and gratifies it whenever he has an opportunity. In fine (says a writer) he is that in the church, which a knave is in the state: the one is not fit for civil society, nor the other for christian communion. Were he to appear in his real colours, men would clap their hands at him, and hiss him out of his place. He paints his face, therefore, like Jezebel, with the varnish of good works, sanctified looks and actions, seemingly benevolent and devout. He is like the rainbow, whose glorious colours are reflected from a dark vapour only when the sun shines. He is sometimes discerned and despised of men, but always of God.

From what has been observed, we conclude, that a real bypocrite in religion must know that he is one. Can a person be an hypocrite who is afraid that he is one, and wishes not to be that character? If the person's dread of being a hypocrite, and his wishes not to be one, proceed from fear of punishment in this life, and eternal torments in that to come, it is possible he may be that character he wishes not to be. Because, in this case, his fears and wishes arise, not from conviction of the atrocious nature of sin, and of its hatefulness in the sight of God, but merely from selfish motives. On tho other hand, if the person be convinced of the odious nature of hypocrisy, loathe it, and himself on account of it, and his inclination to it, as there is too much of this leaven in the best of charac. ters; if he can pray sincerely to be delivered from it, and would be glad of its destruction, root and branch, as an evil exceedingly offensive to God, and pernicious to the soul, I am April, 1844.]

He shall be glorified in his saints, and admired in all who believe. O believer, can you not speak better of your miseries, than hypocritical professors can do of their mercies? For you can say, blessed hunger, blessed poverty, blessed mourning, persecutions, slanderings, and revilings from wolves in sheep's clothing, who are destitute of the saving knowledge of the truth. Christ himself having blessed your afflictions, and also cursed their enjoyments. He hath entailed an eternal woe upon all those things wherein they place their happiness, their riches, fulness, applause, and credit with mortals; and he hath promised to them that endure temp. tations, a crown of life when they are tried. Be not therefore dismayed, O ye of little faith, who have every bitter thing at present sweetened with promises, and very soon you shall have all the hardships of a desert, turued into the plenty of an heavenly Canaan. The glory which shall then break in upon the ransomed, is now quite inconceivable. The thought that this felicity is eternal, will double the perfection of their bliss. Move on hours and years, to give way to this delightful day. Would we part with such a hope for thousands of gold or silver? for ten thousand worlds? No, no; not for all

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