with us, Do you make a fool of me ? I leave it to the hypocrite to think seii- oiisly what he is going to make of God, when he puts up his hypocritical ser- \ices. God's command was, none should 'appear before him empty;' this the hypocrite doth, and therefore mocks God ; he comes indeed full-mouthed, but emjity-hearted. As to the formality of a duty, he oft exceeds the sincere Christian; he, if any, may truly be called a 'master of ceremonies,' because all that he entertains God with in duty, lies in the courtship of his tongue and knee. How abhorrent this is to God, may easily be judged by the disdain which even a wise man would express to be so served ; better to pretend no kindness, than, pretending, to intend none. It is the heart God looks at in duty : if the wine be good, he can drink it out of a wooden cup ; but let the cup be never so gilded, and no wine in it, he makes account that man mocks him that would put it into bis hand. It was Christ's charge against Sardis, Rev. iii. 2, ' I have not found thy works perfect before God ;' I have not foiuul them 'full before God,' as the original hath it. Sincerity fills our duty, and all our actions ; and mark that phrase, 'before God,' which iniplies that this church retained such an outward form of devotion, as might keep u]) her credit before men ; she had a name to live, but her works were not full before God; he pierced them deeper than man's probe coidd go, and judged her by what he found her within.
Secondly, The hypocrite performs the duties of God's worship on some base design or other, and this makes him yet more abominable to God, who disdains to have his holy ordinances prostituted to serve the hypocrite's lust, used only as a stream to turn about his mill, and handsomely efiect his carnal projects. When Absalom had formed his plot, within his own natural bosom, and was big with his treason, as ever cockati-ice was with her poisonous egg, to Hebron he goes in all haste, and that, forsooth, to pay an old vow, which in the time of his affliction he had made to the Lord, 2 Sam. xv. 10, 11. Who would not think the man was gi'own honest, when be begins to think of paying his old debts ? but the wretch meant nothing less ; his errand thither was to lay his treason under the warm wing of religion, that the reputation he should gain thereby might help the sooner to hatch it. And I wish that as Absalom died without a son to keep his name in remembrance, so that none had been left behind to inherit his cursed hypoci'isy, that the world might have grown into a hapj)y ignorance of so monstrous a sin ; but, alas, this is but a vain wish, vroif, imo in temp/um venit, this kind of hypocrisy yet lives, yea, comes as boldly to outface God in his worship as ever ; many making no better use of the exercise of it, than some do of their sedans, to carry them unseen to the enjoyment of their lust. And is it any wonder that God, who hath appointed his ordinances for such high and holy ends, should abhor the hypocrite, who thus debaseth them in the service of the devil? Did you invite some to a costly feast at your house, who, instead of feeding on the dainties you have provided for them, should take and throw all to tlieir dogs under the table, how would j^ou like your guest? The hypocrite is he who casts God's holy things to his dogs. God invites us to his ordinances, as to a rich feast, where he is ready to entertain us, in sweet communion with himself; what horrid impiety is it then that the hypocrite conunits, who, when he is set at God's table, feeds not of these dainties himself, but throws all to his lusts, some to his pride, and some to his covetousuess ; propounding to himself no other end in coming to them, than to make provision for these lusts, as Hamor and Shechem his son, who, when they would persuade the peojile of their city to submit to circumcision, used this as the great argument to move them, that they should grow ric h by the hand : ' If every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised, shall not their cattle and their substance, and every beast of theirs, be ours V Gen. xxxiv. 21, 22. A goodly argument, was it not, in a business of such a high nature, as coming under a solemn ordinance? they rather speak as if they were going to a horse-market, or cow-fair, than to a religious duty. Truly, though most hypocrites have more wit than thus to print their thoughts, and let the world read what is writ in their hearts, yet, as Queen Marj^ said of Calais, if she were opened, it would be found on her heart ; so some such low things as vain-glory, worldly profit, &c., would be found engraven in the breast of all hypocrites, as that which they most aim at in the duties of religion.
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