2. God loveth to uncase hypocrites : Prov. xxvi. 26, ' His wicked- ness shall be showed before the whole congregation.' His being and attributes are more questioned by them than others, for atheism lieth at the bottom of hypocrites. Tush ! he cannot see : Ps, xciv. 7, ' They say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.' They are such a generation of men as crowd into his house out of custom, or to make his service lacquey upon their base ends. God sufFereth more by them than by others. They put him off with an outside, as if he did like well enough of their superficial duties ; and they dishonour and disgrace religion ; therefore God will uncase them, and pull off their disguise, and set them forth in their own appearance. Though but one in the throng, he shall not escape. When Achan had stolen the wedge of gold, God taketh the tribe, the family, the person. Josh. xvii. 17, 18. His anger is more kindled against them because they profess such a nearness to him, and to be that and do that which it never came into their hearts to be and do.
3. Hypocrisy is hateful to God in anything, but especially in coming to the gospel feast ; for that is a kind of daring of God, or a putting it to the trial whether he will discover you or no. Ananias and Sapphira's sin is called a lying to the Holy Ghost, Acts V. 3. Why a lie to the Holy Ghost ? Because of his presiding in church affairs. All acts of grace are of his operation. And because they pretended to do it by his motions. And afterwards it is said in the 9th verse, ' And how is it that you have agreed to tempt the Holy Ghost ? ' Namely, by their hypocrisy and dissimulation ; putting it to the trial whether he would discover them in their sin, yea or no. They had endeavoured as much as in them lay to deceive the Spirit by keeping back a part of the price, and by that practice would put it to the trial whether the Holy Ghost could find out the cheat and fallacy. So when you obey the call and invitation, and solemnly dedicate yourselves to Christ, that you may partake of his heavenly dainties. Now if all this should be found a lie, surely it will be nothing for your comfort for the present ; and for your eternal con- fusion hereafter.
4. There are certain times when God cometh in a more especial manner to discover those that are unsound in the profession of the gospel. God doth always see their hearts, but there are certain seasons when they shall know that he seeth them.
[1.] By trying judgments. When the tree is shaken the rotten apples fall. Sometimes God cometh to search for hypocrites, to pro- duce and bring them forth in order to discovery or punishment ; as when Christ hath his fan in his hand, and cometh thoroughly to purge
20 A SERMON ON MATTHEW XXII. 11-13.
his floor, Mat. iii. 12. So Zeph. i. 12, ' I will searcli Jerusalem with candles ; ' look into every corner ; it is spoken after the manner of man. We light a candle when we would look for anything exactly in the dark ; as Luke xv. 8, ' What woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it ? '
[2.] Sometimes by offences, divisions, scandals, errors : Mat. xviii, 7, ' Woe to the world because of offences, for it must needs be that offences come ; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh ;'
1 Cor. xi. 19, ' For there must be also heresies among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest.' How will light chaff then be discovered from solid grain !
[3.] At death ; a man should always be provided for that hour :
2 Cor. v. 3, ' If so be we shall not be found naked.' We carry nothing out of the world but a winding sheet and a wedding garment — the one for the soul, the other for the body. Then men see what a formal profession they have made in their horrors and anguish; when others have comfort in their sincerity : Isa. xxxviii. 3, ' Remember now, 0 Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.'
[4.] In the day of judgment. When all the world is arraigned before Christ, and he distinguisheth the sheep from the goats, then will he expostulate with you. Where is your wedding garment ? You believed the gospel, but did you obey the gospel ? 2 Thes. i. 8, ' He shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance unto all them that know not God, and obey not the gospel.' It standeth us much upon to have confidence in that day, that you may show your faces in the great congregation. Christ will not say to the honourable person, Where are the ensigns of thine honour ? to the rich man, Where are thy full barns or bags ? to the knowing man, Where are thy parts and expressions ? but to all, Where is your wedding garment ? When others are disclaimed, he will own them that have not defiled their garments : ' They shall walk with him in white, for they are worthy,' Eev. iii. 3. It will be comfortable then to be found clothed with the garments of grace and salvation.