was on that very account avenged by God himself upon his posterity1.
The Jews also complied with the institutions of Moses in observing their religious fasts and feasts : but because " they did fast and feast unto themselves rather than unto God," and sought rather to cover their own enormities by such observances, than really to honour God, their services were deemed hypo- critical, and were rejected with abhorrence k. Thus must all our duties, civil or religious, have respect to God : we must have " a single eye," if we would please him1. If we bring forth fruit to ourselves only, " we are empty vines," we are unprofitable servants™.
Sincerity implies in the next place, a serving of God according to the light we enjoy. Sincerity will doubless consist with defective views both of Christian duty, and Christian liberty : but it will not consist with allowed deviations from an acknowledged duty, either in a way of omission, or of commission. " The wisdom that is from above, is without partiality, and without hypocrisy"." To be "partial in the law" is to dissemble with God : and whether we make out- ward duties a cloak for inward lusts, or present to God a mere " form of godliness without the power of it," we are really " hypocrites in heart0," and there- fore can have no pretensions to sincerity.
But there is yet a third thing, which is absolutely essential to sincerity, namely, a desire to knoxv the will of God more perfectly. Here it is that many, who have appeared most sincere, have failed. St. Paul before his conversion " thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus p:" and truly he did them with a zeal suited to his persuasion. But can it be said, that at that time he possessed the Christian virtue of sincerity ? By no means : for he had opportunities enough of information : the writings of Moses and the prophets were plain enough to
1 Hos. i. 4. k Zech. vii. 5, 6. > Matt. vi. 22, 23.
m Hos. x. 1. n Jam. iii. 17.
0 Matt, xxiii. 23 — 28. and xv. 7, 8. » Acts xxvi. 9.