form? The very habit of persons in the pubHc assembly shews, for the most part, that their souls are not engaged, and that the decent performance of an acknowledged duty is all that the worshippers have in view. Hear the confessions : Do they resemble those of the poor publican ? Do they indicate any thing of real brokenness of heart and deep contrition, like that of the converts on the day of Pentecost ? Hear t\\e peti- tions : How little fervour, how little importunity, how little of ui'gent pleading with God, do you observe ! Hear the thanksgivings : Are these such as should proceed from souls " delivered from the powers of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son ?" Are the emotions of grati- tude for the salvation of the soul such as the lame man, whom Peter and John healed, evinced for the healing of his body''? Do the worshippers in our churches appear at all as if they were in close communion with God himself, and transacting with him the business of their immortal souls ? Alas ! the devotions of the generality are no better than a solemn mockery, an " honouring of God with their lips, whilst their hearts are far from him."]
2. Those who substitute the conceits of men for the commands of God —
[This obtains to a fearful extent in the Church of Rome, where pilgrimages, and penances, and burthensome rites of various kinds, are substituted for '* repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Among Protestants, also, the same evil obtains to a very great degree. Every sect has its peculiarities, on which it lays a very undue sti'ess, just as the Pharisees did on washing the hands before meat'' : and a violation of any one established order, or traditionary con- ceit, would be far more severely noticed than any departure from the commands of God. Let there be in any person a disposition only to disregard some characteristic dogma, or some peculiarity in discipline of his own particular Church, and how many cautions will he receive against such unadvised conduct! whilst, if he neglect God and his own soul during his whole life, he shall never hear so much as one word of friendly admonition. Nay, more ; an occasional neglect of some established usage in society, or a deviation from the laws of fashion and politeness, will go further to sink us in the estimation of our neighbours, than an habitual violation of all the commands of God. This, then, shews us plainly, that a Pharisaic spirit still exists amongst us ; and that the pro- phecy is fulfilled in our land, if not so extensively, yet as truly, as in the land of Judah, either in our Saviour's day, or in the days of the Prophet Isaiah,]
b Acts iii. 6—8. <: ver. 2.
1370.1 FORMAL WORSIIIPPEKS, HVrOCRITES. 431
Such characters, then, still existing, let us inquire, II. In what light they are viewed by Almighty God —
Our blessed Saviour calls them " hypocrites." True, they are the last people in the world who suspect themselves of hypocrisy. On the contrary, they account religious persons hypocrites ; and conceive themselves to be the only persons whose integrity is clear. But, however high they stand in their own esteem, they are hypocrites in the estimation of the heart-searching God. They are hypocrites,
1. In their professions —
[They profess real sanctity ; but they possess it not : they have not any one of those qualities of which real sanctity consists. They " have a form of godHness, but are altogether destitute of its power." If they say, ' We make no profession of religion,' I ask, Do you not call yourselves Christians? Do you not demand Christian baptism for your children ? And do you not expect Christian burial when you die ? Then you do profess yourselves followers of Christ : and while you shew so little love to Christ, and so little resemblance to him, you are downright hypocrites. And if a man were as disloyal to an earthly king as you are to our blessed Lord, and yet profess himself a loyal and devoted subject, you yourselves shall assign to him the designation he would merit, and, in so doing, shall assume it to yourselves.]