4. And then (when love is well spoken of by all, even its deadly enemies) lest men should see their wickedness and misery, (and is it not admirable that they see it not?) the devil hath taught them to play the hypocrite, and make themselves a religion which costs them nothing, without true christian love and good works, that they may have something to quiet and cheat their consciences with. One man drops now and then an inconsiderable gift, and another oppresseth, and hateth, and destroyeth (and slandereth and censureth, that he may not be thought to hate and ruin without cause); and when they have done, they wipe their mouths with a few hypocritical prayers or good words, and think they are good christians, and God will not be avenged on them. One thinks that God will save him because he is of this church, and another because he is of another church. One thinks to be saved because he is of this opinion and party in religion, and another because he is of that. One thinks he is religious because he saith his prayers this way, and another because he prayeth another way. And thus dead hypocrites, whose hearts were never quickened with the powerful love of God, to love his servants, their neighbours, and enemies, do persuade themselves that God will save them for mocking and flattering him with the service of their deceitful lips; while they want the love of God, which is the root of all good, and are possessed with the love of money, which is the root of all evil, 1 Tim. vi. 10, and are "lovers of pleasures more than of God," 2 Tim. iii. 4.
They will join themselves forwardly to the cheap and outside actions of religion; but when they hear much less than "One thing thou yet wantest: sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have a treasure in heaven:--they are very sorrowful, because they are very rich," Luke xviii. 22, 23. Such a fruitless love as they had to others, James ii. such a fruitless religion they have as to themselves. For "pure religion and undefiled before God, is to visit the fatherless and widows in their adversity, and to keep yourselves unspotted from the world," James i. 27. See 1 John ii. 15; iii. 17, "Whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" There are three texts that describe the case of sensual, uncharitable gentlemen.
1. Luke xvi. "A rich man clothed in purple and silk, (for so, as Dr. Hammond noteth, it should rather be translated,) and fared sumptuously every day," you know the end of him.
2. Ezek. xvi. 49. "Sodom's sin was pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."
3. James v. 1-7. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you.--Ye have lived in pleasure on earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in (or for) the day of slaughter.--Ye have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you--." And remember Prov. xxi. 13, "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself and shall not be heard." And James ii. 13, "He shall have judgment without mercy that showed no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." Yea, in this life it is oft observable that, Prov. xi. 24, "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth, and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty."
_Tit. 2. Directions for Works of Charity._
_Direct._ I. Love God, and be renewed to his image; and then it will be natural to you to do good; and his love will be in you a fountain of good works.
_Direct._ II. Love your neighbours, and it will be easy to you to do them all the good you can; as it is to do good to yourselves, or children, or dearest friends.
_Direct._ III. Learn self-denial, that selfishness may not cause you to be all for yourselves, and be Satan's law of nature in you, forbidding you to do good to others.