The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 417

"Ne.tnro, like a bee.nteoua WAIi, Doth oft close in pollution." (Shakespeare.) {2) As an adorned tomb la but the gamiture of death e.nd corruption, so is tho external sanctity of the Pharisee in disgusting contrast to his inward turpitude. (3) The meat .and drink in the platter and cup, externally so scrupulously cleansed, are the nonrish- -ment and refreshment of the hypocrite. His luxuries are procured by means nerarious -and corrupt (see ver. 14). The hypocrite is selfish to cruelty. (4) The nourishment and refreshment of the Pharisee is, in the estimation of Christ, filth and poison. Luxury punishes fraud, feeding disease with fruits of injustice. 'fhe disease and death -thus nourished are more.I more than physical. 2. He is guilty of deceiving others. (1) The cleansed outside of the cup and platter, and the whiting on the sepulchre, are intended to be seen; and so is the piety of the hypocrite. The purpos11 is to divert -attention from the filth and rottenness within. (2) The success is often too well assured, Man BUrveys surfaces. His vision does not search substances. To do thi3 requires experiment which he is too lazy to institute. (3) Hence the professed belief .in human nature. (a) Unconverted men mast be hypocrites to be endured. Society would be intolerable but for its veneer. (b) The children of nature are readily deceived in a world of hypocrites. Their pride and self-conceit leads them to credit themselves with virtues; and the Pharisee deceives them. (c) But that religious persons should "'' believe in human nature" only shows bow successfully the hypocrite may even "deceive the very elect." (d) The believers in human nature are liable to trust in it -Instead of Christ for their salvation, and perish in their delusion. 3. He ia guilty of wvl,ting God. (1) He ignores God. While he strives after the praise of men, he leaves God out of the e.ccount. Is God to be treated as nobody with impunity! (2) He degrades God. Affecting the praise of men rather than the praise of God, he treats .the Creator as inferior to his creatures. Will this insolence be endured for ever? (3) As the whitening of the sepulchre was intended to warn passengers to avoid its defiling ,eontact, so should the sham piety of the Pharisee warn honest men away from the sphere of his moral infection (see Luke xi. 44). (4) Let the sinner be alarmed at the -formidableness of the impending woe. Let him repent, amend, and sue for mercy. II. THE JIYl'OOBITE 18 OBIMINALLY BLIND. 1. UodrequirestruthintMheart. (1) He ,is himself essentially holy. This means that his nature must repel from him every- thing that is unholy. God must needs wage eternal war ~<73,jnst sin. (2) But his .grace he.s made possible his reconciliation to the sianer. (a) In the provision of the atonement. (b) In the gift of the Holy Spirit. (c) Through faith tbe righteousness of the Law may not only become "imputed to us," but also "fulfilled in us." (3) The life will be holy when the heart is clean.· " The heart may be a temple of God or a grave; a heaven or a hell" (Stier). The cleansing of the inside affects the outside, but not contrariwise. "Cleanse.first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean e.lso." (4) There is a cleansing that is externe.l even after -the heart is clean. This our Lord evinced when he we.shed the feet of his disciples. 2. The hypocrite imposes 11,pon himself. (1) He is criminally blind to the folly that avoid8 those scande.lous sins which would spoil his reputation with men, while he .allows the heart-wickedness which renders him odious to God (see Ps. v. 9). Jesus saw the filth within the cup and platter, e.nd the rottennes~ within the sepulchre. (2) He is criminally blind to the fact that in imposing upon his fellows he does not impose upon bis Maker. The same Jesus who showed the Pharisee the extortion and excesses .of the heart will show these things to him again in the day of woe. (3) 'l'he hypo- erite is criminally blind to the fe.ct that the life is cleansed in the heart. Those ouly are externally clean who are inwe.rdly pure. Christ views the profession in relation to the state of the heart. In this light he will judge the works of men at the last grea.t day.-J. A. M. Vere. 29--39.-Judgment and mercy. We come now to the eighth and last of this -~eries of woes denounced by Christ against the wicked, which stand~ iu strik:iui ,contrast to the eighth and last of the Beatitudes (cf. eh. v. 10-12). Note- I. THAT INSTEAD OF THE FATHERS OOJIIE UP THE CHILDREN OF THE WICKED, 1. The  4~2 TlIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [011. xxm. 1-3!>.