A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

they knew him to be free from open wickedness, and therefore conclude it must be for secret Hypocrisy; and thereupon they speak the most convincingly they can of the Evil of it; Job adds considerably to all they say against it, only denies himself to be an Hypocrite: His justifying himself makes them press more hard upon him, and every one strives to be more close than other, and to make a more home thrust into his Conscience, to force the acknowledgement of his Hypocrisy: So that upon the whole matter, here's something of Satan's Temptation, though over-ruled by the Spirit of God; here's something of the height of Grace, though allayed by humane frailty; and something purely Divine, eminently from the Holy Ghost; and these all agree in the Conclusion, though they differ in the Premises, viz. That Hypocrisy is the worst of Sins, most odious to God, most ruinous […] Man; the better any one seems to be, and is not what he seems, the more severity he must expect from God, and the less humanity from Man. I know not whether 'tis possible to speak worse of Hypocrisy than it deserves; for though studied Hypocrites, who industriously set themselves to deceive others, may long do it, yet they are often in this World, but always in the next, worst deceived themselves. A mere Form of Godliness is not then to be rested in.

they knew him to be free from open wickedness, and therefore conclude it must be for secret Hypocrisie; and thereupon they speak the most convincingly they can of the Evil of it; Job addes considerably to all they say against it, only denyes himself to be an Hypocrite: His justifying himself makes them press more hard upon him, and every one strives to be more close than other, and to make a more home thrust into his Conscience, to force the acknowledgement of his Hypocrisie: So that upon the whole matter, here's something of Satans Temptation, thô over-rul'd by the Spirit of God; here's something of the height of Grace, thô allayed by humane frailty; and something purely Divine, eminently from the Holy Ghost; and these all agree in the Conclusion, thô they differ in the Premises, viz. That Hypocrisie is the worst of Sins, most odious to God, most ruinous 〈…〉 Man; the better any one seems to be, and is not what he seems, the more severity he must expect from God, and the less humanity from Man. I know not whether 'tis possible to speak worse of Hypocrisie than it deserves; for thô studied Hypocrites, who industriously set themselves to deceive others, may long do it, yet they are often in this World, but alwayes in the next, worst deceived themselves. A meer Form of Godliness is not then to be rested in.