An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

Thirdly, The hypocrite in heart, I conceive, is such a one as knows himself to be an hypocrite. There are many hypocrites, who little think that they are hypocrites, yea, they may think themselves very upright and honest in what they do; ignorant deluded souls, understand not their own case. Laodicea was wretched and miserable, these are false and hypocritical, but know it not. As some judge, or rather mis-judge themselves hypocrites, who are upright in the main with God, and honest at heart, (How frequent are such complaints, and self-wronging accusations?) ⟨p. 259⟩So many are hypocrites, or rotten at heart, who know it not. The heart is deceitful above all things, (saith the Prophet Jer. 17.9.) and desperately wicked, who can know it? And among all men, common hypocrites know least o• their own hearts. But the hypocrites in heart know their hearts are rotten and fal•e, to what they profess.¹ The politic hypocrite knoweth that all he doth is but in show, and that he doth but act a pa•• in Religion, as a Player upon the Stage, when he is most religious; he doth but take a colour, or die, or paint himself with Religion, (which is the signification of the word here used in the Hebrew) but i• not religious, he doth but put a fair gloss, or disguise upon himself, that he may appear what he is not, or what he knows himself not to be; He knoweth in himself that he is naught, while he would be known by and to others as good. The Apostle speaking of the grievous sufferings of some primitive Christians, saith (Heb. 10.34.) They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they have a better and a more enduring substance; that is, they knew they were in a present gracious state, and that there remained for them an eternal happy state. Thus also an hypocrite in heart, is one that knoweth in himself, or in his heart, that he doth but pretend to be good, and that whatsoever good he doth, it is only in pretence, and is therefore (as the Apostle speaks of the Heretic,