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SECTION II.

Some classes of insincere professors described.

THE memorable case of Ananias and Sapphira, who were struck dead, in a miraculous manner, as a just punishment for the awful crime of which they had been guilty, in exhibiting the worst features of avarice and pride under the assumed mask of Christian charity, will serve to illustrate the guilt and danger of hypocritical or insincere professions in the concerns of religion. Many of the wealthy disciples of that day, under the influence of pure benevolence and compassion towards their indigent brethren, disposed of their substance, and cast the avails into the public fund, for the support of the persecuted community of Christians. Ananias, who, with the spirit of Judas, had gained admission to the church, was ambitious not to be excelled by any in a reputation for liberality. He accordingly went and sold his possessions, "kept back part of the price," and offered the remainder to the Apostles, accompanied by a solemn asseveration that it was the entire proceeds of the sale. His wife, also, was privy to the transaction, and accessory to the fraud. It was a base imposition upon the church, and an impious attempt to deceive the Holy Ghost. Their miraculous and infamous death was richly deserved and calculated to act as a salutary warning against

hypocritical professions, to all succeeding generations. To every class of insincere professors, now to be noticed, the expostulation of Peter to Ananias may be addressed: "Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and keep back part of the price?”*

A Christian profession, as has been shown, implies the full and unreserved surrender of ourselves, our souls and bodies, all that we are, and all that we have, to the glory and service of the living God. It includes, of course, a profession of true repentance for sin. "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," was the first sermon preached by our Lord, and also by his illustrious precursor. It is the first duty of a sinner; without which there can be no faith, and, consequently, no salvation. "Except ye repent, ye must all perish." But what is repentance? The very lowest definition that can be given of it, as an evangelical grace, is, hatred of sin-godly sorrow for having committed it, and an earnest desire to be delivered from its guilt and dominion.

What, then, shall we think of that professor of religion who lives in the habit of sin? I mean not, the individual who finds sin dwelling in him, polluting his thoughts and affections, though he mourns over its influence and earnestly struggles against its power; for such was the case with St. Paul, Job, Isaiah, and other saints of the Most High: but I mean, one who

*Acts v. 1-11.

lives in the wilful omission of acknowledged duty, and the habitual commission of what he knows to be forbidden. He professes to abhor whatever is offensive to God, and opposed to his commandments; and yet, he harbours iniquity in his bosom; "rolls sin as a sweet morsel under his tongue;" and lives, from day to day, in the neglect of commanded duties, and the practice of forbidden sins. Surely we can have no hesitation in pronouncing upon the hypocrisy of this man's character. He is, as manifestly the child of Satan,-the servant of corruption, as if the name of hypocrite was written upon his forehead. He has made a profession of religion, to cloak some unworthy design;-in compliance with custom; to gain a good reputation, or, from some other motive equally criminal and base. He has perjured himself at the altar, and "lied not unto men, but unto God."

Another class of professors, involved in the same condemnation, is made up of those, who endeavour to combine the service of the flesh with that of the spirit, and freely indulge in the gay pleasures and sinful dissipation of the world, as if they believed such indulgence to be perfectly consistent with the hope of heaven. They live as the rest of the world live; the devotees of fashion, extravagance and pleasure. They are governed by the same maxims, animated by the same motives, engaged in the same practices, as those who make no pretensions to piety, but scoff at the doctrines, and contemn the ordinances of our

holy religion. They call Christ "Lord, Lord, but do not the things which he says." They honour him with a bended knee, and an occasional compliment from the lips, when they are in his sanctuary; but they withhold the homage of an affectionate heart and an obedient life. They occasionally approach the sacrament, and go through a "week's preparation" for it: but no sooner is the apparently sacred engagement over, than they mingle once more in all the gay and fascinating, but guilty pleasures of a corrupt world. Those who lately withdrew from scenes of amusement to prepare for communion with God, and with a sanctimonious parade of humility and devotion, bowed before his altar, may now be seen in the ball room, at the card table, or in the theatre; with nothing to distinguish them from the thoughtless and guilty crowd who are carelessly rushing on in the broad road to destruction.

Such a class is to be found in the ranks of those professing Christianity. But are they true Christians? Are they real followers of the Son of God? Do they exhibit any marks of the self-denial, spirituality of mind, devotion to God, and heavenly affections, which the. gospel represents to be the leading characteristics of the disciples of Christ? What saith the scriptures? "She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth." "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in

him." "Know ye not, ye adulterers and adulteresses, that the friendship of this world is enmity with God?" Those professed Christians, therefore, who live under the dominion of "the things that are in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life;" who are running the giddy round of pleasure, and enjoying the sinful amusements and dissipations of the age, "are not of the Father, but of the world." They cannot be the objects of divine favour, nor living and useful members of the church. Judging by the gospel standard, they are no more Christians than they are Archangels. They are "spots in the feasts of charity;" "clouds without water;" "dead branches of the vine." Though they speak with affected abhorrence of hypocrisy, we cannot fail to perceive that they are chargeable with it. Will the most enlarged charity, permit us to believe, that there is any sincerity in their professions, when they promise "to renounce the pomps and vanities of the world?". No! they attempt to practise a deception upon the Holy Ghost. They "lie not unto men, but unto God."

There is another, and it is to be apprehended, very numerous class, chargeable with the guilt under consideration. A class composed of all those who profess to be the servants of Christ, and yet, make but a partial surrender of themselves to him and his service. Ananias professed to have given up all, and yet kept back part of the price. This was the

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