Hypocrisy in Christian preaching highlights the danger of professing faith outwardly without genuine obedience or transformation (Matthew 7:21). Illustrations often use images of deceptive appearances, double-mindedness, and insincere actions to contrast true inward faith with mere outward show (James 1:22). It warns against self-deception and calls for authentic living consistent with God's will.
Formal religion can be mere pretense, fooling others into thinking one is truly godly.
Dædalus, by art, made images to move of themselves, insomuch that people thought they were living. Formalists do so counterfeit and play devotion, that others think they are living saints: they are religious mountebanks. J. Watson.
Some treat prayer and religion as occasional, not a sincere daily commitment.
Too many of us are like the little girl, who, at the close of her evening-prayer one day, said, "Now, good-by, God; good-by, Jesus Christ: I'm going to Boston to-morrow." C. D. Foss.
Some pursue goodness only for personal gain, not genuine godliness.
Of how many may it be said, as Tacitus of Galba, no man fitter to be an emperor, if he had not been an emperor! How many have been good commonwealth's men, gallant patriots, till they came to be statesmen! As if men minded goodness only to make them great, and then bid it farewell, as he that always had a fishing-net spread on his table till he got a bishopric, and then caused it to be laid aside, saying he had what he fished for.
— Venning
Swearing as a prince does not excuse the archbishop's sin before God.
An elector of Cologne (who was also an archbishop), one day swearing profanely, asked a peasant, who seemed to wonder, what he was so surprised at. "To hear an archbishop swear," was the answer. "I swear," replied the elector, "not as an archbishop, but as a prince."—"But, my lord," said the peasant, "when the prince goes to the Devil, what will become of the archbishop?"
False tears and prayers are paraded like Pharisees, lacking true heart devotion.
Sooner mayest thou trust thy pocket to a pickpocket than give loyal friendship to the man who boasts of eyes to which the heart never mounts in dew. Only when man weeps he should be alone; not because tears are weak, but they should be secret. Tears are akin to prayer. Pharisees parade prayers, impostors parade tears.
— Bulcer
Young men hide a dead companion's body during a card game at a ball, showing hardened hearts.
PLAYERS AND THEIR DEAD COMPANION.—During the progress of a ball in one of the towns of New Hampshire, four of the young men retired to play cards. While at their game, one of their number fell down in a fit and expired. But the others rolled his dead body under the table, covered it up with cloaks, and said nothing about it till the ball was over. How do such amusements petrify the better feelings, and make man's heart more hard than that of some of the brutes! For some of the brutes would have shown more sympathy for a dying companion than was exhibited in the case before us.
A religious woman’s hypocrisy is revealed in her fearful death, exposing the danger of outward religion without true faith.
The following fact is related by the author of Pastoral Letters. N— was a branch of a pious family, some of whose ancestors were martyrs. She was religiously educated by her pious parents; and her education, particularly her knowledge of history, was extensive. In her study of history the progress of religion had attracted her chief attention. Religious topics were her element; her remarks often evinced the correctness and vigor of her judgment; and she often delighted the social circle by her striking application of the current matters of conversation to the subject of religion. Like the rest of the pious family, she seemed devoted to all the duties of a Christian, with only one exception, and this they wondered at; that she did not attend with them at the Lord's table. All regarded her as an ornament of religion, and urged her to take a part in this ordinance.
In one year N— lost both her pious parents, and she had just put off mourning, when she was taken desperately ill. Having been on terms of intimacy with the family, I was sent for at her request to visit the dying sister. I certainly went prepared to see a Christian die: but what was my astonishment to behold those features, instead of smiling in death, as I expected, clothed in all the horrors of mental agony! Bidding me sit down, and ascertaining there were no witnesses, she addressed me in nearly these terms: I am glad you are come: I cannot bear to go out of the world a deceiver, but I am unable to tell the sad secret of my heart to those about me, it would be too much for them to bear. I am not the character my friends have supposed. I am not religious—do not interrupt me—I have talked about religion, my passions have often felt the powers of the world to come, and my imagination roved at large among things unseen; I have amused myself with these matters, and regarded with the interest of an amateur their effects upon minds whom I reckoned of an inferior order, though ennobled by a birth from heaven. But amidst all, my own heart has never loved religion as a personal thing: indeed, I have never concerned myself about it for myself, and now I must die without any of its prospects, and be shut out forever from all its enjoyments."
I paused a moment and began to observe that "Life is the season of hope," and admitting all I heard to be correct, still the Savior's saying, "Whosoever cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out," is equally entitled to credit. But she cut me short, observing, "The vigor of my youth and the strength of my intellect I have wasted in living to myself; I never cared for the divine approbation; and God is justly my adversary. Cast down as I am, I cannot go with a piteous tale of misery to petition for mercy for which I can plead no services, nor live to show any gratitude. I know already what you would say to these sentiments—you would hold out mercy as yet attainable; but my heart revolts at it. Heaven would be no heaven to me on the terms I can only enter it. I have been a worthless idler, and cannot endure to receive the reward of a faithful soldier."
Surprised as I was, I endeavored to enforce the necessity of renouncing such sentiments, and was urging that a good confession, though late, would find acceptance, when she interrupted me with some energy: "No, sir, spare me, spare yourself, my character is finished; what I am that shall I be forever. The tree is even now falling: it is too late to direct where its trunk shall be extended on the earth."
The doctor coming in, I soon after took my leave, intending to renew my visit, but in the morning learned that N— had expired in the night.
Hypocrisy of some Christians causes others to reject Christianity altogether.
Mr. Brainerd informs us, that when among the American Indians, he stopped at a place where there was a great number, and offered to instruct them in the truths of Christianity. "Why," said one of them, "should you desire the Indians to become Christians, seeing the Christians are so much worse than the Indians? The Christians lie, steal, and drink, worse than the Indians. They first taught the Indians to be drunk. They steal to so great a degree, that their rulers are obliged to hang them for it; and even that is not enough to deter others from the practice. But none of the Indians were ever hanged for stealing; and yet they do not steal half so much. We will not consent, therefore, to become Christians, lest we should be as bad as they. We will live as our fathers lived, and go where our fathers are, when we die." Notwithstanding that Mr. B. did all he could to explain to them that these were not Christians in heart, and that he did not want them to become such as these, he could not prevail on them to accept his doctrine, but left them, mortified at the thought that the wickedness of some, who professed Christianity, should produce such prejudices.
Inconsistent Christian behavior discredits their message and faith to others.
I heard, says a Christian minister, an excellent sermon to young people, on a New Year's day, in the morning. The text was, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil," Eph. v. 16. The minister then went to dine and spend the rest of the day with a party, where the time was spent in feasting, levity, and folly. Late in the evening, one of the party observed, "Really this is a poor way of redeeming the time." "Pok!" said another, "it is all a farce." Let ministers and others beware lest their inconsistencies should lead any to deride the religion they profess.
Atheists are astonished Christians live worldly lives despite professing true faith.
An atheist being asked by a professor of Christianity, "how he could quiet his conscience in so desperate a state?" replied, "As much am I astonished as yourself, that believing the Christian religion to be true, you can quiet your conscience in living so much like the world. Did I believe what you profess, I should think no care, no diligence, no zeal enough." Alas! that there should still, by Christians, be so much cause given for the astonishment of atheists!
Skepticism may be too strong a virtue for some, revealing human weakness.
It is stated, in the "Life of Dr. Beattie," by Sir W. Forbes, that Mr. Hume was one day boasting to Dr. Gregory, that, among his disciples in Edinburgh, he had the honor to reckon many of the fair sex. "Now tell me," said the doctor, "whether, if you had a wife or a daughter, you would wish them to be your disciples? Think well before you answer me; for I assure you, that whatever your answer is, I will not conceal it." Mr. Hume, with a smile, and some hesitation, made this reply:— "No; I believe skepticism may be too sturdy a virtue for a woman."
A court jester exposes the hypocrisy of defending faith by human titles.
Henry VIII king of England, wrote a silly book against Martin Luther, for which the Pope conferred on him the title "Defender of the Faith." As that tyrant appeared to be overjoyed at the acquisition, the Jester of the court asked the reason; and being told that it was because the Pope had given him that new title, the *shrewd fool* replied— “My good Harry, let thee and me defend each other, and *let the faith alone to defend itself!*” That pretended buffoon
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A woman dies on the way to a ball, yet the dance continues as if nothing happened.
A writer in the New-York Observer, states that in the place where he resided, in 1840, there was a New Year ball. Invitations were widely extended; and a great gathering of the young, gay, and thoughtless, was anticipated. Notwithstanding the intense cold, many came from a great distance in the country round. There was one couple that set out for the ball, with merry hearts, to ride some twenty miles. The lady was young and gay, and her charms of youth and beauty were never lovelier than when dressed for that new-year ball. Clad too thinly, of course, for the season, and especially for that dreadful day, she had not gone far before she complained of being cold, very cold; but their anxiety to reach the end of the ride in time to be present at the opening of the dance, induced them to hurry on without stopping by the way. Not long after this complaining, she said she felt perfectly comfortable, was now quite warm, and that there was no necessity of delay on her account. They reached at length the house where the company was gathering: the young man jumped from the sleigh and extended his hand to assist her out; but she did not offer hers. He spoke to her, but she answered not. She was dead—stone dead—frozen stiff—a corpse on the way to a ball!
But the most shocking part of the tale remains to be told. THE BALL WENT ON! The dance was as gay, and the music as merry, as if death had never come to their door.
A ball continues despite a young lady's death nearby, showing insensitivity to death.
A writer in the New-York Observer says: In the village in which I lived for many years, there was a ball but a few steps from my house, and one of the young ladies who was to be there, died suddenly on the very day of the ball. It was proposed by one of the managers to postpone the dance; but the others would not consent; and on it went, although the corpse lay directly in front of the ballroom, and the dim light in the room where it lay could be seen by every dancer, and the sound of the music and dancing disturbed the melancholy watchers. Who can doubt but that such amusements blunt the finer sentiments of our nature, and weaken even the humane feelings of their votaries, to say nothing of their irreligious character and tendency? Congress will adjourn at the announcement of the death of one of their number; but a similar announcement procures not the adjournment of a ball.
Excessive concern for etiquette can lead to personal ruin and misplaced priorities.
The preposterous degree of etiquette for which the court of Spain has always been remarkable proved the ruin of one
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