The Hypocrite Discovered

A hypocrite may be a very neat imitation of a Christian. He professes to know God, to converse with him, to be dedicated to his service, and to invoke his protection: he even practices prayer, or at least feigns it. Yet the cleverest counterfeit fails somewhere, and may be discovered by certain signs. The test is here,—“Will he always call upon God?”

I. WILL HE PRAY AT ALL SEASONS OF PRAYER?

Will he pray in private? Or is he dependent upon the human eye, and the applause of men?

Will he pray if forbidden? Daniel did so. Will he?

Will he pray in business? Will he practice ejaculatory prayer? Will he look for hourly guidance?

Will he pray in pleasure? Will he have a holy fear of offending with his tongue? Or will company make him forget his God?

Will he pray in darkness of soul? Or will he sulk in silence?

II. WILL HE PRAY CONSTANTLY?

If he exercises the occasional act of prayer, will he possess the spirit of prayer which never ceases to plead with the Lord? We ought to be continually in prayer, because we are

Always dependent for life, both temporal and spiritual, upon God.

“Long as they live should Christians pray,

For only while they pray they live.”

Always needing something, nay, a thousand things.

Always receiving, and therefore always needing fresh grace with which to use the blessing worthily.

Always in danger. Seen or unseen danger is always near, and none but God can cover our head.

Always weak, inclined to evil, apt to catch every infection of soul-sickness, “ready to perish”: Isaiah 27:13.

Always needing strength, for suffering, learning, song, or service.

Always sinning. Even in our holy things sin defiles us, and we need constant washing.

Always weighted with other men’s needs. Especially if rulers, pastors, teachers, parents.

Always having the cause of God near our heart if we are right; and in its interests finding crowds of reasons for prayer.

III. WILL HE PRAY IMPORTUNATELY?

If no answer comes, will he persevere? Is he like the brave horse who will pull at a post at his master’s bidding?

If a rough answer comes, will he plead on? Does he know how to wrestle with the angel, and give tug for tug?

If no one else prays, will he be singular, and plead on against wind and tide?

If God answer him by disappointment and defeat, will he feel that delays are not denials, and still pray?

IV. WILL HE CONTINUE TO PRAY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF LIFE?

The hypocrite soon gives up prayer under certain circumstances.

If he is in trouble, he will not pray, but will run to human helpers.

If he gets out of trouble, he will not pray, but quite forget his vows.

If men laugh at him, he will not dare to pray.

If men smile on him, he will not care to pray.

1. He grows formal. He is half asleep, not watchful for the answer. He falls into a dead routine of forms and words.

2. He grows weary. He can make a spurt, but he cannot keep it up. Short prayers are sweet to him.

3. He grows secure. Things go well and he sees no need of prayer; or he is too holy to pray.

4. He grows infidel, and fancies it is all useless, dreams that prayer is not philosophical.

Illustrations

We have heard of a child who said her prayers, and then added, “Good bye, God; we are all going to Saratoga, and pa and ma won’t go to meeting, or pray any more until we come back again.” We fear that many who go to the seaside, or other holiday resorts, give God the go-by in much the same manner.

There was a celebrated poet who was an atheist, or at least professed to be so. According to him there was no God—the belief in a God was a delusion, prayer a base superstition, and religion but the iron fetters of a rapacious priesthood. So he held when sailing over the unruffled surface of the Aegean Sea. But the scene changed; and with the scene his creed. The heavens began to scowl on him; and the deep uttered an angry voice, and, as if in astonishment at this God-denying man, “lifted up his hands on high.” The storm increased until the ship became unmanageable. She drifted before the tempest. The terrible cry, “Breakers ahead!” was soon heard; and how they trembled to see death seated on the horrid reef—waiting for his prey! A few moments more, and the crash comes. They are overwhelmed in the devouring sea? No. They were saved by a singular Providence. Like apprehended evils, which in a Christian’s experience prove to be blessings, the wave, which flung them forward on the horrid reef, came on in such mountain volume as to bear and float them over into the safety of deep and ample sea room. But before that happened, a companion of the atheist—who, seated on the prow, had been taking his last regretful look of Heaven and earth, sea and sky—turned his eyes down upon the deck, and there, among Papists, who told their beads and cried to the Virgin, he saw the atheist prostrated with fear. The tempest had blown away his fine-spun speculations like so many cobwebs, and he was on his knees, imploring God for mercy.—Guthrie.

The hypocrite is not for prayer always. He will pray when he sees his own time. He will stint God in time as well as in measure. He will be master, not only of his own time, but of God’s too. “When will the Sabbath be gone?” Amos 8:5. Sometimes he will delight himself in the Almighty: but will he always call upon God? Everyone that knows him can make the answer for him, “No, he will not:” especially in secret, where none but God’s eye can behold him. Upon some extraordinary occasions, in extraordinary cases, he may seem very devout; but he is modest, he will not trouble God too far, nor too often. Ahaz will not ask a sign, even when God bids him, lest he should tempt the Lord (Isaiah 7:10–12): a great piece of modesty in show; but a sure symptom of infidelity. He would not ask a sign because he could not believe the thing; not to avoid troubling of God, but himself. He seems very mannerly, but shows himself very malapert.

Thus, this hypocrite will serve God only by fits and starts, when he himself lists. He never troubles God but when God troubles him. In health, wealth, peace, he can comfort himself. He never prays but in trouble: in his affliction he will seek God early. Hosea 5:15. God is gladly to go away, and return to his place, else this man would never look after him. When God has touched him, he acquaints God with his misery, but when times grow better with him, he excludes God from his mirth.—Samuel Crook.