the practice of what it at first abhorred; and hence it arifes, that in the earlier part of life we meet with an opennefs and freedom which never fails to recommend itself to our esteem and approbation; but in the latter season, scarce any thing but doubts and diffidence. Youth is gay, fearless, and honeft; age ever wary and defigning, too often hypocritical: thofe who know mankind beft, have been oftenest deceived by them, and therefore repose the lefs truft and confidence in others; this naturally loofens the ties of friendship, and the bonds of fociety, and, amongst many other circumftances, perhaps tends in a great meafure to make the winter of our days fo gloomy and uncomfortable, as it is most generally found to be.

Whilft we travel in a plain and smooth track, without fear or apprehenfion of danger or treachery, the paths of life are agreeable and delightful; but when we once come to be afraid, every ftep we take, of falling into fnares and pit-falls, there is very little pleafure in the journey, and we begin to with ourselves every hour nearer to the end of it.

But another ill confequence arifing from the practice of this vice, is, that it deprives virtue of that praife and esteem amongst men, which is fo juftly due to her.

Amongst all the advantages which arife from a fteady and uniform obedience to the laws of God, and the practice of religion, the tribute of esteem and veneration which they are for the moft part fure to meet with even

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from the most vicious and abandoned, is by no means the leaft confiderable: and it is this which doth perhaps in a great measure induce the hypocrite to put on the appearance of piety and goodness, that he may acquire that reward which is fo frequently beftowed on the reality. The original has fo ftrong and fo indisputable a claim to our admiration, that even the most lame and imperfect copy of it, feldom fails of attracting our esteem and veneration: thus virtue is stripped of her inheritance, vice tricks herself out in her attire, puts in a false title to the estate, and bereaves her of her patrimony.

What altars of praise have been raised, what divine honours have been paid, what incenfe has been offered up to falfe prophets, imaginary faints, and martyrs! What pious frauds have been made ufe of, to recommend and adorn the characters of frantic vifionaries and enthusiasts, defigning hypocrites and impoftors, in all ages and nations, from the priests of Baal to the followers of Mahomet!

But hypocrify, even when discovered, always difcredits virtue, because when men have been often deceived, they grow fcrupulous and cautious: because a falfe Efau has impofed upon us, we begin like Ifaac even to fufpect the true: after we have fuffered for our credulity on one hand, we run into a total unbelief on the other; and because the appearance of virtue betrayed us, we come at laft to doubt the reality, and even the existence of it. Because many do evil, we are too apt to cry out with the pfalmift, there is none that doth good, no not Hh 2

one

one. It was this which made the moft virtuous of heathens fay, in his laft moments, that virtue was nothing but a name; it was this which almoft perfuaded the good and patient Job to diftruft the providence of his Creator, and it was this which raifed fuch doubts and defpair in the breaft of the holy pfalmift, and caufed him to cry out in anguish, that he had cleanfed his heart in vain, and washed his hands in innocency.

When those who have for a long time worn the difguife of public fpirit, are at last detected; when the mean and mercenary views by which they are actuated are laid open; when their zeal is found to be felf-intereft, and their affected patriotifm degenerates into avarice or ambition; does it not greatly damp and difcourage the friends of liberty, and almoft extinguish that generous love of their country, which is the natural inmate of every noble breaft?

But hypocrify, as it is the most hateful, fo is it alfo the most dangerous enemy to the peace and happiness of mankind: the ferpent who lurks unfeen and unfufpected, is more formidable than the lion who roams through the defert, and gives us notice of his approach; fome of thofe evil affections to which we are fabjected, have a mixture of bravery and ge nerofity in them, but hypocrify is the vice of cowards. It is the plague which walketh in darkness, and is afraid to walk at the noon day; it is the business of pirates, whose conftant employment it is to plunder and deftroy, and

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who therefore hang out false colours, and difplay the banners of friendship to entice those whom they would devour.

Such and fo great are (amongst the infinite number which might be mentioned) fome of the fatal confequences of this vice. And if fuch they are, it will be but common prudence in us to confider, in the fecond place, what the confequences may be in regard to ourfelves: what great and mighty advantages will refult from it; what thofe treasures are which hypocrify has to beftow in recompenfe for that innocence which we part with, and that integrity which we facrifice in the pursuit of it; a mine no doubt of inexhauftible riches; a fund of folid and permanent felicity. Alas! fo far from it, that all which hypocrify can give us, is barely this;

Very poor and uncertain hopes of fhort, tranfitory enjoyment here, and a very difmal and dreary profpect of certain and unavoidable mifery hereafter.

For firft, in regard to the evil confequences from his fellow-creatures, it will become the hypocrite to confider, that he is no longer fafe, than whilft he is concealed; he is in a perpetual state of enmity with mankind, and therefore muft expect to meet with perpetual oppofition: if the mafk fall off and difcover him, he finks immediately into the loweft and most defpicable condition; he is laughed at and defpifed by all. Every word he utters will from that hour be fufpected, and every action condemned, even truth will not meet with credit

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from his lips, nor virtue itself recommend him to esteem.

And this we know very frequently happens, for when the varnish of diffimulation is laid on by an awkward hand, it is foon wafhed away; when the whiting is rubbed off the sepulchre, to make use of our Saviour's allufion, the rotten bones are quickly discovered. Befides, that in this cafe the features of the mind are in an unnatural ftate, and like thofe of the face when diftorted, will be continually endeavouring to refume their original ease and pofition. So that the hypocrite's work is always beginning; his houfe is built upon the fand, and is quickly washed away; he walks, as Solomon fays, as it were on the battlements of the city, and the leaft falfe step throws him head-long down to ruin and deftruction.

Happy were it for the hypocrite, if the ignominy and contempt which he may chance. to incur from his fellow-creatures were his only punishment; but there is another judge to whom he muft give up his account; another and a heavier fentence is referved for him.

It often happens that one weak finite creature fhall deceive and delude another; but who fhall delude or deceive the Lord and Creator of them both? There is nothing covered which Shall not be revealed; neither hid that shall not be known: he that made the eye, fhall he not fee? and he that made the ear, shall he not hear? He is about our path and about our bed, and Spieth out all our ways. What then muft the hypocrite expect,