He
does not know that he is a hypocrite. The vulgar hypocrite knows that he
is a hypocrite because he deceives others, but the true Scripture
hypocrite deceives himself.' And the most subtle teacher of our century,
or of any century, has said: 'What is a hypocrite? We are apt to
understand by a hypocrite one who makes a profession of religion for
secret ends without practising what he professes; who is malevolent,
covetous, or profligate, while he assumes an outward sanctity in his
words and conduct, and who does so deliberately, deceiving others, and
not at all self-deceived. But this is not what our Saviour seems to have
meant by a hypocrite; nor were the Pharisees such. The Pharisees
deceived themselves as well as others. Indeed, it is not in human nature
to deceive others for any long time without in a measure deceiving
ourselves also. When they began, each in his turn, to deceive the
people, they were not at the moment self-deceived. But by degrees they
forgot that outward ceremonies avail nothing without inward purity. They
did not know themselves, and they unawares deceived themselves as well as
the people.
Pages:
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187