Painted Holiness

Painted Holiness

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers; therefore you shall receive the greater damnation." (Matthew 23:14).

Who had a greater name for holiness, and who made a greater show of holiness, and who did more despise ang insult other men for a lack of holiness - than the Scribes and Pharisees? And who so miserable now - as they?

Pretended holiness will double-damn souls at last!

None have so large a portion in hell as hypocrites have. No man at last will be found so miserable, as he who has the name of a saint upon him - but not the divine nature in him; who has a profession of holiness upon him - but no principles of holiness in him; who has a form of godliness - but not the power; who can cry up godliness - but in practice denies it; who is a professor outwardly - but an atheist, a pagan, a devil inwardly.

Artificial sanctity is double iniquity. He who professes piety without being pious, and godliness without being godly; he who makes counterfeit holiness a cloak to impiety, and a midwife to iniquity, he who is a Jacob without - and an Esau within, a David without - and a Saul within, a John without - and a Judas within, a saint without - and a satan within, an angel without - and a devil within, is ripened for the worst of torments!

Sirs, do not deceive your own souls! A painted sword shall as soon defend a man, and a painted mint shall as soon enrich a man, and a painted fire shall as soon warm a man, and a painted friend shall as soon counsel a man, and a painted horse shall as soon carry a man, and a painted feast shall as soon nourish a man, and a painted house shall as soon shelter a man - as a painted holiness shall save a man! He who now thinks to put off God with a painted holiness shall not fare so well at last - as to be put off with a painted happiness. The lowest, the hottest, and the darkest habitation in hell will be his portion, whose religion lies all in shows and shadows.

Well, spiritual counterfeits, remember this - it will not be long before Christ will unmask you; before He will un cloak you; before He will disrobe you; before He will take off your masks, your cloaks, and turn your rotten insides outward - to our eternal shame and reproach before all the world!

~Thomas Brooks~