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." (Matt. 23:14).
Who had a greater name for holiness, and who made a greater show of holiness, and who did more despise and insult other men for the 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; a form of holiness upon him - 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.
Sirs, do not deceive your own souls! A painted sword shall as soon defend 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 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 put off with a painted holiness. 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 uncloak you; before He will disrobe you; before He will take off your masks, your cloaks, and turn your rotten insides outward - to your eternal shame and reproach before all the world!
~Thomas Brooks~
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