WHEN WE A NATURAL MEN AMERICANS DO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE FOUNTAIN OF ALL EVIL IN THIS WORLD FLOWS IS RIGHT OUT OF OUR OWN HEART AND IS SIN BEFORE WE EVER COMMIT AN ACT OF SIN, WE ARE SETTING OURSELVES UP TO BE AN ALMOST CHRISTIAN, A HYPOCRITE, IN OUR SALVATION, WHICH JONATHON EDWARDS IN OTHER WORDS PORTRAYS IN THIS EXCERPT. “If we do but consider what the hearts of natural men are, what principles they are under the dominion of, what blindness and deceit, what self-flattery, self-exaltation, and self-confidence reign there, we need not at all wonder that their high opinion of themselves, and confidence of their happy circumstances, be as high and strong as mountains, and as violent as a tempest, when once conscience is blinded, and convictions killed, with false high affections, and those forementioned principles let loose, fed up and prompted by false joys and comforts, excited by some pleasing imaginations, impressed by Satan, transforming himself into an angel of light.
When once a hypocrite is thus established in a false hope, he has not those things to cause him to call his hope in question, that oftentimes are the occasion of the doubting of true saints; as, first, he has not that cautious spirit, that great sense of the vast importance of a sure foundation, and that dread of being deceived. The comforts of the true saints increase awakening and caution, and a lively sense how great a thing it is to appear before an infinitely holy, just and omniscient Judge. But false comforts put an end to these things and dreadfully stupify the mind. Secondly, The HYPOCRITE has not the knowledge of his own blindness, and the DECEITFULNESS of his OWN HEART, and that mean opinion of his own understanding that the true saint has. Those that are deluded with false discoveries and affections, are evermore HIGHLY CONCEITED of their light and understanding. Thirdly, The devil does not assault the hope of the hypocrite, as he does the hope of a true saint. The devil is a great enemy to a true Christian hope, not only because it tends greatly to the comfort of him that hath it, but also because it is a thing of a holy, heavenly nature, greatly tending to promote and cherish grace in the heart, and a great incentive to strictness and diligence in the Christian life. But he is no enemy to the hope of a hypocrite, which above all things establishes his interest in him that has it. A hypocrite may retain his hope without opposition, as long as he lives, the devil never disturbing it, nor attempting to disturb it. But there is perhaps no true Christian but what has his hope assaulted by him. Satan assaulted Christ himself upon this, whether he were the Son of God or no: and the servant is not above his Master, nor the disciple above his Lord; it is enough for the disciple, that is most privileged in this world, to be as his Master. Fourthly, He who has a false hope, has not that sight of his OWN CORRUPTIONS, which the saint has. A true Christian has 10 TIMES so much to do with his heart and its CORRUPTIONS, as a hypocrite: and the SINS of his HEART and practice, appear to him in their BLACKNESS; they LOOK DREADFUL; and it often appears a very mysterious thing, that any grace can be consistent with SUCH CORRUPTION, or should be in such a heart. BUT a FALSE HOPE HIDES CORRUPTION, covers it all over, and the HYPOCRITE LOOKS CLEAN and bright in his OWN EYES.
There are two sorts of hypocrites:
