The Hope of the Hypocrite 2
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1. "Will he delight himself in the Almighty?" No– he will not. And why not? Because with all his self-assumed religion, he was never made a partaker of a new nature, was never regenerated by the Holy Spirit, never had a new heart given to him, and a new spirit put within him; in a word, he never had bestowed upon him an inward, spiritual, and supernatural faculty, whereby alone God can be seen and known. And that was one and the main reason why he could not "delight himself in the Almighty." Nature, however highly polished and varnished, can never rise up to a spiritual knowledge of eternal realities, still less rise up to any spiritual acquaintance and communion with the blessed God. But, besides this, the Lord had never, in any degree, let down a measure of his mercy and grace into his soul; and for lack of this also, he could not "delight himself in the Almighty."
But what does delighting himself in the Almighty imply? It implies reconciliation. God and man by nature are at variance; there is a bar between them; sin has interposed, and cut asunder the original knot that linked the Creator and the creature together. Man has become "alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in him, because of the blindness of his heart." He is born in sin; his "carnal mind is enmity against God;" therefore he needs reconciliation. And in order that this reconciliation may be effected, there must be an external and an internal reconciliation. Sin must be put away, righteousness brought in, and God well-pleased with the sinner, before external reconciliation takes place. And this was effected by the sacrifice of Christ once on the cross, when "by that one offering he perfected forever those who are sanctified." (Heb. 10:14.) The apostle therefore says, "And that he might reconcile both unto God by the cross, having slain the enmity." (Eph. 2:16.)
But besides the external there is an internal reconciliation, according to Rom. 5:11, "And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement," or, as it is in the margin (which is the more literal rendering of the word), "by whom we have received the reconciliation." To receive this reconciliation is to receive into our heart and conscience the reconciliation Christ has effected by the substitution of his sacred person; and to receive into our affections the Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator between God and man.
But the wretched character in the text never knew the enmity of his carnal mind; sin was never opened up to him in its hideous colors; he had never felt the alienation of his heart from God; he never knew the curse of God's law; and therefore he knew nothing experimentally of reconciliation, because he had never experimentally known variance. Nor had his eyes been enlightened, his heart touched, or power been given to him to embrace the Lord Jesus as the Reconciler of the church to God. Nor again, had the Lord God Almighty ever let down any measure of his love into his soul, or ever indulged him with a taste of his presence. He had never found the word, and eaten it. (Jer. 15:16.) He had never fed upon it, and found it "sweeter than honey or the honey-comb." He never had his affections fixed where Jesus sits at the right hand of God; he never enjoyed, feelingly enjoyed the truths of the gospel, nor did his soul ever banquet on them, and find them to be "fat things, full of marrow, and wine on the lees well refined."
He had never, in all his religion, any sensible enjoyment in his soul of the truths which he professed to believe; for they had no place in him, as the Lord said to the Jews, "My word has no place in you." The truths of the gospel were never grafted in his heart; never formed his spiritual food and drink; never were the element in which his soul lived. The tokens of God's favor never were his happiness and his heaven, and he could be perfectly contented without them; indeed he was more happy without religion, even such as he had, than he was with it; for his heart was in the world, buried in the things of time and sense.
He had never, in all his professing life, one feeling desire after God, one spiritual panting after him, "as the deer pants after the water-brooks." He and the Almighty never enjoyed blessed converse; he never walked and talked with him "as a man talks with his friend." He never sat alone that he might converse with God, away from all intrusion; he never hid himself in his chamber, or buried his head beneath the bed-clothes, that he might commune secretly with the Almighty. He never enjoyed the presence of God, nor mourned his absence; never sought his favor, nor feared his frown. His heart was never lifted up towards the Lord that he would come down and bless his soul. So that all his profession, his gain, and his hope were idle and vain, because he lacked this one grand thing, "delighting himself in the Almighty." Spiritual joy and consolation were never known in his soul, but were always foreign to his experience, and always a stranger to his feelings.
Now, do you think, with all your doubts, fears, troubles, and exercises, that you did ever "delight yourself in the Almighty?" Was your soul ever drawn out in unutterable partings and longings after the blessed enjoyment of his presence? Was this ever your heart-felt language, "Whom have I in heaven but you? and there is none upon earth I desire beside you." And have you ever said to Christ, "You are all my salvation, and all my desire." Was there never an object on earth that yielded such delight to your soul as the Lord Jesus Christ? never an object so embraced in the arms of your affection as his glorious Person; never anything that so melted, moved, and softened your heart as a sense of his dying love?
Then you are not a hypocrite, nor can all the men or devils in the world make you out to be one; for you are one that "delights yourself in the Almighty." God himself has stamped that as an indelible mark on his children, as a proof of their sincerity; and recorded it in these burning letters of ever-living light, as a testimony for them, as well as a mark against all, however high in their pretensions, or consistent in their profession, who live and die ignorant of it.
2. But the Lord in the text has given us another test, "Will he always call upon God?" No. How beautiful it is to see the evidences that the Lord has given us in his Scripture. If we look at these two evidences, we shall see how wisely they are put together. For there are doubtless living souls that might say, "The test just brought forward is too high for me; I fear I do not delight myself in the Almighty; I cannot come up to that; it is beyond my reach– My heart is so hard, my faith so weak, my love so little, my affections are so roving after the things of time and sense, and my soul walks in such darkness, that I cannot reach up to this solemn test, delighting myself in the Almighty; it seems to cut me off!"
Well, but the Lord has not cut you off, because you cannot come up to this test; he has given you another. So that if the first test cuts your head off, the other test will put it on again. "Will he always call upon God?" See the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in the position of the words. Men sometimes think they can improve the Scriptures; they are going to introduce this alteration, and make that wonderful correction; but they would only mar the word of God, if they were to touch it with their critical fingers. Suppose then the word, "always," were transposed; what would the effect be? "Will he always delight himself in the Almighty? Will he call upon God?" The mere transposition of the word always would spoil both tests. For where is the man who always "delights himself in the Almighty?" And the hypocrite himself may and does call upon God once in his life, when trouble comes upon him, and God "takes away his soul." So that could we transpose the word "always," by that little transposition we would spoil both tests.
But when we look upon the word "always" as applicable to "calling upon God," we see how it suits and exactly fits in with the experience of a living soul, and gives the prayerless hypocrite no quarter. Does not he then, "always call upon God?" No– you never hear of his calling upon God, until "God takes away his soul;" and then just before he breathes out his miserable soul into a never-ending eternity, he howls upon his bed, and cries unto God for mercy. But he never always "called upon God:" it was never his habitual practice– prayer had never been wrought in him by the hand of the Spirit; and it was only just when hell was opened before him that he prayed, sooner than be plunged into it. But the living family are marked by this test, that they always call upon God; that is, they are a praying, groaning, crying, sighing people, ever calling upon God– not calling upon him once, twice, or a few times in their lives, but it is more or less, their daily and habitual practice.
But what is it "to call upon God?" You will observe that the cry and the call are here distinguished from each other. It does not say, "Will God hear his call?" but "Will God hear his cry?" Nor again does it say, "Will he always cry unto God?" but, "Will he always call upon God?" There is, then, a difference which the Holy Spirit here makes; that a man may cry who never calls. We read in Genesis (4:26), "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord;" and in the first verse of the sixth chapter, which is connected with it read, "When men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they chose." Thus we see the connection (for the two chapters are closely connected), the fifth being, as it were, in a parenthesis, between calling on God, and being sons of God.
To call on God is to call on him with "a spirit of grace and supplication" interceding in a man's heart. It therefore implies a knowledge of God. When the Lord first quickens the soul into spiritual life, he implants in it "a spirit of grace and supplication." I have always insisted on this mark, for I felt it so my self. I must always, then, insist upon it, that whenever God quickens a soul into spiritual life, with his quickening work on the conscience, he communicates to the soul "a spirit of grace and supplication," and that spirit is never lost out of the heart, until the "spirit of supplication" is lost in the universal song of praise before the Lamb.
Now no man ever did call upon the Lord, unless he had "a spirit of grace and supplication" implanted in him. He might have squeezed out a few formal prayers; he might have gone through a daily round of self-imposed forms; yet he never worshiped God "in spirit and in truth." Or, he might, as very many do, pray what is called extempore– he might have kneeled down night and morning, or perhaps even seven times a day, and might have prayed without a form as the thoughts rose in his mind; and yet all the time never have had a breath of true prayer in his soul, nor once offered up a spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
But the soul that "calls on God," calls on him through the Spirit interceding within him, "with groanings that cannot be uttered." He has God set before his eyes, as the Psalmist says, "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." (16:8.) He has at times the presence of God in his heart, and the fear of God ever in his soul. He worships him "in spirit and in truth," and he serves him "acceptably, with reverence and godly fear." He does not worship an unknown Jehovah, but he knows whom he worships, because he has had a spiritual discovery of the being and character of God to his soul. And no man will or can call upon God, until he in some measure discovers himself to him, and draws out the pantings, longings, hungerings, and thirstings of the soul to himself.
But, as I have before hinted, much of the force of the expression lies in the word always. The word always is not to be taken in the strictest sense of the term; that is to say, it does not imply that a child of God is praying all day long, but that once having been favored with "a spirit of grace and supplications" he never loses it out of his heart; but, from time to time, as the Lord the Spirit draws it forth, he pours it out into the bosom and ears of Jehovah. For instance, there are times of soul adversity, trouble, and affliction; and when these come, the living soul will still be calling upon God; he will not be waiting for the sun to rise and shine before he seeks the Lord's face; he will not be waiting until a promise comes with power to his heart, before he visits the throne of mercy with sighs and tears.
But when the soul is troubled and distressed, then prayers and supplications begin to flow out of the heart into the ears of God. And I believe, if I know anything about it, the more a man is pressed down with trouble, the more he will call upon God. When everything is smooth with us, our visits to a throne of grace are short and rare; but when the soul is burdened, pressed down, afflicted, and troubled, these things press and squeeze prayer out of our bosoms; so that a man is never so prayerful, so continually seeking the Lord's face, and pouring out his heart before him, as when he is in soul trouble.
Was it not so with Hannah? What made her pour out her soul before the Lord? Because she was "in bitterness of soul, and wept sore." (1 Samuel 1:10.) She spoke "out of the abundance of her complaint and grief." (5:16.) When did Hezekiah pray? Was it when he was displaying the treasures of the temple to the Babylonish ambassadors? There was no prayer, I will venture to say, going out of the heart, when, in his pride, he was showing them "the house of his precious things." But when the prophet came with a message, that he was to "set his house in order," then "he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore." When did Jonah call unto God? Not when he was asleep in the sides of the ship; but when he was in the whale's belly, then "he cried unto the Lord out of the belly of hell."
Thus it is that times of soul trouble, force, so to speak, cries and sighs out of the heart of God's people. And then God will bow down his ear, and hear them; for he says, "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me," (Psalm. 50:15); especially pointing out that as the season for the soul to call, and, that as the season when God will hear and deliver the soul that calls upon him. So the children of Israel, who were typical of God's people, when in Egypt their lives were made bitter with hard bondage, cried unto the Lord. So in their various captivities, when they were oppressed by the Midianites, or by the Philistines, or by their other numerous enemies, they always "cried unto the Lord in their trouble," and he heard and delivered them "out of their distresses." (Psalm. 107:13.)
But again. Worldly things are often much against God's people. Dark clouds in providence encompass their path, so that they cannot see their way; and this makes them call upon the Lord. But hypocrites do not go to the Lord in worldly trouble; they cannot go about mumping for charity, and "living," as they call it, "on Providence," when they have no object but to get all they can out of the affections of God's compassionate children; while a true child of God, in his lonely garret, will be calling upon the Lord, and beseeching him to appear. The hypocrite will go down to Egypt and Assyria for help, and never think of asking it from the Lord. But his real children, who are suffering from poverty, will often conceal their needs even from the Lord's people, and go to the Lord himself, and tell him how they are suffering under temporal distresses.
The word "always" implies further, that under all circumstances and all states, at all times and seasons, and in all places, a God-taught soul will call upon the Lord. God's people will not be waiting for the morning or evening to come that they may pray. As they walk the streets, sometimes even as they are in worldly company, if thrown into it by business or accident, or as they are occupied in the various employments of life, from time to time there will be a lifting up and a breathing forth of their hearts unto God. They must call upon the Lord, because they cannot be truly happy without him. Guilt sometimes oppresses, condemnation burdens, and heavy temptations harass them; God hides his face; and they cannot obtain what their soul longs to enjoy. These things cause groans and supplications to flow out of their souls unto God that he would appear for them, come down, bless, and deliver them.
There may be, perhaps, some here who are exercised (as, I believe, many of God's people are at times exercised) as to their hypocrisy; and sometimes they may think themselves the most consummate hypocrites that ever stood in a profession. They may even think themselves so crafty and subtle that they are deceiving those who have the keenest discernment. But if you are exercised with these painful surmises, these doubts and fears, just see (and the Lord enable you to bring it to the light of his countenance) these two features of a spiritual character. Do not talk about your hope; it may be "a spider's web." Do not boast of your gifts; they may be altogether in the flesh. Do not bring forward the good opinion of men; they may be deceived by you. But just see if, with the Lord's blessing, you can feel these two tests in your soul, as written there by his own hand.
If so, you are not an hypocrite; God himself, by his servant Job, has acquitted you of the charge. Did you, then, ever "delight yourself in the Almighty?" It is a solemn question. Did your heart and soul ever go out after the living God? Did affection, love, and gratitude ever flow out of your bosom into the bosom of the Lord? Did you ever feel as if you could clasp him in the arms of faith, and live and die in his embrace? Now if your soul has ever felt this, you are no hypocrite; and nothing can rise up out of your wretched heart, as an accusing devil, that can prove you to be one.
Or if you cannot fully realize this, if you are one that always calls upon God, you are no hypocrite. I do not mean your family prayer, social prayer, wife or husband prayer, or your private night and morning prayers. I do not speak of your regular prayers, or any other of your regularities; for I believe that there is often more of God's Spirit, and more craving after God and delighting in him, in your irregularities, than in all the daily regularities which hypocrites delight in. But I mean, is there a sigh or cry by night, as well as by day; a pouring out of the heart into the bosom of God from time to time, as the Lord works it in you, in trouble, in perplexity, in sorrow, and in distress? This is a test and a mark which no hypocrite ever had or ever can have.
But if neither of these marks are to be found in you, what then must I say? Why, it is greatly to be feared that if you are a professor, you are a hypocrite. If you have never known, in all your profession, what it was to "delight yourself in the Almighty;" if you have never turned away from creatures to converse with God; never felt his word precious, and enjoyed the sweetness of it in your heart. Or if you do not know what it is always thus to call upon God, as I have endeavored to explain it, I say, it is a black mark against you, and it is to be feared, that your religion began in hypocrisy, is going on in hypocrisy, and is likely to end in hypocrisy; or I would rather say, end in an ineffectual cry, which God will not hear, when "he takes away your soul."
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