Vol. 2

—I518 ST. LUKE.heart,that they may not be wanting to the cause oftruth ;guide their tongues, that they may not bedeficient in prudence, nor expose the truth by anyindiscretions, or unseasonable transports of zeal.CHAPTER XII.Sect. I.fear God only,The Leaven of the Pharisees.We musttrust in him, and confess him," 1. In the mean time, when there were gatheredtogether an innumerable multitude of people, insomuchthat they trode one upon another, he began tosay unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of theleaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."Great and habitual hypocrites,and whose hypocrisytends to seduce the minds of men by error, orto corrupt their manners by sin, ought not to be concealed.But to qualify a man to tax others with thisvice, he must either know the bottom of the heart,as Jesus did, or there must be such full proof andevidence of the thing, that he may be certain of it.Some particular persons among the Pharisees mightbe exempt from this crime;and yet this did not hinderChrist from bringing a general charge against thewhole body : because private good ought to give wayto public." 2. For there is nothing covered, that shall notbe revealed;neither hid, that shall not be known."In vain, when we are about to commit a sin, dowe shun the sight of men, since we cannot possiblyavoid that of our Judge. The darkness of thenight, and the light of the day, to him are both alike.