The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-08

is nothing covered. that shall not be
! revealed; neither hid, that shall not
be known" You may deceive for
awhile but your sins will find you
out" You may flourish and play false
successfully for awhile-even for some
years-but the time will come when you
will be disrobed, and shall stand be-
fore men in all Of your naked mean
ness and deformity of character. Men
may be hoodwinked by deceit and mis-
led by pretention, but God makes no
mistakes and is never blinded. He
knows just what is man, and under
stands whatever motive prompts his
action. What the Master spake to His
disciples He speaks to all-"There is
nothing covered that shall not be
revealed, neither hid that shall not be
known" However full of guile and de-
ceit our lips may be, and however much
they may deceive you fellow men. and
cause them to place too high an es-
! innate on your character. The tire will
come when all this shall fail, and you
shall be known fully. Il is merely a
present display and deception. 1t may
in some cases last even for an entire
life, but the time comes when your fell
low men shall know you as You really
were-shall place the precise valuation
upon you that you wretched, false life
merits-shall understand you in all Of
your treachery and p%retence and false
hood. When the end comes then the
mask falls, the wig and the false whis-
kers and the paint and the gown of de-
ceit are torn away and men see you
in full, perfect revelation. 1t shall be
revealed, it shall be known is the dec
laration of the Inspired One who knows
all mankind and every wicked device
Of the heart. God sees it all from the
beginning to the end. How this certain
ty of discovery should move the mas
querader to change his bad course, put
a check upon his hypocritical words.
Says Girdlestone and wisely: eff ever
we are thus tempted to transgress''--
by wearing false colors-'let US call to
mind, ere we utter the language of
fattery, ere we perform the act of
pretended kindness, or of affected de-
votion, that our Utmost thoughts, even
what we at that very moment purpose
in our hearts,, will be hereafter made
manifest to those whom we would now
deceive" Have you ever known men
who pretended to be truly religious
that you knew by their lives that it
was all a lie? Have you ever known
among men studied, Observation-Disclosures
who nTcha6 thnir WOW hv fo1cabaoJ
and deceit-by barney and pleasant
words and soap-bubbles of f1attery-
regular Oily Gammons-without a par
ticle of the genuine in their utterances.
who would deceive you at any time
pretending to great fondness and ad-
miration and esteem for youy trying to
win you by appealing to your vanity
and charging upon your capacity?
There are such men. Beware of them.
They fatter all men, and hypocrisy is
the chief weapon in their armory.
They make themselves to susceptible
people (and they are numerous( great
favorites by wholesale adulation. But
here we are at the end of this hours
work, and have barely touched
but one point in the sermon to the null
titude. We must recur to it IL. W
on next Sunday. Let Is close with a
quotation or two as to "hattery.''
Shakespeare says: He that loves TO
be 1attered is worthy of the fatterer."
you play the spaniel and think with
wagging of your tongue to win me-"
why what a deal Of candid courtesy
This fawning greyhound then did prof
fer me-"
Otway says:
N fatt'ry boy! an honest man can't
live by't.
1t is a little making art, which knaves
Use to cajole and soften fools withal."