The Detroit times., 1916-02-17

~ -: 6< y y = - U 9 =. = - -
1oun1 her go; - ~ ensFls1
her out and buried NJ by Der
hnsband's side. \ The whole
church and al who heard Of
these events were appalled,.
Why Are hypeerstssf
Just % there are shoddy sristo-
Gratis who ape the forms Of culture
but will not nay the price Of reSne-
nient: and just ~ the business
world ID full OF 'blu6srs" pretend
ing to be what they are mot; end
just a. political life abounds 10 men
who represent themselves to bs
more than they are. % the Christian
church has always been AFFLICTED
with men and women who seek to
cloak their own sslAsh purposes In
the outward guiss Of Christianity.
They want the reputation tor pisty.
but are not willing 10 pay the price
of godliness.
Suppose We define the hypocrits:
for often the feeble and stumbling
saint is charged with hypocrisy
when that sin 10 not TO b laid
against him. The word itself roots
back into the ancient Greek thsatsf:
the mimic. the pretendsr. the one
who made gestures to accompany
an actor. The Century dictionary
says; "Hypocrite: one who as-
sumes a false appearance; one who
pretends to be what he u not: or
TO feel or believe what he does not
actually feel or believe; especially.
false pretender to virtue or pisty."
That implies wiifulness. A per.
son sincerely trying to do right. and
falling into sin. 10 not . hypocrite.
Far worse is the real hypocrite. for
he deliberately borrows the livery Of
heaven TO use In the service Of the
devil. Better shameless. out-and-
out wickedness, than canting hypoc-
ricy. Ananias and his wife plotted
TO get the credit for Christian gen
erosity without paying the real cost.
They wanted TO stand well In the
Christian community. Because they
thought more Of seeming than Of be-
Ing they walked open-eyed into the
sin OF deception. pretense and down.
right lying.
"Worss Than q crims-A 0iun6er"
Nobody ever saw q happy hypo.
critic. He gets no Joy out OF his
shoddy uniform. lie might be hap
ny as saint. or he might have q
wild time as an open sinner, but az
. hypocrite he has neither, and falls
between the two stools. Even had
his stratesem worked. Ansnias
would have been out part OF the
price OF his property. His sin was
more than q crime; II was q blum
der" He belongs in that classinca-
tion defined by Moody rs having
only enough religion to make them
miserable"
Why do writer's 20 often caricature
"deacons" 40 "skin1intsv' II you
can answer that you will be able to
tell why the church fathers rated
avarice IS one Of the seven deadly
sins. Men who would revolt from
theft or murder or adultery readily
stoop to greed, the sin Of Ananias.
Avarice ID one Of the devils traps
for Christians; and II especially be-
sets oflice-holders. They do not call
II "avarice." but thrift" and good
business" Usury and piety have
often tried to keep house together.
Nevertheless. avarice Ia made no
better by the fact that Il 10 the dar-
ling sin OF so many Christians.
Given time. II will introduce its SIX
sisters into the life.
A clergyman was telling me OF q
brother who had fallen into gross
sin. and then tried to lie out of IT,
Nobody can be any kind of IN evil.
doer without being also . liar"
Open the door to any sin. and Il
drags in falsehood - IN insepara-
BILE companion. Ananias did not set
out to tell = lie. but only to act one.
But he had entered mase that only
iured him deeper and deeper. Then
an instant's shock Of clear self-nsv.
elation killed him. That 10 the pow
er Of the Judgment day. What Ana
MAS was In his spirit. however. was
far worse than what he became in
his body. Death is sometimes the
least Of disasters.
Sapphira shared her husbands
hypocrisy and she shared his fate.
II 10 woman's work to help men 10
be their best selves: when they DO
the reverse, then woe unto them and
society.
Both husband and wife ceased be-
ing hypocrites the moment they
died. Then their pious mask was