Not all were hypocrites

6. This was the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees: a righteousness, which in many respects, went far beyond the conception which many have been accustomed to entertain concerning it. But perhaps, it will be said, it was all false and feigned; for they were all a company of hypocrites.――Some of them doubtless were; men who had really no religion at all; no fear of God, or desire to please him: who had no concern for the honour that cometh of God, but only for the praise of men. And these are they whom our Lord so severely condemns, so sharply reproves on many occasions. But we must not suppose, because many Pharisees were hypocrites, therefore all were so. Nor indeed is hypocrisy by any means essential to the character of a Pharisee. This is not the distinguishing mark of their sect. It is rather this, (according to our Lord’s account) They trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. This is their genuine badge. But the Pharisee of this kind cannot be a hypocrite. He must be, in the common sense, sincere: otherwise he could not trust in himself that he is righteous. The man who was here commending himself to God, unquestionably thought himself righteous. Consequently, he was no hypocrite: he was not conscious to himself of any insincerity. He now spoke to God just what he thought, namely, that he was abundantly better than other men.