very, very now; by enjoying Him, "whose years fail not." Now let thine eye be singly fixed on Him, "in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Now give him thy heart; now stay thyself on Him: now be thou holy, as He is holy. Now lay hold on the blessed opportunity of doing his acceptable and perfect will. Now "rejoice to suffer the loss of all things, so thou mayest win Christ."

29. Gladly suffer to-day, for his Name's sake, whatsoever he permits this day to come upon thee. But look not at the sufferings of to-morrow. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Evil it is, speaking after the manner of men; whether it be reproach or want, pain or sickness. But in the language of God, all is blessing: it is a precious balm, prepared by the wisdom of God, and variously dispensed among his children, according to the various sicknesses of their souls. And he gives in one day, sufficient for that day; proportioned to the want and strength of the patient. If, therefore, thou snatchest to-day, what belongs to thee to-morrow; if thou addest this to what is given thee already, it will be more than thou canst bear this is the way not to heal but to destroy thy own soul. Take, therefore, just as much as he gives thee to-day: to-day, do and suffer his will. To-day, give up thyself, thy body, soul, and spirit to God, through Christ Jesus: desiring nothing, but that God may be glorified in all thou art, all thou dost, and all thou sufferest : seeking nothing, but to know God, and his Son Jesus Christ, through the eternal Spirit: pursuing nothing, but to love him, to serve him, and to enjoy him at this hour, and to all eternity!

;

Now unto God the Father, who hath made me and all the world; -unto God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind unto God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me and all the elect ple of God: be honour and praise, majesty and dominion, for ever and ever! Amen.

peo

SERMON XXXII.

ON OUR LORD'S SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

DISCOURSE X.

66

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

“Or, how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine; lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

"For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

"Or, what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

"Or, if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

"If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?

"Therefore, all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets." MATTHEW Vii. 1-12.

1. OUR blessed Lord, having now finished his main design, having first delivered the sum of true religion, carefully guarded against those glosses of men, whereby they would make the word of God of none effect: and having next laid down rules touching that right intention, which we are to preserve in all outward actions: now proceeds to point out the main hinderances of this religion, and concludes all with a suitable application.

2. In the fifth chapter, our great Teacher has fully described inward religion in its various branches. He has there laid before us

those dispositions of soul, which constitute real Christianity; the tenpers contained in that holiness, "without which, no man shall see the Lord;" the affections, which, when flowing from their proper fountain, from a living faith in God through Christ Jesus, are intrinsically, and essentially good, and acceptable to God. In the sixth he hath shown how all our actions, likewise, even those that are indifferent in their own nature, may be made holy, and good, and acceptable to God, by a pure and holy intention. Whatever is done without this, he declares is of no value with God: whereas, whatever outward works are thus consecrated to God, are, in his sight, of great price.

3. In the former part of this chapter, he points out the most common, and most fatal hinderances of this holiness. In the latter, he exhorts us by various motives, to break through all, and secure that prize of our high calling.

4. The first hinderance he cautions us against is judging. "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Judge not others, that ye be not judged of the Lord, that ye bring not vengeance on your own heads. "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again:" a plain and equitable rule, whereby God permits you to determine for yourselves, in what manner he shall deal with you in the judgment of the great day.

5. There is no station of life, nor any period of time, from the hour of our first repenting and believing the gospel, till we are made perfect in love, wherein this caution is not needful for every child of God. For occasions of judging can never be wanting. And the temptations to it are innumerable: many whereof are so artfully disguised, that we fall into the sin, before we suspect any danger. And unspeakable are the mischiefs produced hereby, always to him that judges another: thus wounding his own soul, and exposing himself to the righteous judgment of God: and frequently to those who are judged, whose hands hang down, who are weakened and hindered in their course, if not wholly turned out of the way, and caused to draw back even to perdition. Yea, how often, when this "root of bitterness springs up, are many defiled thereby:" by reason whereof the way of truth itself is evil spoken of, and that worthy name blasphemed whereby we are called.

6. Yet it does not appear, that our Lord designed this caution only, or chiefly for the children of God: but rather for the children of the world, for the men who know not God. These cannot but hear of those, who are not of the world, who follow after the religion above described; who endeavour to be humble, serious, gentle, merciful, and pure in heart: who earnestly desire such measures of these holy tempers, as they have not yet attained: and wait for them in doing all good to all men, and patiently suffering evil. Whoever go but thus far, cannot be hid, no more than "a city set upon a hill.” And why do not those, who "see their good works, glorify their Father who is in heaven?" What excuse have they, for not treading in their steps? For not imitating their example, and being followers of them, as they are also of Christ? Why, in order to provide an ex

cuse for themselves, they condemn those whom they ought to imitate. They spend their time in finding out their neighbours' faults, instead of amending their own. They are so busied about others going out of the way, that they themselves never come into it at all: at least, never get forward, never go beyond a poor dead form of godliness, without the power.

7. It is to these more especially that our Lord says, "Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye," the infirmities, the mistakes, the imprudence, the weakness of the children of God; "but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Thou considerest not the damnable impenitence, the satanic pride, the accursed self-will, the idolatrous love of the world, which are in thyself, and which make thy whole life an abomination to the Lord. Above all, with what supine carelessness and indifference art thou dancing over the mouth of hell? And "how then," with what grace, with what decency or modesty, "wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye," the excess of zeal for God, the extreme of self-denial, the too great disengagement from worldly cares and employments, the desire to be day and night in prayer, or hearing the words of eternal life? "And behold a beam is in thine own eye!" Not a mote, like one of these. "Thou hypocrite!" who pretendest to care for others, and hast no care for thy own soul! Who maketh a show of zeal for the cause of God, when in truth thou neither lovest nor fearest him! "First, cast out the beam out of thine own eye." Cast out the beam of impenitence. Know thyself.

See and feel thyself a sinner. Feel, that thy inward parts are very wickedness, that thou art altogether corrupt and abominable, and that the wrath of God abideth on thee. Cast out the beam of pride. Abhor thyself. Sink down as in dust and ashes. Be more and more little and mean, and base and vile in thine own eyes. Cast out the beam of self-will. Learn what that meaneth, "If any man will come after me, let him renounce himself." Deny thyself, and take up thy cross daily. Let thy whole soul cry out, "I came down from heaven," (for so thou didst, thou never-dying spirit, whether thou knowest it or not) "not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me." Cast out the beam of love of the world. Love not the world, neither the things of the world. Be thou crucified unto the world, and the world crucified unto thee. Only use thee world, but enjoy God. Seek all thy happiness in him. Above all, cast out the grand beam, that supine carelessness and indifference. Deeply consider, that one thing is needful, the one thing which thou hast scarcely ever thought of. Know and feel, that thou art a poor, vile, guilty worm, quivering over the great gulf! What art thou? A sinner born to die: a leaf driven before the wind: a vapour ready to vanish away: just appearing, and then scattered into air, to be no more seen! See this, "And then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Then, if thou hast leisure from the concerns of thy own soul, thou shalt know how to correct thy brother also.

8. But, what is properly the meaning of this word, judge not?

What is the judging which is here forbidden? It is not the same as evil-speaking, although it is frequently joined therewith. Evil-speaking is the relating any thing that is evil, concerning an absent person: whereas judging may indifferently refer, either to the absent or the present. Neither does it necessarily imply the speaking at all, but only the thinking evil of another. Not that all kind of thinking evil of others, is that judging which our Lord condemns. If I see one commit a robbery or murder, or hear him blaspheme the name of God, I cannot refrain from thinking ill of the robber or murderer. Yet this is not evil judging: there is no sin in this, nor any thing contrary to tender affection.

9. The thinking of another, in a manner contrary to love, is that judging which is here condemned, and this may be of various kinds. For, first, we may think another to blame when he is not. We may lay to his charge (at least, in our own mind) the things of which he is not guilty: the words which he has never spoken, or the actions which he has never done. Or, we may think his manner of acting was wrong, although, in reality, it was not. And even where no

thing can justly be blamed, either in the thing itself, or in the manner of doing it, we may suppose his intention was not good, and so condemn him on that ground; at the same time that he who searches the heart, sees his simplicity and godly sincerity.

10. But we may not only fall into the sin of judging, by condemning the innocent, but also, secondly, by condemning the guilty in a higher degree than he deserves. This species of judging is likewise an offence against justice, as well as mercy: and yet such an offence as nothing can secure us from, but the strongest and tenderest affection. Without this, we readily suppose one who is acknowledged to be in fault, to be more in fault than he really is. Ve undervalue whatever good is found in him. Nay, we are not easily induced to believe, that any thing good can remain in him, in whom we have found any thing that is evil.

11. All this shows a manifest want of that love, which & 20iĢETαS naxov, thinketh no evil: which never draws an unjust or unkind conclusion from any premises whatsoever. Love will not infer, from a person's once falling into an act of open sin, that he is accustomed so to do, that he is habitually guilty of it: and if he were habitually guilty once, love does not conclude he is so still: much less, that if he be now guilty of this, therefore he is guilty of other sins also. These evil reasonings all pertain to that sinful judging which our Lord here guards us against: and which we are, in the highest degree, concerned to avoid, if we love either God or our own souls. 12. But, supposing we do not condemn the innocent, neither the guilty any farther than they deserve; still we may not be altogether clear of the snare. For there is a third sort of sinful judging, which is the condemning any person at all, where there is not sufficient evidence. And be the facts we suppose ever so true, yet that does not acquit us. For they ought not to have been supposed, but proved, and till they were, we ought to have formed no judgment: I say,