solemn reply (the more awful from its calmness) in the text: "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God."

A due consideration of these words will enable us, by God's blessing, to

I. DETECT A COMMON ERROR.

The error to which I allude is, Taking the opinion of men as the rule of our conduct.-Why did the Pharisees sneer, when our Saviour was talking against covetousness? Because they knew that they had the world on their side; and this satisfied them that their conduct was right. They could justify themselves before men," and they cared for nothing further.

"

Now that we may be led to examine ourselves, I shall shew you how continually this conduct of the Pharisees is acted over again; and may God give us grace so to judge ourselves, that we may not be judged of the Lord.-The approbation of man, then,

1. Is the standard by which people are guided in the choice of their conduct.-I do not mean to say, that before they enter on any particular course, men deliberately sit down and calculate how much praise they shall get from their fellow-creatures. Such vanity as this would be universally condemned; and yet you will find, that the conduct of most men has no higher object, than the giving of satisfaction to others. It is this which leads. a child to gratify his parents-a servant, his masterand a friend, his friend. Without ever suspecting our real motives, we are continually accommodating our manners and conduct to those around us. Hence our morality takes the colour of the society we live in, and seldom rises to a higher level. The poor and the

rich, the vulgar and the noble, the tradesman and the farmer, have each their several standards of right and wrong; and the one sees no great harm in doing many things which would never be countenanced by the other. If certain sins are abstained from, it is because they are discreditable-if duties are performed, they are reputable duties. This in fact is the grand principle-more or less disguised from our own hearts- I must do as other people do !'-Again, I observe, that this also

2. Is the ground of men's satisfaction when reviewing their past conduct.-Try them with a reproof for something they have done amiss the natural principle of self-defence immediately sets them upon justifying what they have done. And this is not to be blamed. If they can shew that the reproof is unfounded, so much the better but the question is, By what standard do they satisfy themselves that all is right? Why you find, that they immediately begin to quote the example or the opinion of others in their own line of life. Their conduct is common,' is tolerated,' is admired.' The reproof then goes for nothing.-Confirm it by a text out of the Bible! It is well if you are not sneered at; for if men "derided" Christ, much more will they deride you. But if not, it will still be evident that they are not disturbed by having the Bible against them, if kept in countenance by their own world. Observe that expression-their own world. There is the fashionable world-the learned world-the farming world; yes, and also the religious world. Many wrong things may be found there too, because we are content with the praise and approbation of man. Thus, whether in determining what they shall do, or in justifying what they have done, we see how common it is for men to be guided by the opinions of men instead of anxiously and carefully studying that infallible

standard, the HOLY SCRIPTURES. Nay, what is still worse, they will even distort and explain away the clearest declarations of the Bible, when those declarations contradict or condemn what the world approves.

My brethren, "the heart"-your heart, and mine -"is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:" and therefore it is not likely that you should at once believe that your motives are so hollow, as has been described. I only say, Suspect and examine yourselves; and may God in his mercy our eyes that we sleep not in the death" justification and self-delusion!

lighten of self

But now, having detected this common error, I am led, in the next place, to

II. EXPOSE THE FOLLY OF IT.

The folly of " justifying ourselves before men," and being content with their approbation, appears from three considerations.

1. God, and not man, will be our Judge hereafter.The conduct which I have been describing is like that of a party of men accused of high treason, chained in prison, and awaiting their trial. Imagine them to be talking over together the circumstances in which they are placed, and assuring each other, that all they have done was perfectly right, just, and proper-not indeed quite agreeable to the law, but such as every one of their companions must approve. The Assizes at length arrive; the trial begins. Who is their judge? is it one of themselves?-Who form the jury? some fellow traitors?-What is the standard of appeal? their opinion, or the sneered-at law? reply. Then make the case your own. ALL appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that

1 Jeremiah xvii. 9.

You easily "WE MUST

2 Psalm xiii. 3.

every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 1 Oh what folly, then, to be guided by any opinion of what is right and wrong, except that of the God before whom you must stand! Oh what madness, not to study and follow that marvellous book-now in your own possession, and to be made the standard of appeal in the last day-which tells so plainly what you ought to have been, what you are, and how only you may be justified in the sight of God !-Again,

Men

2. Man's judgment of conduct is, in general, directly opposite to that of Almighty God. -How very strongly is this asserted in my text! "That which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God!"-Proofs might easily be multiplied. "highly esteem" the covetous, if they be not oppressive. Men "highly esteem" the pleasures and amusements of the world, if they be not excessively indulged in. Men 66 highly esteem" the bold spirit of the pitiless warrior, the diligence of the thorough-paced worldling, the pride of honour.-A case of this kind is immediately given by our Lord, in his parable of the rich sensualist, and the miserable but pious Lazarus. See there how different is the judgment of God from that of man! One of these men was every thing that the world admires; wealthy, splendid, luxurious,-nay, charitable also for there is no reason to doubt that Lazarus obtained what he asked, "the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table." But see this rich man in another world, "lifting up his eyes in hell, being in torments." Men formerly applauded, and he could "justify himself before them"-but not before God. He confesses, by asking only one drop of water, that he had deserved his punishment.-Once more,

1 2 Cor. v. 10.

3. God's judgment reaches far deeper than man can ever pretend to.-If the opinion which men form of our conduct were always just, yet they can judge only of what they see. But far the greater part of our conduct is out of sight-in the heart. There, in many a man who "outwardly appears righteous" before the world-there, I say, Sin reigns without a rival, uncontrolled, unseen, Lust, revenge, envy; hatred of God's law, of God's people, of God's service; all this might be discovered, in many a bosom where it is at present scarcely suspected, if we could look beneath the surface, But does no one see this? Yes-God sees it. And Jesus Christ saw it, when he said, "God

knoweth your hearts."

Now, my brethren, whatever our heart is, that only are we, What avails it therefore that men approve, (who know us not, because they know not our hearts,) if we fall short of His approval, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid ?

Brethren! I have not this day been "preaching the Gospel" to you; but endeavouring to make you see your need of the Gospel.-If men cannot know your real character, that is no excuse for your not knowing it yourselves.-Look, then, into that den of iniquity, your heart. Try yourselves as God will try you hereafter; and you will soon cry, "God be merciful Thus will you be in the way to obtain that true justification through Christ, of which the self-righteous Pharisee falls short;" being justi fied by his blood, you will be saved from wrath through him,"

to me, a sinner!"