gratify our pride or interest, than to that which calls for the exercise of self-denial. But we should be aware of the bias that is upon our own minds, and of our proneness to make the law of God bend to our prejudices and our passions. And we may be sure, that if a doubt exist about the path of duty, moral duties must be preferred to ceremonial; and, in general, it will be found safer to lean to that which thwarts our natural inclinations, than to that which gratifies them.] 2. Be open to conviction respecting any deviations from it [There is an extreme aversion in us all to acknowledge that we have done amiss. But to be "stout-hearted is to be far from righteousness;" and wherever God sees such a disposition, he will surely abase it'. We all see in others how ready they are to justify what is wrong, and to extenuate what they cannot justify. Let us remember that we also have this propensity; and let us guard against it to the utmost of our power. Let us rather, if we have erred, desire to find it out, and not rest till we have discovered it. We would not, if an architect were to warn us that our house were likely to fall, go and lie down in our beds without carefully inquiring into the grounds of his apprehension: a sense of danger would make us open to conviction. Let us therefore not be averse to see and acknowledge our guilt before God, lest our conviction of its existence come too late to avert its punishment.] 3. Let your humiliation be candid and complete— [Saul confessed his sin, but still shewed his hypocrisy by his anxiety to be honoured before menm. Hence, though Samuel so far complied as to go with him, and to execute on Agag the judgment that had been denounced", yet he left him immediately afterwards, and never visited him more. Oh, fearful separation! The friend who just before had wept and prayed for him all night, forsook him now for ever. From henceforth Saul was given up to sin and misery, till at last the vengeance of an incensed God came upon him to the uttermost. Would we escape his doom? let our humiliation be deep, and our repentance genuine: let us be willing to take shame to ourselves both before God and man; and be indifferent about the estimation of man, provided we may but obtain the favour of a reconciled God".] 1 Jam. iv. 6. m ver. 30. n ver. 32, 33. 。 ver. 35. CCC. GOD INSPECTS THE HEART. 1 Sam. xvi. 7. The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. WHAT a solemn and awful declaration is this! how interesting to every one of us! The generality, it is to be feared, scarcely think of themselves as in the presence of God: whereas his of God: whereas his eye is immediately upon our hearts, inspecting the very inmost recesses of them, and marking every imagination of them with a view to a future judgment. The admonition, though arising out of particular circumstances, is general, and deserves from every one of us the most attentive consideration. The occasion of it was this. God having determined to reject Saul from being king over Israel, and to place on the throne one who should fulfil all his will, commanded Samuel to take a horn of oil, and to anoint to the kingly office one of the sons of Jesse the Beth-lehemite. Samuel, the more effectually to cloke the real object of his mission, was directed to offer a sacrifice at Beth-lehem, and to invite to it both Jesse and all his sons. Eliab, the eldest of the sons, came first before him; and Samuel concluded, from his portly mien and his majestic stature, that he must be the person whom God had ordained to the office: but God rectified his mistake, and told him, that HE did not form his estimate after the manner of men; for "men regarded only the outward appearance; whereas HE looked on the heart." A similar intimation was given to Samuel in relation to seven of Jesse's sons, who passed before him; in consequence of which, David, the youngest, was sent for, and "was anointed in the midst of his brethren." There was in his heart what God did not see in the heart of any of his brethren. There were in them many external recommendations; but he 66 was a man after God's own heart:" and to his internal qualities God had respect, in appointing him to the kingdom. Having thus seen the scope of the words as delivered on that particular occasion, we shall proceed to notice, I. The truth contained in them God does inspect the hearts of men 1. He is qualified to do so ["He is light; and with him there is no darkness at alla." "His eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." There is no possibility of going from his presence: "if we ascend to heaven, he is there: if we make our bed in hell, behold, he is there also. If we say the darkness shall cover us, the darkness and the light to him are both alike." "All things are naked and opened before him," just as the sacrifices, when flayed and cut open, were to the inspection of the priest. "Hell and destruction are before him; and much more the hearts of the children of men."] 2. He does so ["His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth.” And not only do "his eyes behold, but his eyelids try the children of men";" insomuch that he marks with the utmost precision every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts". And, to preclude all possibility of mistake, he represents himself as "searching the hearts" of men', and trying their reins*, yea, as "pondering their hearts'," and "weighing their spirits m This, I say, he does: and it is his exclusive prerogative to do so; as Solomon has told us: "Thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men"."] 3. He does so with an express reference to a future judgment [Having ordained a future judgment for the express purpose of manifesting the justice and equity of his procedure, he notes every thing in the book of his remembrance, and will "bring every secret thing into judgment, whether it be good or evil." There is not a thought or counsel in the heart of any man which he will not then make manifest, in order to pass his judgment upon it". Nay more, as every evil thought brings with it certain consequences, defiling the soul, hardening the heart, grieving the Holy Spirit, and dishonouring God, so he will hold us responsible for these consequences, as well as for the evil from whence they proceed. And of this he has warned us, saying, "I the Lord search the heart; I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."] Such is the truth declared in our text. now mark, II. Its aspect on our future destinies Let us [We have seen that God had respect to the heart of David, when he appointed him to the kingdom. We are not to suppose that David was by nature better than other men: for he himself says, that "he was shapen in iniquity, and that in sin his mother conceived him "." Much less are we to imagine that David was justified before God by any righteousness of his own: for St. Paul assures us, that he was justified solely by faith in Christ, whose righteousness was imputed to him without any works of his own. Nor can any of us hope to be exalted to heaven on account of our own superior goodness: for we are all sinners before God; and, if ever we are accepted of him, we must be "accepted in, and through, his beloved" Son, "being found in him, not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith in him." Nevertheless, though none will possess the kingdom on account of their own righteousness, none will possess it who have not previously been "made meet for it," and are not truly righteous in their own souls.] This truth being unquestionable, let me now, like Samuel, summon you all to the Sacrifice which is prepared for you in the Gospel; and let me declare which of you God has ordained to the kingdom of heaven. Who is this that first presents himself before me? He is one possessed of exemplary morality— [Surely, I say, this is the person whom God has chosen. Behold, how decorous his habit! how amiable his deportment! how unimpeachable his character! Doubtless, I must congratulate you as the happy person to whom I am authorized to declare God's designs of love and mercy. No, says God: thou hast erred in judgment respecting him: thou admirest him, because of his outward appearance: but I look at the heart: and I command thee to pass him by, because "I have refused him." Blameless as he appears, he is not accepted of me, because he is trusting in his own righteousness, and not in the righteousness of my dear Son". He has "a form of godliness," it is true; but he is destitute of "its power." He is ignorant of his own state before me: he fancies himself "rich, and increased with goods, and in need of nothing; whilst, in reality he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." He is lukewarm in all that relates to me; and therefore I lothe him, and shall cast him off with abhorrence". "He draws nigh to me with his lips; but his heart is far from me." I consider him, therefore, as no better than a whited sepulchre, beautiful without, but full of every thing that is offensive within. His self-righteousness and self-complacency render him odious in my sight; and therefore dismiss him and proceed.] : He Whom is it that I behold advancing next? is the man, no doubt: for he is one that loves the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ [I am in no fear of erring now. Behold, thou believest in Christ! Dost thou not? And thou regardest him as "all thy salvation, and all thy desire." Thou art highly valued, too, in the Church of Christ: thou hast more than mere morality: thou "renouncest all confidence in the flesh, and rejoicest in Christ alone." I congratulate Pause, saith the Lord: thou art deceived again. This is not the man whom I have chosen. He has embraced the Gospel, it is true: but "his soul is not upright within him"." "He has a name to live, but in reality he is dead"." He has come into the fold: but he climbed over the wall; and is therefore, in my estimation, no better than a thief and a robber. He never came in at the strait gate: he was never truly broken-hearted and contrite: he never fled for refuge to he hope that was set before him: he has taken up religion lightly, and he will renounce it lightly: "if tribulation should arise to him on account of the word, he will presently be offended; and in the time of temptation will fall away." Dismiss him: for "he has not the root of the matter in him";" and therefore is none of mine.] Now then, I trust, I cannot err: for he whom I now see has long made an honourable and consistent profession of religion [I think I have long seen thee a regular attendant on the u Rom. ix. 31, 32. z Matt. xv. 7-9. c John x. 7-9. x 2 Tim. iii. 5. a Hab. ii. 4. e Job xix. 28. Matt. xiii. 6. y Rev. iii. 15-17. b Rev. iii. 1. |