same right to judge uncandidly of you? If you have your prejudices, why may they not be permitted to have theirs? But, thirdly, a too severe judgment is also forbidden. We should consider the infirmity which is in man. We should allow for the force of particular temptations. We should reflect, that we may happen to be well informed respecting some sin of our neighbour, and to be totally unacquainted with the bitterness of his repentance on account of it. We should make a distinction between deliberate and allowed sin; and that sin which is the effect of surprise we should remember, that a man may possibly fall into great vices, through some sudden assault on his virtue; who nevertheless, may be bent on following a religious course of life; and may, on the whole, be in favour with God.

The practice of inferring a man's general habit from some one particular act, and of deciding from a single circumstance on the state of his soul, seems a grievous offence against this precept. It is a bad symptom of the state of their souls who presume to judge thus severely.

To conclude; let us, if we would avoid this sin of judging others, reflect on the manner in which we ourselves hope to be judged: our minds are sufficiently fertile in inventing excuses for our own sin; let us endeavour to be as ingenious in respect to the errors of others. Let us make for them the excuses which we expect that they shall make for us. Above all, let us reflect how merciful must be the manner in which we must be judged by GoD, in order to escape His condemnation. As we hope to find mercy, so let us show it; for "with what judgment we judge, we shall be judged; and with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again."

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XXXVII.

ST. MATTHEW, VII. 3-5.

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.

OUR SAVIOUR here intimates, that they, who have a beam in their own eye, are commonly the most inclined to complain of the mote which is in their brother's eye. And does not our own observation justify this saying of CHRIST? Who is it, that commonly passes the rashest and the severest sentence of condemnation? Is it not the wicked, the

licentious, and the profane?

There is, indeed, one occasion, on which immoral persons give full scope to the severity of their tongue; namely, where the person, whom they reproach, bears the character of a religious man. He, who is a sincere servant of GOD, resolved to lead a holy life, and to live no longer to himself, but to Him who hath died for us, must expect to be most harshly judged by the vain, the worldly minded, and the wicked. They will wait for his halting :-they will dwell, in their conversation, on some little incivility in his manner; some impropriety in his speech; some inattention to the decorum of life. If he should err from inadvertency, the mistake will be charged to design; if from rashness, it will be ascribed to deliberate purpose of heart. A little warmth of temper, in such a man, will be called fury; and any single sin, into which he may be surprised, will be considered as one only of a course of crimes; and will be

proclaimed as from the house-top. Religious persons are often charged with censuring the irreligious; but it may safely be affirmed, that, in general, the saint is not so severe against the sinner, as the sinner is against the saint.

CHRIST may properly be considered as here particularly reproving this disposition in wicked men to censure the pious. "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." Thou, who art severe against the children of GoD, and strict to mark in them whatever is in the least amiss; thou, who art, at the same time, thyself an unchaste person, an adulterer, a drunkard, an unjust man in thy dealings, a despiser, a hinderer of GOD's word," cast out, first, the beam out of thine own eye; and, then, shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye." Thou, who knowest not GOD, and art the enemy of His CHRIST,-thou who art thyself sensual, and worldly, not having the Spirit,-presume not to judge him who is spiritual; him, who is struggling with the burthen of his sins; him who prays day and night for mercy; him who trembles, through fear of offending GOD; him whose soul is prostrate before the cross of his SAVIOUR; and who is exercising himself with a watchfulness, of which thou hast no conception, to preserve a conscience void of offence, both towards GOD, and towards man. Thou Pharisee, also, who makest clean the outside, only, of the cup, while corruption is within; who art exact in outward forms of religion, while pride and impenitence are in thy heart; thou, who boastest in thine own righteousness, while thy secret thoughts are full of wickedness; judge not him, who, though less exact in some external observances, and possibly also enjoying less reputation among men, is more truly turned to GOD, in the main bent of his heart. Thou self-deceiver, thou hypocrite, cast out, first, the beam out of thine own eye. Be converted from thy pride, thy self-sufficiency, thy superficial morality, thy false religion, and thy secret sin: then, shalt thou be able to

discern the errors, and to estimate the characters of the children of GOD; having thus "cast out the beam out of thine own eye, then, shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

XXXVIII.

ST. MATTHEW, VII. 6.

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.

THE word holy signifies sacred, or separated for religious uses. Among the Jews, certain meats were set apart for sacrifice, and for the service of the Temple. "Give not that which is holy to the dogs," would, therefore, seem to a Jew to mean, if literally interpreted,-cast not among the dogs that which is consecrated to the sacred uses of the Temple. It is added, "Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." A pearl is in itself of great value, though of no estimation in the eyes of swine. To cast pearls before swine is, therefore, to throw away that which is very valuable; and, perhaps, also to provoke those, on whom we may think that we bestow a benefit. They may only turn again and rend us. A lesson of religious prudence is conveyed to us by these sayings of CHRIST: and it is this-that a rash and undiscriminating mode of presenting serious things ought to be avoided. If we speak freely on these subjects before the light, the sensual, and the profane, we may do to them no good; and we may bring,-on ourselves, and on our cause,―much harm. It is to cast pearls before swine. It is to intrude upon them something, indeed,

very valuable in itself, but of which the value will not be acknowledged. The result will be, that they will take offence, and become our enemies; they will turn again, and rend us. There are some persons whom no reproof of ours is likely to amend. In such a case let us remember the caution given by our Lord: "Be ye wise as serpents," said He to His seventy disciples, as well as "harmless as doves."* It is recorded of himself, that, when He was in a place, where there existed a remarkable prejudice against Him, "He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief." It is observable, also, that the seventy Disciples, when they were first sent forth, were commanded to go not to any house which might accidentally be opened to them; but to inquire, first, in every place, who was worthy, and to take up their abode with such person ; not going from house to house: and, if no persons resident in the place should receive them, they were instructed not to remain there; but to cast off the dust of their feet upon them.

This subject is applicable to our own time. Some persons among us seem to have only one maxim in religion; and it is this-that religious truth cannot be too loudly, or generally declared. They would proclaim it in the street, in the market place, and from the house top, if a crowd of persons could but be brought to hear. In preaching the Gospel, they think that no decencies of time and place need be consulted. They profess to be willing to brave every danger in this cause; but their forwardness is only the consequence of a naturally bold and ardent temper, of a temper which Christianity ought to correct and restrain. They are obtrusive in religion, in the same manner as on other subjects.

This passage may be applied in a more general sense. It may, also, be applied, more literally, to those preachers who, by proclaiming the doctrines of the Gospel at unsuitable times and places,-by delivering their sermons, for St. Matt. x. 16. + St. Matt. xiii. 58.

K*