the world, is absolutely perfect, so the balances in which he weighs the world are absolutely perfect, consequently an infallible standard for testing moral character.

II. Consider the process of testing moral worth. Thou art weighed. The Most High weighs all the subjects of his moral government in his balances, to test their loyalty to himself. He ever holds his balances in his hand with the subjects of his moral empire in one scale, and his holy requirements in the other, so that in reference to moral character, they are every moment impartially weighed or lested. If it be true, that the process of testing noral worth, is momently advancing with every moral agent, is it not a most solemn, searching, and impressive truth? But on what does this truth rest for its support? Not on any vague hypothesis, but upon the most conclusive arguments.

1. This momentous truth is evident from the infinite intelligence of the moral Sovereign of the Universe. He is both omnipresent and omniscient. Exclaimed David, ' O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me, thou knowest my down sitting, and mine uprising; thou understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou compasseth my path and my lying down, and art well acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand-lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me, yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.' It is also written, 'If we have forsaken the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange God, shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.' And again we read, neither is there any creature, that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.' 'We must not,' says the eloquent Saurin, as some philosophers have done, contemplate the Deity, as a point fixed in the universality of beings; but we may justly contemplate the universality of beings as a point, and the Deity as an immense eye, which sees all that passes in that point, all that can possibly pass there. God is an infinite spirit; with one look he beholdeth the universe. He sees all, veils the most impenetrable, darkness the most thick, distances the most immense, can conceal nothing from his knowledge. Soar to the utmost heights, fly into the remotest climates, wrap thyself in the blackest darkness, every where thou wilt be under his eye.'

2. That the process of testing moral worth is momently going on, is manifest from the infinite regard, which the Deity is represented as possessing for his own glory and the honor of his moral kingdom. His language is most emphatic on this point. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is under the earth, thou shalt not bow down to them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generations of them that hate me ; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.'Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. God is jealous and the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.' These passages are most strikingly descriptive of God's determination to maintain his high prerogatives as a moral Sovereign. He not only sees all the subjects of his moral empire, but he sees them as their Lord to whom they are amenable for their conduct. It was in the character of a Sovereign, that he beheld the conduct of the antedeluvians. 'God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, was only evil continually. The earth was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and beheld it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. The abounding wickedness of that generation greatly displeased the Most High, and caused his anger to wax hot against them. But Noah being a just man, found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Again, at another period, it is said, God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.' And when he had weighed them in his balances, and thus tested their moral worth, he says of them, They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good no not one.' This is a true representation of God's constant inspection of the vast family of man. Job, inquired, What is man, that thou shouldst magnify him? and that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him? and that thou shouldst visit him every morning, and try him every moment?' He knoweth vain men, he seeth wickedness also; will he not consider it? If I sin then, thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me of mine iniquity. If I be wicked, woe unto me. Thou tellest my wanderings are they not in thy book? The Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eye-lids try the children of men.'

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Is it not undeniably evident from these Scripture quotations, that all moral agents are ever being weighed in the balances of God? Is it not manifest, that God beholds them as a Sovereign? and that all the violations of both parts of the divine constitution, in thought, word, or deed, are both perfectly known and strictly marked?

3. This truth is implied in the strict process of the final judgment, and the perfect equity of its decisions. No moral agent, or moral action will be overlooked in the process of the last judgment. It is written, Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the councils of the heart. In that day he shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel. Who will render to every man according to his deeds.' As to the decisions of the last great day, the Scriptures are most emphatic in ascribing a perfect righteousness to them. Who will judge the world in righteousness. God shall judge the people with equity.' The day of judgment is emphatically called, The day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.' In order to the strict and just process of the final judgment, all moral actions must be observed and weighed as they are put forth by moral agents. And the fact, that all the sins of the righteous will have been forgiven, does not detract aught from this argument. It is, I believe, a popular, and a scriptural sentiment, that every action of every individual of the human family, will pass in review at the judgment, though the sins of the righteous will not be exhibited to their condemnation, but to magnify the unsearchable riches of divine grace in their forgiveness. From these three arguments, drawn from revelation, the conclusion is irresistible, that all moral agents are every moment weighed in the balances of equity, or tested in respect to the Law and the Gospel.

Let this impressive truth be graven in the rock forever. Think of it, ye careless ones! Think of it, ye christians! Remember, that God sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and ever weigheth you in his balances! Say not, it is incredible, For he measureth the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meteth out heaven with a span, and comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure, and weigheth the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance. Behold, the nations are as a drop of the bucket, and accounted as the small dust of the balance; behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.' Is he not then able to weigh at the same instant, successively, every subject of his moral empire? Hast thou not known, hast

thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. Is anything too hard for the Lord? This leads us,

III., To an humiliating estimate of many of the subjects of God's moral empire, with respect to moral worth. Found wanting.

Would time permit, we would introduce a great variety of characters, under this head to illustrate our subject; but we can only examine three. This estimate is fearfully true.

1. Of all who live in habitual rebellion against God. We appeal 6 to the law and to the testimony.' Know ye not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.' Who will presume to affirm, that the above characters are not found wanting? Of the multitudes, whether in christian or pagan countries, who keep not God's law, it may be said- Even when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. For this cause, God gave them up to vile affections. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness. So they are without excuse.'

Let all these be laid in the balances together, and they would be found light as vanity. And though they may never have seen the burning hand of God, writing in characters of fire, the sentence of their condemnation upon the walls of their tabernacles, they have doubtless, at times, felt the sentenee of death within themselvesfelt the keen accusations and upbraidings of a reproving conscience.

2. The estimate in the text is true of all mere moralists, or nominal christians. This class stands on much higher ground than the preceding in external appearance. Many make high pretensions to moral worth, though the Christian code possesses no more authority in their view, than any human system of ethics. But all the pretensions of inere moralists to moral worth, or goodness, are annihilated by the humiliating declaration of Scripture. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now we know, that whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.' For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one

point, he is guilty of all.' He is as really guilty as though he had broken every one of the commandments. O ye moralists, have you never offended against the divine law in one instance? Are you blameless touching the law? Have you from your childhood perfectly kept the whole law? If not, you are verily found wanting. For having once transgressed the law, justification by the works of the law, is morally impossible. For the law knows no mercy; makes no provision for pardon-but worketh wrath, and dooms the transgressor to punishment. For as many as are under the works of the law, are under the curse; for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' It follows, therefore, that all who are expecting justification by the works of the law. are exposed to the tremendous curse of God's law. And verily, those who merely pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and omit the weightier matters of the law; judgment, mercy, and faith, have written against them in the book of God's remembrance-wantingwanting!

3. Is not this humiliating estimate true of many within the pale of the visible church? Is it not as true now as it was in olden time, that all are not Israel, who are of Israel? Christ, it is true, has made ample provision for the sanctification of his church. He purchased the church with his own blood. Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.' And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up unto him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.'

Correspondent to these provisions for the perfection of the church, are the obligations of all, who enter within its visible pale. They are under covenant obligations to keep perfectly both parts of the divine constitution-to observe strictly what is written in the book of the Law, or in the book of the Gospel. But how deficient are multitudes of professing Christians in the spirit and degree of their obedience. How many fall far below the letter of the law, as well as its spirit. How few perfectly observe the golden rule, 'Do to