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 mise- rable, and poor, and blind, and naked." He is lukewarm in aU that relates to me ; and therefore I lothe him, and shall cast him off with abhorrence y. " 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.]
Whom is it that I behold advancing next ? He 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 mo- ];ality: 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 chmbed over the wall ; and is therefore, in my estimation, no better than a thief and a rob- ber '^. He never came in at the strait gate : he was never truly broken-hearted and contrite : he never fled for refuge to the hope that was set before him : he has taken up religion lightly, and he will renomace 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
" Rom. ix. 31, 32. ^ 2 Tim. iii. 5. y Rev. iii. 15 — 17.
2 Matt. XV. 7 — 9. ^ Hab. ii. 4. ^ Rev. iii. 1.
c John X. 7 — 9. <! Matt. xiii. 21.
e Job xix. 28. Matt. xiii. G.