come. The day of judgment is emphatically called, " the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Then shall every thing be taken into consideration, either to extenuate or aggravate our crimes : " The servant that knew his lord's will and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes ; whilst the more ignorant transgressor shall be beaten with few." Every one's " end will be according to his works :" he will be weighed in a perfect balance, and will " receive according to that he hath done in the body, whether it be good or evil." His views, his motives, his principles will all be judged : " God will make manifest the counsels of his heart :" and every one shall be constrained to confess that his doom is just ]
Let US then learn from this subject,
1. To be candid in judging others —
[A person looking only superficially at this history would be ready to condemn both David and Solomon for their con- duct : but when we view their situation, and enter properly into their motives, we are constrained to approve it. Thus it must often happen. We see an action, but we do not exactly enter into all the circumstances that gave it birth : and there- fore we judge erroneously respecting it. But we should leave all judgment to the Lord, who alone is able to decide on the motives and principles from which it springs. We must indeed of necessity pass judgment in many cases, where the crimes are so glaring that they cannot possibly be mistaken : but where there is the least ground lor favourable interpretation, we should exercise that " charity which hopeth all things and believeth all things." That rule cannot be too strictly attended to, " Judge not, that ye be not judged."]
2. To be severe in judging ourselves —
[Here we are in little danger of excess. A person of a gloomy disposition may indeed write bitter things against him- self without occasion ; but, in general, self-love will lead us rather to extenuate every thing that is amiss, and to justify many things which God will condemn. Let us remember, therefore, that God will not accommodate his judgment to ours : " he will judge righteous judgment :" " to him all things are naked and open :" "liis eyes are as a flame of fire," that will search the inmost recesses of the heart, and try every disposition of the mind. Let us endeavour to bear in mincl, that his eye is over us; and let us strive to walk as in his immediate presence. And let our every act and word and thought be regulated by the consideration, that the hour is quickly coming, when every the minutest circumstance of our lives will be brought to light, and our eternal state be fixed by a righteous and unerring God.]