has, in instances without number, been unfaithful to his prin- ciples, his promises, and his convictions ? If we presumed to stand on that ground, God would say, " Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant." But, if we were not conscious of any unfaithfulness, we still could not venture to make that the foundation of our hopes ; because we are so ignorant of ourselves, and so prone to self-deceit. We could even then only say with the Apostle, " I know no- thing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judge th me is the Lord :" yes, we must then cast ourselves altogether on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Let this then be done by every one of us : and, instead of proclaiming every one his own goodness, let us all humble ourselves before God in dust and ashes, and say with the Church of old, " In the Lord alone have I righteousness and strength"."]
n Isai. xlv. 24.
Prov. XX. 9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am
pure from my sin ?
THE great characteristic of the Proverbs is wis- dom ; as that of the Psahiis is piety. They were the result of much thought and observation : and the instructions contained in them were such as a father might be supposed to give to his children. Occa- sionally, however, according as his mind had been occupied, the tenour of his observations was varied ; and they assumed, what may be rather called, a vein of piety. We suppose, that, when he penned the passage before us, he had been led into some unex- pected discovery of the corruptions of his own heart ; and from thence had been drawn to contemplate in a more extended view the general depravity of human nature, not merely as evinced by the ungodly, but as manifested by the remains of sin in the most emi- nent saints. However this may be, his observation is deep, and of singular importance. It is a challenge to the whole world, to find, if they can, a perfect man. Let us consider, I. The truth that is here intimated —