the thoughts and intents of the heart: he weighs the very- spirits of men no less than their actions : " he needs not that any should testify of man, for he knows what is in man :" he will discover sincerity under the most unfavourable circum- stances, and hypocrisy under the most artful disguise. Abijah alone of all the house of Jeroboam had some good thing in his heart towards the Lord God of Israel, and God did not fail to notice it with tokens of his approbation, while he poured out the vials of his wrath on all the family besides0. If we were less than the least of all saints, if we were only as " smoking flax," having but one spark of grace and a whole cloud of corruption, God would assuredly observe the latent principle, and discover the workings of his own Spirit amidst all the infirmities of our fallen nature.]
Nor will he ever suffer the weakest believer to perish —
[From the violence with which corn is agitated, an igno- rant person would imagine that much of it must be lost with the chaff: in like manner many that are weak in faith may be ready to cry, "I shall one day perishd." But God pledges himself for the preservation of every the smallest grain. He represents himself under the image of a woman, who, having lost a small piece of silver, lights a candle, and sweeps dili- gently till she find ite ; and he assures us, that "it is not his will, that any of his little ones should perish f. We have no reason then to fear: for whilst he continues possessed of omniscience to discern his people, and omnipotence to preserve them, we shall be as secure amidst all our agitations, as if we were already lodged in the granary of heaven.]
Infer —
1. How much are we concerned to be found sin- cere!
[There is a day quickly coming, when Christ, the Judge of quick and dead, shall sift and winnow us all. Nor will he merely cause a separation of the precious from the vile, but such a separation as shall be followed with endless happiness or miseryg. Should we not then diligently inquire whether we be wheat or chaff? To what purpose is it that " the tares grow up with the wheat," and sometimes are mistaken for it, if, at the harvest, they must be separated for everh? So it will be of little avail to have been reputed Christians, if, the very instant we die, we are to take our portion with hypocrites and unbelievers. Let us then turn to God now with our
c 1 Kings xiv. 13. d 1 Sam. xxvii. 1. e Luke xv. 8.
f Matt, xviii. 14. s Matt. iii. 12. h Matt. xiii. 29, 30.