their knee to the image of Baal. Indeed, it is of the nature of true religion to affect secrecy. The sighs, and groans, and prayers, and tears of the real penitent are poured forth in secret : and the consciousness of being seen or heard by any mortal man, would be sufficient to stifle all. The inward affiance of the soul too is unknown to any but God ; as indeed are also all the sublimest workings of the affections towards God. None but " He who searches the heart and tries the reins" can discern that entireness of heart which constitutes a man " an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile." But God does see, yea, and mark also, those more secret and refined exercises of the soul, which are hid from all besides. It is not for those only who speak often one to another that God records his approbation in the book of his remembrance, but for those also who in modest silence "think upon his name™:" and though those thoughts were altogether hidden from their earthly friends, he will bring them forth at the last day as evidences in favour of those who fostered them in their bosoms, and will recompense them with testimonies of his warmest approbation". " The hidden man of the heart" is that which constitutes our brightest ornament in this world0, and which most insures his plaudit in the world to come.]
Such being the truths contained in our text, we go on,
II. To deduce from them some important observa- tions—
In the view of the future judgment,
1. We should diligently acquaint ourselves with God's rule of judgment —
[The written word of God is the rule of our conduct : and it is that also by which we shall be tried in the last day. We are told, that " in that day, when the judgment is set, the books shall be openedp," for the express purpose " that all maybe judged out of them;" and though there maybe various other books, as the book of providence, the book of conscience, and the book of life, yet we are sure that the book of the Scriptures must be one. Now that book changeth not, nor accommodates itself to the wishes of any : and it is in vain for us to complain of it as too strict, or to say respecting any thing in it, " This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" It is in vain to reduce its demands to any standard of our own. Whatever we or the whole world may say, God's requirements
m Mai. iii. 16. n Rev. xiv. 13. " Their works do follow them,"
0 1 Pet. iii. 4. P Dan. vii. 10. Rev. xx. 12.