wron" to individuals; of judging eo as to injure truth and ret11rd progress and im- prove~nont. Tho toxt teaches us, on the contrary- I. 'l'IIAT 0AUBES, DEFORE BEING JUDGED, ABE TO BE FAmLY HEARD. How many jud"mcnt~ nru passed daily in utter ignorance of the real facts of the case, and without nn/ nttcmpt to ascertain them, perhaps without the means of ascertaining them! Such judgments are ipso facto unjust. It is only by the rarest chance they can be ri"ht •and their rightness being accidental does not justify them. Let judgments be rc~cr~cd for cases in which we have an opportunity of full investigation. Hear both siJcs, and hear them (1) fully, (2) candidly, and (3) patiently. ]l, 'l.'IIAT 0AUBES, AFTER DEING HEARD, ABE TO HAVE JUDGMENT PASSED UPON THEM WITH STRICT IMPARTIALITY. "Judge not according to the appearance," said Jesus, "but judge righteous judgment "-11.n instance illustrating that wider view of judging which we are here taking (John vii. 24). Equal measure is to be meted out to all. We are to judge impartially as between brother and brother, fellow-citizen and foreigner, rich and poor, applying the same principles and standards to each case, and keeping in view the essential merits as the one thing to be regarded. This is the plain rule of justice, though we all feel how difficult it is to act up to it. Ilf. THAT JUDGMENT UPON CAUSES IS TO BE GIVEN FEARLESSLY. "Ye shall not be afraid of the face of man." (Cf._the Regent Morton's eulogy on Knox-" There lies he who never feared the face of man.") Even when just judgment is being pronounced internally, the fear of nian, or the desire of man's favour, or the dread of temporal consequences, often leads to a time-serving tampering with conviction, to a saying and doing of the thing we do not at heart approve of. This is the worst kind of cowardice. lV. THAT JUDGMENT UPON CAUSES IS TO BE GIVEN UNDER A DUE SE:l!SE OF RESPONSI- IlILITY TO Goo. "'l'he judgment is God's." Judges are his vicegerents, deriving their authority from him, expressing the judgment of his righteousness, anticipating his own final judgment, and themselves responsible to him for the manner in which they exercise their functions. Every biassed, untrue, and insincere judgment.is a misrepre- sentation of that truth and rectitude which have their ground in God's own being. V. THAT IN CAUSES ON WHICH WE ARE INCOMPETENT TO PRONOUNCE, JUDGMENT IS NOT TO BE ATTEMPTED. (Ver. l:7.)-J. o. Vers. 1-18.-The impartiality of God to be reflected in the Judges of his people. In the following Homilies we adhere to the traditional view of the Mosaic authorship of the book, believing that no sufficient evidence has yet been adduced by the critics for departing from that vi~. Moses enters upon his addresses in the land of Moob by recapitulating the salient points of the Exodus. The first notable reference is to the appointment of the judges. The qualifications and directions here recorded are fitteJ to throw preciollll light upou the Divine character. Here let us notice- I. '!'here was to be NO RESPECT OF PERSONS IN JUDGMENT. And here we may quote a definition which will materially aid us in this subject : "By the word person the Scripture signifies not a man, but those things in a man which, being conspicuous to the eyes, usually conciliate favour, honour, and dignity, or attract hatred, contempt, and disgrace. Such are riches, wealth, power, nobility, magistracy, country, elegance 0f form, on the one hand; and on the other, poverty, necessity, ignoble birth, slovenli- ness, contempt, a:nd the like." These Jewish judges, therefore, were directed to allow none of these personal accidents to influence their judgments in the cases committed to them, but to dcciue as matters of pure equity. II. There was to be NO FEAR OF MAN in their judgments. The consequences to themselves were not to be regarded. They were to be fearless officers, representing the Most High. III. We see here that WITH Goo THEUE CAN BE NO RESPECT OF PERSONS AND NO FE.IB OF MAN. The strict impartiality of God has been questioned, if representations of his procedure drawn from the Divino ·word are accepted. Now, the whole plan of salvation by grace appears favouritism and partiality. What is the meaning of" grace"·? Un- doubtedly fi·ee, unmerited favour. If, then, sah·ation is by grace (Eph. ii. 8), must not God be liab\o to the charge of parfo1lity? Such, o.t least, is the reasoning of some in tho interests of certain systems. Ilut when the matter is looked into more closely, we find that salvation by free grace 16 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY, [cH, I, Hl-(0,
is the most conclusive evidence of God's impai·tinlity. It is really saying to all men, "Unless you give up the notion of recommending yonrselvi,s to me; unless you sur. render the idea of some special claim in your being or your life upon me; unless, in n word, you lay aside the fancy that you must be partially and exceptionally treated, which is the whole meaning of self-righteousness, I cannot save you.' 'l'his is impar- tiality pa.r e:rrelleiice; and this is exactly God's position in offering salvation to men. All who refuse SRlvation arc really refusing to be treatod impartially, and nro clamouring for exceptional consideration on tho ground of some fancied merit. 'l'ho rejected at the last will be found to be thd!;o who wanted favouritism, but put away free grace. The line of thought opened up here may be profitably carried on.-R. M, E.