formed. But finality of judgmcnt may ortcn be profitably avoided. We shoulrl particularly observe this when our judgments affect: (1) The providence and dealincrs of ·God. (2) The character, motives, deserts, of our fellows. \Ve see the deeds, and ~ay pronounce upon them as such, but we must remember that the heart is hiJden from us. {3) Certain matters connected with ourselves. It may be well to judge ourselves .severely, since our tendency is to take too favourable a view of our own conduct. We may acquit ourselves when we ought to condemn ourselves. Implicit faith cannot be reposed in the voice of conscience; it may be perverted. Our judgment of ourselves should command our confidence only wh~n we feel sure that our judgment agrees with God's judgment. 2. Not to be disconcerted if harshly judged by our fellows. If an enlightened conscience does I'.ot condemn, fallible human judgmcnt should not greatly -depress us. We should value human jnclgment, not overvalue it. Rightly estimatecl, it is under such conditions "a very small thing;" under all conditions, a very small thing compared with the judgment of God. To our own Master we stand or fall. So fallible is human jud1:,'lD.ent that often the best men have been counted the worst, and the worst the best. II. REFLECT THAT DIVINE JUDGMENT IS INFALLIBLE. That jndgment will be exercised upon us and all around us when the Lord comes; or rather, that judgment is now being exercised, and then will be declared. The day of the Lord will be a day of universal and infalliblejndgment. Wheu the Lord comes: 1. Hidden things of darkness will be brought into the light. So much is hidden from us ; nothing will be hidden from him. We judge from part; he sees all. No darkness can hide from him; no hiding can baffle him. 2. There will be heart-revelation. How carefully veiled the heart often is now! How different the counsels of the heart fro.:n the expressions of the lips and the actions of the band! Heart-revelation must bring widespread condemnation. Yet may we not say also that often, if we had known the counsels of the heart, we should have more favourably estimated the conduct? The whole man will be disclosed at the day •of the Lord. 3. There will be award. Praise will be administered-" due praise; " for .so the rendering might be. Therefore valuable, for unmerited praise isof nothing worth. When God judges, the result will not be all condemnation by any means. There will be praise as well as blame--" due ·praise," and, let us not forget, "due blame." The reference, however, is not to our salvation, but to God's judgment of our conduct as his ,servants. Live for the judgment of "the day of the Lord," not for the judgment of "man's day" (for so "man's judgment" may be rendered). The one "a. small thing" indeed! The other how great I When the Lord comes, some praised of men will be censured, and not a few blamed of men will bo praised.-H.
Ver. 7.-0ur indebtedness to God. I. REFLECT UPO~ THE FACT. Are apt to forget it altogether. So anomaly is often presented of our quarrelling over "possessions" which do not belong to us, and boasting of that to which we have no title. The air we breathe, the world we dwell upon, our food, clothing, and shelter, our "prosperity'' a~ we fondly call it,-these things are lent to us by God. So also our powers-yea, our very existence is not of ourselves, but of God. If we were to have taken away from ourselves all that we have received through the free benevolence of God, what would be left 1 Our salvation, our spiritual joys, our glad prospects, are also of him. II. DUE REMEMBRANCE OF OUR JNDi,;DTEDNESS WILL HELP TO CHECK PRIDE. \Ve are apt to regard things as though we had not received them-as though they were our own in some other sense than as received from God. 'l'hus we become proud of our attain- ments and belongings, and glory in ourselves as possessors, if not originators, and not in -Ood. For the luxury of boasting we easily delude ourselves. A gracious recollection -of the actual state of the case should do something in the way of shaking the throne of ,conceit and vain-glory. Pride is great folly as well ns great sin, and when we indulge in it we have to smother our common sense. And of all pride, "spiritual pride" is the most reprehensible and the most absurd. III. DUE REMEMBRANCE OF OUR INDEilTEDNESS MAY INCLrnE US TO USE ARIGHT WHAT 'WE HAVE RECEIVED. Instead of pride, we should feel responsibility. Instead of boasting, we should desire to employ wisely and well the Divine benefaction. 'l'he things which we han1\le, see, and have, are not ours, but God's. \Ve are stewards, a.ud TIIE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE COilINTHIAKS. [en. 1v. 1-21.
prcfently shall ha,·e to give an account of our stewardship. ,vc should ask, For what are these things giYen? What does God wish us to do with them 'I IV. DuE Til~~11::Mma::S-CE OF Ol'R Il-D1'1\TED::-IESS \\'ILL TEND TO JNSPJr.E GRATITUDE AND LOYE. He distinguislies us by his bounty. All we receive is of pure benevolence• we ha,·e done no work f,,r it, we ha,·e not merited it. If only a littlo had been withl;cld \\'e should hin-e !iYcd in misery. Our joy and usefulness are dependent upon Divin~ gift. ·we thus get glimpses of the love of God, and, as he has first loved us, we should also love him. V. DuE REMEMBRANCE OF OUR INDEBTEDNESS WILL TEND TO QUICKEN FAITH. How much God !,as done for us! We have not to trust for that! It hss come to pass. And will not the Unchangeable continue to help us and to supply all our need? We have the promises, and the past tells us of no broken promise. Past experience should speak death to present doubt and fear.-H.