destined in the counsels of Jehovah for the Lord Jesus to fulfil: it is that of Judge of all mankind at the latter day, when every son and daughter of Adam shall stand before His bar, to “receive the things done in the body," according to that they have done, whether it be good or bad. *

man, but hath unto the Son."

"The Father judgeth no committed all judgment And for the due exe cution of this great office, it is manifest that the Lord must of necessity have been an intimate observer of every heart of man, who has ever breathed the breath of life; as well before His coming in the flesh as after. We can each of us readily perceive, that it would be impossible for full and final justice to be done without a perfect knowledge of the heart: we know full well, that words and actions are no sure test of character; they are all we have to be guided by in passing human judgment, which is only exercised upon notorious and public offences: we do not * 2 Cor. v. 10. †John v. 22.

pretend, in our courts of justice, to assign to any fellow-creature his real merit; only according to his outward observance of the laws of God or man. But in the court of heaven, on the judgment day, every one's real character will be accurately weighed and determined; the state of his mind, his affections, his innermost purpose of soul; and this can only be done by one who has ever been conversant with all: and thus the Apostle describes it, as "the day, when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ."* O my brethren, this consideration may well cast an awe and a care upon us.. The Lord and Master, whom we serve, is to be our just, though merciful Judge; is marking, for this great end, all that. passes within as well as without us: He is, like His own "quick and powerful"; word, "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: neither is there any. creature that is not manifest in His sight:" it may well make us daily cir*Rom. ii. 16. † Heb. iv. 12.

cumspect, hourly watchful. If ever we have seriously thought of our situation at that bar, in the midst of an assembled world, before angels and men, have thought of the vast unspeakable difference between the approval and disapproval, the favour and wrath, the acceptance and rejection of our Judge, it may well make us mindful; and resolved, through God's grace, "to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.". There is no cause for despondency or terror; for the Lord beholds us in mercy, and will be our sure helper and deliverer: but there is cause for sincerity, and watchfulness, and diligence, for the Lord beholds us for judgment. Blessed Lord, grant to us Thy servants grace, that we may be deeply and duly impressed with a sense of Thy perpetual presence in our hearts, of Thy observance of every secret intention and thought; that we may not only acknowledge this great truth, but be daily setting it before us. Lord, that we may never think or desire any thing, that we would not openly

say or do for Thou art our Judge, the only Judge whom we ought to fear; and nothing is hidden from Thine eyes, and every thing laid up for judgment. O that we may never seek or wish to hide any thing from Thee: that we may have the grace to "purify ourselves as Thou art pure," and evermore "to please Thee both in will and deed:" and thus may we alway remember to our comfort that Thou art dwelling within us; in the humble assurance that Thou seest nothing in us but what Thou canst pity and forgive; no hollow-heartedness, no spirit of disobedience, no earthly preferences, no unrepented sin, no wilful habit of evil. O "see if there be wicked way in us,

and lead us in the

any
way everlasting.'

*Psal. cxxxix. 24.

*

SERMON XXIV.

THE ONLY HELP FOR UNBELIEF.

1

MARK ix. 24.

Lord, I believe: help Thou mine unbelief.

THE occasion of these words is exceedingly affecting; every person of tender feeling, especially every parent, will enter deeply into the subject of them. A father had a beloved child, who was a pitiable object; an evil spirit had possessed him, and inflicted upon him a variety of maladies: it was called "a dumb spirit," inasmuch as it had deprived the child of the power of speech, and (as we gather from the 25th verse,) of the power of hearing also: and not only so, but treated the