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I will do thus and thus: I will speak for God in all places: I will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Then I will redeem the time. I will use to the uttermost every talent I haye received.' Do not believe thyself. Thou wilt not do it then, unless thou docst it now. "He that is faithful in that which is little," of whatsoever kind it be, whether it be worldly substance, or the fear or love of God, "will be faithful in that which is much." But if thou now hidest one talent in the earth, thou wilt then hide five: that is, if ever they are given; but there is small reason to expect they ever will. Indeed "unto him that hath," that is, uses what he hath, "shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly. But from him that hath not," that is, uses not the grace which he hath already received, whether in a larger or smaller degree, "shall be taken away even that which he hath."

27. And take no thought for the temptations of tomorrow. This also is a dangerous snare. Think not, 'When such a temptation comes, what shall I do? how shall I stand? I feel I have not power to resist : I am not able to conquer that enemy.' Most true: you have not now the power which you do not now stand in need of. You are not able at this time to conquer that enemy; and at this time he does not assault you. With the grace you have now, you could not withstand the temptations which you have not. But when the temptation comes, the grace will come. In greater trials you will have greater strength. When sufferings abound, the consolations of God will, in the same proportion, abound also, So that in every situation, the grace of God will be sufficient for you. He doth not suffer you "to be tempted" today, "above that ye are able to bear:" and "in every temptation he will make a way to escape." "As thy days, so thy strength shall be."

28. "Let the morrow," therefore, "take thought for the things of itself;" that is, when the morrow comes, then think of it. Live thou today. Be it thy carnest care to improve the present hour. This is your own; and it is your all. The past is as nothing, as though it had never been. The future is nothing to you: it is not yours; perhaps it never will be. There is no depending on what is yet to come; for you "know not what a day may bring forth." Therefore, live today: lose not an hour: use this moment; for it is your portion. "Who knoweth the things which have been before him, or which shall be after him under the

sun?" The generations that were from the beginning of the world, where are they now? Fled away: forgotten. They were; they lived their day; they were shook off the carth, as leaves off their trees: they mouldered away into common dust! Another and another race succeeded; then they "followed the generation of their fathers, and shall never more see the light." Now is thy turn upon the earth. "Rejoice, O young man, in the days of thy youth!" Enjoy the very, very now, by enjoying Him; "whose years fail not." Now let thine eye be singly fixed on Him, "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning!" Now give Him thy heart; now stay thyself on Him: now be thou holy, as he is holy! Now lay hold on the blessed opportunity of doing his acceptable and perfect will! Now "rejoice to suffer the loss of all things, so thou mayest win Christ!"

29. Gladly suffer today, for his name's sake, whatsoever he permits this day to come upon thee. But look not at the sufferings of tomorrow. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Evil it is, speaking after the manner of men ; whether it be reproach or want, pain or sickness; but in the language of God, all is blessing: it is a precious balm, prepared by the wisdom of God, and variously dispensed among his children, according to the various sicknesses of their souls. And he gives in one day, sufficient for that day; proportioned to the want and strength of the patient. If, therefore, thou snatchest today, what belongs to the tomorrow; if thou addest this to what is given thee already, it will be more than thou canst bear : this is the way not to heal, but to destroy thy own soul. Take, therefore, just as much as he gives thee today: today, do and suffer his will! Today, give up thyself, thy body, soul, and spirit to God, through Christ Jesus; desiring nothing, but that God may be glorified in all thou art, all thou doest, all thou sufferest; seeking nothing, but to know God, and his Son Jesus Christ, through the eternal Spirit; pursuing nothing, but to love him, to serve him, and to enjoy him at this hour, and to all eternity!

Now unto God the Father, who hath made me and all the world; unto God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind; unto God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God; be honour and praise, majesty and dominion, for ever and ever! Amen.

SERMON XXX.

UPON OUR LORD'S SERMON ON THE

MOUNT.

DISCOURSE X.

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

"And why beholdest thou the mote that it is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? "Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

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"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

"For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

“Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

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If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets.' Matt. vii. 1-12.

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1. OUR blessed Lord, having now finished his main design, having first delivered the sum of true Religion, carefully guarded against those glosses of men, whereby they would make the Word of God of none effect; and having next laid down Rules touching that right Intention, which we are to preserve in all outward actions; now proceeds to point out the main Hinderances of this religion, and concludes all with a suitable application.

2. In the fifth chapter, our great Teacher has fully described inward religion in its various branches. He has there laid before us those dispositions of soul, which constitute real Christianity; the tempers contained in that holiness, "without which no man shall see the Lord;" the affections, which, when flowing from their proper fountain, from a living faith in God through Christ Jesus, are intrinsically and essentially good, and acceptable to God. In the sixth he hath shown how all our actions, likewise, even those that are indifferent in their own nature, may be made holy, and good, and acceptable to God, by a pure and holy Intention. Whatever is done without this, he declares is of no value with God: whereas, whatever outward works are thus consecrated to God, are, in his sight, of great price.

3. In the former part of this chapter, he points out the most common and most fatal hinderances of this holiness: in the latter, he exhorts us, by various motives, to break through all, and secure that prize of our high calling.

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4. The first Hinderance he cautions us against is Judging. Judge not, that ye be not judged." Judge not others, that ус be not judged of the Lord; that ye bring not vengeance on your own heads. "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again: "-a plain and equitable rule, whereby God permits you to determine for yourselves, in what manner he shall deal with you in the judgment of the great day.

5. There is no station of life, nor any period of time, from the hour of our first repenting and believing the Gospel, till we are made perfect in love, wherein this caution is not needful for every child of God. For occasions of judging can never be wanting; and the temptations to it are innumerable, many whereof are so artfully disguised, that we fall into the sin, before we suspect any danger. And unspeakable are the mischiefs produced hereby, always to him that judges another; thus wounding his own soul, and exposing himself to the

righteous judgment of God;-and frequently to those who are judged, whose hands hang down, who are weakened and hindered in their course, if not wholly turned out of the way, and caused to draw back even to perdition. Yea, how often, when this root of bitterness springs up, are many defiled thereby;" by reason whereof the way of truth itself is evil spoken of, and that worthy name blasphemed whereby we are called.

6. Yet it does not appear that our Lord designed this caution only, or chiefly, for the children of God; but rather for the children of the world, for the men who know not God. These cannot but hear of those who are not of the world; who follow after the Religion above described; who endeavour to be humble, serious, gentle, merciful, and pure in heart; who earnestly desire such measures of these holy tempers as they have not yet attained, and wait for them in doing all good to all men, and patiently suffering evil. Whoever go but thus far, cannot be hid, no more than "a city set upon a hill." And why do not those who "see their good works, glorify their Father which is in heaven?" What excuse have they for not treading in their steps ?—for not imitating their example, and being followers of them, as they are also of Christ? Why, in order to provide an excuse for themselves, they condemn those whom they ought to imitate. They spend their time in finding out their neighbour's faults, instead of amending their own. They are so busied about others going out of the way, that themselves never come into it at all; at least, never get forward; never go beyond a poor dead form of godliness, without the power.

7. It is to these more especially that our Lord says, "Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; "-the infirmities, the mistakes, the imprudence, the weakness of the children of God;-" but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Thou considerest not the damnable impenitence, the satanic pride, the accursed self-will, the idolatrous love of the world, which are in thyself, and which make thy whole life an abomination to the Lord. Above all, with what supine carelessness and indifference art thou dancing over the mouth of hell! And "how then," with what grace, with what decency or modesty, "wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye;"-the excess of zeal for God, the extreme of self-denial, the too great disengagement from worldly cares and employments, the desire to be

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