many strict injunctions, over and above what the law required, and severely exacted obedience thereto from others, but did not observe the least part thereof themselves.

2. What good things they did were only for ostentation, to be seen of men.

3. They ambitiously affected titles, vain applause, and the precedency at entertainments.

4. They hid their crying sins under the colourable appearance of virtues, and pretended to holiness, that they might sin with less suspicion and more security. These our Saviour compares to whited sepulchres, that within are full of dead men's bones and rottenness.

5. They were exact in light matters, they tithed mint and cummin, but neglected the substantial duties they were zealous in the outward parts of religious worship, and neglected righteousness and mercy.

6. These hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees affected a great deal of respect to the ancient prophets, and pretended to disallow what their fathers did to them, and yet were as ready to practise the like themselves to Christ and his apostles. you seen any like

Behold this picture!

it in our days?

Have

The effectual means to cure Hypocrisy, is a steadfast belief of the pure and all-seeing eye of God; who sees sin wherever it is, and will bring it into judgment. A hypocrite may hide his sin from the eyes of others, and sometimes from his own conscience, but he can never impose upon God. The steadfast belief of this truth will cause frequent and solemn thoughts of God, as our Inspector and Judge: Our Saviour makes use of it as an argument against hypocrisy. "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid that shall not be known."

CHAPTER VIII.

"In this on Earth would I appear,
Then go to Heaven and wear it there;
GOD will approve it in his sight,

'Tis his own work and his delight."

Children's Divine Song.

THE BEAUTIFUL GARMENT AN ETERNAL EXCELLENCY-AN ADORNING HERE, AND AN EVERLASTING ORNAMENT IN THE WORLD TO COME.

WE have already seen that every sincere believer in Jesus Christ is invested with the "garments of salvation" and adorned with the beautiful robe of the Redeemer's righteousness. This "adorning" is not outward in the "putting on of apparel," but "that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." As JOB, in his own vindication, said, "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem."

Every believer too is anxious to observe those admonitions with which the Giver of the garment accompanied the bestowment of the gift,-" to keep himsef unspotted from the world."-" Let thy garments be always white."—" Blessed is he

that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."-" He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment."-Those "which have not defiled their garments; they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy."

Sometimes, for he is in a polluted and a polluting world, he may, by not being watchful, stain his soul with sin: but in that case he does not cover it, or wait for time to help him to forget it. He knows what is written for a case like his. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." And knowing that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," in the words of the royal penitent he cries, "wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.-Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow."

Yes there is always this difference between the real and pretended child of God; while the latter is satisfied to let his pollutions remain, the former is never satisfied until they are cleansed away; and until he hears the voice of his Lord

saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him. Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." Thus he gives them, when penitent, "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,” and calls on them again to arise and "put on their beautiful garments."

And thus has the blessed God provided that his children shall walk before him in righteousness and true holiness all the days of their life. Happy they who do not soil their garments; who neither taste, touch, or handle, the pollutions of the world. They present a lovely spectacle in the sight of God. He will keep them in all their ways, and by the guardian ministry of his holy angels preserve them from all real harm. Trials and troubles they, like others, may have, but unto his heavenly kingdom will he keep them. The garments of salvation with which he has adorned them, it is beyond the power of man to take from them. The damp and dirt of dungeons cannot soil them, neither can the fires of persecution singe them. Death himself cannot strip them. Arrayed in these they enter the invisible world, and stand with honour before the throne of God.