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all is that direction necessary, " Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation."]

5. Live wholly in dependence on the power and grace of Christ

[Without this, all our other efforts will be fruitless. All "our fresh springs are in Christ," "without whom we can do nothing." Except he keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain." Let us then "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." Then, though weak, "we shall be able to do all things;" and, though fiercely assaulted, we shall be "more than conquerors."]

CCCCIX. THE DANGER OF FALSE CONFIDENCE.

Hos. viii. 2, 3. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

THERE is not a more intimate connexion between any two things than between sin and misery. However specious an appearance any hypocrite may make in the world, God, who sees his heart, will sooner or later detect and punish his hypocrisy. The Israelites on different occasions professed to repent, and to return to God: but they were" as a deceitful bow," that effected not the purpose for which they seemed to be bent: on which account God commanded the Prophet to "set the trumpet to his mouth," and to proclaim their speedy destruction. The Prophet's testimony is then confirmed by God himself in the words before us: in which we may see I. What confidence is often possessed by hypocrites

[Those who are far from being upright before God, have often a strong confidence respecting their acceptance with him: they will claim God as their God: they will say to him, "We know thee;" exactly as if they were living in the most intimate habits of communion with him. Such were the Jews in the wilderness, and such the Pharisees in our Lord's time:b and such perhaps are some amongst ourselves.

But their confidence differs widely from that of the sincere: theirs for the most part is a bold, presumptuous persuasion, that

Ps. Ixxviji. 35—37.

b John viii. 33, 39, 41, 42.

will admit no doubt at all: while that of the godly is accompanied with a holy fear and jealousy, lest they should deceive themselves: theirs is founded on God's decrees, together with their own past experience; while that of the godly rather rests on the general promises which are made to sinners, and on the present conformity of their state to the mind and will of God,

Generally speaking too, the confidence of hypocrites is less subject to fluctuation than that of the sincere, because Satan will do all he can to cherish the one, while he exerts himself to the utmost to weaken and destroy the other.]

But however strong men's professions may be, we see in the text

II. What notice God takes of their hypocrisy

[Those who are "hypocrites in heart" may yet under certain circumstances make a fair profession of religion: they may far outstrip the sincere, so as to become objects of envy and admiration to them. The very confidence which they possess is calculated to bear them up, and to make them "ride, as it were, on the high places of the earth;" while the more timid are slowly walking in the valley of humility, But that which is the cause of their progress, is also the occasion of their decline; just as our Lord himself describes it in the case of the stony-ground hearers.

After the first impulse of novelty has ceased to operate, they begin to decline: like a bowl cast out of the hand with force, they proceed in a right direction for a little time, but soon yielding to the inward bias of their nature, they depart from the line of duty, till they finally rest at a distance from God. Sometimes their declension is only secret; they retain the form of godliness without its power: sometimes it is open, and they "cast off" with contempt the principles and conduct which they once professed to venerate.

But whether their departure be open or secret, God infallibly discerns it, and marks their hypocrisy under its most specious guise.]

Amidst their security, the text informs us

III. What awful danger awaits them

[God forewarned the hypocritical Israelites that the Assyrians should" pursue them," and "avenge the quarrel of his covenant." And wherever men deal deceitfully with him, they shall assuredly be pursued and overtaken by the wrath of God, This is repeatedly and strongly affirmed in the holy

"The seed sprang up forthwith, because it had no deepness of earth;" and it was soon scorched and destroyed from the very same reason. Matt. xiii. 5, 6, 20, 21.

scriptures: and it will be verified to the eternal disgrace of those who have belied their profession, and to the utter astonishment of those who had given them credit for their sincerity.* The pleas which may then be urged by the hypocrites themselves, will be of no avail: the secrets of their hearts will be made manifest: and the most signal judgments will be execu ted upon them."]

APPLICATION

1. Let us examine well the grounds of our confidence [It is a great mercy to have confidence towards God, provided it be founded on the word of God, and accompanied with a consistent conduct. But it is inexpressibly awful to deceive ourselves. Let us then bring our experience to the touchstone of God's word; and beg of God to search and try us to the uttermost.']

2. Let us endeavour to maintain a close walk with God

[How solemnly did our Lord warn his own disciples to "beware of hypocrisy," that cursed leaven that is so apt to defile our souls! Let us then look well, not to our actions only, but to our motives and principles of action; lest, while we profess to know God, we in works, or in spirit, deny him.""]

66

d Job xxxvi. 13, & xxvii. 8, 9. f Matt. vii. 22, 23.

Their judgments are

Matt. xxiv. 51.

Isaiah viii. 20.

m Luke xii. 1.

a Job xx. 4-7.

g 1 Cor. iv. 5.

represented as the most severe of any:

i Heb. iii. 6. 1 John iii. 20, 21.

1 Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24.

n Tit. i. 16.

CCCCX. AGAINST SELF-CONFIDENCE,

1 Cor. x. 12. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

THE things which are recorded in the holy scriptures are written, not for the entertainment, but for the real improvement, of our minds. Doubtless, as gratifying our curiosity, there is no book under heaven so interesting as the Bible: but as exhibiting what must be realized in our own experience, as shewing us our duties and our difficulties, our helps and our remedies,

our punishments and our rewards, it claims, infinitely beyond all other books, our unremitting attention. In this view the Apostle, having mentioned the misconduct of the Israelites in the wilderness, and the destruction which they brought upon themselves by means of it, founds upon their history this solemn admonition; "therefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall."

From these words we may learn

I. That all, even the most eminent, are liable to fall [The most distinguished characters of antiquity have fallen3They have betrayed their weakness in those very points, wherein their eminence chiefly consisted"———Who then amongst us will presume to say, "I am in no danger of falling?"}

II. That the more self-confident we are, the more likely we are to fall

[Self-confidence naturally emboldens us to rush into temptation--And necessarily provokes God to leave us to ourselves——-By means of the former, our occasions of falling are greatly multiplied: by means of the latter, our ability to stand is utterly withdrawn---God, for his own honour's sake, is concerned to let us fall, in order that we may know and confess, that our sufficiency for any good thing is derived from him alone]

III. That, if we would be kept from falling, we must look well to our steps

[As in a slippery path peculiar caution is required, and an inattention to our steps will probably issue in some painful accident, so more.especially is it necessary to use circumspection in the path of duty. Who can tell the snares and tempta

a Noah, Gen. vi. 9. with ix. 21. Lot, 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8. with Gen. xix. 33—36. David, Acts xiii. 22. with 2 Sam xi. 4, 5, 15. Solomon, (who was called Jedediah, the beloved of the Lord, 2 Sam. xii. 24, 25.) 1 Kin. xi. 19.

Abraham, Rom. iv. 20. with Gen. xii. 12, 13, and xx. 2, 11. Job, Jam. v. 11. with Job iii. 3, Moses, Numb. xii. 3. with xx. 10, 11. Jeremiah, Jer. ix. 1. with xx. 8, 9. Paul, Acts xx. 24. with xviii. 9, 10. when he seems to have been struck with a panic.

e John iv. 14. and 1 Pet 1.23. shew the proper qualities and tendency of grace; but do not at all affect what the scriptures elsewhere affirm to be the tendency of our inherent corruption.

We have a striking example of this in Peter, who to gratify his curiosity went into the midst of his enemies, and was then left to experience his own weakness Matt. xxvi. 58, 74.

Thus he acted towards the Israelites, Deut. i. 42-44.

tions that beset us? Who can tell what may be the consequences of any step we take? Who can reflect on all the circumstances that arose from one single glance of David's eye, and not feel himself exposed to continual danger? The most important events of our lives may be traced to some trivial cause, some matter of pure indifference: and events, equally or more important, perhaps no less than the everlasting salvation of our souls, may depend on the very next step we take. Surely then we should in "all things be circumspect:"f we should "take heed to our ways;" we should walk in an humble dependence on God for direction and support; we should cry to him continually "Hold thou up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not."]

We shall conclude this subject with a few words of

ADVICE

1. To those who are offended at the falls of others

[Many, when they see a professor of religion act amiss, are ready to impute his misconduct to the gospel itself, as though Christianity were only a cloke for hypocrites. But, considering the temptations that surround us, and the corruptions that are within us, it is rather a wonder that any stand, than that some should fall. We mean not to justify, or to extenuate, the sins of any: but we desire that religion should not be represented as promoting that, which it utterly condemns. Let the blame fall on those who merit it, and not be cast indiscriminately on all who profess godliness. Let Judas, be branded as a traitor; but let not the odium of his offence attach to all the other apostles, and to their divine Master.]

2. To those who are endeavouring to walk uprightly before God

[It is of considerable use to persons when walking on slippery ground, to have hold of each other, that if one slip, the other may afford him immediate assistance. Many falls and bruises have been escaped by these means. Thus it is of great importance to Christians to walk together in love, each helping to support his neighbour, and receiving help from others in the time of need. Let all then watch over one another with a godly jealousy. If one fall, let others endeavour instantly, in meekness, to raise him up. Above all, let every one know in whom his strength is; and pray continually, " Hold thou me up and I shall be safe."k

"Now to him, who is able to keep us from falling, &c. be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.""]

Exod. xxiii. 13.
Gal. vi. 1.

* Ps. xvii. 5.

k Ps. cxix. 117.

Eccl. iv. 9, 10. 1 Jude xxiv. 25.

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