III.  Knowing ourselves fallible, it becomes us to maintain a jealousy over ourselves, and be constantly on our guard.  We should consider, that though we do not sin wilfully, and our own hearts do not condemn us, yet we are not hereby justified.  We are conscious that we have often, erred, and made wrong conclusions, when we did not design to leave the right way.  We are liable to do the same again.  Our eye should therefore be to God for direction and guidance—­“That which I know not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.”

This is the more necessary, because “the light which is in us may have become darkness.”  For there are those who “put darkness for light and light for darkness.”  Those with whom this is the case know it not; they flatter themselves and cry peace.  “To the pure, all things are pure; but to them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”  This often happens to those who for a time yield to temptation and go in to the ways of sin; they contract false principles, and judge by them, and probably sometimes live and die under the deceptive influence of their darkening power.  None would dare to plead before the bar of Christ, that they were his disciples, “and had eat and drank in his presence,” had they not been deceived into false views of duty, and mistaken apprehensions of the conditions of acceptance with him.

Judging well of ourselves doth not ensure justification at the bar of heaven.  Our judgments of ourselves may be erroneous.  If they are so, they will be reversed.  We shall “be judged out of the books, according to our works;” not according to our false and deceitful views. I know nothing by myself, yet, am I not hereby justified.  For not he that commandeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

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SERMON XVI.

Characters will be disclosed, and Justice awarded.

1 Corinthians iv. 5.

“—­Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both wilt bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall everyman have praise of God.”

St. Paul having professed himself a minister of Christ, and steward of the mysteries of God, acknowledged the obligations of fidelity, and disclaimed anxious concern respecting the opinion entertained of him by his fellow men, because the Lord was his judge, here adds a caution, reprehensive of the censorious spirit of the Corinthians, who seem to have listened to his enemies, and given into their suspicions of the apostle. Therefore judge nothing before the time—­

In the text we observe a caution against rash judging the characters of men—­a declaration that they will be known when the Lord comes —­and that some things commendable will then be found in all—­then shall every man have praise of God.  We observe—­