sparks in the hearts of the heathen. For I reflect on what the Lord says, "Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" and on the question of Paul, "Is God not also the God of the Gentiles? "1 Yes, of the Gentiles also." Some altars are built of rough and unhewn, and others of polished, stone. Some bear the inscription, To the unknown God; others to the known. My devotion warms, and good thoughts crowd into my mind, when I read the beautiful testimony which one of the sages of ancient heathenism2 bears to the conscience. He says: "This is the law which no one can resist, of which no particular clause can be cancelled, and which, as a whole, can never be disannulled. From it no magistracy upon earth, no national decree, can give exemption. It needs no interpreter, and is not one thing at Rome and another at Athens, one thing now and something else hereafter. It is ever one and the same, eternal and unalterable, embracing all nations and ages. And He who is the great Lord and Sovereign of the universe is its maker and interpreter. Whosoever disobeys it flies from himself and subverts his human nature, thereby undergoing the severest of all penalties, although he may escape whatever else is reckoned penal." I have the same feelings when one of their old poets speaks of the "laws which descend from on high-which took not their birth from man's mortal nature—which oblivion will never cover, and in which reigns a great God who never grows old."4

3

When I read such testimonies from the mouth of those whom we call the blinded heathen, I cannot but think that Paul's words will one day be fulfilled, and that the circumcision which has hid its bright and beautiful light beneath a bushel, shall be judged by the uncircumcision which has made its little spark to shine forth in so edifying a manner in the eyes of all the world.

I listen with holy awe to witnesses so grave and reverend ; for, from the forcible testimony which they bear to the power

1 Rom. iii. 29.

3 Sophocles.

* Cicero.

4 Rom. ii. 14, 15, 27.

of conscience in the human breast, what can be more evident than that it is the cloud above the ark of the covenant, out of which the Lord of hosts Himself addresses the children of men, and preaches to them of truth and righteousness? 1

the other hand, how great a contrast it seems, when a saint like Paul, though conscious of nothing blameworthy in his conduct, does not on that account reckon himself justified, and will trust only to the judgment of the Lord! To the same effect the apostle John writes, "If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things."2 Now, doubtless, it is a weighty doctrine that man should yield his entire confidence to no voice of God other than that which addresses him from His revealed Word. For who could rehearse all the dreadful extravagances of fanaticism, and the proud and foolish thoughts into which they who have trusted solely to their conscience have fallen? The truth is, that although the voice of conscience be nothing else than the voice of the Lord of hosts, still, in order to hear it aright, man requires previously to possess a spiritual ear, and that is a gift of divine grace through the Holy Spirit; or it may also be said that conscience is the handwriting of the Lord, which it needs a spiritual eye to read. They have invented a kind of ink to write with, but the writing does not become visible until subjected to a certain degree of heat. It is the same with that law which God has inscribed on the tablet of the heart. So long as the flesh attempts, in its own strength, to read it, how laborious is the task! We cannot discover the meaning and put into it pure falsehoods. The word becomes distinct and legible to the reader's eye only when, through the grace of God, the fire of the Holy Spirit is applied to his heart. But, ah me! when that is done, how the letters of the writing, which was before invisible, begin to live and stir! It becomes bright and radiant to the sight, and can no longer be disputed away. Not without cause, therefore, does the apostle Paul, when wishing to lay special weight upon his words, 2 I John, iii. 20.

1 Exod. xxviii. 30.

distrust the testimony of his weak human conscience and prefer thus to write: "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost."1

For how many thousand souls, especially in these times, has the Father of lies set a fatal net and snare, by darkening and hiding beneath a bushel the truth which is so highly necessary, and so pre-eminently important, for every Christian to know; I mean, the truth that every conscience remains a blind leader of the blind, so long as it is unenlightened by the Holy Ghost, and has not taken for its rule the revealed Word of God! It is notorious to all the world that the Father of lies is a great logician; but he is also, it appears, a fine poet, for he has composed many a tinselled proverb, such as

Hear'st thou God's inward call? obey, nor fear,
However high it points thy bold career.

At last, however, it has turned out that the call came from the lying spirit of pride. And again—

"In the heart's longing know the voice of fate."

In the end, however, the heart only ran to where it was
attracted by the lust of the flesh or by mammon. It is thus
that Beelzebub has got for himself a court-dress, that he may
make his appearance in good society. O foolish Christians!
if you will not listen to the wise Solomon when he tells you
that "he that trusteth his own heart is a fool," 2 or to the
Psalmist when he says that "all men are liars,'
"3 at least
attend to what one of your own prophets has most wisely
averred :-

Not every voice, I find, is to be trusted,
That whispers its monitions in the heart.
The lying spirit, to deceive mankind,

Oft feigns the accents of fair truth herself,
And scatters his false oracles around.

No doubt the old oracles cheated many a one, when as yet

1 Rom. ix, 1.

2 Prov. xxviii. 26.

3 Psalm cxvi. II.

there was no Word of God in the world. The pity is that they should still keep men in leading-strings in these days when a merciful God has vouchsafed to us the Word of truth, that sure testimony which makes wise the simple.1 Ye great saints who wear the mask so well, and present to yourselves so large a register of your virtues, would that God would give you grace to see what manner of spirit it is which scatters its oracles so plentifully in your bosom; whether it be the Spirit of truth, of which it is written that it reproves the world of sin, or the spirit of lies! For myself, when I give heed to what my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Ghost, says, all I can hear is that it rehearses the reckoning which God has written out for me in His Word, "Thou shalt have no other God before me." And then says: "Lo, O man, this is what thou art bound to do. Thou oughtest to fear, and love, and honour none but me. Thou oughtest always to put thy trust in me alone, and in every case rely on my goodness. Of all this, however, thou doest the contrary. Thou art at enmity with me. Thou lovest all other things more than me. Thou dost not believe in me with thy whole heart, but art every moment in doubt, and puttest thy confidence in other things."

Lord Jesus, as my natural blindness is so great, I implore of Thee with my whole heart that by Thy holy Word Thou wouldst evermore kindle within me the fire of Thy Spirit, in order that I may more clearly recognise such parts of Thy law as nature has written in my heart. Keep me, gracious God, from the temptations and seductions of my own natural mind, and let Thy holy Word be the sole light of my feet.

1 Psalm xix. 8.

9.

Blessed is he whose Sin is covered.

Whoever would his ways amend,
Must first be good within,
Therefore thine utmost efforts bend
To cleanse thy heart from sin.

Thou deem'st good works the proper plan
To make thee all thou ought'st to be,
And so the tailor makes his man;

But yet, my friend, I always see,

Unless a man have other worth, that scarce
A fool will stop to look what clothes he wears.

PSALM XXXii. A Psalm of David.-Verse 1. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."

L'

ET other men rejoice in other things; my joy-a joy which never fails-is this, that in the sight of God my sin is covered. So long as it remained uncovered, I could feel no confidence in presenting myself before Him. I was like one on whose person vice had imprinted its mark, and who is fain to hide his face from the public gaze. Even so, I

felt ashamed to be seen of God. To him who knows how great a disfiguration sin is, nothing seems so sad as to hear men congratulating themselves on account of some mean and paltry advantage they may possess, while they are totally unconcerned about the fact that "their sin is not covered."

Verses 2-4.

"Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.”