carry this indulgence of their bodily appetites. They will like the Pharisee of old, even thank God that they are not as other men, drunkards, profane swearers, sabbath breakers, dishonest in their dealings, that they are men of honour, worthy citizens, benefactors to their poorer brethren by their own luxurious living. But the living God judgeth righteously—and while it belongs not to men to judge each other, the prerogative is his, who seeth the heart, and judgeth not by the outward appearance. And when the individual soul is not really engaged in seeking the salvation of Christ, through his cross, not

intent upon that greatest and highest end-that

power and dominion over the soul, the more secret its dwelling-place in the heart. Such an idol is the love of self, and self-seeking. This evil principle is most deeply rooted in the human heart. Not more natural to us is it even to breathe, in a bodily sense, than it is to seek honour to ourselves, self-exaltation, and to seek it the one from the other. Sin has cast out from the soul the knowledge of God. We act, even in all things, following our natural dispositions, even as if there were no God. It is very awful to consider the extent of rebellion against God, to which sin has led us. It has made us desirous and eager to grasp to ourselves the honour which is due to him alone. We put ourselves in the place of God! God indeed is gracious. Through Jesus Christ, by him crucified, he offers to raise us up, to bring us to true honour, by delivering us from our sins, by renewing us in the spirit of our minds, by sanctifying us to himself, and by fitting us for glory, and honour, and eternal life with himself in heaven. For this end Christ came. For this end he is freely offered to each one in the gospel. But, alas, the heart seeks honour in a very different way. We seek and receive honour one of another, and rest in that as if it were our chief good. This is idolatry of selfit is self-worship. It is the most insidious form of a spiritual idolatry. How wide-spread, how powerful, in its operation is this idolatry of self! How extensively are the customs, and manners, and fashions of this world, and its maxims, based upon this, as their very principle. What are all the maxims, and what men call their laws of honour and of fashion, but a practical and wide-spread

one thing needful, as its own highest and most habitual aim; but intent on these sensual ends, it may escape one idol, it may even resist the love of money as its immediate object, but devoting worldly gains to the satisfying of the flesh, fulfilling the lusts thereof and glorying in that end, it glories in its shame-in that which degrades, and stupifies, and pollutes the soul even herethis other idol the satisfying of the flesh, is set up, it receives the homage due to God; and thus continuing to walk, the end must be destruction. Learn, O my soul, in the believing view of the cross of Christ, to flee such lusts, such base idolatry, such soul-destroying habits, and to live above the world in communion with the glorious Redeemer, even in things lawful, but which are not expedient. Learn, that the friendship of the world in this spirit of mind, is enmity with God. The soul cannot prosper, unless overcoming such snares of the wicked one, whereby he lies in wait to deceive. May divine grace enable me to walk circum- manifestation of this sin; not indeed a willing spectly.

TWELFTH DAY.-MORNING.

'How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?' John v. 44.

¡ERE is another idol set up, and demanding, alas, receiving, the honour and glory due to God alone. The individual soul may escape many of the outward pollutions that are in the world through list. It may imagine itself, to have overcome many of these, or under impressions and belief of the truth as it is in Christ, to be contending against then, while still there may be another idol, very rise-shrouded in the soul, lying concealed in the Teey of the heart, and yet the more reserved, that it is the more secret, and exercising more

confession of it, but a stout-hearted avowal, that men prefer their own honour, and the receiving of it, one from another, to the honour that cometh from God only.

Did we look to this in the exercise of a spiritual understanding, we could not but see it as the spiritual leprosy of the soul, separating those who are under its power from the communion of saints, and from all true communion with God. The Lord Jesus proclaims what the spiritual homage is, which is due to God. He was himself, in his own spotless and perfect life upon earth, a perfect example of what it is to render this homage, and love, and obedience to God. He sought not, he received not, honour from men. He took all that honour at its true value—esteeming it as nothing, and as worse than vanity. He showed this example to men. He propounded and taught the truth-the principles upon which this is the true honour of the creature, to be sub

not escape the infliction upon him of the divine | by the cross of Christ against all unrighteousness anger. And surely he is an enemy of the cross of men. of Christ, who rejects this testimony, and is found going on in his trespasses, disregarding the work of God wrought by the Saviour, acting as if this manifestation had never been made or given.

Should one not be sensible of having assumed the name of Christian from any such base motives as are here named, though it is to be feared there are persons who do so, yet if the soul remains under the power of unholy affections, while naming his name, they are the enemies of his cross.

And what a scandalous idol is sensual appetites! How wretched and fallen a state for the rational and immortal soul to be fallen into

But here is the love of God to perishing, guilty sinners, also made known. Here is the "offer of perfect redemption from sin conveyed and brought nigh to the sinner. The Son of God endures the chastisement of iniquity, that by his stripes we might be healed. The gracious design-to have the satisfying of these as the great of his cross, while manifesting the holiness of God, the majesty of his law, is, that he might bring sinners to God, that he might draw them to him. And they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, who oppose this most gracious design, with respect to themselves; and who refuse to seek that grace, which through the sufferings and death of the Saviour on the cross, is now freely offered, that they might be redeemed from all iniquity, and purified, and consecrated to God, a peculiar people, zealous of good works. They are the enemies of the cross of Christ, who are not in, the exercise of their souls, closing with the offers of this abounding and most marvellous grace.

How easy is it to name the name of Christ, to be called a Christian, to be a member of the visible church of Christ, and to be esteemed a Christian in the world! But if we be not brought to the cross of Christ, through faith; if we do not there learn righteousness; if we be not, in the believing view of it, truly made willing to follow the Saviour in the regeneration, to take up our cross and to follow him, who by his own death on the cross purchased for sinners salvation in all its blessings, and now freely offers that salvation to us each one-then are we the enemies of the cross of Christ. And it appears, that the most earthly and low considerations can prompt and induce men, to assume the name of Christians! Many, it is to be feared, know not why, or how they have assumed the name at all. It is customary, it is creditable among men; it is discreditable not to have our name among those who are esteemed Christians. But in the absence of true faith, there are other motives which have influence in the heart. O, my soul, learn thou thine own, and see to them; lest thou too be found an enemy; and while naming the name, the glorious name of the Saviour, remaining under the power of the most unholy, the most debasing sins, which alienate the soul from God, and which incur his displeasure-yea, that anger and wrath revealed

object of desire, that in which the highest enjoyment is sought! This is brutish. Sin has indeed made base fools of men, when it so reduces them to the level of the beasts that perish. How insulting to the Majesty of heaven, to that God, who by the cross of Christ, is showing forth his everlasting love, to thy perishing soul, and offering to make thee an heir of eternal glory in heaven, if thou be found thus denying God, and even forgetting that thou hast a soul! The language of inspiration is clear, and decisive, and plain. And it is true as it is plain, and simple, and forcible. And if deaf to the gospel's voice and entreaties, to the manifestations of his glory and love, who died on the cross to purchase salvation for thee, and thou seeking thy good, and rest, and enjoyment, in the pleasures of sense, in the satisfying of thy bodily appetites from day to day-then, thy god, miserable soul, is thy belly. Thou art not serving the Lord Jesus; thou art not reconciled to God, but an enemy of the cross of Christ. O, how wretched an idol is this, which thou hast set up to thyself in opposition to God, even the God of salvation revealed by the cross of Christ! The end of this must be destruction.

And yet, when we consider this subject, when we see many calling themselves Christians, and esteemed in the world as Christians, taking no delight or pleasure in spiritual objects or duties, but glad and rejoicing in their earthly-their bodily gratifications,-alas, is not the description here given sadly realized. Do they not glory in their indulgences, and pride themselves on their power of gratifying them, and on their success in doing so! It is too true. The world may gloss over this manner of life by names of fancied and proud refinement; but these are God-denying glosses, which cannot bear inspection, even in the sight of men; and how infinitely less in the eyes of an omniscient and holy God. Men are seen valuing themselves, yea, and valuing others too, by the extent to which they can

May divine grace enable me to walk circum- manifestation of this sin; not indeed a willing spectly.

If he had undertaken and offered to raise them into worldly honour in the presence of their fellow-men, in the esteem of the world, then would they have gladly received and followed him. But their hearts being set in them on that self-exaltation only, he informs them, that that principle in their souls, prevailing with them, ruling over them, blinded them to the truth, and prevented them from believing in him, who showed and declared the truth in his own doctrines, and person, and life.

ject to the Father of spirits, and to live for ever. | upon all right perception of spiritual truth, and But those to whom he came, with his doctrines spiritual realities. And into every sphere and conand example, despised and rejected him. They dition of life this vain and guilty idolatry enters. believed him not. They were so shut up from the It is the prevailing sin of the age we live in—the knowledge of the true God, so hardened in their god of this world blinding the eyes of them who own unbelief and earthliness of mind, in their own believe not, and making them to seek this honour carnal pride and self-seeking, that his heavenly to themselves, by some mode of self-exaltation, and docrines were repugnant to their souls, and his conforming themselves to those immediately above heavenly, his meek, his holy example, repulsive to them. It is alone the powerful revelation of their pride; altogether contrary to their desires of faith, that can overcome this in the heart—this self-exaltation. evil power of worldliness and of vanity, and that will bring the soul to see the truth and reality of all that which is brought to light by Jesus Christ, and to follow after that honour that cometh from God, by him-that restoration of the soul to the favour of God, which his righteousness bestows, that deliverance from condemnation which his sufferings have purchased, that restoration to purity of heart, to the love and true filial obedience of God, to which his grace can restore the alienated, earthly, and polluted soul. This prepares the soul for eternal honour and glory with God himself in his kingdom. O! how high the privileges of the children of God. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, says the church, that we should be called the sons of God! Were we truly realizing this through faith, it would conform us practically to the example of the meek and lowly Jesus. It would bring us to self-denial—a practical denying of this self-seeking. The true believing view of Christ would reprove this sad, this heinous spirit of self-idolatry in the soul, and would bring in the love of God into our own hearts; and would crucify us to the world, and the world to us. We would see the vanity of the creature in the knowledge of the Creator's glory, and our heart would be brought to seek the honour that comes from him only. It is dishonour to the soul, it is the worst bondage, to be under the power of this deceiving and false spirit, which puts the creature in the Creator's place. It subjects the soul to eternal shame and ruin. O! may my soul realize this day, what I am, and what are all the objects to which my natural heart would lead me-may I wait upon God for his saving grace and strength, that I may truly seek the honour that cometh from him only, as my only and my all-sufficient portion; and may the knowledge of Christ the Redeemer prevail in my soul, by the ministration of his Spirit with the truth, that I may walk in his light, and feeling myself the creature of God, fallen, indeed, by sin, and become rebellious, yet, invited by the abundance of his tender mercies to be an heir of his kingdom, may I honour him in his sovereignty and his love.

Now, what are professing Christians better than those who are here addressed by the Saviour, while this worldly principle remains unsubdued in the soul? And O how obviously this self-seeking and pride, proclaim itself to have all the vanity and guilt in it, of real idolatry! What could an idol do to bless its blinded worshipper? And what will it avail the soul at death, that we have stood well with the world, with our fellow-men-that they respected, or even honoured us in life, should they have even exalted us to the very summit of earthly glory and praise?

Do I bear about with me an immortal spirit, which is soon to return to God who gave it, the God who only can bless it? And when this my spirit does so return to him, what then avails all the honour that has been rendered to me by mortal men like myself? Will this make my soul acceptable to God? Nay, that I have been seeking honour to myself, and from men-exalting myself this shall abase my soul in his sight, shall condemn me at the judgment, shall leave me there, carrying the mark of God's enemy upon my very spirit, and shall procure the sentence against me of eternal condemnation. And yet, great, deadly, fearful is the power of this destroying idol in the world-what worship of the great, of the noble, of the rich in this world—what seeking of honour to self, by obsequiousness to them! What seeking of something like equality with them, that they should honour us, that we should be honoured by them! This does blind the mind, it hardens the heart, it lays an arrest on the faith of the gospel in the soul,

Let me render honour to whom honour is due | sider it. Time is on the wing, its conclusion is in the world, as his appointment; but realizing nigh-eternity is at hand, when the proud and myself as less than the least of his mercies bestowed upon me, may I seek to be conformed to his will, and not to this world, and as the one thing needful, to be transformed by the renewing of my soul through his grace, to be found in the Saviour, made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.

hardened sinner must appear at the judgmentseat of God—that God to whom he refused to submit, over whom the sinner presumed in his madness to exalt himself, taking to himself the glory due to God alone. These men were found robbing God, to please Herod. It is God who rules over all, and over the princes of the earth, the high and the exalted of this world. He turneth their hearts as the rivers of water. Herod's clemency was of great worldly consequence to those men. It was God who disposed, Herod, to be kindly and forbearing, or perhaps for his own sovereign purposes, the heart of God the glory. They gave it to Herod. He merely just, in this instance. They gave not scrupled not to take it to himself. He encouraged them by this in their blindness and blasphemy. They robbed God. He accepted their robbery. His sin is in a spiritual sense, what is termed in human laws reset of theft. He received the applause-it was grateful incense to his lofty pride. He was willing to be worshipped as God! How fearful is the issue!

How plain and forcible the declaration herein implied, that God will not give his glory to another

that he sees and marks the sins in which this is done, and that he will not let them go unpunished. It is a most unbelieving misimprovement of such intimations as this, to think of them, as if God were changeable, yea, as if he were such a one as ourselves, who may do such acts as this, inflict such punishments as this, in particular instances, or at certain times, or upon certain persons, and not upon all, guilty of the same sin:-that though he so punished Herod, he will deal more leniently with us, and with others. He is the righteous, the holy, the unchangeable God. And these intimations are made to us, as proofs of his hatred of sin, and the certainty of that punishment, which though delayed for a time, is yet sure to overtake it.

And in all the terribleness of Herod's pun

Yet what are even the bodily torments of the wretched Herod, but an indication and sign sent from heaven of that anger due from a righteous God to those who seek their own glory, and who refuse to glorify God? It is in the eternal world, that this wrath, this infinite wrath, is poured forth on the soul, and on the body too, when again at the judgment-day they shall yet be united. The sin of Herod cherished in the heart deserves that wrath. It is committed against an infinite God. It involves infinite guilt. It must be visited with an infinite punishment. Pride goeth before destruction. God resists the proud. And in the dispen-ishment, what do we see, what ought we to learn, sations of his holy providence, God thus warns impenitent sinners of the end that must await them in their course of rebellion against him. 'Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.' This is largely manifested in the world. It is not in this instance only that God by signal judgments from heaven, has rebuked the pride and vain-glory of men. He is long-suffering in his dispensations for most part. But the respite is short, if we duly con

but just the consequences of pride, ambition, and vain-glory. His body is eaten of worms. How sad and revolting the spectacle to flesh and blood! Yet what do all the objects of a worldly ambition, what do all the gratifications of sense, what do all the idols of the worldly and ungodly mind, but turn upon the soul, upon the mind and spirit, and their presence consume its peace, its health, its soundness, and corrode and devour it with bitterness of anguish, when the wretched soul subject to them in life, mad upon its idols,