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At length the time arrives, when the net is drawn to shore and all that is within it, of whatever kind, must be brought to light and view. "For we must

all appear before the judgment seat of God, to receive according to the things done in the body, whether it be good or bad." 6 "The sea gives up her dead." The net surrenders all that it contains. "The Son of man is set upon the throne of his glory, and before him are assembled all nations." & And in many passages of scripture we are admitted, as it were, to the disclosure which takes place. The net is emptied before us, and we are made witnesses of the transaction.

In one of these passages the judgment is likened to a royal banquet, and the "king comes in to see the guests," and finds there a man "who has not on a wedding garment." If Ananias had not appeared before a "discerner of spirits," like the apostle Peter, his sin might have remained undiscovered till the net was drawn at the last he might even have passed for a devoted self-denying man, who had sacrificed his all for the gospel's sake.

And this may be the case with many, who make a fair appearance to the world. How many falsehoods succeed, and gain their object! How many frauds and deceitful tricks are practised every day, undetected by the eyes of men! How many offences of thought and deed are witnessed by God alone! How many actions pass for liberal and praiseworthy, and ought to pass so in the judgment of charity, which he who knows the heart sees to have no

6 2 Cor. v. 10.

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Ch. xxv. 2.

7 Rev. xx. 13.

9 Ch. xxii. 11.

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better motive than the hypocrisy of Ananias! There are many sins of which the world knows nothing; some of which it thinks nothing: but of which we are expressly told that they which do them are thrust out from the presence of the King, “not having a wedding garment." Here in this world the net gathers of every kind; but into "that world" nothing shall enter that defileth, or worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." Yet many whose life is stained with these transgressions, profess and call themselves Christians: are found at public worship; and perhaps, when death approaches, desire to partake of that holy sacrament which commemorates the death of Christ, but who died, not that men might "live to themselves" here on earth, and then at last "enter into the joy of their Lord," but that they might become "a peculiar people, redeemed from all iniquity, and zealous of good works," "dead unto sin, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ."

The doom of those who "professing that they know God, in works deny him," is expressly told us. "Then shall the king say unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

49. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Rev. xxii. 27. 2 Tit. ii. 14. 3 Matt. xxv. 41; vii. 23—21.

Thus by a figure which expresses whatever is most shocking to the feelings, and dreadful to the thoughts of men, the Lord has given his warning. He assures us, concerning the unworthy guest, who had not "washed his robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" concerning the "unprofitable servant," who had "buried in the earth" the talent which the Lord required him to improve: concerning the unmerciful servant, who did not forgive as he hoped to be forgiven:—that the angels shall sever them from amongst the just, and cast them out for ever "from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power." But the good they gather into vessels. God has prepared a place for them, "where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest." And now their Lord acknowledges them as good and faithful servants;" as blessed children of his Father, who "inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world."

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May we "die the death of the righteous, and our last end be like theirs!"

51. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

52. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

The apostles were to be scribes or teachers of the law: commissioned to instruct others unto the kingdom of heaven: They needed therefore to be instructed, and to understand all these things themselves. The householder who is well provided, has

the store of former days added to his own. So should the apostles. They had "the law and the prophets:" all that holy men of old times had written for their learning. And the truths which Jesus was now teaching them, showing how the law and the prophets were fulfilled in himself, would make them scribes well instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, bringing forth out of their treasure things new and old.

LECTURE LXV.

UNBELIEF AT NAZARETH.

MATT. xiii. 53-58.

53. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

54. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

55. Is not this the carpenter's son is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

56. And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

57. And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

These people were not to be blamed for their question, Whence hath this man all these things? We have an example in St. Luke of the manner in which he

taught them in their synagogue, and in his own country: and it must needs have astonished them.' "He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."

Words like these, uttered by one who had been brought up among themselves, would naturally lead them to ask, Whence hath this man these things? Is not this the carpenter's son; is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren, and his sisters, are they not all with us? And on inquiry they would find, that though Mary was called his mother, none could "declare his generation:" that though he had been brought up at Nazareth, he was born at Bethlehem, according to the prophecy which had gone forth concerning him ; 3 that his earliest days had been marked by wisdom which was not of this world, and that the mighty

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1 Luke iv. 14, &c.

3 Ch. ii. 5, 6.

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2 Isa. liii. 8.

Luke ii. 41-48.

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