the savour of the Gospel with it. The sorrow will surely be, not the sorrow arising from shame alone; not any sentiment which Men, or even Angels, can occasion. It will be the grief, -the unspeakable bitterness,- of being 'put lower in the presence of the Prince,'-the Prince 'whom thine eyes have seen!'

The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.

THE UNANSWERABLE JUDGE.

ST. MATTHEW Xxii. 46.

No man was able to answer Him a word; neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.

THIS statement occurs at the end of the long and diversified history of Tuesday in Holy Week, -so far as it is descriptive of our SAVIOUR'S interview with His enemies. The day began with the walk from Bethany to Jerusalem, when He discoursed to His disciples concerning Faith, on observing that the fig-tree which He had cursed on the previous morning, had withered away. He then entered the Temple, and put His enemies to silence with a question respecting the Baptism of John. After He had delivered the parable of the Two Sons, and the parable of the Vineyard let out to husbandmen, these wicked men sought to lay hands on Him, but were deterred through fear of the populace. He added the parable of the marriage of the King's Son. The

Pharisees and Herodians, next, in order to obtain a ground of accusation against Him, proved Him with a question respecting the payment of tribute, and were put to silence. Thereupon, the Sadducees assailed Him with a speculative difficulty relative to the Resurrection, and were silenced also. The Scribes further assailed our LORD with an inquiry respecting the Law. After His reply, we are told that, ‘from that day forth,' none durst ask Him any more questions.' The inquiry addressed to the Pharisees by our LORD, at the close of this prolonged assault, effectually silenced them for ever.

It may prove of use to us that we should dwell on the picture thus presented to our notice of men secure in their own self-conceit until they have experienced the nature of an actual encounter with the Divine Object of obedience; but then, silenced for ever, and miserably defeated in their malicious purposes against Him, or stripped in a moment of their fancied security in His sight. For is it not the fact that we build ourselves up, all our life long, in a dream of our own righteousness; in a practical disbelief that GOD will be justified when He speaketh, and clear when He judgeth? Which commandment is there,

a Psalm li. 4.

which, in the length and breadth of it, we have not broken? (for Hatred is Murder; and the commandments of GOD may be broken in intent and in desire.) Yet, who is there who is not prepared with his excuse? who is there who is not ready to palliate his crime,-to give it a false name, or to deny its intensity, or to depend upon its infrequency? who, above all, does not flatter himself that the temptation is so considerable, the provocation so constant, that every fall is excusable; even if he should fall a hundred times a day?

This aptness of Man to seek to justify himself, even in the very presence of his Maker, is faithfully brought before us in many places of Holy Scripture. It was thus that the Pharisee, contrasting his service with that of the Publican, presumed to address Almighty GoD, even in the very courts of His Temple. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Many will say unto Me in that day,' (was the fearful prophecy of our SAVIOUR,) LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you.' On another occasion,

b St. Luke xviii. 12.

St. Matthew vii. 22, 23.

He declared, Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets.' But the Divine answer will be, 'I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Med.'

Very awful is the language of David in a certain place. Unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee. . . . Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.'—All of which seems to be set forth more briefly in the parable of the marriage of the King's Son. When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless f

d St. Luke xiii. 26, 27.

e Ps. 1. 16, 17, 19, 20, 21.

f St. Matthew xxii. 11, 12.