tire flock. But think not that the he insinuates, wheedles, and flatters, ravening wolf escapes without punishment. No; the owner of the flock sees what has been done; he discovers the enemy, and kills him. He leaves his carcass on the ground, a warning to all wolves in sheep's clothing. In comparing small things with great, the Savior compared the false prophets, or teachers, to a wolf in sheep's clothing. "Beware," said he, "of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing; but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Hypocrisy consists in acting a part or character not our own. There are hypocrites in all professions, and a great deal of hypocrisy in the world. Men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie. Both of them together, laid in the balance of sincerity, would be found wanting. until he has gained confidence; then he addresses himself to his task in good earnest. Young converts are beguiled from the simplicity of the Gospel; the weak in the faith are perplexed and turned out of the way; the rest have their confidence weakened, their peace destroyed, and their souls put in danger. His object is to scatter, tear, and kill, and secure the fleece for a prey. Some are satisfied with the fleece, and suffer the sheep to live; but this son of Satan comes also to tear and destroy. Wolves are now abroad in sheep's clothing. Let the flock of Christ beware. Let the false teachers also beware, because the Chief Shepherd will appear, and cut them in sunder, and appoint then, their portion with the hypocrites. Let the following marks be attended to in passing judgment: By their fruits ye shall know them." Fruits are the conduct of a Of all hypocrites, the false teacher man; his actions are the language of of religion is the most dangerous. his heart. If the flock would wait He it is that scatters firebrands, ar- awhile before they suffer themselves rows, and death. True Christians to act, they would know that "an are honest themselves in their pro- evil tree can not bring forth good fession of piety, and unsuspecting of fruit." others; they do not mistrust. This exposes them to the schemes of hypocrites. Sometimes, also, the true teacher is absent from his charge. Of this circumstance the false teacher will avail himself. Satan is never asleep or absent. It is his business to sow tares; he selects his time, "when men sleep;" he selects his agents, his own children; he assists them in disguising themselves, and sends them forth to their hellish work. Armed with the whole armor of 3. The false teacher speaks evil Satan, the false teacher approaches against the true teachers of the the children of God. He begins by Gospel, instead of regarding them cant; he talks gospel truth sometimes; as co-workers with the Lord. 1. The false teacher goes to the fold of true Christians, and labors not to convert sinners from their evil ways. 2. The false teacher persuades Christians to leave the fold, instead of helping them to grow in grace, and in knowledge, and rejoicing in their prosperity, as did Barnabas. SLANDER AND BACKBITING. For the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon MARK! where the good man unsuspecting treads, So smites the slanderer, with poisoned tongue, The base assassins from their covert start, Behold the good man! He walks leisurely along toward his home; very likely he has been visiting the house of mourning; drying the poor widow's tears, or feeding and clothing the forsaken orphan. He is probably anticipating much pleasure from the recital of what he has seen and heard to his beloved family. He may be revolving in his mind schemes of future The man-his neighbor-who has done no wrong; benevolence, or meditating on the goodness of his heavenly Father; perhaps contemplating the vast concerns of the eternal state. He sees no foe, he hears no hostile step; he feels himself suddenly wounded, his head swims, he reels, and falls to the ground. The base poltroons had carefully watched their time, and, with the harp dagger and empoisoned arrow, had cruelly murdered the innocent. The deed is done in secret; yet all the heavenly world beheld it; and under cover of darkness they escape, but not forever. The earth refuses to cover the blood of the murdered. This emblem sets forth the sin of slander or backbiting, which is, of all things whatsoever, the most abominable, and to be detested. The slanderer contains within himself almost all the vices of other transgressors. He is for the most part a liar of the very worst class. Whether he forges the calumny himself, or retails that of others, it matters not; he is still a liar in the sight of God and man. Not only so, the slanderer is also a thief-a robber of the first magnitude, for Look again at the brow of the slanderer, and you will see another title of infamy-that of coward. Ile dares not say to the face what he so freely utters behind the back. Thus he bites the back. He resembles a snappish dog, often seen in the streets, running after passengers, and biting their heels. Furthermore, the slanderer is, in the sight of God, a murderer. He must necessarily hate the person slandered; but "he who hateth his brother is a murderer." Injury is added to hatred, which renders the case worse. Reputation is more pre. cious than life. Thus the man or woman who makes or vends a slander, must be known and read of all men as a liar, coward, thief, and murderer. The slanderer's tongue is a fouredged sword. It wounds the hand of him who uses it: it wounds the ears of those who listen to it; it wounds the heart of him who is the object of the thrust; it strikes at the throne of God, and breaks his law. Slander excludes the miserable perpetrator from the kingdom of heaven. Who shall dwell in thy holy hill, 0, Lord?" "He that backbiteth not with his tongue." Death and life are in the power of the tongue. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life; a poi luted tongue is a upas of death. It may be warmed with a seraph's flame, or set on fire of hell; a world of iniquity, or a universe of good; an unruly evil full of deadly poison, or well-ordered system, transmitting the blessings of an endless life. There with bless we God even the Father, and therewith curse we men made after the image of God. The Jewish Rabbis tell the following story: "A certain man sent his servant to market to buy some good food. The servant returned, bringing with him some tongues. Again he sent the same servant to buy some bad food. The servant again brought tongues. The master said: What is the reason, that when I sent you to buy good and bad food, you brought tongues?' The servant answered, From the tongue both good and evil come to man. If it be good, there is nothing better; if it be bad, there is nothing worse.' The tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his HERE, in dread silence, on the blighted heath Emblems of misery, anguish, and despair. The Tree of Desolation stands | breathing the odor of delight, can alone upon the blasted heath. It live or flourish here. The lowing sheds its baleful influence far and kine, the bleating, fleecy tribe, the wide. No dewy meads, nor grassy choral songsters of the woods, arc plains, or verdant lawns are seen around; no blushing fields, waving luxuriantly the golden ear; no laughing flowers, bestudding the earth with their starry gems, nor spicy groves, never heard; here, in these regions, eternal silence reigns. This corrupt tree is altogether of a poisonous quality. Its roots, bark, branches. leaves, and fruit are all poison. Two men are seen at work upon | eye, i. e., love of fine dress, fine furthe tree; their object is to deliver the niture, and the vanities of this life. country from so great an evil. The IIe spends his wretched strength for one on the right hand has been em- naught, who labors to reform his outployed many years, without effecting ward conduct only. He may make a any thing; he merely lops off a good Pharisee, but he will never make branch here and there; this only adds a Christian. His heart still continues strength to the remaining branches, "deceitful and wicked." "First make and makes them more fruitful; mean- the tree good, and the fruit will be while, the excised limb sprouts again. good also. The one on the left, more wise, wants to cut the tree down; to this end, he comes prepared with a good sharp ax; he directs his blows at the root of the tree; blow follows blow in quick succession, every stroke tells, and soon the monster tree lies prostrate on the ground. He alone is the wise man who "lays the ax at the root of the tree," who strikes at unbelief, who believes the truth as it is in Jesus. He prays with David, "Create in me a clean heart," relying on the promise of God, "A new heart will I give unto you. Thus he is "created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works." "He has his fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." The Tree of Evil is an emblem of an evil heart, the bad fruit of a bad life. The unconverted man sheds a deleterious influence all around him. Travelers inform us of a poison tree In his soul there is a lack of spiritual found in the island of Java, which is graces; faith, love, hope, peace, joy, said by its effluvia to have "depopulong-suffering are all wanting. Alated the country for twelve or four spiritual death exists. Unbelief is the poison that corrupts the heart. Thoughts, words, and actions are all poisoned. Faith is put for the whole of religion, and unbelief for an ungodly life. Hence it is said, "He that believeth shall be saved," etc. teen miles around the place of its growth. It is called 'Bohan Upas.' Poisoned arrows are prepared with the juice of it. Condemned criminals are sent to the tree to get this juice, carrying with them proper directions how to obtain it, and how to secure The fruit of the evil heart is the themselves from the malignant expride of life, i. e., a love of the hon-halations, and are pardoned if they ors and glories of the world, the lust of the flesh, i. e., intoxicating drink, gluttony, and adultery, and the various pleasures of sin; the lust of the bring back a certain quantity of the poison; but by the register there kept, not one in four is said to return." |