y
justified; but he that judgeth me is the Lord_. St. Paul had a witness
in himself that he was sincere and upright before God--"Our rejoicing
is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity, and
Godly sincerity, not by fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we
have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly toward
you."

The same is the import of his declaration in the text--"_I know
nothing by myself_--am conscious of no allowed wickedness--of no
willful error, either in profession or practice." But he dared not to
assert that he had made no mistakes--_yet am I not hereby justified_.
He knew himself liable to error--did not "trust his own heart". _He
that judgeth me is the Lord_--"his judgment is according to truth--
that will determine my character, and fix my doom."

The apostle could remember a time in which he had conscientiously done
wrong. He had persecuted the church; killed Christ's disciples, and
thought he was doing right; verily believed that he was doing God
service!--Now he acted conscientiously in "preaching the faith he
had once destroyed"--in the manner of his preaching it; and
discharging every ministerial and Christian duty; though he was
censured and calumniated by some, and suspected by others. He followed
the light of his own mind, and determined to follow it; so to act as
not to be condemned of himself. But he knew that the standard of
rectitude did not follow his views, and vary with his judgment. "If
his heart did not condemn him, he had confidence toward God; yet he
knew God to be greater than his heart," and possessed of all
knowledge; dared not therefore affirm that his judge would approve of
all which he approved--_Yet am I not hereby justified--he that judgeth
me is the Lord_.

IMPROVEMENT.

I. We See that censure may be incurred without neglect of duty, When
Paul converted to Christianity, he was made an apostle, and ordered of
the Redeemer to preach the gospel. He obeyed. He was guided in his
work by the spirit of God; yet he was blamed by some, and suspected by
others.

That Christ's faithful servants are slandered and reproached is not a
new thing under the sun. It hath been common among men. And herein
they are only made like their Lord. And shall they think it strange?
"It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the
servant as his Lord. If they call the master of the house Beelzebub,
how much more them of his household?"

When opp