wheat,--so long "Jesus is troubled in spirit." But when the great
Day comes, when our true Joshua will lead the people of God into the
Promised Land, then He will sanctify His people by casting out from
among them the Achans; then from the company of His Elect the Judases
will be banished, and the Son of Man will be glorified indeed.

CONCLUSION.--Therefore, my Brethren, be careful to amend. You may have
been strayed sheep who have been mercifully brought back to the fold,
if so, amend your ways, and grow in holiness and in spiritual health;
or in the Last Day you will be thrust forth as incurable, and the
Children of God will be sanctified, whilst you are buried in the valley
of Achor.

XLI.

_RASH DECISIONS._

4th Sunday after Trinity.

S. Luke vi. 37.

"Judge not--condemn not--forgive."

INTRODUCTION.--Our Lord here condemns all rash judgments. We know not
the motives of other men's actions, and therefore have no right to pass
a sweeping condemnation upon them. From our ignorance, we ought to be
cautious and merciful in our judgments, and from our own weakness, we
should be forgiving to those who have trespassed against us.

Rash judgments arise from pride. It is because we are puffed up with a
high opinion of our own selves, our own goodness, the soundness of our
judgment, the sharpness of our perception, that we are so prompt to
pass judgment on others.

SUBJECT.--This same Pride urges us to something else, Persistency in
maintaining that on which we have determined, even after we know it is
unwise. It is of this which I am going to speak to-day. This fault is
so closely akin to rash judgment of others, that I may well address you
on the subject upon a Sunday when our Lord warns against the other.

I. Many a man, out of pride, sticks to what he says after he knows
that it is wrong. He will not admit that he is wrong, or he is moved
by a false sense of what is due to himself to hold to his word, or to
his opinion, when his conscience tells him that he is in error. You
must have met with those stubborn persons who are not to be moved by
any argument, not to be convinced by any proof, that they are wrong.
They have made up their minds once for all, and are no longer open to
reverse their decision.

Let us look to Scripture, and see if we have any examples of such. I
find two; and one of these is in a man of whom we might have hoped
better things--King David.

I. When David came to