And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the
Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.--Isaiah xi. 3.
The deceptions practised by the human race are many and various.
With no other clue to discover the real character of individuals
than their professions and conduct, men are often led to form the
most unjust opinions; and frequent and lamentable are the mistakes
that arise. Falsehood often lurks beneath the warmest professions;
the guise of friendship is made to conceal the perfidious spirit,
the mask of sincerity is worn by the consummate deceiver, and man
becomes the dread and fear of man. Who can look at Jesus, without
being struck at the nice discrimination of character he discovered
in his opinions of the men by whom he was surrounded. He could
espy in Nathaniel "an Israelite in whom there was no guile." He
discovered that the ardent zeal and warmth of Peter's attachment
would induce him boldly to suffer death in his Master's cause,
although the denial of that Master loudly proclaimed him a faithless
coward. He could point out the perfidious Judas, fostered by the
eleven disciples as a bosom friend. He could detect the hypocrisy
and deceit that lay hid beneath the fair profession of the Scribes
and Pharisees; he knew their public conduct was not in unison with
the hidden man of the heart. He was not blinded by the semblance
of virtue; nothing false passed with him for genuine; he instantly
discovered the counterfeit, however well executed. Nor did the
sterling pass by unknown to him, though its exterior was defaced and
unattractive. He could look into the inmost recesses of the human
heart, and discover there the seat of iniquity, he could behold the
monster in his den, however ingeniously its exterior was adorned
by art, and bring to light the hidden things of darkness. In his
opinions there was no error; in his censures, no unjust severity--he
always judged righteous judgment; "for he judged not after the sight
of his eyes, neither reproved after the hearing of his ears." With
righteousness did he "judge the poor, and reprove with equity for
the meek of the earth; righteousness was the girdle of his loins,
and faithfulness the girdle of his reins;" and why? "Because my
thoughts are not as your thoughts, neither are my ways as your ways,
saith the Lord of Hosts."