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no other signs of being in his faith:-I never knew you, ye that work iniquity.

Here then is a sufficient reason why we should never be satisfied, as though "we had already attained, either were already perfect;" but should be constantly pressing onward in the course of obedience, and sanctification, and fervent zeal. Nothing else will avail in the season of trial. An inexperienced person might stand by an architect, who was clearing away the loose or sandy earth where a house was to be built, and was perhaps laying down arches or driving in piles, at a great expense of time and trouble; he might see this, and ask, why so much labour should be employed on what was to be buried under ground, and to make no part of the building. The answer is, were we to build without a foundation, or not to make that foundation deep and strong, the house might endure for a while; but when the wintry storms arise, and the swelling stream beats vehemently against it, that is, at the very season when you most need a safe and comfortable shelter, you would be forced to leave it, and go elsewhere for security.

So it is with regard to the state of the heart before God. While we are employed in the active concerns of life, and engaged in the daily business which occupies our minds, a slight stay is enough for a man; he sees himself better than others, he sees others worse than himself; he performs some religious duties, he does not often fall into gross sins; so he lulls his conscience, and contents himself with a general hope that there is no need of more thought or more fear; he trusts that he is within

the christian covenant, and that God will receive him into his kingdom.

But the storm comes at some time or other; the tempest of affliction, or of sickness, or of approaching death. This is the trial of religion, for it is against this trial that religion is to prepare us. And then the man who has made no more than a nominal profession of faith in Christ, and has never laboured to adorn his Saviour's doctrine by a pure and holy conversation, by resisting the sin of his heart, by "abounding in the work of the Lord;" he feels that this is no time for deceiving his own soul, as he may have done hitherto, by vain words. He feels that a merely outward profession was not the faith intended by the command, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;" that it was not merely outward profession which Paul was making, when he "brought under his body, and kept it in subjection;" that outward profession is not the faith required by St. James, who insists that we "show our faith by our works;" that it is not outward profession which will be recompensed by the blessed words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Those who had prophesied in the name of Christ, and cast out devils, and done many wonderful works, had made more outward profession than he can have to show. Yet they are rejected; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Now, therefore, is the time for laying a foundation which will stand good at the last. We must not be satisfied, unless when we look into ourselves and examine our lives, we have "the testimony

of our conscience," that it has been our purpose, our prayer, our labour, to be "neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" but to add to our faith virtue, and knowledge, and temperance, and patience, and brotherly kindness, and charity.2

Observe, however, that there is nothing in this to contradict the general language of the gospel; nothing to imply that a man's own righteousness is to be the ground of his confidence. This would indeed be to build our house upon the sand. "By grace we are saved; not of works, lest any man should boast." 3 But the truth here declared, is another truth, no less to be insisted on, that the practice of a Christian must be as peculiar as his faith; that the faith in which he professes to live, must shine in his actions, must speak in his words, must breathe in his spirit and temper. Then, though the floods may come, and the winds blow, and the stream beat against your house, it shall not be shaken; for it is founded upon a rock. For "though your earthly habitation is dissolved," you have a habitation secured for you in the heavens, whose builder and maker is God; where no storms shall rage, no tempests ever threaten; but all shall be a perpetual calm and sunshine, in the presence of God and of the Lamb.

28. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29. For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

2 See 2 Pet. i. 5, 8.

3 Eph. ii. 9.

LECTURE XXXV.

A LEPER CLEANSED, AND A CENTURION'S SERVANT HEALED.

MATT. viii. 1-13.

1. When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

2. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

3. And Jesus put forth his saying, I will; Be thou clean. rosy was cleansed.

hand, and touched him, And immediately his lep

but

4. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Every one who "lives in the faith of the Son of God," is a testimony to all who know him of the healing power of Christ. Sinfulness, indeed, is not eradicated from the heart, as we may suppose that the disease of this leper was eradicated. Still he is a different man from what he was before he embraced the Christian faith, or from what he would have been, if he had not embraced it; his conduct, his sentiments, the temper of his mind, his whole character, supplies a testimony to the fact, that the gospel can teach, and persuade, and enable a man to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."

M

And of all who profess to believe in Christ, God expects that they should afford a testimony of it: "that men should see their good works, and glorify their Father which is in heaven."

5. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him.

6. And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

St. Luke, in relating this miracle, tells us more of the character of this centurion. He was a Roman officer; and being stationed in Judea, had profited by the knowledge of God which prevailed in that land. Hardly expecting that he himself, as a foreigner, should obtain a favour from our Lord, "when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, that he was worthy for whom he should do this: for he loveth our nation, and hath built us a synagogue." He had learnt to know the God of Israel; and he had shown this, by employing his authority and means to provide a temple for his worship. Coming to Judea from a heathen land, and finding a religious creed and worship different from his own, he did not ridicule it, as the heathens were commonly accustomed to ridicule the Jews: he did not refuse to examine it, as too many pass by with neglect what differs from the ideas they have received: but he inquired, and discovered, as well he might, that there was no nation like that of the Jews, "which had God so

1 Luke vii. 2-10.

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