SERMON XII.

OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST, THE BEST PROOF OF OUR LOVING HIM.

ST. MATT. vII. 21.

NOT EVERY ONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, Shall ENTER INTO THE KINgdom of hEAVEN, BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.

WHO would not wish to be saved? Who is there that desires not to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? This is indeed the anxious hope of all who have right views respecting it; but upon what a false and unscriptural foundation do many build their hopes! Either upon their good hearts, which they fancy they have, or that they are not so bad as others, or upon some inward feelings. As if these would be accepted as a substitute for obedience to CHRIST'S Commandments. The utmost these persons do is to talk of religion; they do not believe that strict obedience is absolutely necessary, though they say they do.

Be not deceived; know ye not that we must be made new creatures in CHRIST JESUS before we can enter into His Kingdom; there must be a correspondence between our own hearts and lives, and the pro

mised blessings. Let us beware, then, of mistaking the appearance of religion for the reality; let us rest assured that whatever professions we may now make as to religious "experiences," or anything analogous to these as constituting a state of acceptance with GOD, we shall find that" continuance in well-doing," (Rom. ii. 7,) and fruitfulness in good works, can alone make our "calling and election sure," (2 St. Pet. i. 10,) and secure us the possession of the eternal kingdom.

That it is possible to deceive ourselves in the matter of religion is verily the case, for our great MASTER not only intimates, but expressly declares that there are many who may say, "LORD, LORD," that is, who may not only profess to believe in CHRIST, and that with zeal and confidence; but who may also preach and work miracles in His Name, and yet be utterly destitute of that which can prove them to be true Christians.

From all this it is evident, that it is possible for a man to deceive himself and others by extravagant and enthusiastic notions, which may pass for proofs of holiness amongst his fellow-men; but he cannot deceive CHRIST. HE will require a holy and uniform obedience to His Will as the result of good sentiments, and this our LORD has plainly declared; “If ye love ME, 'keep My commandments."

True love and obedience are inseparably united; they grow together, and last together through the whole of life. We cannot be true disciples of CHRIST, unless we have a real love to HIM; sincere love both feels right and acts right; and all the professions in the world will be regarded by HIM as mere hypocrisy,

1 St. John xiv. 15.

if destitute of the evidence and support of uniform obedience.

Let us not, then, rest satisfied with the mere knowledge of our Divine MASTER'S Will, but seek to attain unto a practice suitable to it; for it is not the hearer of the Law that is just before GOD, but the doer of it. HE will not have mere saying, but doing: it is right to call HIM LORD, for so HE is; but He will have more than that of us, or HE will not acknowledge us as His.

We call HIM "LORD," when we profess to believe in HIM and pray to HIм, but it is not enough unless we "do the Will of the FATHER." In order, however, to do the Will of God, we must first know it : if ye know these things," says JESUs, "happy are ye if ye do them." Still knowledge may exist without practice: "Why call ye ME, LORD, LORD, and do not the things which I say?" The truth may be received into the understanding, and yet not influence the heart. Religious impressions may be made on the mind and conscience of the sinner, without producing any lasting -saving change in the life and conduct: "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

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But we cannot do that which is pleasing to GOD, till we have felt penitential sorrow on account of our sins, and exercised on CHRIST the faith of the heart. All true and acceptable obedience is founded upon repentance towards GoD and faith in CHRIST: these are the great principles and moving springs of all that is really good in us. Indeed, they are never supposed by the inspired writers as separate from holy obedience, but as actually containing and producing it.

1 St. John xiii. 17.

SERIES III.

2 St. Luke vi. 46.

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3 Hosea vi. 4.

The sincerity of our repentance is shown by bringing forth fruits meet for repentance, and wherever saving faith exists, it is necessarily an active principle; "it works by love and purifies the heart." In proportion as a man believes, so he obeys: they are inseparable— they grow together, and last together through life. True faith does not consist in a mere idle wish, or ineffectual endeavours, but it necessarily leads to a thorough practice of CHRIST'S Commandments. Hence it is written, "the just shall LIVE by faith"; and again, “with the heart-not merely with the head, but with the heart,―man believeth unto righteousness." "He that hath My Commandments," saith CHRIST, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth ME." And St. Paul declares that "in CHRIST JESUS nothing avails, but the keeping of the Commandments of GOD." And our blessed LORD's last words to St. John are to the same effect: "Blessed are they who do His Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life." Thus, as a tree is known by its fruits, so we may ascertain by our conduct whether we be real or only nominal Christians.

We must not, however, suppose that there is any merit in even our very best services, for that there is not, is most certain. Nevertheless, GoD will deal with us according to our works. "Good actions are the fruits of true faith, and assure us that we are CHRIST'S: they comfort us as an evidence of the Blessed SPIRIT working in us. By them we shall be judged at the last day, and though they have no worth in themselves by reason of that infection of sin which gives its character to every thing that we do, yet they will be accepted for His sake, Who bore the Agony in the garden, and suffered as a sinner on the cross."

Let me now inquire, are there any of you who profess attachment to CHRIST, and yet in works deny HIM? Oh! deceive not yourselves any longer, by fancying that you can be religious without being obedient. Remember that true religion does not consist in mere notions, however just and scriptural, but in a practical conformity in heart and life to the Will of GOD. "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the SPIRIT do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live:" and again, "they that are CHRIST's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." This is that doctrine which from our very infancy we have been taught, when in Holy Baptism, we were received into the ark of CHRIST's Church, and put on our way towards heaven; then were we solemnly reminded by Holy Church, that "Baptism doth represent unto us our profession, which is to follow the example of our SAVIOUR CHRIST, and to be made like unto HIM: that as He died and rose again for us, so should we who are baptized, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness; continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections and daily proceeding in all virtue and goodness of living.' Are you, then, doing the LORD's Will? doing it cheerfully, uniformly, progressively? strive to mortify in you the whole body of sin? Are you endeavouring by GoD's help to adorn the doctrines of GOD your SAVIOUR in all things? And are you fully convinced that your faith in CHRIST is of no avail, except so far as it manifests itself by these fruits? "for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." CHRIST JESUS came into the world not only to save us from sin, and to "re3 Baptismal Service.

1 Rom. viii. 13.

2 Gal. v. 24.

4 St. James ii. 26.

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