as this, perhaps, that God made the world, and that He cares for men, and will reward those who seek to please Him—when they had found out so much as this, they were full of joy, and thought they had enough for their lives.

God has spared us all that striving in the dark which was their lot. He has given us freely the light of the knowledge of Himself. But it is truly written, " men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds. were evil. He that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved; but he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."h

Let us not deceive ourselves, and go on from day to day seeking the pleasures and vanities that the world offers us, while we think we are Christians, but strive with all our might to obtain Heavenly wisdom, and to follow after it especially in the way of obedience. Then shall we be able to take to ourselves the words of this Psalm, and to sing heartily with David, "The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, and

h S. John iii. 19-21.

giveth wisdom unto the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, and endureth for ever the judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant taught and in keeping of them there is great reward."i

We have spoken of God's law not as though you were under the law of ceremonies, but because the Gospel is still a law, a law which the Holy Spirit of God is ready to write in your hearts, if you do but consent to His gracious motions in you. What He requires of you is the consent of your will. The reason why men try sometimes to come to God and cannot, is, that men do not try with their whole heart. They deal niggardly with God, and so they cannot see the depth of His love, the generous freedom of His mercy in Christ.

Let them only throw themselves at His feet, willing to do whatever He bids them) and there will be an end of all fears of His

i Ps. xix. 7-11.

dealing hardly with them. There may be still a fear that they may not persevere in their good resolutions, but may fall back again, and so be lost; but the soul that comes to God in Christ with real entire submission of will, learns thus much of Heavenly wisdom, that it can feel that it is doing wrong to God to imagine that He will cast away one whom His grace has led to come to Him, humbly and simply trusting in His promises, and willing to take His service as He shall order it.

"Who can tell how oft he offendeth : 0 cleanse Thou me from my secret faults. Keep Thy servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me: so shall I be undefiled, and innocent from the great offence. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway. acceptable in Thy sight. O Lord my

strength and

my

Redeemer."k

k Ps. xix. 12—14.

SERMON XXI.

S. Luke vi. 38.

"With the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again."

Men who have thoroughly drunk in the spirit of the Gospel, and the fulness of Christian love, do not think much about themselves and their own interest. All their care about themselves is to watch against sin. For the rest, they leave it to the goodness of God to provide. But as many have not this simple faith, and are apt to be anxious about what their own portion is to be, and what they shall gain for themselves by doing this or that, our blessed Lord has been pleased to provide for such infirmity, by plainly promising a reward to every good work that is done for love of Him.

Yet

After this one would think that there was no room left for men to excuse themselves in being idle and slow in His service. so it is that they do find ways of persuading themselves that there is no reason for taking much pains. Let us form the most cha

ritable judgment we can of one another, still we must think that most men are taking very little trouble to please God. Rather let each look to himself, and, after every allowance for infirmity, think how much more he might have done, and there is no doubt but it will be seen that God is, in general, but coldly and scantily served.

And when we look to the reason of the thing, every one must allow that this is not right. Every one must allow that God has a claim to our best endeavours to please Him, and that all we can do is but too little. And when this has been granted, men return to their old ways as a thing of course. They make up their minds to it, as if it must always be so, and as they never can do enough they think they may as well do nothing. Now this is a very wrong way of measuring our duty to God. We know indeed that we can give nothing to Him, for He is above all. But though we cannot reach to His measure, He can come down to ours. And as He sees all things most perfectly, and does all things most perfectly, so He measures all our doings, and weighs them aright. And He not only keeps them in mind against the Day of Account, but measures His gifts to us now according to them.