mounts the pulpit, he is bound to proclaim the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear. "Necessity is laid upon me," says the apostle; 66 yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel." There may be those in his audience who will cast the holy thing away from them as utterly worthless and despicable, who will trample the pearl under their feet, and turn again and revile the faithful messenger of God. But his duty remains unaffected by the manner in which his message is received: he must "cry aloud and spare not." The exhortation of Christ in this passage, however, seems to be directed rather to private dealings with men, than to the public proclamation of the truth. An ardent zeal for the good of souls, and an anxiety to win them over to a reception of the truth as it is in Jesus, may sometimes lead us to be imprudently indiscriminate in urging the gospel upon the acceptance of men. Zeal must be tempered with discretion and Christian prudence. "It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing;" but our Lord wishes all His people to be regulated by sound wisdom and understanding in the fear of the Lord. It is right to be instant in season and out of season in the work of Christ; but there are cases in which the call of the gospel may be so obstinately resisted, that nothing remains for us but to shake the dust from our feet against such determined enemies of the gospel, and to pass to those who will more

readily receive the message of eternal life. It is a very solemn matter to withhold the gospel call from any one, and ought not to be resorted to except in extreme cases; and yet that there are cases of this kind the language of Christ plainly shews. We may lose much time and labour upon those who are obstinately opposed to the truth and to the faithful preacher of the truth. Such people are neither prepared to appreciate the message, nor to welcome the messenger: they would wish the ministers of Christ to speak to them smooth things, and to prophesy deceits. "The time will come," the apostle warns us, "when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." But still the exhortation is pressed upon Timothy even in the view of such circumstances, "watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." The picture which John Bunyan hath given of a faithful minister of the Lord Jesus is singularly beautiful and accurate. "He has his eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand; the law of truth is written upon his lips; the world is behind his back; he stands as if he pleaded with men, and a crown of gold hangs over his head." His position is at once an honourable, a difficult, and a delicate one. He must be bold and fearless as a

lion, wise as a serpent, harmless and gentle as a dove. Brethren, pray for us. We need your prayers "that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified."

1. How searching are the exhortations of Christ! They shew clearly that He knows well what is in man. His Word pierces even to the dividing asunder the very joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Man judgeth only after the outward appearance. Well, therefore, might an apostle declare,-" It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgment; yea, I judge not mine own self; but He that judgeth me is the Lord." The Redeemer, when persecuted by men, "committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." If then our judgment be so liable to err, "let us not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no one lay a stumbling-block in his brother's way."

2. This subject shews us the paramount importance of self-examination. Each one of us, on the great day, must bear his own burden, and therefore we ought to look well to our own state and character before God. "Examine yourselves," says an apostle, "whether ye be in the faith."

3. We see here also the danger of persisting in a determined opposition to the truth. "The god of this world blinds the minds of those that believe not."

Every day they become less disposed to come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved. This will be the condemnation of multitudes, that "light hath come into the world, and yet they have loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.” Could matters be compromised, so that sin and salvation could both be retained, then their aversion to the gospel would be to some extent diminished. But the opposition between the two they feel to be absolutely insuperable; and seeing, therefore, that they love sin, they have no other alternative but to bury themselves in hopeless and impenetrable darkness. The choice is made accordingly and persisted in, after many struggles, it may be, on the part of conscience, and after having listened to many earnest remonstrances from the Word of God. Every opportunity of prolonging the reign of ignorance in the soul is eagerly embraced, and the light of divine truth is carefully excluded from the mind. Such persons at length realise the melancholy description of the prophet,

66

Having eyes, but they see not; ears, but they hear not, and hearts, but they do not understand." This is the last, the most hopeless stage of unbelief, when the gospel is rejected as an idle tale, the pearl of great price is trampled under foot, and the messenger of God who would press it upon their acceptance is treated with insult and disdain. Is this the position of any reader of this work? Be warned even et.

Your day of grace is now near its close, and the Spirit of God, if you repent not, will, ere long, render applicable to you the command,-"Give not that which is holy unto dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."

SECTION II.-FELT WEAKNESS AND URGENT PRAYER.

MAT. VII. 7-12.

It is impossible to reflect seriously on the high and holy principles of action by which Jesus, throughout this Sermon on the Mount, wishes His people to be regulated, without being deeply affected with a sense of our own sins and imperfections. "The law" of God, more especially when explained by the mouth of Jesus, is felt by the believer to be "holy," but he is compelled, on a consideration of his own character, as contrasted with the law, to take up the language of the apostle, and to say, "The law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." Jesus knew well, while he gave forth His warnings and exhortations, that His true disciples were liable to be discouraged, as if it were impossible ever to reach the lofty standard which He set before them. And, therefore, knowing what was passing in their minds, He hastens to point out a