The man who uses this language avows himself to be a loving child, an obedient subject, a devoted friend. He cries Lord, Lord. He has a form of godliness, and that to a remarkable extent; and yet he is totally destitute of its power. He cannot call Jesus Lord by the Holy Ghost, for he has never received “the Spirit of Christ," and therefore "he is none of His."

It follows, then, from the words of the Lord Jesus, that "they are not all Israel who are of Israel. The true disciple of Christ "loves not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” “If ye love me,” says Jesus, "keep my commandments." His own life, while He dwelt upon the earth, was one uniform expression of obedience to the Divine will. "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me." This will was to Him supreme; “Not my will, but thine be done." And the will of His Father, which was to Him so dear, He lays down as the only rule of true acceptable obedience, the unerring test of true submission to His own authority. The will of Christ and the will of the Father are one and the same; "Whatsoever the Father doeth, that doeth the Son likewise." Obedience, therefore, to the will of the Father Jesus regards as the badge of true subjection to His own supremacy as Lord of all.

What havoc does such a passage as this make in the visible Church of Christ! It is as if the Great Husbandman had come forth with His fan in His hand

to purge His thrashing-floor, separating the chaff from the wheat. The nominal professor, the formalist, the hypocrite, all disappear in turn, and the true disciples, few in number but strong in faith, enter into the kingdom. Living Christians are a little flock, yet they are heirs of the eternal inheritance. They walk with Christ on earth, and they shall walk with Him in glory. It is only in the great harvest of the world that the true state of multitudes will be known. Jesus, accordingly, points forward to that solemn season:

Vv. 22 and 23. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity."

The language in which Christ speaks of the judgment day is peculiar. He terms it "that day," appealing, as it were, to the conscience of every man to explain to what day he particularly referred. It is not a day which can be likened to any other. It stands by itself. "That day." The day of solemn reckoning, when we must all stand before the tribunal of the Great Judge.

Nor does Jesus hesitate to declare Himself the

judge of all. "Many will say to me in that day: "Then will I profess unto them I never knew you”

And that Jesus Christ will be the judge is the doctrine of the whole Bible. Thus, Acts xvii. 31, “ He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead;” and John v. 22, "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.” So, then, “We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

The Redeemer represents the whole universe as assembled to receive their final doom. The secrets of all hearts will then be revealed, and Jesus warns us that multitudes will then be found to have been hypocrites of the most melancholy description, deceiving others and themselves deceived. Self-delusion prevails to a far greater extent in the visible Church than we are at all aware. Many there are who are flattering themselves that all is right; they are saying to themselves, Peace, peace, when there is no peace; and they move quietly and securely along the journey of life, little thinking of the hollowness of their profession, until, in an hour when they think not, their soul shall be required of them. They go down to the grave with a lie in their right hand, and they will only become aware of the awful delusion which they have been so long practising upon themselves, when they

are standing at the judgment-seat. The deception is supposed by our blessed Lord to have been carried far, very far. "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied " or taught "in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" There have been instances of brilliant outward manifestations of the power of the Spirit, instances in which His extraordinary gifts have been enjoyed to a remarkable extent, and yet there has been no special communication of His saving, sanctifying grace. Such was the condition of Judas, the betrayer of his Lord; of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; and of Simon Magus, who was baptised by the apostles, and sought to do mighty wonders, while he was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. There has ever been a marked distinction in the Church of Christ between the gifts of the Spirit and the graces of the Spirit; and, accordingly, an apostle, referring to this. distinction, says, in 1 Cor. xiii. 1 and 2, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."

The possession of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit

seems to have misled the multitudes to whom our Lord here refers, suggesting the thought that, being so highly honoured, they must necessarily be approved of God. It is evident, from the frequency with which it is mentioned, that great importance is attached to the circumstance, that all these wonderful works were performed in the name of Christ. We are not to imagine that, in such cases, the name of Christ was used superstitiously, as in Acts xix. 13-15. "Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" It cannot be denied that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit have often been really enjoyed and exercised, as by Judas Iscariot, although saving grace has been entirely withheld. But the very circumstance that many, in the early ages of the Church, were enabled to do wonderful works, was eagerly laid hold of as a ground of comfort and of confidence towards God. Just as in the present day, we are convinced there is a deep-seated feeling in the breasts of many who bear the Christian name, that in the regular observance of public and private ordinances, and in the faithful discharge of ordinary duties, without any saving in