is to bear His rod, only because we cannot ward off His strokes. How blessed, if we would with a deliberate and decisive choice choose what He chooses; and make His will our will, His purpose our purpose, and His work our work; so that even in our sorrows we may be fellow-workers together with Him, that both by His chastisement and by our own desires we may be made "partakers of His holiness." When any trial comes, then, let us not halt between His will and our own will; but say, "Thou art my God; shew me Thy intent, and accomplish Thy perfect work in me." Ask those who have sorrowed after this sort, whether even home in its brightest hours had more of peace. Ask even those who, after halting long, at last have chosen well, and are now entered on the sure though strait path of the Cross. They will tell you what is their reward; what they so nearly lost, but now have attained, by trusting God, for ever.

3. Lastly, we may see that where obedience and experience bring strength, they give also insight and intuition into the whole range of truth. As, for example, we know that God is with us from our childhood; but from the time we began to act upon that truth, how different have been our perceptions of it. How different has been our sense

Heb. xii. 10.

of awe, faith, reverence, in our private prayers, and in public worship: how far higher and deeper our belief and knowledge of His mysteries of grace, of the Church, and the Holy Sacraments.

And this intuition spreads outwardly on every side, into the whole sphere of our life. All relations, duties, events, are seen under a new light; as if, after long twilight, the sun had risen upon the earth. We begin to see our real site in God's world, the end of our creation, the value of time, the true secret of our own heart, the just price of all things that "perish in the using." And this will be found true in the whole of our spiritual life. But that we may make an end, let us come to particulars.

Are you conscious of any sin or fault, your chief one, still unsubdued; sometimes committed through weakness, sometimes willingly indulged? Perhaps you throw this into the general view of your character, as the one lingering infirmity, notwithstanding which you may look upon yourself to be religious and devout. This is plain halting between God and a besetting sin. Sometimes it may be a greater, but for the most part it is a lesser sin, as men judge, which holds Christians in their irresolute state. A great sin generally decides the balance for itself. Carefulness about money, personal vanity, ambition, love of the world's

honour, -these hold men in a state of religious indecision. Now, are they sins or not? If they are not, why does God condemn them? If they are, why do you give your hearts into their power?

Or

And once more: are you conscious of any duty either neglected or seldom fulfilled? I will say, the reception of the Holy Sacrament. To come to the Blessed Sacrament is either a duty, or it is not. Which is it? If a duty, why do you neglect it? If not, why not say so at once? if it be a duty, why do you come so seldom? If not a duty, why do you come at all? Is not this halting between two opinions? Again, the Holy Sacrament is either a blessing or it is not. If it be not, why do you ever come to it? If it be, how can you turn away? Did our Lord Jesus Christ say, "This do in remembrance of Me," or did He not? If He did not, why call it a Sacrament? If He did, how can you despise His command ? What halting and contradiction is all this!

Perhaps some may say, "All this is right; but I am not fit to come to the Holy Communion.” And yet this only removes the indecision one step higher up. Why do you not make yourself fit? If you are not fit for the Holy Sacrament, are you fit to die? or if you hope that you are fit to die, are you not afraid of saying that you are not fit for the Holy Sacrament? Can you be fit for the

greater, and not for the less? Oh, let us make up our minds to something; let us be resolved one way or the other; let us be either cold or hot; choose life or death. But let us not deceive ourselves with a dreamy, heartless, halting Christianity.

66

No man can serve two masters." "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." What would you give, upon a death-bed, for one short hour to be at last decided? Choose now, and choose wisely; for one false choice may become eternal. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Oh, just and awful words. Be in earnest one way or the other: for Me or against Me. 66 And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

1 Rev. xxii. 11, 12.

SERMON V.

THE SINS THAT FOLLOW US.

1 TIMOTHY v. 24.

"Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after."

THE special intention of St. Paul in these and the foregoing words, was to guide Timothy in the high and dangerous work of ordaining pastors for the flock of Christ. But we need not dwell on the context in which we read them; for they enunciate a great law in God's kingdom, and describe an awful fact in the administration of His perfect justice. Some men are open and proclaimed sinners. They stand in the face of the Church, and in the sight of God, self-accused, condemned, and branded. Their sins go before them as heralds, apparitors, and witnesses, carrying the whole history of guilt, with all its circumstance and evidence, before the judgment-seat of Christ.