acting on his belief: not doubting, but living inconsistently with his knowledge.

Our religious knowledge, however, unless it is to condemn us, must be acted on. If it is effectual, our faith must be "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." It must make us live, as believing. And there is one thought which ought to leave a strong impression on the mind.

What would have been this rich man's eagerness, if when he made his requests to Abraham, Abraham could have replied to him in the same terms as Paul addressed to the Philippian jailor, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved-and thy house:"-those five brethren, concerning whom thou art so justly anxious, the door is open unto them also. The Son of God has given himself a sacrifice, to redeem thee from the sins of which thou art suffering the punishment. He will make thy peace with God, and the gulf shall be removed which separates us. For "there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."

This truth is known to us; and to those who are yet on earth, there is still space for repentance and remission of sin. But this parable too plainly confirms the certainty, that though there is room for sorrow and remorse, there is no room for repentance or change of condition in the grave.

3 Acts xvi. 31.

1. Then said he unto his disiples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come !

2. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

3. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him: and if he repent, forgive him.

4. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Our Lord is here looking onward to the state of those who should believe in him. They would not be secure from danger. So far otherwise, It is impossible but that offences will come. Such are

the circumstances in which they will be placed, and the evil hearts with which they will have to do, that they must often be in temptation, and liable to fall. And grievous is the sin of him through whom the offence cometh!

1 Cause to offend. Be the occasion of his stumbling, or falling from the faith. See on Matt. xviii. 7.

And as they will not be safe, so neither will they be perfect. They will trespass one against another. Such trespasses must be rebuked, as often as they are committed; and as often as they are acknowledged they must be forgiven. Forgiveness is essentially a christian duty. It springs naturally out of that conviction which the Christian bears about him, that he is living by mercy, and constantly needing forgiveness. "I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?" The apostles, as yet, could hardly understand this. Elsewhere Peter inquires Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?" him?" And here, And here, their answer seems to refer to the difficulty of the precept. They pray for an increase of that quality which can alone enable them to live as they were required to live.

5. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

6. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

7. But which of you, having a servant ploughing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

8. And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink?

2 Unless it be supposed, as is perhaps more probable, that a separate discourse is now entered npon.

9. Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

10. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

In describing the effects of faith, Jesus had been alluding to the wonderful works which the apostles should do in his name: means by which they should promote the glory of God, and bring many over to serve and honour him. This might give birth to pride and self-sufficiency. Therefore, by one example, he cuts away the root of all such boasting among his disciples. Ye are the servants of God: the instruments which he has made, and which he uses for his own purposes. Do not, therefore, suppose that ye may claim merit, or indulge arrogant notions of yourselves. who could perform no extraordinary or superfluous service; for all that ye could perform, was due. As St. Paul felt in his own case afterwards;

66

Ye are servants,

Though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel." 3

The full force and meaning of this passage will not be seen, if we confine our ideas to the servants of our own time and country. It is very possible that the servants with whom we are concerned, might do more than they could strictly be required to do. But the servants of that day, and of whom our Lord is speaking, were bondmen: the whole of whose time, and strength, and possessions, were the property of their masters. They could have no

thing, and could do nothing, to which their masters had not a claim.

Here, then, is set before us, illustrated by this

strong figure, the state of man ther we live, we live unto the die, we die unto the Lord."

with God.

"Whe

Lord, or whether we

We are his, that he

should do with us what seemeth him good, and that we should do for him what he sees fit to require. He has a property in us by the most indisputable of all titles, the title of creation. Without him, we never should have existed. If he had not breathed into our nostrils the breath of life; we should have had no more sense or motion than the

clay we tread upon. He gave us being: and, together with our being, he gave all we have, all our faculties, all our understanding. Are we then not bound to serve him to whom we owe all we have, or ever can have; all we are, or ever can be? Does he not justly claim all the affection we can feel, all the obedience we can show, all the service we can perform?

We

If we have paid him this, then we have done what we were bound to do, and no more. have still nothing to claim. Does the master thank his bondman because he did the things which were commanded him? I trow not. And why should God be more liberal to the creature who has done for his Creator the things for which he was created? Therefore, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do.