66

as towards our neighbour; in submission of the understanding, as well as of the heart, to the Divine will; in "worshipping, worshipping, serving, " and obeying❞ our heavenly Father, no less than in "doing unto all men as we would they should do unto us." It includes, therefore, whatever relates either to our belief or our practice; not only every thing that passes in the sight of the world between man and man, but every thing that passes in secret between God and our own consciences. Unless it embrace all these points, it will form but a very defective criterion; and the tree that will not abide this test, however attractive in appearance, may deserve to be "hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Again; however highly we may value sincerity, (and we can hardly set too high a value upon it, since without it there can be no vital Religion, and we are taught that "the hope of the hypocrite shall perish,”) yet we must not attach to this single quality such a character as would make it representative of all other virtues, nor so vague and indefinite a meaning as would make it an apology for every strange imagination which human vanity or corruption may suggest. Mere sincerity will be pleaded by many who boldly dispute the revelation of God's will, as well

as by those who meekly receive it. The Schismatic, the Heretic, the Jew, the Turk, the Infidel, will all advance this specious plea; and may all advance it with equal propriety, if no distinction is to be made between an erroneous conscience and a conscience rightly informed; between the disposition which leads men carefully to investigate the principles of conduct, and that which forms precipitate judgments, using no precautions against misrepresentation or mispersuasion. For though it be perfectly true, that "a man is accepted according to that he hath, and not according to that he hath "not," (and therefore we may charitably hope and believe that multitudes who err through invincible ignorance will at last obtain mercy,) yet this applies not where the error may be traced to perverseness in the will, and where men presumptuously make choice of that which is in opposition to the known will of God.

66

66

It seems to be with reference to errors of this description, that our Lord uses that strongly figurative illustration of their absurdity, “Do men gather grapes of thorns, or

66

figs of thistles?" The parable of the Good Seed and the Tares is also of similar tendency. And nearly to the same effect is that

grapes,

expostulation of the Almighty with his Vineyard, the Jewish Church, "Wherefore, when "I looked that it should bring forth "brought it forth wild grapes?" ?" All these imply that the excellence of the produce depends, in the first instance, on the principle of human conduct. Faith in God is the seed, or principle of Christian conduct; obedience is the fruit. Virtues of Virtues of any other growth, however specious in appearance, have not the same characteristic qualities; they want that which is essentially requisite to their acceptance by the great Lord of the Vineyard: and wanting that, they shew that they are fruits of a different kind from those which are of spiritual growth. And this explains what is said in one of the Articles of our Church, respecting works which "spring not of faith "in Jesus Christ," that being "not done as "God hath willed and commanded them to "be done," they "have the nature of sin;" an assertion only to be understood as equivalent to our Lord's declaration, "Every plant "which my heavenly Father hath not planted "shall be rooted up."

There is an opposite error, however, against which it is equally necessary to caution the professed disciple of Christ, and which the admonition in the text no less pointedly re

66

futes. Many name the name of Christ," who are not careful to "depart from ini

66

quity," or to "walk worthy of the vocation "wherewith they are called." Some do this through mere wantonness and inconsideration; some from habitual worldly-mindedness, which draws them off from spiritual things; some from erroneous views of the doctrine of Justification by Faith, as if it superseded the necessity of cultivating those Christian virtues, which are so often represented in Holy Writ as inseparable from a saving faith, and indispensable to our becoming "meet to be partakers of an inheritance "with the saints in light." Against all these, it might be sufficient to urge the declaration,

66

By their fruits ye shall know them," as passing upon them a sentence of unqualified condemnation. But if further illustration be desired, consider our Lord's parable of the "barren fig-tree," no less emblematical of the unprofitable Christian, than of the impenitent and incorrigible Jew. That tree is represented as of goodly appearance, thriving and flourishing, with fair promise of fruit :but there was found none. And what is the mere formal profession of Christianity, or even the most confident pretensions to sanctity and experimental knowledge of salvation,

without a corresponding influence upon the life and conversation, but "leaves without "fruit?" What is it but the worthless tree, against which the sentence will assuredly go forth, "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?"

66

That these remarks, however trite or obvious, are not superseded as to their necessity by any greater progress towards Christian perfection in these than in former times, it requires little labour to prove. Whoever mixes much in society will frequently hear eulogies bestowed upon conduct that will ill bear the scrutiny of Christian examination. The moral qualities of the philosophical unbeliever, the orthodoxy of the mere formalist, the spiritual fervour of the fanatic or the devotee, will meet with many admirers, and be lauded by the world as patterns of excellence. Yet apply the test, in its full extent, of judging them by their fruits; and what will be the result? If it be a moral duty (which can hardly be denied even upon any view of the subject) to receive with reverence and submission whatever is sufficiently attested as a revelation from God, will the Deist, however virtuous in other respects, be virtuous in setting up his own understanding or will in opposition to that of his Maker, or