Has faith come by hearing in our case? Has the word of God, preached by God's own minister, turned our slowly believing hearts to a true and lively faith,- a faith so strong and confident that it overcomes, through Christ, an evil nature and a wicked world? Or do we think ourselves wiser than the word of God, and frame our own theories? Do we think ourselves wiser than the expounders of the word of God, and become our own teachers? Do we "sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth'," and so fulfil that Scripture which saith, "this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them"." Let us "look to ourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward3."

Secondly, the word gives us a clear view of duty. It says, with great plainness of speech, "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This, then, is a comprehensive definition of the nature and workings of faith, and may show us how it should take root and bear fruit. It must be in the heart and on the tongue; with the inward assent, and with the outward expression of assent. Neither of these modes of manifesting faith will be sufficient without the other. If the believer "believes in his heart, that God hath raised Jesus from the dead," but does not confess that doctrine with his mouth-is "ashamed to confess Christ before men," is afraid to make any sacrifices for his sake-his belief is not a saving belief. And if, on the other hand, the believer "confesses with his mouth the Lord Jesus," but does not accept him in his heart as the great and only atonement for sin, his belief is not a saving belief. In the one case there is the fearful assent, which marks the waverer; in the other, the formal confession which constitutes the hypocrite.

Let us carefully bear in mind the distinction drawn between inward assent and outward confession, and recollect, that without detriment to the soul they cannot be separated. Our great aim ought to be to believe unto justification, to "make confession unto salvation;" on the one hand, to believe in such a manner that our belief shall be under all circumstances, however unto1 Heb. x., 26. 2 Isai. vi., 9; Matt. xiii., 15. 32 John 8.

ward, a bold, open, and courageous belief; and on the other, to make confession in so sincere and consistent a manner, that it shall appear unto all men to come from the heart. In a word, if we would be true Christians, we must not only have our convictions, but avow them; not only avow certain principles, but hold them. The evil fruit cannot come from the good tree. The good tree must have its fruit.

Finally, "all do not obey the Gospel." It is preached widely, but not so widely practised. And whose fault must this be? Not the fault of the preachers, who bring the good tidings, but his who receives them coldly; who hears every thing, but does nothing; who is ever learning the truth, but never coming to the knowledge of it. And who among us is thus situated? Who is "the disobedient and gainsaying" disciple, unto whom the Lord "stretches forth his hands" in vain? Oh,

let each of us search and see what manner of man he is,—and fear, lest this awfully perilous state be his, and in him be fulfilled what was formerly said of Israel, "all the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people'." Let him think that the time must come, when, if he continues to "sin wilfully," notwithstanding his reception of the knowledge of the truth, "the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace" will cross his threshold no longer, and he himself will be of the number of those, who, hearing but not believing, understanding but not obeying, will call in their turn on a despised Saviour and he will not answer, will seek him early but will not find him2.

SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE.
THE EPISTLE. Ephes. ii., 19 to the end.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

In honour of the Apostle whom the Church this day commemorates, a passage of Scripture is chosen which describes the

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part taken by the apostles and prophets in establishing the religion of Jesus. We are herein told, that the Ephesians and all true disciples of a crucified Saviour, wheresoever dispersed, are no more strangers and foreigners," that is, separated from each other, and from the Church in general, by ceremonial distinctions and other outward tokens of estrangement, but are connected together, notwithstanding any apparent difference in external things, by one common bond, that of being "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone."

Of the prophecies of the prophets, and of the preaching of the apostles, Jesus Christ himself was indeed the substance. The prophets darkly prefigured him; the apostles preached him openly, and in all his fulness. The apostles were his chosen friends-his selected servants-his appointed representatives. They knew his will-they were informed of his most secret counsels-they were taught the purport of his hidden mysteries, and most difficult parables'-they were "eye witnesses of his majesty, when he received from God the Father honour and glory","—and they were partakers of a larger measure of the Spirit than was ever vouchsafed to man before, even of that measure of it distributed to them on the day of Pentecost3. And hence they were fully competent to lay that foundation of faith and good doctrine which is contained in the New Testament, and to preach by word of mouth the same Gospel, which they afterwards sealed with their blood.

The Apostle Thomas however was not as faithful in the beginning as he was afterwards. His faith failed; he doubted*. And his gracious and considerate Master vouchsafed to him a solution of his difficulties, and with that merciful allowance for natural infirmity (which he equally extended in their backslidings to Peter and the rest of the erring apostles,) willingly condescended to undeceive him. And thus Thomas, whose previous faith had probably been like that of the majority of his former brethren the Jews, speculative, nominal, and unprepared for trial, became firmly established. And having lapsed for a short time, he doubtless became a true believer and a faithful preacher for ever. He was first a member of Christ's visible body, but his faith took an improved form, and in virtue of it, he became a member of that which was mystical and spiritual. 2 2 Peter i., 16, 17, 18. 4 John xx., 24, 29.

1 Mark iv.,
34.

3 Acts ii., throughout.

And thus we are led to consider, what true discipleship is, both with regard to individual members of the Church of Christ, and with regard to the Church of Christ collectively. Those who profess to believe in the fundamental and primary truths which the prophets and apostles taught, (the main feature or corner-stone of which is Jesus Christ, and his incarnation,) are members of his visible body; and that visible body, wheresoever scattered, which adopts an outward profession of these fundamental principles, constitutes his visible Church. But profession even of a true faith being not always followed by a complete spiritual conformity to it in heart and life, there must of necessity be another body, confined neither to time, place, circumstances, or even this present world, which is the real, the spiritual, the truly Catholic Church of Christ, and of which all faithful men, living or departed, all holy angels and "spirits of the just made perfect'," are actual but invisible members.

To belong to this Church should be the high aim, the earnest endeavour, the hopeful expectation of every member of the visible Church. But truly to belong to it, what must a man be? He must not only believe outwardly with his mouth and lips that Jesus Christ is the Son of God-not only believe thus outwardly by assenting to all the things concerning him which prophets and apostles both preached and spake-not only receive baptism, partake of the Lord's Supper, keep the Lord's day holy, and read the word of God-but exemplify this Christian faith by Christian practice. As a member of the purest branch of Christ's visible Church that ever was planted, he must be diligent to become one of its purest members, one of its justified, sanctified, and truly converted members. And by thus "adorning the doctrine of God his Saviour in all things," he will not only be a good disciple, by profession, of Jesus Christ, but a citizen of that "true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man3.” He will be a "fellow-citizen with the saints," one in spirit, in communion, in affections, and in conformity of character, with those who are blessed of the Lord. He will be "of the household of God," a member by faith and love of his spiritual family, a son owning him as a Father, a son sharing in his Father's love, a son made more and more "nigh by the blood of Christ3," taught saving lessons of "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," and "to whom pertaineth," as a child thus docile and privileged, "the adoption, the glory, the cove2 Heb. viii., 2. 3 Eph. ii., 13.

1 Heb. xii., 22, 23, 24.

nants, the promises'." He will be a "lively stone" in that spiritual building, which "fitly framed together," and devoted to no profane use, "groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." And he will, in a word, endeavour, on the foundation of Jesus Christ, to become a truly component part of that holy temple, which, fitly compacted together by that bond of union which all living holy people and all glorified men departed supply, is of them "builded together for an habitation of God, through the Spirit.”

THE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL.

FOR THE EPISTLE. Acts ix., 1 to the end.

AND Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus : and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said I unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him

1 Rom. ix., 4.

by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight.

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16 For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

17 And Ananias went his way,

2 1 Pet. ii., 5.