whose outward conduct is irreproachable, who comes regularly to church; nay, who even kneels at the Lord's Table; who is upright in all his dealings, and blameless as a friend and a neighbour-I would say to that man, Unless the Spirit of God works a change in your soul, you cannot enjoy God's service here, or dwell with him hereafter. I would say to you all, as Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Here is a word for every one of us. I who preach, and you who hear, unless this inward change has been wrought in us, we are still far from the kingdom of God. Now, what do we know of this change, my dear brethren? Perhaps, God's work is really going on in some of you. The thick mist may be clear ing away; and you begin to see things differently, from what you once did. The Spirit of God is secretly at work in your soul, leading you to see new truths in his word which you never saw before, and to have new feelings which you never felt before. Truly, it may be said in your case, that "old things are passed away, things are become new." behold, all A new life, as it were, is opening before you. You have a new prize to live for. New feelings, new desires, new hopes have sprung up within you. not what you once were. so, thank God for it; You are Well, if and entreat him to carry on the work, which he has so graciously begun. But there may be some to whom this is a strange doctrine; some who, like Nicodemus, are ready to exclaim, "How can these things be?" Your hearts whisper within you, "If there is such a change as my minister speaks of, then I fear I am altogether a stranger to it; I know nothing of it." 66 Do not be satisfied to remain in ignorance. This is too serious a matter to be trifled with. Go home, and think it over. Pray that you may know something of it. There is, in the Prophet Ezekiel, a most gracious promise to encourage you. God says, "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you.” Ezekiel, 36. 25, 26, 27. Ask God to fulfil this promise to you. Pray to him in the words of David, "Create 73 SERMON V. THE CHRISTIAN A HOLY MAN. HEBREWS 12. 14. "Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." I ALWAYS feel, brethren, that the most glorious and precious truth in the whole gospel, is that which tells us that there is salvation in Christ for every penitent sinner. This is the great key-note which, as a Minister of Christ, it is my highest joy to sound, But we must not stop here, else we should not be declaring to you "all H |
