motives that the Holy Ghost will make effectual to your souls, in teaching you to walk worthy of the Lord. It is a mark of death in any person to turn away from preceptive preaching. Whatever their numbers may be on the Lord's day, yet the men that turn away from preceptive preaching, have the mark of death in their own consciences: because the Word of God is full of it; and the Epistles, at least, are one-half composed of it. Yet, my dear hearers, in the midst of all this, it is the remembrance of God's mercy in Christ revealed to our hearts by the Holy Ghost, our consciences being cleansed by the sprinkling of his blood upon them, that moveth the affections, and draweth them out to the Living God. And hence it is in the remembrance of all that God hath done, that we beseech the dear family of God to "walk worthy of the Lord," who hath called them. The Apostle includes in this exhortation, their "being fruitful in every good work." It is only an enlarging on the former assertion: That ye walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work." The natural man cannot do a good work, any more than a bad tree can produce good fruit. First of all, a man must be purified in his heart by the power of the Holy Ghost before ever he can produce one good work, pleasing and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Now the first character of a good work is, that God has commanded it; and though that may not be the strongest motive, yet it is the basis of the precept. the basis of the precept lies in the command of God. Is this the revealed mind of God? On this part of my subject-I mention it as before God, and before you, and I mention it with sorrow of heart, when I tell you of the vast display 1 sometimes see of ungodliness, even in the heart of a child of God, who, knowing a thing to be the will of God, tampereth with it, and trifleth with it, and maketh excuse for the not doing it: whereas the very basis of the command, the basis of the precept lieth in this "the will of God concerning me." And this sweepeth away, as a cobweb is swept away in the morning, all the labours of self-righteousness, all the toilings of the mere natural spirit, all the self-workings of our proud and unsubdued nature, all those various devices by which we are so prone to make a sort of secret satisfaction to God. The very basis of the precept lieth in the command of God. Therefore, my dear brother, when thou turnest over the page to learn what is God's will, thou hast but one thing before thee: "Teach me, O Lord: without thee I am blind. Reveal thy mind to me, and make me willing to listen to it, and do it."

But observe also, it must be the result of faith; for without faith, it is impossible to please God. But faith has a double respect: it first of all pleadeth the finished righteousness of Christ as all its ground of acceptance, and then it layeth hold of the strength of Christ for all its power for performance. “In the Lord have I righteousness and strength :" and no good work will ever be wrought in the soul of man, but as it is the fruit of that faith that worketh by love, and that purifieth the affections.

Now observe what is involved in these words, "being fruitful in every good work." That is a sweet word of the Psalmist in Psalm cxix.: "Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments." Reserves in obedience are among the greatest hindrances that lie in our path, for a close, happy, peaceful, walking with God; the want of a sincere, upright desire, and endeavour to do the will of that God that reveals his mind to me in his own sacred word. Herod could do many things, but he had his Herodias: Saul could kill many of the Amalekites, but there was one he did not kill. Now the

Word of God cometh up close to us, as children of God. It demands submission, though it be painful as the cutting off a right hand, and though it be mortifying as plucking out a right eye. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable "I esteemed," says David," all unto God, which is your reasonable service." thy precepts to be right." Blessed truth! No sooner are we brought into the kingdom of God on earth, than we are introduced into a new world; we become, in some sense, the centre of a certain circle. More is dependent on us than we can well imagine; our influence extendeth further than we have any conception of; our manner, our principle, our words, our conduct, and often our very look. Influence is a talent, money is a talent, intellect is a talent, learning is a talent. No sooner is a child of God introduced into this new world, than he finds that he is, more or less, the centre of a circle around him, in things private and things public, things in the world, and things in the Church, things with the saints, and things with the ungodly, things secret between him and his God, and things open between him and those around him.

Now, the precept is, “Be fruitful in every good work." And herein I would remark (may the Lord make the remark a blessing to your souls, if it be in accordance to his own word) that we see in our blessed Lord the union of the most entire opposites. We see activity, and meditation; we see the boldness of the lion, and the gentleness of the dove; we see in him all willingness to turn the right cheek, when smitten on the left, and yet all bold, intrepid, and fearless, regardless of the countenance of man. But when we look into the Church of God, how much flaw do we see, how much defect, how little of these opposites! We see great courage in a man who wants meekness. Who can read the life of John Knox and not admire the great grace of God that was in him,' constituting him a bold, fearless, courageous defender of the truth? But, at the same time, who can look at him without seeing that a little more meekness, gentleness, lowliness, a little more of the tenderness of our Lord were wanting in him?

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Now, that which the Apostle prays for is, that the Colossians "may be fruitful in every good work." There are some who are men of the closet, but they are not men of the street: they are men of prayer, but they do not distribute tracts or Bibles, or talk to the ungodly: you do not find them exercised in missionary societies, but that they are too prone to find fault with their defects, instead of putting their own shoulder to the wheel; or rather, to drop the figure, you them wrestling more with God than laying themselves out for his glory. May the Holy Spirit lay this on our hearts deeply, and powerfully, and effectually, that in order to walk worthy of the Lord, worthy of our high calling as God's ordained family and called children, as his adopted ones, we be "fruitful in every good work."

Now, observe, secondly, the Apostle exhorts us TO AIM AT THE PLEASING OF THE LORD IN ALL THINGS. For so I understand the passage: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."

Again a solemn truth presents itself to the mind: The natural man cannot please God: "without faith it is impossible to please him." Even a child of God often does many things that are most displeasing to God. There was but one who pleased God in all things-" My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." But, in a legal sense, the people of God always stand before him

acceptable. Never forget this truth (may the Holy Ghost be our remembrancer here it is a truth we are prone to forget) that, notwithstanding all one's changes, and decays, and fluctuations of thought, and mind, and principle; notwithstanding all one's wanderings to the right, and wanderings to the left; yet, as a believer in Christ, one always stands before God acceptable in Jesus Christ; having an interest in him, one always stands before God pardoned, and "made the righteousness of God in him." It is a sweet and blessed truth: it is the sheet-anchor of the soul in the midnight tempest. And how some can go on their course without the imputed righteousness of Christ, satisfying themselves with the pardoning blood of Christ, laying altogether aside his imputed righteousness, has often been to my soul a marvel. You, that know the inward plague of your hearts, you that turn over the page of conscience, you that reflect upon the journey that is gone, you that are made to know somewhat of God's purity and of what your own hearts have been; let me ask you, In what can you stand before God for one moment but "the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe?" Be assured that this is faith's broad sheet-anchor, the very substance of a living hope, and of a dying hope. The ground-work, the basis, the foundation of all our confidence is to be found in this-that, legally and as before God, his people stand in Christ Jesus acceptable before him.

Yet forget not that the child of God, though accepted in the Beloved, though pardoned, redeemed, and made the righteousness of God, can do those things that are displeasing to God; and he can, through grace, do those things that are pleasing to him. An unreserved obedience, a desire to obey God in all things, in little matters as well as in great, is that state of mind that is pleasing to God, through Jesus Christ. And why is it so? Because this is the very fruit of the Spirit. All these things in the soul of a man, whatever there is of purity, whatever there is of spirituality, whatever there is of simplicity, whatever there is of uprightness of principle in them, it is the blessed fruit of God the Eternal Spirit on their souls, causing them to pant after the Living God: and hence these things are pleasing and acceptable to God. See how they come up, perfumed with the much incense of the perfect work. My dear brother, there was enough spot in that tear of thine to cause God to cast thee for ever from his presence. There was enough of sin in that prayer of thine when thou wast most broken hearted to-day, when thy mouth was most laid in the dust to-day, when thy repentance seemed to break forth in inward contrition; there was enough of self in those groanings that could not be uttered, to have caused them, if the Lord had looked at them in themselves, to be utterly rejected by him for ever. But what makes them come up in sweet memorial before him? It is the much incense of God in our nature, of Him who, having taken away our sins, presents our holy things in his infinite merit; and thus do they go up as a sweet-smelling savour before our Father and his Father, before our God and his God.

Besides, this humble, filial, prayerful, watchful walking with God, is in itself pleasing to God. The glorious doctrines of free grace have always been suspected of a loose and licentious tendency. Never feel the least wonder at this; only pray that you may give no occasion nor pretext for the accusation. But the natural man knoweth not of any real motive wherefore he should love God: when you take from him that which he thinks the only motive, which is but a false and deceitful one, he imagines there is no other: and as he considers there are but two motives wherefore he should love and serve God, that of purchasing

eternal life, and that of delivering himself from eternal woe-when you cut these things down, root and branch, and acknowledge no such efficacy to be attachable to them, what effect is produced on his mind? He supposes there is no motive at all. But we know that the very grace of God that bringeth salvation to a man, delivers him from the curse and ban of the law, draws him to the cross, and through the cross to the Father. We know that the principle is that which softens his heart, melts his spirit, subdues his will, makes him careful, and watchful, and prayerful, and holy. And it is the will of God that this should be exhibited; it is his will that his people should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; that they should justify their faith by their works; that they should declare it to be a genuine faith by the fruit it produces.

By these means, too, it is that others are stirred up. See how Paul's conduct at Rome made others, who were before cowards, stand forward, seeing he took his life in his hand, and was willing to endure all things for Christ s sake. These things are pleasing and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ: they are the fruit of his Spirit; they are perfumed with the much incense, and they have in themselves that which God loveth.

See, then, how high, how vast a motive you have before you. Is it for life? No. Is it for acceptance? No. Is it for justification? No. Is it to purchase the favour of God? God forbid. It is because it is pleasing to God. Observe how this wrought in the mind of the dear servant of God, the Apostle Paul: 1 Thess. ii. 4: "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts." Is it not a lawful thing for a man when he ascends the pulpit, to commend himself to every man's conscience in the presence of God? And yet so small a point was that in the Apostle's mind, it seemed lost altogether. As when a man looks at the cathedral of St. Paul's, looking at the glory of the building he loses sight of the little compartments; so when the Apostle looked at the majesty of God, he lost sight of all those to whom he preached, and said, "That is my motive, not as pleasing man, but God." It is a happy motive, if in all that you undertake, if in all that you meditate, if in all that comes into your minds, if in all that you plan, if in all that you pray for, your heart is lifted up in this one question "Is this pleasing to God?" Do not think any thing is too mean; I thank God for two instances, especially, in which the Lord has written out, as with a sunbeam, the nothingness of man. And who can say in common affairs, It is not so. Some of the greatest events of our lives have turned on little pivots. If you and I ask how many little things were needful to bring you into this chapel and me into this pulpit, we must see that the little wheels worked with the great wheels, and they were under the management of the Great Builder of them all. In things minute as well as in things great, our question should be, "Is this pleasing to God?" Even in eating, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Even in the article of dress; "Too little," some would say; so says not the Spirit of God. See in 1 Peter, iii. how the Holy Ghost lays stress upon it, and ask whether or not some that are called, and are Christians, do not have some false comment upon this text of God's word, and do not forget the question, "Is this pleasing to my God?" Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of

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wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;" (making one think "I wonder how much thought and time that has taken you to day :") "but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands." Here we find, that in these two things, considered by many trifling, narrow, insignificant, even here the Christian man and the Christian woman should say, "Is this pleasing to my God?" Ye fathers, consider it: ye children consider it; ye husbands consider it (the husband is the head of the wife): bring it to the touchstone of God's word; try it by "Thus saith the Lord." And when God fails in providence to make you know, that little things lead to great events, then you may think, that your little omissions, that your little commissions, may be of small importance before God. God give you and me a wise understanding, and loving heart, for that must throw its beams upon the precept; otherwise we shall legalize the precept, and turn the Gospel into law.

I love, too, to see how the Lord can bless one who seems to have been led by it. I love to quote that instance-I have quoted it before; the instance of old Anna, in Luke, ii. 37. She was a widow of about fourscore years, which departed not from the temple, but served God." How did she serve God? "With fastings and prayers." Here we find a way in which we might, however unfavourably situated, however debarred, however kept back, yet here is a way of serving God, in things comparatively incongruous with any such idea. Here was Anna serving God, who could only serve him in fasting and prayer before the Lord. To take this to common life, see how it applies to the article of Christian service (I do not mean the service of Christian masters, for it is not Christian servants obeying Christian masters, but unchristian masters); "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart:" engaged, as I understand it in the common, what we might call the drudgery of life, the common occupations of the day, and yet doing it as the servants of Christ, doing it as the will of God. How does it dignify the operation, and raise a man above it: not in the temper of the present day, that of servant being master to his master. You don't find that in this book, but you find it in Satan's book: this book is peaceful, and holy, and pure, and from above; the other is fleshly, carnal, devilish, and from beneath. See, my dear Christian brethren, whom the Lord hath placed in servitude, see how you can please God, even in the common occupations of the day. How sweet shall it be for you to ask, "Is this the will of my Father; pleasing to my God through Jesus Christ?"

Observe, lastly, that THIS FORMS A SCHOOL IN WHICH THE LORD BRINGS HIS PEOPLE INTO A GREATER ACQUAINTANCE WITH HIMSELF. It is not in the school of theory; though I do wish that our people, and the inhabitants of this country, were taught the theory of divine truth. It is a really wonderful thing, that after so many thousand preachers of the Gospel in these realms, the great mass of our population should be as theoretically ignorant of the basis of Christianity, and of the system of divine truth, as heathens themselves. But it is not mere theory that teaches a man the substance of truth.