stoj)ped short and settled on their lees. They have all been too ready to be satisfied with mere external amend- r ments. And now there are painful symptoms in many >uC quarters that the evil sj)irit has returned to his house, ^f-^and is preparing an outbreak of infidelity, and false doctrine, such as the churches have never yet seen. Between unbelief in some quarters, and formal supersti- tion in others, everything seems ripe for some fearful ^ I manifestation of anti-christ. It may well be feared that the last state of the professing Christian cliurches will prove worse than the first.
Saddest and worst of all, we have in this picture the Jiistoy^y of many an individuaVs soul. There are men who seemed, at one time of their lives to be under the .^v influence of strong religious feelings. They reformed their ways. They laid aside many things that are bad. They took up many things that are good. But they stopped there, and went no further, and by and bye gave
up religion altogether. The evil spirit returned to their
J^ hearts, and found them empty, swept, and garnished.
They are now worse than they ever were before. Their
t ^ consciences seem seared. Their sense of religious things
t^*" I appears entirely destroyed. They are like men given
'^J^fiover to a reprobate mind. One would say it Avas ^^im-
1— ^possible to renew them to repentance." None j)rove so
, jhopelessly wicked as those who, after experiencing strong
( religious convictions, have gone back again to sin and the
world. ■
If we love life, let us pray that these lessons may be deeply impressed on our minds. Let us never be content wdth a partial reformation of life, without thorough con-
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version to God, and mortification of the whole body of sin. It is a good thing to strive to cast sin out of our hearts. But let us take care that we also receive the grace of God in its place. Let us make sure that we not only get rid of the old tenant, the devil, but have also got dwelling in us the Holy Ghost.
The last practical lesson which meets us in these verses is the tender affection ivitJi luhich the Lord Jesus regards His true disciples.
Mark how He speaks of every one who does the will of His Father in heaven. He says, "the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." What gracious words these are ! Who can conceive the depth of our dear Lord's love towards His relations according to the flesh ? It was a pure, unselfish love. It must have been a mighty love, a love that passes man's understanding. Yet here we see that all His believing people are counted as His relations. He loves them, feels for them, cares for them, as members of His family, bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh.
There is a solemn warning here to all who mock and persecute true Christians on account of their religion. They consider not what they are doing. They are per- secuting the near relations of the King of kings. They will find at the last day that they have mocked those whom the Judge of all regards as " His brother, and sister, and mother."
There is rich encouragement here for all believers. They are far more precious in their Lord's eyes than they are in their own. Their faith may be feeble, their repentance weak, their strength small. They may be
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