sacramental act, which our Master Himself has com- manded ; and when the ordinance is rightly used, we may confidently believe that He seals it by His blessing. We are taught here, furthermore, the absolute necessity of faith in Christ to salvation. This is the one thing needful. " He that beiieveth not" is the man that shall be lost for evermore. He may have been baptized, and made a member of the visible church. He may be a regular communicant at the Lord's Table. He may even believe intellectually all the leading articles of the creed. But all shall profit him nothing if he lacks saving faith in Christ. Have we this faith ? This is the great question that concerns us all. Except we feel our sins, and feeling them nee to Christ by faith, and lay hold on Him, we shall find at length we had better never have been born.
We are taught here, furthermore, the certainty of God's judgments on those who die unbelieving. " He that beiieveth not shall be damned. " How awful the words sound ! How fearful the thought that they came from the lips of Him who said, u My words shall not pass away." Let no man deceive us with vain words. There is an eternal hell for all who will persist in their wicked- ness, and depart out of this world without faith in Christ. The greater the mercy offered to us in the Gospel, the greater will be the guilt of those who obstinately refuse to believe. " Oh ! that men were wise. Oh ! that they would consider their latter end." Deut. xxxii. 29.) He that died upon the cross, has given us plain warning that there is a hell, and that unbelievers shall be damned. Let us take heed that His warning is not given to us in vain !