Let us ever nail this caution in our memories, and bind it on our hearts. The plague is about us on every side. The danger is at all times. What is the essence of Romanism, and semi-Romanism, and formalism, and sacrament-worship and church-adorning, and cere- monialism ? What is it all but the leaven of the Phari- sees under one shape or another? The Pharisees are not extinct. Pharisaism lives still.
If we would not become Pharisees, let us cultivate a heart religion. Let us realize daily that the God with whom we have to do, looks far below the outward sur- face of our profession, and that He measures us by the state of our hearts. Let us be real and true in our Christianity. Let us abhor aU part-acting, and affecta- tion, and semblance of devotion, put on for public occasions, but not really felt within. It may deceive man, and get us the reputation of being very religious, but it cannot deceive God. "There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed." Whatever we are in religion, let us never wear a cloak or a mask.
The second thing that demands our attention in these verses is Christ* s warning against the fear of man. "Be not afiraid," He says, "of them which kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." But this is not all. He not only teUs us whom we ought not to fear, but of whom we ought to be afraid. "Fear him," He says, "which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto you, fear him." The manner in which the lesson is conveyed is very striking and im- pressive. Twice over the exhortation is enforced. " Fear him," says our Lord, — " yea I say unto you, fear him."