not be done. They are striving to " serve God and mam- mon."
He that desires to be a happy Christian, will do well to ponder our Lord's sayings in this verse. There is per- haps no point on which the experience of all God's saints is more uniform than this, that decision is the secret of comfort in Christ's service. It is the half-hearted Chris- tian who brings up an evil report of the good land. The more thoroughly we give ourselves to Christ, the more sensibly shall we feel within " the peace of God which passeth all understanding." (Phil. iv. 7.) The more en- tirely we live, not to ourselves, but to Him who died for us, the more powerfully shall we realize what it is to have "joy and peace in believing." (Bom. xv. 13.) K it is worth while to serve Christ at all, let us serve Him with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. Life, eternal life, after all, is the matter at stake, no less than happiness. If we cannot make up our minds to give up everything for Christ's sake, we must not expect Christ to own us at the last day. He will have all our hearts or none. " Whosoever will be a £riend of the world is the enemy of God." (James iv. 4.) The end of undecided and half-hearted Christians will be to be cast out for ever.
These verses teach us, secondly, how mdely different is the estimate set on things hy man from that which is set an things hy God. Our Lord Jesus Christ declares this in a severe rebuke which he addresses to the covetous Pharisees who derided Him. He says, "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men ; but God knoweth your hearts : for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomi- nation in the sight of God."