says, " Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him : for if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things : but if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God*." And hence we may say to the whole world, " Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright ; for the end of that man is peace"."]
3. As being honoured with tokens of God's special approbation —
[God will " manifest himself unto his people as he does not unto the world." He will " shed abroad his love in their hearts;" and by the immediate influences of " his Spirit bear witness to, and with, their spirits, that they are his children." He will " seal, as it were, their souls unto the day of redemp- tion," and give them already " the earnest and foretaste of their eternal inheritance." But who are these favoured people? Are they those who live in a neglect of holy duties, and in the commission of any known sin ? No : " If any man regard ini- quity in his heart, the Lord will not hear himx ;" much less will he favour him with such communications as these. But " of his children, who keep his law, great shall be the peacey," even " a peace that passeth all understanding:" " they shall go forthwith joy, and be led forth with peace : the mountains and the hills shall break forth before them into singing ; and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands2."]
Learn then from hence, Brethren,
1. How to approve yourselves Christians indeed —
[" By their fruits ye shall know them," says our blessed Lord : and again, " Bring forth much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples:" "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." You well know that it is in this way that you form your estimate of a field, or of a tree : and this is the only true way of estimating your own character. Your professions are of no value, any further than the truth of them is attested by your practice. You may say, Lord, Lord, with as much confidence as you will : but, if you do not the will of your heavenly Father, Christ will disown you, and cast you from him at the last day. You may now so resemble the wheat amongst which you grow, as not to admit of being easily distinguished from it by a human eye, or separated from it by a human hand. But in the last day the tares and the wheat will be infallibly separated from each other ; the one for the fire of hell, the other for the granary of heaven3. T say
1 1 John iii. 18—20. » Ps. xxxvii. 37. x Ps. lxvi. 18.
v Isai. liv. 13. Ps. exix. 165. z Isai. lv. 12.
a Matt. xiii. 28—30, 40—43.