Lord. But we must ever remember, that, to whatever extent we multiplied these services, they never could stand in the place of repentance, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the great error of the Church of Rome : they place penance, that is, a round of observances prescribed by man, in the place of repentance as enjoined by God, and in the place also of the Lord Jesus Christ, " whose blood alone can cleanse from all sin." But I charge you before God to be on your guard against this, since it will " make void the whole Gospel of Christ," and cause " the blood of Christ to have been shed in vain." As a discipline for the mortifying of the flesh and the quickening of the spirit, fasting is good : but as a substitute for an entire renovation of soul, and for a simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is a broken reed, which will pierce even unto death the hand that rests upon it.]
Learn then from this parable,
1. To judge with candour —
[The Pharisees through their pride and ignorance were led to condemn our Lord. And thus we also are apt to judge our unoffending brethren. We have a standard of our own ; and by that we try all other persons : and, if they exceed that standard we condemn them as enthusiasts ; or, if they fall short of it, we account them but lukewarm formalists. But the same standard cannot be applied to all. There are ten thousand circumstances which may not only justify a difference of conduct in pious persons, but may actually produce it. The Disciples of John, we readily acknowledge, did right in fasting oft : but did the Disciples of our Lord act wrong because they did not fast at all ? No : the circumstances of the two parties were widely different, as our Lord informed them ; and there- fore both were right. So it may be with many of our brethren, who differ from us in relation to this matter : and it does not become us to judge them. " To their own Master they stand or fall :" and it is our part to commit them altogether unto God, who judge th righteously, and who alone can estimate every thing which is to be taken into the account.]
2. To give advice with caution —
[We ought to bear in mind the different situations and capacities of men, and not to be requiring of novices what is suited only to the strength of an established saint. Our blessed Lord spake not all he knew, but only what his hearers were able to receive ; and even from his own Disciples he kept back much which they were not able at that time to compre- hend^ So St. Paul " fed his Corinthian converts with milk
f John xvi. 12.
&