stand in competition with each other ; or rather, I should say, are always opposed to each other, where the higher duties of Christianity are concerned: for, of "the circumcision of the heart, which is in the Spirit and not in the letter," we are told, " its praise is not of men, but of Godh." Indeed the praise of God is frequently not to be obtained without incurring the deepest odium from men. But, when that is the case, there must be no hesitation on our part whom to obey, and whose honour to seek. Our reply to the whole universe must be, " Whether it be right to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." Neither parental authority, nor brotherly affection, must have any weight with us in opposition to God : for, if " we come to Christ, and hate not father and mother, and brother and sister, yea, and our own lives also," in comparison of him, " we cannot be his Disciples1."
But in these two respects the persons described in our text are essentially defective. In respect of moral virtue, as it is called, they may be exemplary enough ; and it is even taken for granted that they are so, by their " receiving of honour from men," which may be supposed to be accorded to them on account of their virtues: but, inasmuch as they do not utterly despise man's approbation in comparison of God's, and even " glory in shame" itself for the Lord's sake, they are incapable of exercising a true and saving faith in the Lord Jesus. I say again, It is not the immoral man, of whom our Lord speaks, but of the man who, from any cause whatever, prefers the praise of man before the praise of God.~\
But zvhy can they not exercise faith in Christ ? Let us inquire,
III. Whence their incapacity arises —
The disposition to prefer the applause of man,
1. Unfits them for discerning truth —
[External evidences, as I have before observed, they may judge of: but the real excellency of the Gospel is hid from their eyes. The glory of Christ, and the beauty of holiness, they cannot appreciate ; because they possess not that spiritual discernment whereby alone they can be seenk. There is a film over their eyes : " their eye is evil ; and therefore their body and soul are full of darkness1." Sin and " Satan have altogether blinded them111." The sublimer truths, when offered to their view, produce only the effect which a flood of light does when poured upon a disordered patient in a dark cham- ber. " They hate the light, and will not come to it":" and
* Rom. ii. 29. * Luke xiv. 26. k 1 Cor. ii. 14.
1 Matt. vi. 22, 23. m 2 Cor. iv. A. » John iii. 19, 20.