Then, in these respects, I may say of all of you, that God has chosen you : and, inasmuch as you are all equally partakers of these mercies, you may account yourselves equally the children of God ; yea, and so far as your outward conduct is correct, you may be accounted so by others.]
But, after all, God may see, and most probably does see, an immense difference between you —
[Only see what one reigning lust proved and demonstrated
in Judas Iscariot : it proved him, in despite of all his specious
appearances, to be "a devil." My dear brethren, the same
evidence will demonstrate the same awful truth, wherever it
be found. Nor does it matter what that reigning lust is : it
may be covetousness, or lewdness, or pride, or vindictiveness,
or any other sin ; but, whatever it may be, whether dear as a
right eye, or apparently necessary as a right hand, it will
decide our character, and determine our doom : if it continue
unmortified and unsubdued, it will infallibly consign us over
to the fire of hell1. If one besetting sin marked Judas as " a
son of perdition"1," and transmitted him to that everlasting dread
abode, so will it us, whose place it must be," as well as his".
Our being of the seed of Abraham will not make us " God's
children," any more than it made him0. Our saying, Lord,
Lord, however confidently we may repeat it, will not procure
us a place in heavenp; nor if we have "wrought miracles and
cast out devils in the Saviour's name," will it prevail to avert
from us our merited condemnation q. Perish we must, if sin
of any kind be harboured in our hearts1. It is not necessary
that we be perfect, in order to obtain mercy of the Lord in
that day : for then who could ever be saved ? The Apostles
themselves were not perfect : but in purpose and endeavour we
must be perfect : and they only will find acceptance before
God, who are " Israelites indeed, and without guile s." I say
again, in aim and effort we must be perfect: "for he is not a
Jew who is one outwardly ; neither is that circumcision which
is outward in the flesh : but he is a Jew who is one inwardly ;
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in
the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God4."]
Application —
1. Rest not then, brethren, in outward privileges —
[Be it so : you may have all the privileges that Paul him- self possessed when in his unconverted state : yet would they not profit you, if you were- not brought to the knowledge of
1 Mark ix. 43 — 48. m John xvii. 12. n Acts i. 25.
0 Rom. ix. 7, 8. p Matt. vii. 21. °. Matt. vii. 22, 23.
r Ps. lxvi. 18. s John i. 47. l Rom. ii. 28, 29.