[Instructed as you have been, few can be ignorant of the efficacy of Christ's blood to cleanse from sin, or of his Spirit to renew and sanctify the heart. But what will this know- ledge avail you, if you do not experience both the one and the
other in your souls ? I pray you to remember, that our
Lord does not say, ' if ye know these things, happy are ye :' No : an unproductive knowledge of them will only aggravate your guilt and condemnation : it is then only that ye can be accounted happy, "if ye do them."]
2. In allusion to its spiritual and practical import —
[It is intimated that some knoiv these things, but do them not ; but that others both " know and do them."
How lamentable is it that any should know the character of Christ, and profess to experience the benefits of his salvation, while yet they bear no resemblance to him in their spirit and conduct ! Alas ! whatever they may imagine, " they have no part with him!" without a conformity to him in the unfeigned exercise of love, we are only as sounding brass, or as tinkling cymbals'1.
To those who delight in every office of love we say, " Happy are ye :" for it is a most unquestionable truth, that the more lowly we are in our own eyes, the higher we are in God's ; and the more we delight in doing good to others, the more richly will the blessing of God rest upon ourselves r.]
° 1 Johniii. 17, 18. p ver. 17.
<i 1 Cor. xiii. 1. Jam. i. '27. r Isai. lviii. 10, 11.