Lord, if we do not the things which our Lord commands." It is by our obedience to his will that our blessed Lord estimates our love : " He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me :" and again, " If ye love me, keep my commandments." On keeping of God's command- ments, so great a stress is laid, that it is made the one discri- minating point between the children of God and the children of the devil. " In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil : whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of Godc." Nor is any profession or privilege available for our eternal welfare without it : for " circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping the command- ments of Godd."]
2. That it will be the chief object of inquiry at the day of judgment —
[If the Gospel produce not this effect, it is preached in vain ; and they who dispense it, " labour in vain." As now the tree is judged of by its fruits, so will it be "at the day of Christ." In the account given us by our Lord himself, we are forewarned what will be the grounds of his decision, when he shall judge the world: those whose religion was productive of good works, will be approved and rewarded in proportion to their works : but those who lived in the neglect of good works, will be disapproved and punished. Whatever professions any may have made of faith and love, they will be brought to this test; and according to it they will be justified or condemned. Doubtless respect will be had to the principles from which their works have proceeded : for " God will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart :" but the works of all will be viewed as evidences of their internal dispositions, and will form the ground of the judgment which shall be pronounced upon them.]
These principles being established, let us proceed
to consider,
II. The practice which is here inculcated —
We must not undervalue what may be called nega- tive holiness ; for, in truth, it is that which consti- tutes in a great measure the excellence of the saints. The absence of a murmuring disposition, is to a certain degree the same as positive contentment ; and the absence of a contentious disposition as positive love. But it is not a low degree of these virtues that we are to seek after :
c 1 John iii. 6 — 10. d 1 Cor. vii. 19. and 1 John i. 6. and ii. 7.