2. Judge of your own state and character by the fruits you produce —
[If we are concerned to judge of others, much more are we of ourselves : for however wise and pious our instructors may be, it will be of no use to us, unless we be pious ourselves ; nor, however erroneous they be, shall we suffer, if we be taught and sanctified by the Spirit of God. We must therefore not be contented with adopting right sentiments ; but must take care that they influence us in a becoming manner. We should often bring ourselves to the touchstone of God's word, and examine candidly what advancement we make in the divine life : knowing assuredly that if we be found cumberers of the ground at last, we shall be cut down and cast into the fire : but, if we have abounded in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of our God, we shall be accepted for Christ's sake, and be acknowledged by him as good and faithful servants, who shall for ever participate his joy.]
Matt. vii. 21 — 23. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; hut he that doeth the will of my Father ivhich is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day. Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name done many ivonderful loorks ? And then ivill I pro- fess imto them, I never kneiv you : depart from me, ye that ivork iniquity.
THE criterion, by which we are to judge of our spiritual state, is precisely the same as that whereby we determine the nature and value of things around us. As we know the different kinds and comparative excellence of trees by their fruits, so we may ascertain by our works whether we be real, or only nominal. Christians. It is by these that we shall be tried in the last day ; and, according as they have been con- formable or not to the will of God, will our eternal doom be fixed. Of this we are plainly warned in the words before us ; which, as they cannot be rendered more intelligible, but would rather be enervated, by any attempt to explain them, we shall endeavour to