2. Those who profess indeed to receive him, but
are inwardly offended at hhn —
[It is to no purpose to receive his word in theory, whilst we practically deny its influence on our hearts. He himself says, " Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say ? " Do not judge yourselves, therefore, by your profes- sions, but by the manner in which you live upon him, and serve him. Whilst there is any one saying of his that appears hard to you, or any one commandment that is grievous, or any other attainment that is not ardently desired by you, your heart is not right with God ; and Christ, in that particular, is an offence unto you. O " judge yourselves, that ye be not judged of the Lord."]
3. Those to whom Christ is altogether precious —
[To those who truly believe, he is precious: his person, his office, his character, his word, his dispensations, all are pre- cious ; yea, " he is altogether lovely." And what shall I say unto you ? What more suitable than the angel's address to Mary ? " Blessed are ye among men ; ye are highly favoured of the Lord." You have within yourselves the evidence that Christ is "he that was to come;" and you have no occasion,
z 2
or disposition, to " look for any other." If ye are " poor," adore his name that " his Gospel has been preached to you," and that you have not heard it in vain. Adore your heavenly Father too, who hath " chosen the poor of this world, to be rich in faith and heirs of his kingdom." If, on the other hand, ye be among the rich, you have, if possible, still greater reason to adore the riches of his grace, for distinguishmg you thus from the great mass of those who reject him, and for bringing you into his kingdom, notwithstanding all the difficulties which your wealth has interposed to obstruct your entrance. Labour then, with your more numerous talents, to bring more honour to him, and to evince to all around you, that his grace is still as efficacious to heal the diseases of the soul, as ever his word was to heal the diseases of the body. The various persons whom he healed or raised from the dead were witnesses for him in every place : be ye the same ; and let the whole of your spirit and conduct approve itself to the world as his workmanship : so shall ye be truly blessed both in time and in eternity.