that dncth e\·j] hatetb the light ... lest his deeds should be reproved." Men that sin against Goo and their own 00nscience wonld be only too glad to know thBt their deeds were finally buried Rnd would never rearpear. But no man may take this consolation tn bis soul. Secret things Rre disclosed; there is an instinctive feeling exp1'81!sed in the common belief that "murder will out," that flagrant wrong will eoouer or later be expc,sed. We may not say that no crimes have ever been successfully concealed• but we may safely say that no man, however careful and Ingenious he may be in th~ art of concealing, can be a.tall sure that his iniquity will not be laid be.re. Aud this will apply to less~r a_s well as l~rger ~vile. Habits of secret drinking, of impurity, of dis- honest!, o_f ~nd1ot1ve passion, will soon_er or later betray themselves and bring shame 0n t.he1r ncl1m. In?e~, so cl~sely alhed are the booy and the spirit, eo constantly dnes the former receive 1mpress1ons from the latter, that there is no emotion however deep it may be within the soul, which will not, after a time, reveal itself in the coun- tenance, or write its signature in some way on "the flesh." If illeaible to the many it is still there, to be read by those who have eyes to see, a.nd to be ~een of God.. Ther~ is a very true sense in which " nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest" even here. J3ut this is more perfectly and strikingly true of the future. III. A CERTAINTY IN THE FUTURE WE SHALL WISELY ANTICIPATE, There is a 11 day when Goo shall judge the secrets of men" (Rom. ii. 16), when he "will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts '' (1 Cor. iv. 5). 'l'ben shall these words be indeed fulfilled. Then may we know how: 1. This language will prove a terrible prediction; oh buried and forgotten iniquities.being brought back to us, God "reproving us, and setting them [our sins] before our face" (I's. I. 21). 2. This warning may be met and modified; our sins, having been repented of and forgiven, will be buried in those depths of Divine mercy whence they will never be brought back (Ps. ciii. l l, 12; Micah vii 18, 19). 3. These words may constitute e. blessed promise-all acts of pity, of patience, of kindness, of mercy, of magnanimity, of self-sacrifice, reappearing for Divine approval and award. "Then shall every mo.n have praise of God."--0.
Vers. 19-21.-Christ'a one relatiomhip. How is Christ related to us? And is he related to us in a way other than that in which he was related to men and women during his life on earth? The answer to this question is that there is only one way in which he has been or will be permanently related to mankind. We look at- I. TRE VERY TEMPORARY CHARACJTER OF RIB FLESHLY RELATIONSHIP. He was, of course, most intimately associated, in purely human bonds, with "his mother and his brethren." But he gave the clearest intimation that this was only to last during his sojourn on the earth, and that it was not to be relied upon as a source of life even then. 1. He checked his mother in her eagerness at the very first miracle he wrought (John ii 4). 2. He intimated in the text that his human connections were already merging in those of a higher, a spiritual kind. 3. He disengaged himself, tenderly but decidedly, from his human. filial obligations as he was about to consummate his redemptive work (John xix. 26). 4. He declined the demonstrativeness of his warm-hearted disciple as partaking too much of the fleshly, and intimated that all approach thenceforward must be of a heavenly and spiritual character (John xx. 16, 17). 5. He instructed his apostle to declare that all further knowledge of Jesus Christ must not be "after the flesh," but spiritual (2 Cor. v. 16). 6. He gave no position in bis Church to his mother or his brethren because they had been such. They did not derive anything, in their after-relation to him, from the fact of their motherhood or brotherhood; they stood related to him just as all other souls did, by their reverence, their trust, their love, their service, and by these alone. II. 'l'HE PERMANENT AND INTIMATE CHABAOTEB OF HIS SPIRITUAL RELATIONS WITH us. "My mother and my brethren are these which hear ,the Word of God and do it," "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and siBter, and mother " (Matt. xii. 50). From these words of truth and grace we gather: 1. That what unites us to Christ is practical godliness. It is reverent attention followed by obedient life; hearing and doing the will of Goo. It is well to place our- selves where the will of God i~ made known; better to listen attentively when it is revtalcd ; better i;till to be excited to solemn and earnest feeling concerning it; but o'!l. ,·m. 1-511.] TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDTNG TO BT. LUKF.:. 221