But He did not speak in vain when He said, "No man can serve two masters;" Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness;" "Take no thought for the morrow." He did not speak these words merely for those who were to have the hard and painful work of setting up the beginnings of the Church and Gospel of Christ. He spoke them for the Christians of quiet and settled days as much as for those whom He called to walk literally in His footsteps, to drink of His cup, and be baptized with His baptism. And I do not know if they are not, in their living and eternal meaning, more solemn to us, who cannot and are not meant to fulfil them literally, than even to those to whom it was plain and simple enough what they meant. Worldliness was not likely to be the temptation of those who had given up all they had, and were going to die for Christ.

To those who are called to live in a state of things where it is their duty to be busy in the world, to arrange and guide its affairs, to make money, to provide for their families, their wide unlimited meaning, leaving on us the responsibility how far we take in, and live by their true spirit, is like a test and touchstone continually trying what is in their heart, and making proof of the honesty and earnestness of their conscience.

For if they do not call us straight out of this world's business and engagements; if they leave its ordinary course and necessities as they find them; if they say nothing against men doing their work with all their might, fulfilling their obligations with all their ability, throwing their strength and heart

into their employments; if they really leave us to our own responsibility, in laying up for the future, in making money, and providing for our families,— and all sober men will agree that they do all this,— yet they bear witness to certain truths which, be our interest in the world what it may be, are at the foundations of the Christian life. They remind us that the Gospel is a religion which was founded on the sacrifice of all that the world values and makes dear. Sacrifice, sacrifice of self, sacrifice of will, sacrifice of pleasure, sacrifice of hope, was at the bottom of that life and example, of that work of atonement and reconciliation, by which God's kingdom has been opened to us. Say what we will about the necessity and obligation of worldly works and worldly claims, the fact remains that the first step in what was done for our salvation was absolutely to give up this world. And on each thing that was done, on the gradual working out of God's great plan, on each moment and action of our Lord's ministry, on each point of the apostleship of those who took up His commission, sacrifice, the sacrifice of this world, is stamped. If ever we forget that sacrifice, self-denial, the giving up of what flesh and blood would have, the willing surrender of what the Gentiles seek after, is of the foundation and essence of Christ's religion, we forget our Christian profession.

Another thing which those words hold up before our thoughts continually is this: that our religion is one in which this world is absolutely as nothing in comparison with the world to come. It is quite true we are called by God to take our part in the

For the time we are in it

world and its concerns. we must work as hard in it and take as much trouble about it as if it was our only and final home. But our home it is not; we are in it, in comparison with what is to come, as players are in a game, compared with the work and business of their whole life. While the game goes on they must do their best, and keep their thoughts on it; but it is but for an hour or two, and then comes what is serious and lasting. And such is our life to that state of things which we call eternity; of which all that we really know is, that it is beyond exception serious and lasting, and that nothing that can happen to us here can be of such consequence as what will happen to us there. The will of God will be done, must be done, there. No one there can serve two masters; and the time during which it is possible to try is not worth speaking of, considering the time afterwards in which we shall have to take the consequences, and lament the folly of our mistake.

And, again, they remind us that, after all, after all our diligence and labour and prudence,—which, in such a state of things as we live in, the Gospel does not forbid, but commands,—yet, after all, what is the simple truth? Is it not that told in the words, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature"? "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin and yet : I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." All we do and all we have, our possessions and our plans and our hopes, the world about us and the

days which we are appointed to see, all is in the hands of Him who feeds the fowls of the air, and clothes the grass of the field, and does what He thinks fit with the works and the years of men. In His hands we are. He bids us trust in Him. With all our doing, with all our wisdom, this ever remains at bottom,-that what is His good pleasure, that, and that only, is to come to pass.

Let us read His words with manly, sober, serious hearts; not carelessly, as if Jesus Christ, our Maker and Judge, could have said His most solemn words in vain; not foolishly and perversely, as if He did not know the various generations and different states of society which would have to hear and apply them, and as if His words would have to be explained extravagantly, or turned into a snare; but in faith, that He who spoke the words, who appointed our circumstances, planted in His words eternal truths, fitted in all times to instruct, to warn, and to console us, be our circumstances what they may.

XXIII

THE CONSEQUENCES OF FORGETTING

GOD

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful."-ROMANS i. 21.

THE first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans contains the most terrible picture of human sin and degradation that, I suppose, was ever written. There is, as far as I know, no other chapter in the Bible that is so dreadful to read. A darkness and horror seems to come over our minds, seems to clog our words, as we read it. It is not only a description, but a history. It not only tells what human nature had come to be, but the steps by which it had sunk deeper and deeper into the horrors of sin. There is no fine writing-no trouble and art used to dress up the account. Verse after verse rolls on with its increasing burden; but what makes it so terrible to listen to is, that it is nothing more than the plain matter of fact of what men have come to, and why and how they came to it. It is the plain story of what has happened in this world, happened with this race of mankind, who were meant for something so different, who might have been so different. This is what they are fallen to; this is what the history