Eighteenth Sabbath-Morning.

THE TWO CHARACTERS.

"Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, 1 will show you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the storm beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it; for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that, without a foundation, built an house upon the earth; against which the storm did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."-Luke vi. 47, 48.

WHEREIN DO THE TWO CHARACTERS AGREE? Both come externally and apparently to Christ. Their coming does not here mean faith, but it means coming in person to Christ, or His ordinances. This is dutiful, it is being found in the way of good, and it may be good for the soul. Zaccheus thus came, when he climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus; but so far as this coming is concerned, Christians, and hypocrites, and sinners agree, it is common to each, and exhibits no marked difference between the true and the false Christian. Reader, thou mayest give outward countenance to the cause of Christ, and not be a Christian. Thou mayest regularly attend divine ordinances, and not love Christ. Why deceive thyself and others, when you cannot deceive Him?

Both hear the sayings of Christ. The sayings of Christ include the truths regarding His per

son as Godman the Mediator, His great love to sinners, His atonement for sinners, His readiness to save, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the necessity of faith and a holy life. His sayings are to be heard with deep and earnest attention, with selfapplication, with faith, and with resolutions to practice. Hearing is so important, that "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Reader, when Christ speaks, thy resolution should be, "I will hear what God the Lord shall speak." If, however, thou shouldst imagine, that because thou art a regular hearer of the sayings of Christ, thy soul is safe for eternity, thou art labouring under a great mistake, for hearing is common to the mere professor and the genuine Christian. It is common to the man who is saved, and to the man who is lost.

Both build an house. This language means, that both cherished hopes of heaven. "Christ was faithful as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." Hope sweetens human existence. It cheers the mariner on the stormy ocean, it animates the soldier on the battle field, it gladdens the heart of the man of business, when he embarks his capital in some great enterprise, and it brightens the countenance of the diseased and distressed. Without hope, human happiness would be quenched in darkness. So prevalent

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is hope, even in regard to a future state, that the wicked, as well as the righteous, generally expect to get to heaven when they die. Hence, a man may build a house, and hope to get to heaven, and never get there after all, for hope of future happiness is common to the false, as well as the true, Christian. How alarming is this! Were the sun to sleep in the clouds, and leave the world in darkness, it would not be so great a calamity, as for one that hopes for heaven, to be drowned in eternal despair! Reader, hast thou built a house, it may be well, but this depends on its foundation.

Both are exposed to storms—“The flood arose, the stream beat vehemently." Both true and false Christians are exposed to personal and relative afflictions, to adversities and losses, and to strong temptations. Calamities often come upon us in heaps. Yea, it frequently happens, that the Christian has a larger share of trials, than the man who cares little for religion. Though we may have afflictions and trials, and though God chastens His children in love, yet storms are no sure test of discipleship, for both the righteous and the wicked sail on the stormy ocean of life, and encounter its hardships. Hence, reader, do not deceive thyself, by imagining that thy afflictions establish thy Christianity. They may lead thee to Jesus, but if they do not, thou art undone.

THE TWO CHARACTERS.

Luke. vi, 47-49.

WHEREIN DO THE TWO CHARACTERS DIFFER? The one doeth the sayings of Christ, the other doeth them not. "A good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." If we hear the sayings of Christ, it is well, but if we keep them, it is far better. If we profess to be the followers of Christ, it is well, but if our conduct is consistent with our professions, it is far better. Obedience is then the only sure test of discipleship. One Sabbath day, as usual, a young man went to church, and enjoyed the services of the sanctuary. These services were sooner over than on previous occasions, and the young man was sooner home than was expected. His master asked him, What, is all done already? No, said the young man, all is said, but all is not done. How important this distinction ! The true Christian does the sayings of Christ, the mere professor does them not. Thus, professions speak with a weak voice, but actions speak with a voice like thunder.

The one built his house on a rock, the other on the earth. The one "digged deep, and laid the

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foundation on a rock." The other "without a foundation, built an house upon the earth." This rock is Christ, who spoke the parable. "Who is a rock save our God?" He is often, in Scripture, called a Rock, and as such is the foundation of the Christian's faith and hope. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus." They who build on the earth or the sand, build on false foundations. Some will tell us, that the belief of one truth will save us, others, that we may be saved, by our own efforts, and others that we may be saved partly by our own efforts and partly by Christ. These are foundations of earth, for if ever we are saved, we must believe the whole truth of God's word, and fix our faith and our hope on the Rock Christ, who is the sum and substance of the word. A young woman, just beginning to recover from severe illness, was asked how she felt when she was looking into eternity. She repeated, "Happy, happy!" She was asked, what made her feel happy. She said, "I was always good, and never harmed any one, and thought I was going to heaven." Well might she be thankful that she did not die then, for how could she have got to heaven without Christ. Reader, thou art on the threshold of the eternal world, art thou also on the Rock Christ? If so, from this sure foundation, thy soul shall wing its way to heaven.

The one withstood the storm, the other fell before