the Church has yet been enabled to work out something of Christ, revealing to the world what is the beauty of holiness, what is the power of the forgiven heart in its mastery over itself, what is that perpetual love which seeks not its own, and which is growing little by little into the likeness of Him who wrought "With human hands the creed of creeds, In loveliness of perfect deeds." Never boasting of ourselves, but ever of the peace of God, we can rejoice that he does give something of victory over our own hearts, that we have something we can offer to the world as ours; that the Church of Jesus Christ is proving the reality of its ideal by something of improvement in its conduct. Some years ago a distinguished layman, then my neighbor, a member of another communion that does. not hold the divinity of Christ, one day stopped me on the street and said, "I have long wanted to say something to you. I have been watching the work of your church for some time. We used to say in New England that you orthodox people have the theory, but we have the practice. I now want to say that I think you have both the theory and the practice." I thanked him, and as I walked away said to myself, "Has there ever been any other standard and teaching than that for the Church of Jesus Christ? Has there ever been a group of men and women bearing the name of Jesus Christ who could for one moment justify themselves before men-not to say before God-as having the faith of Jesus, if they did not live the life of Jesus?" They may have misinterpreted the pattern, they have often perverted the teaching, but they have never repudiated the standard as the mark and test of their high calling. Therefore it is our duty-to state the truth of Jesus? Yes —but to state still more strongly the necessary application of that truth-i.e., to live pure and honest and true lives. The second testimony to the forgiveness of sins is the power to live near to God, the sense of a constant, divine companionship which the Saviour promised to those who love him, and which seals the believer's acceptance. Many have read the story of Brother Lawrence, the great, awkward footman, who was converted in such a way that he was led to believe that, as God renews the life of a tree in the spring, so He could make even the dry tree of his unprofitable life bloom and blossom to Himself in daily fruitage. He offered himself as a lay brother to the Carmelite friars, and, in the most menial tasks, for more than sixty years, lived in constant sense of the presence of God. His only explanation of the singular strength and beauty of his life was that God was with him from the beginning. No one had taught him this. God had spoken to him, and dwelt in him. Of whatever he had to do he said, "Lord, this is thy work. Thou must see that it is well done." And the help was invariably given, until his life attracted the attention of others, and has survived as a blessed influence upon many for upwards of two hundred years. With no peculiar instruction, with no exceptional opportunities, this man was enabled to enter into the precious secret that to the man who has learned to "practice the presence of God" there is given not only power to do the work of God, but uninterrupted communion with God, as to a child whose father's arms are always about him, and his father's love filling his heart. When we say, "I believe in the forgiveness of sins," and seek to apply that assurance to our own hearts, or turn to our friends, striving to bring them to the same blessed condition, we need to know that we have in ourselves these two irrefutable confirmations of our testimony: we are living a new and Christian life; and we are practising the presence of God. Can there be any doubt that the Christian who so lives, or the Church which so witnesses, will not fail in its testimony? Can there be any question of the truth of the affirmation of the Creed now before us, when God's Spirit so works in the hearts of sinful men that blind eyes are opened to see the glories of God, and dull hearts are quickened to the truth of the divine indwelling, and humble, common lives are so irradiated with the beauty of Jesus Christ? Can there be doubt that when any man looks into his own heart, and probing it to the bottom asks himself what kind of a life he is living, and what is his greatest need before a holy God, and feels himself a guilty soul in the presence of his Judge, and cries to the rocks and hills. to cover him from the divine Presence; can there be any doubt that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive his sins, and that He will do it, and will lift up and renew his life, and bring into his heart the presence of God, filling his soul with joy and peace? One has but to try it, to know. |