than probable, as already intimated, that many of that multitude, which heard Christ's Sermon on the Mount, made afterwards a part of that other multitude which thought it not fit that He should live; and cried out, "Not this man', but Barrabas."

There was a certain time, during which the great body of our SAVIOUR's hearers were very far from feeling any offence; they often seemed to take part with Christ. They gazed at His miracles; and, while admiring them, they were disposed (as is the common way of the multitude) to extend their praise to every one of His sayings, and every one of His acts. They said, "He hath done all things well: He maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak." But the change, which soon followed in the disposition of the people, plainly shows, that, at the time, when they appeared to be the partizans of CHRist, and were the willing hearers of his Gospel, they by no means entered into the true nature of it. They neither perceived what sacrifices the real followers of CHRIST would have to make; nor what loss of reputation, to incur; nor what worldly interests, to risk; nor what self-denials, to exercise; nor what persecutions, to endure. All this, indeed, was implied, and more than implied, in that Sermon on the Mount, to which they had given ear; but many of them heard it, probably, in that loose and careless way, which renders even the plainest and most searching discourse, of no effect. Others of them might admit the general truths; and neglect self-application of them. Others might apply hem, but apply them carelessly; and, because they already practised some part of the precepts which they had heard, or something like them, might too easily assume, that they did as much as was strictly necessary: and not a few might mistake their own transitory approbation of what was spoken, for a disposition to pay steady and actual obedience to it; not considering, that to approve is one thing; and to do that, which we approve, is often quite another

It is worthy of notice, that, when our SAVIOUR, on one occasion, instead of declaring only the general tempers necessary in His disciples, required of a young man, who came to hear Him, a specific act of self-denial; the individual in question, though he had come in the very character of a learner, ceased to follow CHRIST. And "what lack I yet?"* said this young man to our SAVIOUR. And "JESUS said unto him; If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have trea. sure in heaven; and come and follow me: but when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions."†

He

Our SAVIOUR is represented to have taken many means of deterring men from making that hasty profession of His gospel, to which they were inclined. He was not ambitious to draw a crowd about His person; or to speak to a large auditory; or, by the addition of a certain portion of superficial followers, to swell the numbers of His sect. warned His hearers to count the cost, before they pretended to become His disciples; and to beware, lest they should incur the shame which belongs to him who begins to build a tower, and is not able to finish it. It may be proper here, also, to remark, that one of the most pointed charges brought by CHRIST, and His Apostles against the Jewish nation that nation, which, on account of sinfulness, was now about to be cast off-seems to have been, that of having become mere hearers of their law, instead of doers of it. “A certain man," said our SAVIOUR, “had two sons; and he came to the first," (that is, to the Gentiles)" and said, Go, work to-day in my vineyard; and he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second," (meaning the nation of the Jews) "and said likewise: and he answered and said, I go, sir; and went not." That is, the Gentiles repented at last, and really paid that obedience to GoD, which his former professing people, the Jews, had only * St. Matt. xix. 20. + St. Matt. xix. 21, 22. St. Matt. xxi. 28—30.

pretended to pay. Our SAVIOUR, also, takes notice of the same indisposition to attend to practice, in the Pharisees. Whatsoever they bid you observe,” said CHRIST to some of his followers, "that observe and do; but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.”* Moreover the apostle Paul, in the beginning of his Epistle to the Romans, when summing up his heavy charge against the Jews, dwells particularly on their disposition to hear their law, as well as to become teachers of it to others, while they paid no obedience to it themselves. Thou, therefore," says "which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? For the name of GOD is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written."+ And it is partly in the same spirit, that he said to them, before: "For not the hearers of the law are just before God; but the doers of the law shall be justified.”‡

he,

XLVII.

ST. MATTHEW, VII. 24—29.

SAME SUBJECT.-PART II.

THE Scriptures, then, let it be remembered, repeatedly guard us against that disposition, which there is in man, to betake himself to a religion which consists merely in talking, or in hearing; or, in some way, stops short of real practice.

Let us now proceed to show, how this subject applies itself to the present age. It is obvious to any person of dis. cernment, that the world now abounds with persons who can read and admirc religious books; and can hear and ap * Rom. ii. 13. + Rom. 21, 22 24.

Rom ii. 13.

་

prove very religious Sermons; and yet, in their own lives, are irreligious. And it is important, both that such persons should themselves be reproved; and that others should be guarded against complimenting men of this class for their religion; and thus encouraging their delusion.

The causes, which now lead them thus to hear and approve, what, nevertheless, they will not practise, are, in part, no doubt, the same as those to which we have already adverted. Sometimes, men are prejudiced in favour of a book or a sermon, by some high idea which they happen 10 have conceived of the writer or of the preacher, either in respect to his religious wisdom, and orthodoxy; or to his humanity, and benevolence; or to his learning, and talents, or to his rank and estimation, in the world, or in the Church-just as the multitude were disposed, at one time, to favour the preaching of CHRIST, through that high idea of His character, with which His miracles had just before inspired them. For men do not choose suddenly to find fault with him, whom they have been lately led to praise; and under whose banners they have recently been enlisted.

Again, there are also many now, perhaps, as there were formerly, who both hear, and read, what relates to religious subjects, with a degree of carelessness and inattention, as well as of dulness and ignorance, which are almost inconceivable; and which are only to be accounted for, by the unconcern in which they live in respect to their souls. But we ought here to speak, more particularly, of that class of persons, who have both an ear to hear, and a tongue to speak, concerning religion, and seem in some serious way to receive the Gospel; but are by no means prepared to follow up those doctrines to which they assent, into all their practical consequences. Some of these persons not only profess the Gospel, and hear it, and speak of it; but they commend it also to others; they extol the preacher of it : and they put themselves forward as the most zealous menibers of his party: but they are not yet rightly aware, what new tempers they have to exercise; what new trials, to

encounter; what new self-denials, to practise; what new habits, to attain; and, in short, what a completely new life they will have to lead; if they embrace the true Gospel, as they profess to do. At present, they are perhaps eager for doctrine; not understanding, if the doctrine be sound, how vast must be the change of practice. They fail, when a question arises respecting this, or the other, point of Christian conduct; and perhaps, are now led so to interpret doctrine, or so to confine themselves to it under a shew of zeal for doctrinal truth, as to justify, or at least, in some degree to palliate, the lamentable deficiencies of their own temper and life.

This class of persons, therefore, like many of CHRIST'S hearers of old, may be compared to those, who begin to build a tower, but are not able to finish. For here, undoubtedly, is the difficulty of the present day. It lies, not in hearing, as some seem to suppose, nor in agreeing to what is heard: it consists, not in adopting the very same sentiments with the preacher, and in following him with eagerness, as the multitude followed CHRIST. The difficulty is in doing. It consists both in receiving the doctrines practically, for that is the true way of believing them; and also in following them up into all their proper consequences, in our own actual practice. Men should take care, indeed, in the first place, that the words, which they hear, are sound words; that they are not the mere opinions of men but the sayings of CHRIST; but let not the care to hear certain tenets supersede all other care. Unbelievers, indeed, have often reproached Christianity, for being a religion which impressed certain speculative articles of faith; while, to judge by the lives of its professors, it made no very great demands, in the way of practice. CHRIST, however, has given no ground for this observation of the unbelievers. He has not been defective in urging practical duties witness almost every part of His Sermon on the Mount.

We say, indeed, that doctrine also is most important;