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His grace, His righteousness, His power and His strength. The Shepherd is not far distant from His fold, He is in the midst of His flock. Cheerfully should we spend our days on this earth. If we see and feel our sinfulness we have no reason to despair. The Same who was sacrificed for sin on the cross is with us, "and He is the propitiation for our sins." If the law accuses us we can soothe our conscience with the truth that He is with us who was made under the law and fulfilled all righteousness for us. If we see our weakness and the power of the enemies we need not be terrified, because that very Lord is with us into whose hands all power is given in heaven and on earth. When disappointments and trials come upon us and we are tempted to murmur, because we see not what they are for, we should put away discontent, knowing that the Lord is with us who sees into our innermost heart and soul; who knows what is dangerous and knows what is good for us, and who daily so guides and governs our steps that we may reach the mansions which He has prepared for us.

And if the Lord is with us He is certainly not idle, He also works with us. He does now no more work miracles so manifest to the eyes of men as He did with the apostles, but He nevertheless works miracles. He makes us new creatures from heart and soul, and that is a miracle; He makes us who are by nature the enemies of God, to love God, and that is a miracle; He makes us who know that we deserve only everlasting death confidently to hope for everlasting life, and that is a miracle; He makes us sinners the beloved sons and daughters of God, and that is a miracle. Yes, He works with us and if we drive Him not away from us He will work our souls to heaven.

Since Christ has gone to heaven, His home,

I, too, that home one day must share,

And in this hope I overcome

All doubt, all anguish, and despair:
For where the Head is, well we know,
The members He has left below

In time He surely gathers. Amen.

VI. SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

TEXT: But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. John 15, 26-16, 4.

In the 28th chapter of his Proverbs Solomon says: "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." If a man knows what the law of God commands or forbids in any particular point and, notwithstanding this knowledge, he will nevertheless intentionally not do what is commanded, or will deliberately do what is forbidden: that man can not pray acceptably, can not be a follower of Christ and can not possess the grace of God. Whosoever does intentionally what he knows to be sin, is not a Christian. Every Christian is often overtaken by sin; because of the weakness of the flesh he daily commits much sin; but the Christian does not sin willingly and intentionally, as St. John writes: "We know that whosoever is born of God, sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God, keepeth himself." 1 Ep. 5, 18. The Christian hates sin and he does not want to sin. IIis aim is to keep himself from sin, and when he sins it occurs without and against his intention and will. Every one, therefore, who intentionally and willingly surrenders himself to sin, has not the Spirit of God dwelling in him. Men, of course, have scores of excuses for committing sin. A man will persuade himself that he could. not avoid a certain thing which he knows to be wrong, or he

would lose too much by not doing it, or it would serve a good end and purpose, and the like; but all such excuses are nothing but subterfuges to pacify conscience. It remains a fact, if a man refuses to do what he knows is commanded, or consents to do what he knows is forbidden, and so knowingly and intentionally acts in violation of the law of God, that man is not a Christian and unless he repents he can not be saved.

This same principle obtains not only in actions commanded or forbidden in the law, but also in matters of faith and doctrine. If a man knows that the Bible teaches a certain doctrine, but he nevertheless refuses to accept and confess that doctrine; and if a man knows that a certain doctrine is against the Bible, but he nevertheless adheres to and sanctions that doctrine, he can not be a son of God, but to him applies what Samuel said to Saul: "Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee." 1 Sam. 15, 23. Any one who rejects any teaching which he knows to be founded in the Bible, and any one who by word or deed sanctions any teaching which he knows to be against the Bible, knowingly sets himself in opposition to the Word of God and he is not a follower, but an opponent of God. Of himself and all true Christians St. Paul writes: "We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." 2 Cor. 13, 8. Both those who refuse to do what the law commands, and those who refuse to accept and confess what the Gospel teaches, they both set themselves against God and cannot be God's children and heirs. It is a plain truth, whosoever acts against his own better knowledge in violation of the Word of God, be it in whatsoever matter it will, is not a Christian.

But suppose a man was never instructed in the law and Gospel, and therefore does what is against the law, or opposes the truth of the Gospel from ignorance, yet with an honest and upright heart; or, if a man has an erring conscience so that he regards wrong what is right, or accounts that falsehood which is God's truth, and so from a sense of duty opposes the truth and promotes error, shall that man be condemned? That is a question touched on in this text, and it is well worthy that we should thoroughly examine it. The common answer given in our

times is: It would make no difference what a man believed, if he were only sincere in his faith. There is probably not another opinion which is so widespread in our times and which exercises such a vast influence on the religious life of our country than this which would make man's sincerity primary and the belief of the truth secondary. It is easy to see that this opinion is a root of indifferentism and a powerful factor to promote irreligion. It is one of the errors of the times, and is of such a seductive character that all lovers of the truth should warn against it. Accordingly permit me to set forth:

WHY WE SHOULD BEWARE OF RESTING CONTENT WITH
BEING SINCERE IN OUR FAITH?

I answer,

I.

Because the Word of God alone is to be the foundation and rule of our faith;

II. Because sincerity in their own opinions may lead men to the greatest crimes; and

III. Because not every belief, but only the belief of the truth can save.

I.

The question before us is not, whether a man should be sincere in his faith; for it is something self-evident that no man is to be a hypocrite. No man should profess to believe what in fact he does not believe. Every man, be he Christian, Jew or Gentile, is to be sincere in his faith. Hypocrites who with the mouth profess to believe what at heart they do not believe, shall find no favor with God. "The hypocrite's hope shall perish." Job 8, 13. Neither is this the question, whether a man who sincerely believes the substance of the Gospel truth unto salvation, yet from ignorance errs in some points of doctrine, can be saved; for we know that a man may err in many points of doctrine and may yet possess saving faith in Christ. The question is, whether it is right and true when it is said, it would make no difference what a man believed, if he were only sincere in that faith? The short answer is, that this is an entirely wrong and an extremely harmful opinion.

The first argument by which it is proved wrong is this: Because by it the Bible would be set aside as the only rule and standard of our faith. If sincerity were sufficient and it would make no difference what a man believes provided he is sincere, then it would be an indifferent thing, whether he believes what the Bible says or something else. Then the Mormon and Mohammedan might fare as well with his faith as the Christian with his. If sincerity in one's faith were all required then it would be all the same, whether a man believed the Bible or the Book of Mormon, or the Koran of the Mohammedan, or the Vedas of the Brahmin. This opinion, therefore, would make all religions alike and a man might choose whatever he pleased for the foundation and standard of his faith.

From our text it is very evident that there is only one rule and standard of faith; for here the Lord says of the Holy Ghost: "He shall testify of me." How the Holy Ghost would testify of Him the Lord had told the disciples before already, saying: "He shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14, 26. Because this was to be a work of the Holy Ghost the Lord goes on: "And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." Because the disciples had been with the Lord, had seen His deeds and heard His words, therefore they were to go into all the world and to testify unto men, not their own views and opinions, but what they had seen and heard when with the Lord. Again the Lord says: "These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended." In their own faith and belief the disciples were to be guided by the words which their Master had spoken unto them; by His words they were to judge of all things which would happen unto them. Again: Again: "But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them." They were to remember His words. His words were to preserve them from being offended in afflictions and persecutions. So far is the Lord from allowing His disciples liberty to believe what they pleased that He distinctly binds them down to His words; these they were to remember; these were to be the foundation and rule of their

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