of Jesus Christ, (for there is no other law of liberty,) overcome all temptations by the power of the Spirit, endure all trials by the help of the Lord, and by our daily strenuous conflicts and fresh victories over sin and the world, prove that we are doers of the word, and not hearers only. When the apostle adds, "this man shall be blessed in his deed," does he mean to convey a sentiment at variance with the doctrine of that apostle who maintained that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ? Rom. iii. 28. In exhorting his brethren to be "doers of the word," did the apostle refer at all to "works of the law?" that is, works which the natural man, who has no faith in the redemption by Christ, performs by his own strength? Is it not rather his meaning, that we should first of all receive the word with meekness? and is not the reception of it, faith? Is it not his meaning, that we should consider it a prime duty to look deeply into the law of liberty, whenever it is set before us? And this knowledge of salvation by Christ, this looking into the counsel of God, is it not faith? He then exhorts to continuing in it; and whoever does both, that is, looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he is a doer of it. Faith itself, the reception of the word of salvation by Christ, the unwavering reliance on the Saviour, is included in his idea of a doer of the word. Thus the Redeemer, in John vi. 29, says, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent ;" and in the same

manner, Paul, in the beginning of the first epistle to the Thessalonians, joins the work of faith with the labour of love. Be assured, my brethren, that to "repent and believe the gospel," is the first work which God requires of us. This is the noblest, best, and purest deed of which sinners are capable; and whoever does not resolve upon doing it, with the full consent of his soul, the man in whom faith does not result from hearing the word of God, is only a hearer and a self-deceiver. "If ye know these things, happy if ye do them."

are ye

Ver. 26. " If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." As it was formerly, so it is now, my brethren. The term

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religion," in this passage, appears to be used in a somewhat restricted sense, and principally to mean that reverence which we show to God by listening to his word. Many persons think that if they have been present at a religious service, and have heard a sermon on Lord's day, they have done quite enough, and discharged their duty to God; they even fancy that they may call themselves the servants and worshippers of God. This is a lamentable self-deception, my friends, a dangerous beguilement of the heart. If a man serve God only thus, (this is the sentiment of the apostle,) and bridleth not his tongue, such religion is vain, empty, worthless, fruitless. His hearing the sermon, his frequenting the church, is absolutely nothing.

But why does the apostle name so inconsiderable a

thing, (for so it will probably strike most of you,) as that of bridling the tongue? Why should he select this minor offence out of a multitude of others, which he might have adduced? for that he means only to give it as an example of the nothingness and vanity of such religion is self-evident. Probably in the apostle's mind there was a secret reference to what he had said in the 19th verse, that we should be "slow to speak." We may suppose that there was a vivid impression on his mind of all the mischief which is produced by hasty speaking, by useless words, by impure conversation, particularly of its tendency to excite anger; and he naturally associated the character of a vain talker with that of a forgetful hearer; the same individual being as quick to speak as he is slow to hear. And, my friends, how often it happens, that Sunday, the Lord's day, is especially profaned by sins of the tongue! It is at the very time when, after hearing the word preached, we ought to be occupied in serious and improving conversation, that we so often give free license to our tongue. No sooner do we leave the church, where we have united in praising and worshipping God, than we hasten to places where his name is profaned, and lying and deceit are the order of the day. Often from using the Bible and the hymn-book, we go into promiscuous company, where no one charges upon his conscience as sins, falsehood, backbiting, and detraction; where no one considers that the tongue, which was just before employed in the service of God, should now be

employed in the service of truth and love. And can we venture to imagine, when we come to the close of such a Sunday as this, that we have served God in an acceptable manner? Can we congratulate ourselves for attending at church, and hearing or reading the word of God? No, surely: our religion was vain; we have deceived ourselves.

Since by the misuse of the tongue, and similar offences, the service of God is profaned, and since every act of self-deception, every beguilement of the heart, involves some degree of impurity and pollution, the apostle proceeds to say, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Implying, that whoever really fulfils these duties is indeed religious, and offers God acceptable worship. Two duties are specified by way of example, for many others might have been named; but the selection is admirable. To God our Father, who seeth in secret the hidden depths of afflicted and disconsolate hearts, in the obscure abodes of tribulation and misery; to him who is the Father of the fatherless and Judge of the widow, it is an acceptable service to seek out the fatherless and widows in their affliction; to remember and relieve those who are forsaken by the world; to bring joy and refreshment to those who need help and consolation, this is acceptable to God; for "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God;" and "If a man say, I love God, and hateth

his brother, he is a liar." To God the Father of lights, in whom there is no variableness, no alternation of light and darkness, of good and evil, to God the most holy, it is an acceptable service, to keep unspotted from the world, (that unholy world, which instead of serving God, serves sin,) the garment of holiness with which he has clothed us, and not to let it be again defiled by the ungodliness and unrighteousness of that world which holds the truth of God in unrighteousness; "for God is light, and if we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." And mark well, my brethren, that the apostle has selected those acts of piety which are peculiarly suitable to glorify God on that day which is especially consecrated to hearing the word of truth. The Lord's day is certainly a day of rest, and for those who no longer live under the yoke of the law, it is fit that they should refrain from all works on this day, which check the rising of the soul to God, and draw it down to worldly cares; but to seek out widows and orphans in their affliction, to feed the hungry, to give drink to him that is thirsty, to clothe the naked, to nurse the sick, are works which certainly do not profane the sabbath of the Lord. The Lord's day is indeed a day of joy; and for those who feel that they can rejoice always in the Lord, it is fit to sanctify the innocent joys of earth by drawing near to the Lord; and we are at full liberty to "rejoice with those that rejoice," if we do not forget to " weep with those that weep." But to defile one's