resurrection, of His mysteries and sacraments, of His ascension and perpetual presence, of the whole invisible kingdom of their exalted Head. This was the witness of the apostles. And they bare it by their preaching and suffering, but chiefly by their purity of life. He that overcame sin and death, when He went up on high, endowed them with His own power to overcome death and sin. "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me." "All power is given unto Me, in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore." The whole apostolic ministry- the founding and expansion of the Church throughout the world-its resistless might against all opposition -its universal mastery, overthrowing altars, temples, legions, kingdoms, and whatsoever reared itself against the cross, all this was a visible witness for Christ. It proved that they were the living members of a living Head; that in them He was still ever going forth with the armies of heaven, conquering, and to conquer. They were the witnesses of the true and only King, who reigns, conquers, and governs in heaven and in earth. And this is our work and trial now. There are, at this very hour, two kingdoms in presence of each other. The world is still divided between the kingdom of Christ and 2 St. Matt. xxviii. 18, 19.

1 St. Luke xxii. 29.

the kingdom of antichrist.

For one or for the These two kingdoms

other, every man must be. have their standards, powers, and tribunals. The one, loud, pompous, and majestic, gorgeous in its apparel and in the pageantry of its strength. In its train are pleasures, honours, decorations, high estate, refinement, luxury, and splendour. This is the kingdom of the world, and its glory. The other is lowly and despised-its ensign a cross, and its crown a wreath of thorns; in its retinue are the poor and slighted—its badges are sorrows, stigmas, and wrongs. It has no splendour of outward array-no legions but the army of martyrs-no throne but one that is set in heaven. Between these you must make your choice; and yet your choice is already foregone and past. It was made for you in your baptism. You are set here to witness-by the confession of your baptismal faith, in word and deed-by acts of visible worship, especially in the sacrament of His death and passion-by visible purity of heart-by a life like His-by His light shining in you and from you, overcoming the world, be it in the highest or the lowest paths of life, in the homeliest and the simplest duties of every day. None are too humble, or too weak, to witness for the Holy Name. In the crush and struggle of the world, you are on trial at every turn; and your truth,

loyalty, and faith, are being always proved. A thousand tests touch you on every side: even in the still measured round of domestic life, in the home duties of parents, children, and brethren, if your motive is His name, and your law is His example, if your life be pure and gentle, it bears all day long a clear-toned witness for your Lord.

This, then, is to do all in His name ;-to do all for His sake, in His sight, and in witness for His person and His kingdom. But who can hear it without trembling? If this be our calling, what must be our judgment?

:

Our election is

fearful and blessed to live for His name in Whose blood alone we can wash our sins, our prayers, and our repentance.

Let us try, as best we may, to lay this great truth to heart, by dwelling on some direct and practical inferences from it, bearing upon our daily life. It shews us, then :

1. First, that sin in a Christian is a plain denial of Christ. It denies His name more emphatically than to say, "I know not the man." In early times, when the Church was under heathen persecution, Christians were required by the enemies of Christ to deliver up their sacred vessels, the paten and the chalice of the holy Eucharist, and the volumes of Holy Scripture. By giving up these consecrated trusts, they might make an easy

purchase of life; and, more than this, they were led to the lighted altars of Pagan worship, and if they would so much as cast a grain of incense upon the glowing embers, they were set free. But these light acts were pregnant with an intense meaning. They were implicit denials of the name of Christ, constructive treason against the kingdom of the Son of God. His true servants rather died than deny Him by so much as this silent homage to the kingdom of darkness, by the slightest ambiguous motion of hands or lips. Such is our probation now. The least acts of sin are louder than the loudest recital of the faith. One such act drowns all our confessions and creeds. They make themselves heard above all our specious and weak words of religious intention. One sin of sensuality, pride, falsehood, or malignity, deliberately conceived, consciously put in act, is an overt and high rebellion. For what is it but to take the side of antichrist, in the warfare between heaven and earth-to swell the powers of darkness, and to lift up our weapons among the banners of the evil one? Sometimes the greatest secret treachery is found under a religious cloak, as in schism for spurious charity and lax indulgence of other men's sins. But howsoever concealed, it is only an illusion of Satan. Sometimes it is by a temper contrary to this. Insubordination, uncha

ritableness, a bitter spirit, selfish insensibility of the spiritual dangers of those for whom Christ died, these again are so many denials of His name. What will it avail at that day to say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name: and in Thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?" "We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets. But He shall say, I tell you I know

you not."

2. And another truth following from the last, is, that worldliness is a suppressed contradiction and secret betrayal of Christ. "He gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world."3 "The friendship of the world is enmity with God."

We

66 cannot serve two

masters;" we cannot be a link between two spiritual opposites. There is no neutrality between the world and God. God is the eternal fountain of truth, purity, and peace. The world without God is false, impure, and turbulent; a mighty heaving confusion of fallen spirits wrestling with each other and with God. As such the world is in eternal opposition to Him. It can only be reconciled by passing out of itself into His kingdom; by receiving the laws of truth and obedience,

1 St. Matt. vii. 22.

3 Gal. i. 4.

2 St. Luke xiii. 26, 27.

4 James iv. 4.