Atonement, the Breaker Who hath gone up before us, hath justified from all things, yea hath saved, all that believe on Him. Glorious Gospel of the blessed God! Oh! when indeed, these truths are, by the power of the Holy Ghost, brought home to our hearts, when we see how, GUILTY IN OURSELVES YET RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST, we are "accepted in the Beloved," "complete in Him," the fear of death is taken away, sin hath no longer dominion, we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And is there nothing else, believer, that thou hast to say? nothing to add to the confession of sin, and the glorying in Christ's righteousness. Is this all that thou dost answer to the charges urged against you? It is indeed ALL and SUFFICIENT; God requires no more. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ," but, though not in answer to the charge, yet in acknowledgment and proof of deliverance, YOU YIELD YOURSELVES UNTO GOD as those that are "alive from the dead." Adopted into the "family," of which Jesus Christ is the Head, you "labour, that whether present or absent, you may be accepted of Him;" you watch against sin, you cry for 2 Rom. vi. 13. 1 Rom. v. 1. strength against it, you mortify the flesh, you follow after peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord;" "the love of Christ constraineth you, to live not unto yourselves, but unto Him who died for you and rose again ;" and as from your watch-tower you see many an earthly hope fade, the world's pageantry pass away, time becoming old, and eternity drawing near, you see by faith from that same eminence, God's promise more bright, the dawn of the morning of that day at hand, when "the Lord bindeth up the head of His people, and healeth the stroke of their wound;" you wait for the hope of righteousness by faith; and as you hear the cheering announcement, "the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry," you thank God and take courage; you "wait for the hope of righteousness by faith," you look for the coming of the Son of Man. Brethren, His words are, "Surely I come quickly.... Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus." Habak, ii. 3, XIX. "NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD." ST. MARK xii. 34. "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." SUCH were the words that our Lord addressed to the Scribe who had "answered discreetly;" we know not with what meaning they reached him, whether the testimony of conscience enabled him to rejoice in them as words of comfort, or whether though pride might at the moment swell at the approval, yet truth compelled him to own, that "not far" touched a chord of sorrow, not of joy, to one, long perhaps almost persuaded, yet still undecided, "not far from," and yet not within, "the kingdom of God." Thus much we know, that these words have come down to us for our instruction, and that we shall do well to ponder the message that they bring. They bid us all to search and see how it is with ourselves, whether we are distant from, or near to, the kingdom of God; they bid us rejoice, or tremble, as the marks of the Lord Jesus, the signs of conversion, the fruits of the Spirit, be in us or not. Gracious God! make us honest in our search, send home Thy words to our hearts, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee, and that those yet afar off, may be brought nigh by the blood of Christ. Grant it, O Heavenly Father, for Jesus' sake! Amen. Our text may be considered in three points of view, as I. A Word of Searching. III. A Word of Blessing. I. A Word of Searching. it comes home to all. the kingdom of God." Thus said the Saviour to the Scribe; what saith that same Saviour to you and to me? To some, the subject may bring strange sounds to their ears; "THE KINGDOM OF GOD," and their nearness to, or distance from that kingdom, has not found any lodgement in their thoughts: present prospects, future expectations, with respect to this world, these, it may be, have given them many a sleepless night, and many an anxious day; but things eternal, the world to come, these In this respect "Thou art not far from are new to them. Oh! let them be new to you no longer; the night cometh on apace; search, see, inquire, whether that night of death will usher in to you the joys of Heaven, or the blackness of despair. Brethren! would you come to a settled happy conviction on this all-important point-would you desire that hope that maketh not ashamed” to be yours-would you honestly, strictly, examine your state-then are there three tests to which I would direct you. 1. Look at God's Truth, search the Scriptures, learn how these distinguish between the people of God and the men of the world, the godly and the ungodly. What saith that Word of God, of the wicked? it saith, that "there is no fear of God before their eyes;" "through the pride of their countenance they will not seek after God;" " they profess that they know Him but in works deny Him;"3 they are "double minded," "unstable ;"4"they call not upon the Lord;" they "love not the Lord Jesus Christ;"they live after the flesh;" yea their "God is their belly, they glory in their shame, they mind earthly things;" such |