_. And those old
words will have a terrible meaning for you then, "What shall it profit
a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Yes, the
servants of sin must fulfil their contract and receive their wages, and
the wages of sin is death. Ah! brethren, be serious; are these things
nothing to you? Are there none of you who _know_ that you are the
slaves of some besetting sin? Look into your lives, see whose marks
are upon you, whose servants you are. Are you still tied and bound
with the chain of your sins? If so, turn you to Him who can alone set
you free; to Him who drove the strong man armed from his palace; to Him
who conquered Satan in the wilderness, in the garden, on the cross; to
Him who can make the weakest strong, the most sorely tempted able to
triumph; Who can wash the foulest life till it shall be whiter than
snow. Brothers, dare we turn away and carry our chain of slavery
longer? No, let us make a struggle to be free, and let our prayer be,
"O God, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive,
receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the
chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of Thy great mercy loose us,
for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate."

SERMON XLIII.

KNOWN BY THEIR FRUITS.

(Eighth Sunday after Trinity.)

S. MATT. vii. 16.

"Ye shall know them by their fruits."

The religion of Jesus Christ is one of deeds, not words; a life of
action, not of dreaming. Our Lord warns us to beware of any form of
religion, in ourselves or others, which does not bring forth good
fruit. God does not look for the leaves of profession, or the blossoms
of promise, He looks for fruit unto holiness. We may profess to
believe in Jesus Christ, we may say the Creed without a mistake, we may
read our Bible, and say our prayers, and yet, if our lives are bad, all
our religion is vain. If we would know whether we are being led by the
Holy Spirit, we must see if we are bringing forth _fruits_ of the
Spirit. If we would discover if the works of a clock are right, we
look at the hands. So, by our words and deeds we shall show whether
our hearts are right with God. A religion of the lips is worth
nothing. We may cry, "Lord, Lord," in our place in Church, we may
repeat the words which speak of the Will of God, and utter pious wishes
when we sing chant or hymn, and all the while we may be far off from
the Kingdom of Heaven,