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say, that God has never placed any instructions to us in a context which we can neglect without losing blessing. Our Lord Christ had a special object in uttering the solemn words of our text-an object which we shall do well, in dependance on his Spirit's aid, to discover and to apply to our own souls. He addressed these words to a church in a special condition, and under special circumstances; and he has, doubtless, left them on the inspired record, that they may meet all like conditions, and be applied under all like circumstances, of the Church of God, until the end of time. In our endeavour to explain, in order that you may appreciate, the meaning of our Lord's most affecting words, we shall, first, consider the state of the persons addressed, and then set forth the conduct of the Saviour towards those persons.

I. Consider the condition of the Laodicean church. 1. They were addressed as Christians. The promise to come in to them did not refer to the first entrance of Christ, as the eternal life, into their spirits; through the implantation of which life those spirits had already been renewed, and through which they had become new men. "Christ in you" is a great, an accomplished, and an abiding fact, in reference to every believer. Christ, the life, is the very essence of the renewed soul-the very life of the new man. That life may be developed into all the holy and beautiful features of the character of Jesus, as the pattern of his people; or it may be buried under a cloud of worldly feeling, arising from the corrupt natural heart. But, whether manifest or hidden, there it is, a spark from the burning love and purity of Christ's own heart; a drop of the very life and grace

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of Jesus' own human spirit. Yes, there it is; grace corresponding to the grace in him; life according to the life in him. Christ in the believer, as the eternal life of his new being, is made the subject of no condition; is dependant on the fulfilment of no command: it is an unchanging truth, resting for its everlasting certainty on the very existence of the great Head of the Church, who is alive for evermore. 2. They were addressed as active Christians. Their Lord says, "I know thy works." Works these were; works manifold and manifest. Evidently they were

not an idle church.

They were doing much, and doing it, as they deemed, for the Lord. And as it was with them, so it is with the church of the present day, and, indeed, much more abundantly. Everywhere Christians are at work. All possible combinations are formed, and united efforts made, to carry forward Christian enterprize; while individual energy is more active than in any bygone age of the church. Religious and charitable institutions are looked upon as the glory of our land. All this is good, very good-yea, blessed, very blessed, so far as it is from God, through God, and unto God. May work that is of him, through him, and to him, abound yet more and more. Yet there is danger, always danger, that much of this can exist, while the workers may be justly subject to the solemn rebuke given by the faithful and true witness to the Laodicean church, "Thou art neither cold nor hot."

3. They were addressed as Christians satisfied with their works. This is the testimony of him who walked amongst them with his eyes of searching flame. "Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased

with goods, and have need of nothing." Such was their estimate of their own works-an estimate manifestly formed from the outward appearance. They regarded themselves as practically complete in labour and service, as needing nothing more to become a fair sample of a working church. To their own view, they appeared as a tree bearing ample foliage, and yielding goodly fruit. They looked upon themselves as clothed with works of obedience, and as adorned with ornaments of grace. Had they been versed in the methods of this religious age, this age of progress, they might have complimented each other on their noble efforts, and have lauded each other for their great sacrifices, in the cause of truth. For they deemed themselves rich in all attainments, increased in all goodly deeds and things; so rich and prosperous, that they seemed to need nothing more. How far this is the temper and tone of this age of religious progress, let each Christian heart and conscience judge for itself, in the searching light of the Lord's presence.

4. But they were addressed as sadly mistaken Christians. Hear what the righteous Judge saith: "Thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Sad and solemn words to greet the ears of an active church. A melancholy contrast with their own estimate of their doings. Their manifold works found no favour in the sight of him who looketh on the heart. They endured not the searching test of those eyes which were as a flame of fire: and be it remembered, beloved brethren, that the holy searching light of those eyes is the fire that shall try every man's work, in

the day of Christ, of what sort it is. As servants of Christ, whether in the ministry or not, whether labouring in public or private, our deeds and motives, our principles and actions, must all be tested by those eyes of pure and fiery flame. These mistaken saints had been long building, and they had builded on the right foundation. They had reared up a goodly structure; but, alas! the materials did not befit the character of the foundation. The gold and silver the heavenly truth and grace-which alone became the sacred foundation, were not found. The precious stones, brilliant with the steady and undying light of faith and love, were lacking. In vain did the pure eyes of the all-seeing Master search for them. The wood, the hay, the stubble, were found instead. The energies and activities of nature, the goodliness of the flesh, abounded. The things of the Spirit; "the work of faith, the labour of love, the patience of hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father," abounded not. By Divine help, I hold up this mirror (into which I have looked for myself, and looked with no self-satisfied gaze)—I hold it up before you, and ask you to look into this glass of the word, and see, and judge before the Lord, how far the picture therein visible resembles yourselves.

5. We proceed to ask, Why was it so? Wherein was the failure? There was a fearful mistake somewhere: what was it? Was their faith at fault? Were their notions of truth radically wrong? We think not. There is no complaint of the unsoundness of their creed. They were probably as right in doctrine as they were active in practice. Nor were

they charged with immoral procedure. There was about them far more of the self-righteous Pharisee than of the despised publican. Where, then, was the failure? What did they lack? The answer is seen in these words of Jesus. They lacked love to him personally. He was not the cherished object of their heart's affection. He was not the first, the midst, and the last, of their much labour. The personal love to Christ that animated a John, and that bound a Mary to his feet, was feebly felt. They had made works their Christ. They had taken refuge from the presence of Jesus in the supposed service of Jesus. They had left their first love, and had, therefore, ceased to do their first works. He who walked amongst the branches of that fair outspreading tree discerned not the true sap and life of love therein. The holy fire of love having been chilled, they were not hot. Sparks of their own kindling there were, but these could not pass in Jesus' estimation for the fire of true love and zeal. Yet they were unwilling to think themselves cold. The false glow of their activity they deemed to be true godly warmth. With enough of life to keep them from death, with enough of death to chill the vigour of life, they were neither cold nor hot. To any eye but that of the all-seeing One, and in any light save that of the sanctuary, there were devotedness, progress, fruit: to the eyes of him with whom we have to do, there was the form of godliness without the power.

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6. This was most distasteful to Jesus. thou art lukewarm, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Not thee as a saint of God, or as a member

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