Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 1.pdf/317

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

yet if a holy love be not alive within, the faith is dead! the kingdom is lost, and he will live only to lament his folly in that sadness which is expressed in the words, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." (Jer. viii. 20.) A true belief in the Lord conceals in it the love of Him; this love conjoins, and conjunction with Him who is the life in all, is life eternal! It is little else than hypocrisy to say. Lord, Lord, and do not the things he commands. "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them" (saith the Lord), "I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock. But every one who heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand." (Matt. vii. 24-27.) The Lord, in regenerating the men who do as well as know his sayings, makes them wise; while those who hear and do them not, make themselves foolish. Of the doers He says, "I will liken," but of the hearers only, "they Shall be likened." From this we learn that the Lord makes good men wise, while the wicked make themselves foolish. The true evangelical answer to this question, What must I do to be saved? is, shun all evils as sins against God, and faithfully keep and do His commandments. Remember, O Christian! that men are not judged or rewarded according to their faith, but according to their works. If thou wouldst be saved, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and this will lead thee faithfully to keep His commandments. "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may, enter in through the gates into the city." (Rev. xxii. 14.)