liveth in him; and the life which he now lives in the flesh, he lives by the faith of the Son of God." This is the true Christian, who, like the wise Builder, is placing his house upon a rock. Thus uniting practice with profession, obedience with belief, inward sincerity of heart with outward conformity of conduct, he is laying up for himself a good foundation against the time to come. In doing so, he shews his wisdom. This indeed may not now distinctly appear, but it will be manifest hereafter. A time of trial will come; a time, in which the reality of every man's religion will be put to the test; and in which the wisdom of the true Christian will indeed be distinctly seen. Perhaps this trial may begin in the present life; when "tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word:" but it will certainly take place in the next life. In the day of Judgement the storm will come, which will try the sincerity of every religious profession. No art, no hypocrisy, no pretensions, no seeming earnestness, no outward appearance, will avail in that day. Nothing but sound practical Religion will stand the trial: and then the wisdom of having chosen such a Religion will be evident. The Hopes, which have been raised upon it, will not be disappointed. Amidst the ruins and convulsions of an expiring world, the Man who has built

on this Foundation will be safe. The Lord will own and approve him in that great and solemn day, and will address him in these most gracious words: "Well done, good and faithful Servant, enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. Inherit the kingdom prepared for thee from the foundation of the world."

We have also in the Parable the case of the Foolish Builder. This man, instead of placing his house on the rock, as the wise man had done, built it on the sand. Here was his folly: for the building, so placed, speedily fell. When the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, it soon gave way. What appeared to be a foundation, proved in the time of trial to be none. It was all carried away by the stream; and the building being thus undermined, quickly yielded to the fury of the storm. “It fell, and great was the fall thereof." It was a great disappointment and loss to the builder. It exposed him to shame and censure; shewed his folly; and left him without shelter, at the time when shelter was most wanted.

Here we have a representation of the nominal and unsound Christian: of the person, who heareth Christ's sayings and doeth them not. Such a person is told what the will of God is, and what he must do to be saved: but he does not put his knowledge

into practice. He is satisfied with hearing and knowing; as if a bare attendance on the ordinances of religion, or a mere knowledge of what religion is, and of what it requires, were itself religion, or could supply the place of it. He takes it into his head that God will be satisfied with the form of godliness without the power of it; that He will accept of an empty profession, where the heart is wanting; that He will put up with sacrifice instead of obedience; and will approve of those, who call Him Lord, Lord, while they do not the things which he says." Building on such a sandy foundation, what can persons reasonably expect, but disappointment and confusion? Here however is their folly. They build their hopes of Heaven as confidently, and look forward to it as presumptuously, as if their foundation were not sand. And this circumstance it is which makes their fall at last more aweful, and their disappointment more dreadful. While they are crying peace to themselves, their destruction cometh suddenly upon them like a whirlwind. They flatter and deceive themselves to the very last with the presumptuous belief that all is right. They reject with scorn every friendly attempt to undeceive them, and to shew them the dangerous ground on which they are building. They cleave to their hope, without any suspicion.

or fear of its deceitful nature; and thus at length they die with a lie in their right hand; and awake out of their ruinous sleep only in the midst of those eternal torments, from which they find too late that there is

no escape.

Such are the solemn and affecting considerations suggested to us by the Parable in the text. I hope, my Brethren, that they will not be lost upon us. They are considerations which, solemn and affecting as they are, concern us all. I will endeavour to improve them to your advantage by reminding you of some instructive Truths which they obviously suggest; to which we shall do well to take heed; and which, I humbly pray, may, through the divine blessing, be made profitable to us.

1. We have every one of us a house to build; or, in other words, a precious and immortal soul to save. Here, my Brethren, you are all builders. You have one great work upon your hands, to which above all others you are required diligently and faithfully to attend; and that work is your own salvation. It ought to be your chief and constant care to make your calling and election sure; and so to secure your eternal interests, that whenever you shall be put out of your earthly stewardship, you may be received into everlasting habitations. If at

last you should lose your soul, and come short of the heavenly rest, you will then find, but find too late, what a happiness you have lost, and what a misery you have incurred. The greater part of mankind, even in this Christian country, live very careless about these things; about the state of their souls, and their title to and fitness for heavenly glory. If they do attend to these things at all, it is but slightly, and without any real seriousness of mind. And yet, beyond all dispute, the salvation of the soul is the one great concern to which they ought most anxiously and carefully to attend. Because

if the soul be once lost, it is lost for ever. If it perishes, it perishes without remedy. Would, my Brethren, that it were in my power to press upon your consideration this great and solemn truth, which you are so prone to disregard, in a way suitable to its importance, and to your need! Would, that instead of building only for this world, you would wisely and providently build for that world which is to come! Would, that it were the serious enquiry of every soul among you, "What must I do to be saved ?" How can 'I secure to myself a life of happiness and glory in Heaven for ever? Where can I build for eternity?'

2. I take occasion from the text to remind you that there is a rock provided for us, on