tions must be included, "repent and believe the Gospel.' It requires nothing more plainly and decidedly than repentance and faith; and it is well to know this. We shall not enumerate the precepts which the Gospel enjoins, but just remind you of the spirit and temper of heart which it every where recommends. There is a particular reference to these in the text; "If ye know these things”—what things? Not only your duty, as to the outward acts of it, but the temper and disposition of heart in which it should be done. Humility, condescension, and selfdenying kindness; these are among the requirements of the Gospel; but these consist much more in the state and temper of the heart, than in any external observances. To know these things is good; and the knowledge of them is derived from the sacred Scriptures. But we proceed to observe,

II. OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN KNOWLEDGE. By obedience, is not meant merely, as hath just been stated, the performance of external actions; but a compliance with the will of God, in regard to whatever he hath revealed. In this view, faith may not improperly be considered as an act of obedience : it is what God requires; and of course, to exercise faith is to comply, to fall in with, his revealed will. Thus our Lord himself asserts: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven." Now here, doing the will of the Father certainly includes more than the observance of moral precepts: it includes "repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus

Matt. vii. 21.

Christ;" submission to him as the Saviour; cordial acceptance of him, and devotedness of heart and life to him. Taking obedience in this larger sense, we cannot doubt but it is incomparably better than mere knowledge. And this is confirmed, if we remark-It is more rare-more difficult-implies a better disposition of heart-and produces far better effects.

1. Obedience is more rare than knowledge.-Multitudes know what is right, who have no inclination to comply with the dictates of evident duty. You can scarcely tell them any thing new: they know the way of salvation, and what is incumbent on such as profess to go in this way; but their tempers and conduct are just the reverse of what they ought to be. Knowledge regards the understanding merely, but obedience the heart: knowledge is acquired by the use of external means only, but obedience supposes Divine teaching: the will, the inclination of the soul, is supernaturally influenced in order to evangelical obedience. You find knowledge frequently among the most unlovely professors of religion: their knowledge prompts them to talk: it fills them full of notions: it swells them with selfconceit: it "puffeth up," as the Apostle expresses it; and when you have said this, you have said nearly all.

2. Obedience is more difficult than knowledge.Difficult to be attained, and, when attained, to be preserved; except so far as we are assisted by the Spirit of God, and this makes it easy. Religious knowledge, as it is often an acquisition of a mere natural man, so it requires only the application of natural powers, and the use of common helps; but obedience of heart and life demands something

more. We are not brought to submit to Christ as a Saviour, and to follow him in all the self-denying duties of his Gospel, unless we are the subjects of a celestial principle, the fruit of the work of the Spirit. There is a giving up of our will, to the will of Christ; a striving against the corrupt propensities of the heart; against "the course of this world;" against our present ease and temporal interest, perhaps, in several respects. There is not only a "strait gate" to enter, but a "narrow way" to go in, which a man of mere knowledge may be entirely unacquainted with.

3. Obedience implies a better disposition of heart than knowledge.-We may justly suppose, that in regard to knowledge, Cain was nearly equal to his brother Abel he had the same parents, the same kind of education, the same external advantages; yet you perceive the widest difference in their real cha racter! The two sons of Eli would not be wanting in knowledge: we must conclude that their father would attend to their instruction in what was right, though he certainly failed in the proper management of them; yet how vile was their disposition and conduct! It is highly probable that Judas knew as much as the other Apostles; perhaps he knew more than some of them: he carried on his delusion so well, and concealed the hypocrisy of his real character so artfully, that we cannot deem him ignorant yet where was his obedience? He followed Jesus outwardly, but this was all his heart was not with him he was, in the most awful sense, "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."

4. Obedience produces far better effects than knowledge. The effects of knowledge are frequently not good: even knowledge concerning religion only

qualifies a man of a base heart, the more successfully to oppose it. And mere knowledge, in any case, is not fruit: if a man be wise, he is wise only for himself. But obedience is liberal and diffusive: it seeks the benefit of others, as well as our own. A man who is indeed a Christian, who not only knows what is right, but yields to it and does it, is a blessing to all around him. He cannot be indifferent to the salvation of his neighbours, much less of his near relations and intimate friends. You see him in his family he is a prophet and a priest in his own house, reducing his knowledge to useful practice; imparting instruction to his children and servants; teaching them the fear of the Lord, encouraging themto walk in his ways, and joining with them in daily supplications and thanksgivings to the Father of mercies and the God of all grace. In short, this man does good, whatever situation he fills, by his prayers and especially by his example; there is that in the temper of his mind, and in the actions of his life, which evinces the power of religion on his own heart; and which tends effectually to recommend it to all around him.

But this leads us to observe,

III. HAPPINESS RESULTS FROM THE UNITED INFLUENCE OF KNOWLEDGE AND OBEDIENCE.

It is not the attendant of knowledge only. Some men of most extensive information, as they are far from being good, so they are far from being happy; both their state with God and their personal feelings are just the reverse of enviable. In more respects than one," in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. " "If ye know these things, happy are ye if do them."

Obedience, then, scriptural evangelical obedience; that compliance with the Divine will which is founded in knowledge, but which, at the same time, springs from faith, and is refined by love; this it is which principally secures happiness. You will not suppose it is meant by this remark, that a Christian builds for happiness on his own observances! No: he has a better foundation; the perfect obedience, the spotless righteousness, the atoning sacrifice, of Jesus the Son of God! "Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ; and this the believer can never relinquish. Nor is it meant that he is always and uniformly happy in the feelings of his own heart: many circumstances tend to disturb his comfort, and to suspend his enjoyment; yet this is certain, the true Christian is happy according to the degree of his obedience: he cannot be obedient without being happy in such measure as his obedience is correct, springing from right motives, guided by a right rule, and directed to a right end.

1. He is happy in the real safety of his state.-To this apply the words of our Lord, at the close of his Sermon on the Mount. By the way, he begins that discourse with stating to us who are happy; and the description he gives includes all that is meant by. Christian obedience in the largest sense-penitence, meekness, mercifulness, purity, and so on:-the man who exemplifies these things is blessed, or happy. He closes that most admirable sermon thus: "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them"-observe, this is obedience" and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock; and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon