THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

SERMON I.

LIVING WITHOUT GOD.

EPHESIANS II. 12.-" Having no hope, and without God in the world."

How can I live well? and How can I die well? are two of the most important enquiries we can make. I wish every one of my hearers were really anxious to have them answered. I wish that every one now sitting before me felt a real earnest desire to know the way of life, and to walk in it.

Blessed Spirit of God, give us this anxiety. Awaken in us this longing. Give us now thirsting souls, which only thy truth can satisfy. Bless thy minister who speaks. Enable him to speak for Thee. And send

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none away from Thy "house of mercy empty and unfed.

I have given you notice of my intention (if God permits me) to preach a Course of Sermons on "The Christian Life." And I do trust that the subject may interest you, and do you much good. As the Sermons. will be connected with one another, try and come to all, lest you lose any one link in the chain which binds the whole together.

"The Christian Life"-this is my subject; and my sermon this morning will be on Living WITHOUT God.

St. Paul speaks in our text of those who have not yet entered on the Christian Life, and have therefore no hope, and are without Christ, and without God in the world.

Who are these? There were many in his day, and there are many now, living just as he describes, without hope and without God.

The Gospel had only reached Ephesus about ten years before these words were

written. Even these very Christians whom he addresses were, a short time before, in all the misery and darkness of heathenism. There was no one to show them the way of salvation. No one in that famous city knew that there was a Saviour, or could give any tidings of that other world to which they were all hastening. But now the light from above had shone upon them: "the Sun of Righteousness " had risen upon them "with healing in his wings."

That was the happiest day that ever dawned upon Ephesus, when three Strangers made their appearance in its streets, proclaiming the glorious news of salvation. These were Paul, and his two friends Aquila and Priscilla-Paul the Preacher, and Aquila and Priscilla his helpers.

The Apostle's preaching was greatly blest in that city, and numbers were gathered into the fold of Christ. This then was the little Christian Church, or company of Believers, to whom he afterwards wrote this epistlc. And in this chapter he reminds

them what their state had once been, and what grace had done for them. "At that time," he says, "ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."

Now, perhaps some will say, "Thank God, we were never in that state. The words may suit those blind Ephesians; but we at all events were never in so godless. and hopeless a condition as this."

We were in a worse condition. Yes, you and I were once even worse than they ever were. They were blind, it is true: but we had eyes, and yet would not see. All was light around us; but was there not darkness, gross darkness, within? They were ignorant of the way of life: we knew it, but did not walk in it. They had never heard of a Saviour, we were baptized in His name; we outwardly belonged to Him; but our hearts were closed against Him.

Was not this the case with all of us once?

Is it not the case with many of us now? And if the state of the ignorant heathen, and of the unbelieving Jew is a sad one, oh, sadder still is the state of the heedless Christian—" having no hope, and without God in the world."

Let us take these two expressions separately. They are both full of meaning.

I. "Having no hope!" How is it with the mere nominal Christian? Has he any hope?

Take the first man you meet, and ask him what his hope is. Perhaps he is one who entirely neglects God, a thoroughly irreligious man. But he does not acknowledge that he is altogether without hope. He will say, "I know I am not serving the Lord. My conscience often whispers to me that all is not right. But then I hope to be one day different. It must be indeed a long lane that has no turning in it. Others have turned, and I hope I shall before