The spirit of stubborn unbelief makes vision impossible. Christ came to these men and they did not recognize him.—They crucified the Lord of Glory. Even Thomas suffered through this fault, and merited the rebuke of Jesus—"Be not faithless, but believing."
Yes, if we would have the vision.—We must cultivate. an expectant and teachable heart. We must shut the door on stubborn unbelief, And the second characteristic of those enemies of the first disciples was that although they possessed an outward form of religion, it was unreal, without spirit or life. The services of the temple in Jerusalem were beautifully rendered.—The priests were gorgeously apparelled. Not a sacrifice was omitted—all according to the Law of Moses, were performed. Not a punctilio of ritual neglected—they kept numberless minute observances. But all their activity was not the outward and isible sign of an inward and spiritual life. How scathing was our Lord's denunciation of it all "Ye wash," he said, "the outside of the cup and platter, but the inside is ravening and wickedness."
And today we do well-to realize what a dangerous enemy insincerity is, whether it be in life or in religion. If it is in one, it is usually in the other. We have come this morning and have entered into a beautiful service for the worship of God. We have taken upon our lips the prayers and praises that have been sanctified by centuries of use by Saints and Martyrs, and holy men of God—that have been used by them to voice their deepest and holiest emotions and experiences. We have joined in our Easter hymns, we have listened to the Holy Scriptures. Has this morning' service been worship or merely a form of words upon our lips? If merely a form, then beware. There is nothing more deadly or dangerous than a religion that has become a habit and nothing more. It is of no use in this life, and it lulls the soul to a sleep that ends in death for this life and the life to come. To such a one comes no revelation of Christ, unless it be in judgment and anger. Only when religion is real and earnest can the presence of the Lord be realized within,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.