her; and also
that through Him and in Him we, too, may receive the adoption of sons.

Dear friends, I press this upon you as no mere piece of hard theological
doctrine, but as containing in it the very essentials of all spiritual
life for each of us, that all our spiritual life must come by
participation in Christ, and that we enter into an altogether new and
blessed relation to God when, laying our humble and penitent hands on
the head of that dear Sacrifice that died on the Cross for as, we
through Him cease to be children of wrath and become heirs of God. 'To
as many as received Him, to them gave He authority to become the
children of God, even to them that believe in His name,' but His Sonship
stands unique and unapproachable, though it is the foundation from which
flows all the sonship of the whole family in heaven and in earth. Moses
and the prophets, teachers and guides, Apostles and Helpers, they are
all but the servants of the family; this is the Son through whom we
receive the adoption of sons.

III. We have in this great discourse the authority of One who is
absolute Lord and Master over men.

'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord! Lord! shall enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! have we
not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?'
'Whoso heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him
to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.'

Jesus Christ here comes before the whole race, and claims an absolute
submission. His word is to control, with authoritative and
all-comprehensive scrutiny and power, every aim of our lives, and every
action. In His name we may be strong, in His name we may cast out
devils, in His name we may do many wonderful works. If we build upon Him
we build upon a rock; if we build anywhere else we build upon the sand.

Strange, outrageous claims for a _man_ to make! 'Give me the Sermon on
the Mount, and keep your doctrinal theology,' say people. But I want to
know what kind of morality it is that is all traceable up to this--'Do
as I bid you, My will is your law; My smile is your reward; to obey Me
is perfection.' I think that takes you a good long way into 'theology.'
I think that the Man who said that--and you all know that He said
it--must he either a good deal more or a good deal less than a perfect
man. If He is only that He is not that; for if He is only that, He has
no business to tell me