And what is the seed which remains in that man, and keeps him from playing the coward?  Christ himself, the seed and Son of God.  If he believes in the living Christ; if he believes that Christ is really his master, his teacher, who is watching over him, training him, from his cradle to his grave;—­if he believes that Christ is dwelling in him, that whatever wish to do right he has comes from Christ, whatever sense of honour and honesty he has comes from Christ; then it will seem to him a dreadful thing to lie, to play the hypocrite, or the coward; to sin against his own better feelings.  It will be sinning against Christ himself.

Remember the great Martin Luther, when he stood on one side, a poor monk standing up for the Bible and the Gospel, and against him were arrayed the Pope and the Emperor, cardinals, bishops, and almost all the princes in Europe; and his friends wanted him to hold his tongue, or to say Yes and No at once; in short, to smooth over the matter in some way.—­What conceit, said many, of one poor monk standing up against all the world; and what folly, too!  He would certainly be burnt alive.  But Luther could not hold his tongue.  He was afraid enough, no doubt.  He disliked being burnt as much as other men.  But he felt he must speak God’s truth then or never.  He must bear witness for Christ’s free gospel, against Pope, Emperor, all the devils in hell, if need be, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace.  He must play the honest man that day, or be a hypocrite and a rogue for ever.  His friends said to him, ’If you go to the Council, Duke George will have you burnt.’  He answered, ’If it snowed Duke Georges nine days together, I must go.’  They said, ’If you go into that town, you will never leave it alive.’  He said, ’If there were as many devils in the town as there are tiles on the houses, I must go.’  And he went, Bible in hand, and said, ’Here I stand; I can do no otherwise.  God help me!’ He went, and he conquered.

And so it will be with you, my friends, if you will believe in the living God, and in the living Christ; then, when temptation comes, you will be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  And you will feel yourselves better men from that day forward.  You will feel that you have made one great step upward; you will look back upon that time of temptation and perplexity as the beginning of a new life; as a sign to you that Christ is with you, and in you, training you and shaping your character, till he makes you, at last, somewhat like himself; somewhat of the stature of a true man; somewhat like what he has bidden you to be, ’perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.’

SERMON XXVIII.  THE TEN LEPERS

(Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.)

Luke xvii. 17, 18.  Were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.