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The love of praise is a natural passion. We see it in children, young people, and adults. Its highest earthly form is ambition, or the love of fame. Among other things men praise religion; but that which the world commends is only an outward religion, one that can be seen, is profuse and sanctimonious in pious exercises, or which is charitable to the poor. True religion is abhorrent to the world.

I. MEN DO NOT PRAISE IT.

1. They have a difficulty in understanding it. It consists so much of feelings and experiences with which they have no sympathy.

2. They fail to appreciate what they cannot understand. Surely it is enough to do good, and harm nobody, and there can be no need for so much praying, crying, and love.

3. They make its possession no standard of worth. Their heroes are of quite another order. If they should admire a philanthropist, it will be because they view his public usefulness quite apart from his spiritual principles.

4. They often bitterly hate and persecute it.

II. ITS PRAISE IS OF GOD.

1. Why does He commend it? Because —

(1) Of its intrinsic excellence. There is an inherent worth about humility, goodness, devotedness to God, self surrender to Him, the entire circumcision of the heart.

(2) It is the produce of His own grace and power. Wherever spiritual religion exists it has been imparted supernaturally by the power of the Holy Ghost.

(3) It reflects His own image and character. God must approve Himself, and therefore He must admire all that resembles Himself.

2. How does He show it?

(1) By the inward witness of His Spirit; giving to the humble and happy soul a sweet and secret sense of His approval.

(2) By outward tokens of success and prosperity, as in the history of Abraham, Moses, David, and Daniel.

(3) Hereafter by open acknowledgment of His own elect in the day of judgment. Conclusion: The love of praise will influence you, among other motives, in matters of religion. Will you, then, seek to please men or God? If you please men, you must displease God; and what will their commendation and applause do for you in the article of death, or in the hour of judgment? Therefore —

1. Seek only to please God.

2. Be satisfied with His approval.

3. Thus overcome the worldly lust of fame.

4. And enjoy perfect peace.

5. And show yourself a pattern of high and genuine heroism.

(T. G. Horton.).

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KJV: For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

WEB: For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.