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the blessings of grace and glory. Know that the Seed promised to Jacob has come into the world, even the Lord Jesus Christ; and that he has fulfilled all that is necessary for our salvation. He has expiated our guilt by his own blood upon the cross; and has made reconciliation for us with our offended God; so that through Him all manner of sin shall be forgiven unto men, and "all who believe in him shall be justified from all things." O Beloved, only look unto Him, and whatever were the load of guilt under which you groaned, you should find rest and peace unto your souls: "Where sin had abounded, His grace should much more abound:" and "though your sins were as scarlet, they should be as wool; though they were red like crimson, they should be white as snow."

It may be that some one may have come hither, who, though not particularly bowed down with a sense of guilt, is oppressed with a weight of personal or domestic troubles. Who can tell? God may have brought such an one hither this day, in order to fill his soul with heavenly consolations. O that, if such an one be here, God may now appear unto him as a reconciled God, and "say unto him, I am thy salvation!" O that by the word now spoken in God's name, there may this day be "given unto him beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that he may become a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and that God may be glorified!" You have done well that you have come hither; for it is in the house of prayer that God pours out more abundantly upon men the blessings of grace and peace: "He loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob." Thousands and millions of afflicted souls have found in God's house such discoveries of his love, and such communications of his grace, as they before had no conception of: and you at this hour, if you will lift up your soul to God in earnest prayer, and cast all your burthens upon him, shall say before you go hence, "This is the house of God: this is

the gate of heaven." Know of a truth, that one ray of the Sun of Righteousness is sufficient to dispel all the gloom and darkness of the most afflicted soul: and, if only you will direct your eyes to Him, however your afflictions may have abounded, your con

solations shall much more abound.

I trust there are not wanting here some who can bear testimony to the truth of these things by their own experience; and who, from the discoveries which they have received of the Saviour's love," are filled with peace and joy in believing." To such then will I say, Bless and magnify your God with all the powers of your souls: "let the children of Zion be joyful in their King;" let them "rejoice in the Lord alway;" ;""let them "rejoice in Him with joy unspeakable and full of glory." At the same time, even whilst they are, as it were, "at the very gate of heaven," let me particularly caution them against that kind of joy which is tumultuous, and that kind of confidence which borders on presumption. There is a holy fear, which is rather increased than dissipated by heavenly joy; and a solemn awe, that always accompanies the manifestations of God to the soul. Observe the state of Jacob's mind on this occasion: "He was afraid; and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." Thus blended in its nature, thus tempered in its exercise, thus chastised in all its actings, should our joy be. It is of great importance that we should all remember this: for there is amongst the professors of religion much joy that is spurious, much confidence that is unhallowed. We may have great enlargement of heart; but we must "fear and be enlarged:" we may possess much joy; but we must "rejoice with trembling." Even in heaven itself the glorified saints, yea, and the angels too, though they have never sinned, fall upon their faces before the throne, whilst they sing praises to God and to the Lamb. Let such then be your joy, and such your sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.

But let not all your gratitude evaporate in unsubstantial, though acceptable, emotions. Think with yourselves what you can do for Him, who has done so much for you. Say with yourselves, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits?" Think how you may improve your mercies for the good of your fellow-creatures, and the honour of your God. Of Jacob it is said, "He rose up early in the morning, and took the stone and raised it for a pillar." Let it be thus with you also: lose no time in honouring your God to the utmost of your power. Account all you have, whether of wealth or influence, as given to you for that end. Determine that those who are around you shall have before them the evidences of true piety, and such memorials as shall, if possible, lead them to the knowledge of the true God. Jacob had it not in his power at that time to do all that his heart desired: but he did what he could; and twenty years afterwards, when his means of honouring God were enlarged, he executed all his projects, and performed the vows which he had made. Thus let your desires be expanded to the uttermost; and then fulfil them according to your ability. So shall you have within yourselves an evidence that God is with you of a truth; and having been faithful in a few things, you shall be rulers over many things in the kingdom of your God.

XLVI.

JACOB'S VOW.

Gen. xxviii. 20-22. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

IT is thought by many, that it is wrong to make any kind of vows. But the propriety of making them depends on the manner in which they are made. If,

for instance, we make them in our own strength; or hope that by them we can induce God to do for us what he is otherwise unwilling to perform; or imagine that the services which we stipulate to render unto God will be any compensation to him for the mercies he vouchsafes to us; we are guilty of very great presumption and folly. Vows are not intended to have the force of a bargain or compact, so as to involve the Deity in obligations of any kind; but merely to bind ourselves to the performance of something which was before indifferent, or to impress our minds more strongly with the necessity of executing some acknowledged duty. Of the former kind was Hannah's vow, that if God would graciously give unto her a manchild, she would dedicate him entirely, and for ever, to his immediate service". Independently of her vow, there was no necessity that she should consecrate him to the service of the tabernacle: but she greatly desired to bear a son; and determined, that if God heard her prayer, she would testify her gratitude to him in that way. Of the latter kind was the vow which Israel made to destroy both the Canaanites and their cities, if God would but deliver them into their hands. God had before enjoined them to do this; and therefore it was their bounden duty to do it and their vow was only a solemn engagement to execute that command; which however they could not execute, unless he should be pleased to prosper their endeavours. That such vows were not displeasing to God, we are sure; because God himself gave special directions relative to the making of them, and the rites to be observed in carrying them into execution. Even under the New-Testament dispensation we find Aquila vowing a vow in Cenchread; and St. Paul himself uniting with others in the services, which the law prescribed to those who had the vows of Nazariteship upon them®.

The first vow of which we read, is that contained in our text: and extremely instructive it is. It shews us,

a 1 Sam. i. 11.

d Acts xviii. 18.

b Numb. xxi. 2.
e Acts xxi. 23, 24.

c Numb. vi. 2, 21.

I. Our legitimate desires

Man, as compounded of soul and body, has wants and necessities that are proper to both: and whatsoever is necessary for them both, he may reasonably and lawfully desire. We may desire,

1. The presence and protection of God

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[The Israelites in their journeys from Egypt to the promised land passed through a "great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no waterf:" and such is this world wherein we sojourn. Dangers encompass us all around: and, if left to ourselves, we never can reach in safety the land to which we go. Well therefore may we adopt the language of Moses, when Jehovah threatened to withdraw from Israel his own immediate guardianship, and to commit them to the superintendence of an angel; " If thou go not up with us, carry us not up hence." "It is not in man that walketh to direct his own stepsh: nor will any created aid suffice for him: "his help is, and must be, in God alone." If God guide us not, we must err; if He uphold us not, we must fall; if He keep us not, we must perish. We may therefore desire God's presence with us, and so desire it, as never to rest satisfied one moment without it. "As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks," says David, "so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God." And, when he had reason to doubt whether God was with him or not, his anguish was extreme: "I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me, while they daily say unto me, Where is thy God?" This was the language of the man after God's own heart; and it should be the language also of our souls.] 2. A competent measure of earthly comforts

[These also are necessary in this vale of tears. Food we must have to nourish our bodies, and raiment to cover us from the inclemencies of the weather: these therefore we may ask of God: beyond these we should have no desire: "Having food and raiment we should be therewith content!." To wish for more than these is neither wisem, nor lawful". Nor even for these should we be over-anxious. We should rather, like the fowls of the air, subsist on the providence of God, and leave it to Him to supply our wants in the way and measure that he

f Deut. viii. 15. h Jer. x. 23.

1 1 Tim. vi. 8. VOL. I.

Exod. xxxiii. 1-3, 12-15.

i Ps. xlii. 1, 2.

m Prov. xxx. 8, 9.

R

k Ps. xlii. 9, 10. n Jer. xlv.).

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