riches increase, set not your hearts upon them." He would have us live above this vain world; and not, when running for such a prize, be "loading our feet with thick clay." If we could have the reasons of God's dispensations fully revealed to us, I have no doubt but that we should find that he has this end in view, when he sends us one bereavement after another: he does it, I say, that we may learn to "set our affections on things above, and not on things on the earth" III. To lead them to trust in him [Like the rich fool in the Gospel, they would have been ready to say, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; eat, drink, and be merry." But God is jealous of his own honour. He will not endure that we should "say to gold, Thou art my hope; or to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence." Indeed, he not only denounces against such conduct his heaviest judgments, but sets forth in most beautiful terms its practical effects The cares of this world are as thorns and briers, which choke the seed which God has sown in our hearts, and prevent it from bringing forth any fruit to perfection. They also weigh down the spirits, and oftentimes prove an insupportable burthen to the soul: whereas the person who has learned to confide in God, is always happy: "he knows in whom he has believed," and is assured that "he shall want no manner of thing that is good." Hence David not merely affirms that such persons are happy, but appeals to God himself respecting it; "O Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." This was the state to which God designed to bring his people of old; and in it he would have all his people live, even to the end of the world. "I would have you," says he, "without carefulness:" "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."] IV. To make them observant of his providential care— [When they saw that the sabbatical year was at hand, how forcibly would they be struck with the provision which God had made for it! They would have "three years" to live on the produce of one single years. But when they saw e Hab. ii. 6. f Jer. xvii. 5, 6. d Ps. lxii. 10. 8 Commentators appear to me to mistake in supposing that the sabbatical year began, like their civil year, in autumn: for then, the sowing and reaping being brought within one year, the loss of that whole time would be felt only for two years: but if their year began, like their ecclesiastical year, in the spring, then they would of course not sow in the sixth year, nor reap in the eighth year; because their barns overflowing with the produce of the earth, and their presses bursting out with new wine, methinks they would say, This is the hand of God: we will love him; we will serve him; we will trust in him: we will shew, that we are not insensible of all his love and kindness. Such sentiments and conduct would tend exceedingly to exalt and honour God; and would conduce very much to the happiness of all. We are apt to think that there is great comfort annexed to the idea of wealth and plenty: but the comfort which a poor man has in receiving his pittance as from the hand of God, far outweighs all that the rich ever felt in their unsanctified abundance The more we enjoy God in the creature, the more we enjoy the creature itself- -] V. To typify the felicity of heaven [Canaan was an acknowledged type of heaven: and this ordinance fully represented the blessedness there enjoyed. All the land was common during the seventh year; and every person in it, whether rich or poor, a native or a foreigner, had an equal right to every thing in it. None were to assert an exclusive claim to any thing: none were to reap or treasure up the fruits of the earth; but all were to participate with equal freedom the bounties of heaven. What a delightful picture does this give us of that blessed state, in which there will be no distinction of persons, no boast of exclusive rights, no want of any thing to the children of God; but all will have a fulness of joy at God's right hand, and rivers of pleasure for Even in the Church below there was a little of this, when the disciples had all things common, and none said that any thing he possessed was his own; but in the Church above, this will universally prevail, and endure to all eternity.] evermore! This subject, in its different bearings, affords ample matter of INSTRUCTION to, 1. The doubtful and undetermined Christian— [The Jews were required to sacrifice their worldly prospects for the Lord: and were threatened, that, if they did not obey this ordinance, God would expel them from the land. This threatening too was executed in the Babylonish captivity, according to the number of sabbatical years which they had neglected to observe. Shall Christians then be backward to they could not reap or sow in the seventh year: consequently, they could only sow in the eighth year what they were to reap in the ninth. The language of the 22d verse seems to require this interpretation. Next to this interpretation, I should prefer that of making the words "three years" to signify one year, and parts of two." Lev. xxvi. 33-35. with 2 Chron. xxxvi. 20, 21. exercise self-denial, or to sacrifice their temporal interests for their Lord and Saviour? Let them not hesitate between duty and interest: the calls, though apparently opposite, are indeed the same: if we sacrifice any thing for the Lord, he will repay us an hundred-fold. If we will lose our lives for his sake, we shall find them: but if we will save them here, we shall lose them in the eternal world.] 2. The careful and worldly-minded Christian— [If the Jews, whose principal rewards were of a temporal nature, were taught not to place their affections on earthly things, how much less should we! It is really a disgrace to Christianity, when persons who profess godliness are as anxious after this world as those who have no prospects beyond. Yet how common is this character! Happy would it be for them if they would study our Lord's sermon on the mount; and learn from the very birds of the air to live without anxiety for the morrow. Not that they should neglect their earthly business, whatever it may be: but, in the habit and disposition of their minds, they should "be content with such things as they have," and realize the prayer which they profess to approve, "Give us day by day our daily bread!"] 3. The fearful and unbelieving Christian [On the command being given respecting the observance of the sabbatical year, some are represented as asking, “What shall we eat the seventh year?" Now thus it is with many Christians, who are anticipating evils, and questioning with themselves what they shall do under such or such circumstances? and fearing, that, if they proceed in the way of duty, they shall not be able to stand their ground. But the answer to such persons is, "Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." We have no right to anticipate evils; at least, not so to anticipate them as to distress ourselves about them. All that we need to inquire, is, What is the way of duty? True, to carnal minds we may appear to act absurdly, and to thwart our own interests: but the path of duty will always be found the path of safety. God is the same God as ever he was: and, if he call us to exercise faith on him, he will never disappoint us. Justly did Jesus reprove his disciples for fearing, when they had him in the same vessel with them. Let us remember, that he is embarked with us, and that they who trust in him " shall not be ashamed or confounded world without end."] 4. The humble and believing Christian [Did you ever, when exercising faith in God, find yourself disappointed of your hope? Did he ever leave you or forsake i Matt. vi. 25-30. you? If the command have appeared formidable at a distance, have you not always found that your strength was increased according to your day, and that His grace was sufficient for you? Have you not found also, that, though your obedience might be self-denying, it has always been productive of happiness? In short, are you not living witnesses of the truth and faithfulness of your Lord? Go on then, and be examples of a holy self-denying obedience. Prefer the performance of duty before worldly prospects, how lucrative soever they may appear; and let it be seen in you, what it is to "live by faith on the Son of God, who has loved you, and given himself for you."] CXLIII. GOD'S PROMISES TO PENITENTS. Lev. xxvi. 40-42. If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; and that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity; then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. WE are apt to feel a jealousy respecting the divine mercy, as though a free and full exhibition of it would cause men to make light of sin. But the inspired writers seem never apprehensive of any such effects. In the passage before us God has set forth his promises to his people, if they should continue obedient to them; and the most tremendous threatenings, in case they should become disobedient. Yet even then, though he foreknew and foretold that they would depart from him and bring upon themselves his heavy judgments, he told them, that, if even in their lowest state they should return to him with humiliation and contrition, he would restore them to his favour, and to the land from whence they should have been expelled. What encouragement the pious Nehemiah derived from these declarations, may be seen in the prayer he offered; in which he reminded God of them, and sought the accomplishment of them to his nation in a season of deep distress. May the contemplation of them be attended with similar effects to our souls, while we consider, I. What is that repentance which God requires We find in the Scriptures a great variety of marks whereby true repentance may be known: but we shall confine our attention to those which are set forth in the text. It is there required, 1. That we should acknowledge our guilt— [Our fathers' sins, as well as our own, are just grounds of national humiliation: in the repentance that is purely personal, our own sins, of course, are the chief, if not the exclusive, sources of sorrow and contrition. But our sins should be viewed in their true light, not as mere violations of our duty to man, but as acts of hostility against God. Sin is "a walking contrary to God," or, in other words, a wilful, persevering, habitual opposition to his holy will: nor do we ever appreciate our own character aright, till we see our whole lives to have been one constant scene of rebellion against GodEven adultery and murder, though so directly militating against the welfare of society, were considered by David as deriving their chief aggravations from this source; "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned"."] 2. That we should justify God in whatever judgments he may inflict [Though we think ourselves at liberty to "walk contrary to God," we do not consider him as at liberty to "walk contrary to us," but murmur and repine if at any time he punish us for our iniquities. But whatever judgments he may have inflicted on us, we must say, "Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserved "" We should even view his denunciations of wrath in the future world as no more than the just desert of sin; and be ready to acknowledge the justness of the sentence, if we ourselves be consigned over to everlasting misery on account of our sins I know that, when we consult only our proud reasonings on the subject, it is hard to feel entirely reconciled to the declarations of God respecting it: but a sight of sin in its various aggravations will silence us in a moment, and compel us to cry out, "Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments!"] 3. That we should be thankful for any dispensation that has been the means of "humbling our uncircumcised hearts" a Neh. i. 5-9. b Ps. li. 4. e Ezra ix. 13. d Rev. xvi. 7. |