the richest communications from above. 'Man's extremity is God's opportunity.' Whatever were the promises, and the prospects, and the hopes that Abram enjoyed, ours are more cheering, more enlivening, more animating; ours is a richer, more glorious, more abiding inheritance than his. Let us ever set the Lord before us; let us ever raise our altar to our three-one God: then shall his presence be with us, to render every change, every situation in life, a blessed preparation for the heavenly Canaan. PRAYER. surrounded by idolaters, he was neither ashamed norening, and gloomy, and dark, the soul may have afraid to worship the true God. In Canaan, before going down to Egypt, he built an altar, and called upon the name of the Lord; and on his return to Canaan, he repaired to the same consecrated spot to renew his acts of devotion. Ver. 7. When Abram was first called, his nephew Lot accompanied him, and they sojourned together till this period. But their substance increasing to such an extent, that the land was not able to bear them, jealousy and contention arose amongst their servants. The cause of the strife might be the encroachments that were made by their respective herdsmen, either on the rich pastures or the wells of water. The Canaanite dwelt then in the land. That such a spirit of hostility and strife should manifest itself in the view of these natives, who were idolaters, occasioned deep distress to the mind of Abram. Their neighbours taking advantage of their quarrels, might denude them of their property; but what was worse, the name of Jehovah would be blasphemed; the true religion wounded and disparaged. Ver. 10. Lot beheld the plain of Jordan, &c. The whole banks of the Jordan were rich and beautiful, but the vale of Siddim, where once stood Sodom and Gomorrah, was peculiarly so. This plain was by divine vengeance transformed into a pestilential lake; but then, it possessed every thing to aftract and charm the eye; it was pleasant as the garden of Eden, and fertile as the banks of the Nile. Ver. 15. To thee will I give, &c. The promise which God had made to Abram, chap. xii. 7. is here renewed, and in fuller and more explicit terms. Yet, God did not give to Abram, personally, the actual possession of Canaan, for he was a pilgrim and a stranger in it: nor did he give to his seed the perpetual possession of it, for it has now fallen into other bands; still he himself acquired the title to it now by the divine donation, and his posterity took the full possession of it at the appointed time, in virtue of the original promise, and for Abram's sake. PRACTICAL REMARKS. Wherever the people of God go, they will cherish a spirit of prayer; and they will maintain the worship of the true God, even in the presence of enenies. While the wealth of this world cannot purchase contentment and happiness, it is often the occasion of much dispeace, and often severs the strongest ties of friendship and brotherly love. The child of God will always be a peace-maker, and he will make many personal sacrifices to promote and maintain peace and good-will. Many, for the gains and advantages of this world, sacrifice their spiritual privileges, expose themselves to the most dangerous temptations, and thereby hazard their eternal wellbeing. Father of mercies, and God of all grace and consolation, we come before thee this morning, in the multitude of thy tender mercies, and as a family we would surround our domestic altar, and present to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise. Many, O Lord, are the blessings we are receiving at thy hand. They are new to us every morning, and every evening, yea, every moment of our lives. That we have been protected during the watches of the last night; that we have had refreshing sleep; that we have been permitted to assemble together in circumstances of comfort, is because thy mercy never faileth. Justly, O Lord, mightest thou have made our sleep our death, and our awaking this morning to be in outer darkness; for we have forgotten the Lord that made us, we have overlooked the hand that feeds us, the arm that sustains us; but the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever; his grace never faileth, and thus it is that we are in the land of the living, that we are on praying ground. Bless the Lord, O our souls, and forget not all his benefits.' Let the goodness, the forbearance, the tender mercies of God, of which we have shared so richly, awaken in our souls the feelings of deep contrition, while they kindle the flame of holy gratitude and love. When thou, Lord, art loading us with thy benefits, and art heaping coals of fire on our heads, let these hard hearts of ours be melted, and let our unfeigned language be, What can we render to the Lord for all his goodness to us? But we have not merely to thank thee, O gracious Father, for unnumbered temporal mercies, but for the continuance of spiritual blessings and privileges; we have to thank thee for the word of salvation, and for the renewed privilege of pouring out our hearts before thee. We thank thee for all that the gospel reveals and makes known to us: for its doctrines, its pro Those who, in choosing their secular relations, employments, companionships, and settlements, seek not the interests of religion and the weal of their souls, but carnal gratification and earthly aggrandisement, cannot hope for the presence and blessung of God. When men unnecessarily and unguard-mises, its consolations, its hopes. We thank thee edly throw themselves into the way of sinners, they are sure to suffer by it. Although robbed of earthly friends, yet nothing can rob us of the presence and friendship of God. In seasons the most threat for bringing before us the lives of thine own children, that by their fidelity, and constancy, and contempt of the world, we may be encouraged and stimulated: that by their failings and de partures from God, we may be warned and de- | plain intimations that Christ was the Son of God. terred. Give us, Lord, we beseech thee, the But they were also a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. Jesus appeared in the very time, and spirit of the Father of the faithful, who lived as a pilgrim and stranger on the earth, and whose place, and manner, sustaining the very character, preaching the very doctrines, and exhibiting the very eye was habitually directed to a better country. credentials that the prophets, hundreds of years beGuard us against the allurements and tempta-fore, had announced in reference to the coming Mestions of this world, and help us, Lord, to place our affections on the things that are unseen and eternal. Lord, do thou enable us to follow peace, and to seek peace by all means; and may we ever cherish the Spirit and follow the steps of Him who was meek and benignant, and lowly in heart. We acknowledge, O Lord, our natural proneness to cleave to the dust and to seek a resting place here; we acknowledge that our hearts in their natural state are very enmity to thee, that we are hateful and hating one another; O may thy Spirit be given to change these hard hearts, these carnal inclinations, these worldly desires of ours; that changed, and renewed, and moulded into thine own blessed image, we may live as the redeemed of the Lord, as the expectants of future glory. Help us, Lord, in our intercourse with the world this day, in our varied duties and engagements, to set the Lord before us, to live as seeing God who is invisible, to keep at a distance from every thing that is sinful, and while we are in the world, and mingle with the world, may we never be of the world. We offer up these our supplications in the name of Him whom thou hearest always, who is our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. WEDNESDAY EVENING. sias; so that it might very justly be asked, 'Is not this the Christ?' The last recorded miracle in this chapter is Christ's ejection of the devils from the bodies of two unfortunates, and his permitting them to take possession of a herd of swine; and here we are called to notice the recognition, by these evil spirits, of Christ as the true Messias, who came to subvert their kingdom, and to destroy their works; even Satan himself is compelled to bear testimony to the Son of God. But do the Gadarenes hail his appearance? do they beg him to prolong his stay? do they intreat a further manifestation of his mercy and power? No, they beseech him to depart-they reject him. Christ yields to their wish; He departs from the midst of them, and never do we again hear of his return. PRACTICAL REMARKS. Mark the greatness and the lowliness, the dignity and the abasement of the Saviour in the days of his flesh. He is at once the Son of God, and the Son of While all the majesty of Jehovah is displayed man. in Him, stilling the raging elements, controlling the powers of darkness, awakening the dead from the slumbers of the tomb, who can forbear crying out, My Lord and my God! Yet when we behold the lowly condition of the Son of man, born in poverty, and living in poverty, not having where to lay his head, despised and rejected of men, and that all this, and much more than this, was submitted to by the Son of the Highest, to bring apostate rebels to God, who can forbear exclaiming, ‘O the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his If Christ discovered such ways past finding out!' majesty and power, such grace and mercy, while he tabernacled on earth, how deserving is he of our most unlimited trust and confidence. He is able to save to the uttermost; let us put all our concerns into his hands, banish every feeling of doubt, distrust, and fear, and rest persuaded that believing in EXPLANATORY REMARKS. Christ, all shall be given with Christ, and for Christ's There being several mighty deeds of Christ re- sake. Let us cultivate the spirit of the centurion; corded in this chapter, it has been called by an old deep humility, a consciousness of great unworthiness, divine, the miraculous scripture. The miracles of an unshaken reliance on the power of the Saviour, Christ were deeds of mercy, and their very char- and a sincere feeling of sympathy in the distresses acter shows the benignity of his heart; but the of others. Are we, like Christ, more captivated manner in which they were performed not merely with grace than with greatness? Have we, like shows that God was with Him, but that He was him, a higher admiration of gracious principle in God; that it was by no delegated power, but by the soul of the meanest, than the highest display of his own inherent might, that the deed was per- earthly grandeur in the state of the most exalted? formed; there is such a majesty and authority as Faith has never lost, and never will lose its reward. bespeaks a present Deity. Christ speaks and it is Heathens shall stand up in the judgment against done; He says, 'I will, be thou clean,' and a cure those who have had the offers of Christ and salvation instantly follows. brought near to them, and have rejected or neglected them. Many, under the influence of a momentary feeling, express admiration of Christ, and purpose to follow him without counting the cost; that they PRAISE-PSALM XCVII. 10-12. There is reference made to various instances of supernatural power, the casting out of devils, and the healing of the sick of every name. These were must forsake all, count all things loss, leave father | ples,-Lord save us, we perish. O what ground and mother for Christ, yea, take up the cross and is there for eternal thankfulness and praise, that follow him. It is only a conviction of great and with the Lord there is mercy, that with our God imminent danger that leads men to cry out in earthere is plenteous redemption; that there is a nest for deliverance. Yet while there is a trembling on account of sin, and the earnest prayer, 'Lord, save way of escape from sin's guilt and sin's pollution us,' there must be no distrusting his power, no doubt- and power; there is now balm in Gilead, there ing his willingness, and no disbelieving his promise is a physician there. Thou, O Lord, hast laid to save. Unbelief distracts the soul and dishonours our help on one that is mighty to save. We the Saviour. The malignity of Satan impels him to triumph in Christ, who is revealed and made seek the ruin of immortal souls; yet it is matter of known to us in the gospel, and of whom such joy that the legions of hell are under the eye and subject to the control of the Saviour; that they canglorious things are spoken in that portion of We would mark, not proceed a step beyond what he permits; that a the word of life now read. hair of a saint's head they cannot touch but as he with adoring gratitude, the compassion and allows. You perceive how powerfully the love of tenderness of our gracious Redeemer, the digthe world, love of the gains and profits of this world, nity and power of our Almighty Saviour; operates on many; they would rather lose the pres- and we do rejoice in the thought that that Saence of Christ, lose their souls, than part with their viour, exalted though he is on high, is the same worldly substance. Awful is the state of that nation, that community, that family, that soul that gracious, compassionate friend; that he is seeks Christ to depart, and loses his presence. Let willing, as he is able, to save to the very utterus remember, that if we entreat Christ to depart, he most, all that come unto God through Him; may listen to our request: and once forsaking us, it that he retains a feeling of our infirmities, and may be for ever! that he will succour those that are tempted. Let it be given to us, Lord, in the behalf of Christ, to believe on his name. Lord, we believe; help thou our unbelief. We would say in faith, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make us clean; speak the word and we shall be healed. Pardon, Lord, our iniquities, for they are very great. Cure, Lord, our every disease. Heal our backslidings; mortify our corruptions; uproot our every sinful propensity; transform us into thine own blessed image; make us, Lord, what thou wouldst have us to be, and keep us by thy mighty power, through faith, unto salvation. PRAYER. Before thee, O Lord, the Father of all, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, would we again prostrate ourselves, in holy reverence. We acknowledge our great unworthiness to appear in thy presence, but thou dost encourage us to come boldly to thy throne of grace, and, for the sake of Him whom thou hearest always, to hope for mercy to pardon, and grace to help us. Give us then to draw near with true hearts, and with the confidence of children to their Father, to pour out our hearts before thee. And now, Lord, we entreat of thee to give us just views of our own sinfulness. We are in thy sight, wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; covered with the leprosy of sin, the whole head sick, and the whole heart faint. But how little do we feel this our natural condition. How prone are we to lose sight of our guilt and depravity, to draw a covering over the diseases of our corrupt nature, the plagues of our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts, and thus to say, Peace, peace to our souls, all is well. Do thou, then, O merciful Father, by thy Holy Spirit, shine into our hearts, to give us just views of sin, and just views of ourselves as sinners. Discover to us our deep depravity, our personal guilt, our manifold transgressions, that we may thus be led to unfeigned humility, to genuine contrition, to fervent supplication. At this moment we would use the language, with, we trust, somewhat of the feelings of the abased publican,-God be merciful to us sinners; or the trembling disci We would look back on the way by which thou, Lord, hast led us this day; thou hast carried us out and brought us in in safety, and hast permitted no evil to approach us; and we would set up our Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. And now, Lord, we commit ourselves to thee this night; defend us, we beseech thee, from all danger; grant us refreshing sleep; bring us, if it is thy holy will, to the light of a new day, with increasing desires to love, to serve, and to obey thee. And to thy name, in Christ Jesus, we will ascribe all the praise. Amen. THURSDAY MORNING. PRAISE-PSALM LXIII. 3-7. EXPLANATORY REMARKS. Ver. 1. Vision. Before there was a written record, God's will was communicated to mankind, chiefly, either by dreams or visions. These visions If w were of two kinds, sometimes the thing was made | in the economy of grace, gives a title to all the pri known by an external representation when the senses vileges and blessings of the new covenant. were all awake and alive; at other times the senses would meet with God, hope for the light of h were suspended, but the mind was kept active and countenance, and the aids of his almighty power; w elevated to the contemplation and understanding must have recourse to all the instituted ordinance of what was revealed. Ver. 3. Born in my house, of his grace. In the history and experience of God &c. It was not unfrequent for servants or slaves people, great darkness often precedes great ligh born in the house and brought up under a mas- The departure of God's people hence, is peaceful ar ter's eye, and who, by their affection and fidelity, serene, because the Lord is with them, and they a had ingratiated themselves, to become, when the ticipate a life and blessedness that shall never en master was childless, his sole heir, or to inherit a The covenant betwixt God and his own people, h large share of his wealth. Ver. 6. Believed in the been confirmed by sacrifice, even by the blood of t Lord, &c. Abram's unshaken reliance on the faith- Son of God. Let us, like Abram, look beyond fulness and power of God, to accomplish that which numerous offspring to the promised Seed, and beyo appeared impossible, his having a son when both the earthly Canaan to the land of eternal rest. he and Sarah were far advanced in years, a son whoin PRAYER. he was prepared to sacrifice at God's command, yet whom he was persuaded God could raise up though consumed to ashes was such an instance of faith that he was called the Father of believers. It was through this principle of faith that he was accepted, that he was viewed and treated as righteous, and not in virtue of any or all his other heavenly graces, nor in virtue of any or all his virtuous and holy deeds. Ver. 9. Take me an heifer, &c. Ere the vision is granted, Abram is directed to go through certain rites. The different creatures here mentioned, and which, doubtless, were sacrificed, are the same which were afterwards prescribed in the Levitical law. When the victim was slain and equally divided, and its parts placed asunder, the contracting parties approached at the opposite ends of the passage that was formed, met in the middle, and there took the oath of confirmation. Ver. 17. Smoking furnace, &c. God was symbolized as passing through the parts of the victims, and thus does he condescend to ratify his covenant in the usual prescribed mode. Some expositors seem to think, that by the sign of the smoking furnace, God meant to point out Israel's misery in the iron furnace of Egypt, and that by the burning lamp is signified God's light and deliverance after the long dark night of affliction. PRACTICAL REMARKS. Blessed are they whose God is the Lord; they shall want no good thing: He will be their protection in danger, their guide in perplexity, and their stay in want; He will give them grace here and glory hereafter. It is a matter of great comfort, that we can pour all the complaints of our oppressed and burdened spirits into the ear of our compassionate, almighty, and faithful Friend. The promises of God are suited to all our circumstances and exigencies; but that we may experience their soothing influence; that they may prove an anchor and stay to the soul, we must exercise a firm, unshaken reliance upon them. Would we be the children of Abram and be counted righteous as he was, and heirs of the inheritance to which he is raised, we must have a faith like his faith in the wisdom, the power, the mercy, and the faithfulness of God. Above all, faith in Him who is the alone righteousness and strength, the alone salvation and desire, of his people. This reliance on the promise of God through Christ, this trust in the Redeemer, is that divine principle which, It is good for us, O Lord Most High, to sho forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, a thy faithfulness every night; for while all t works praise thee, it surely becomes thy ration offspring to bless thee. We thank thee, Lo for all thy mercies to us, undeserving sinne but especially would we bless thy name thine unspeakable gift, Jesus Christ. In hast thou manifested thy love towards us, i way that passeth all understanding. And bless thee, Lord, for the early intimations of purposes of grace, in regard to our rebelli fallen, and lost race. Never hast thou left t self without witness of thy gracious desig We thank thee, that to the first transgre the whispers of peace were addressed; tha the patriarchs a Deliverer was promised; that as time advanced, and generation succee generation, the declarations of heaven bec more full and explicit, and the views of the liverer and the deliverance more clear and e ening; and we adore thee, that in the ful of time, the promised Deliverer, has appe to establish thy faithfulness, to magnify law, and to bring lost sinners to thee. now, Lord, what reason have we to thank that the Day Spring from on high hath vi us; that to us Christ is made known; that his salvation is published; that to us al riches of his grace and glory are freely of O let us never forget, that to whom my given, of them much shall be required. us with that holy principle that distinguishe Father of the faithful; give us that faith raises above all doubts, all suspicion, all fear; unites the soul savingly to Christ, and giv interest in his salvation. Give us, we beseecl to rely with unshaken confidence on the pr of the faithful and immutable Jehovah. us to lay hoid of, and trust to, the provisi that covenant which was ratified by the of Christ, and which is in all things well o and sure. Give us to look to Christ as our the law, were ceremonially unclean. This gave righteousness and strength, as all our salvation grievous offence to these same self-righteous scribes. and all our desire. Justify us, Lord, freely by They allege, that by this intercourse with noted sinthy grace, through the redemption that is in Je-ners, he was at once opposing the will of God, and contracting defilement. Be it even as they alleged, sus Christ. And we pray, Lord, that we may that there was a departure from the letter of the experience the sanctifying influence of this di- ceremonial ritual, they should bear in mind that God vine principle, that our faith may work by love, himself declared, Hosea vi. 6. that the ceremonial that it may overcome the world, and that it may rite was to give place to the deed of mercy. God be accompanied by all the fruits of righteous- preferred mercy to sacrifice. Why did he associate ness to the praise of thy name. And, Lord, rewith these publicans and sinners? For no other purpose than that he might bring light, and conviclying on the gracious declaration to Abraham, tion, and salvation near to them. They were the sick that in his seed all the families of the earth shall and diseased, and where should the physician be be blessed, we plead thine own faithful word of but in company with the sick? Casteth out devils, &c. promise. Give thy Son the heathen for his in- Christ might just appeal to the character of his mirheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth acles, to disprove the alleged fellowship. While for his possession. May men be blessed in Je- they were deeds of might, they were deeds of mercy. sus; may all nations call him blessed! We pray vine act of his, distress was removed, and happiness He came not to destroy, but to save. By every difor the sorrowful and the afflicted, that the con- conferred; the lame were made to leap for joy, the solations of God may refresh their spirits. Give dumb to sing the high praises of the Lord. the dying an interest in Christ, that to them to thus that satan, the enemy of God and of goodness, depart may be great gain. acts or can act? The thing speaks for itself; Christ can have no concord with Belial. And now, Lord, we would place ourselves this day under thy guidance and guardianship; we would go whithersoever thou leadest us. We would ever hear thy voice behind us, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.' We would sanctify thee, the Lord, in our hearts, and we would live habitually under the constraining influence of redeeming love. Lord, direct us! Lord, uphold us! Lord, strengthen us! Be our God for ever and ever, and our guide even unto death. And now to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, would we ascribe all the glory, now and for ever. Amen. THURSDAY EVENING. PRAISE-PSALM XC. 14. SCRIPTURE-MATTHEW IX. PRACTICAL REMARKS. Is it The first thing that strikes us in this chapter and in the whole of Christ's history, is his unbounded compassion and unwearied beneficence. about doing good. Let us go and do likewise; let the same mind be in us that was in Christ; let us He went do good as we have opportunity. Mark the sove reignty and omnipotence of divine grace, in the call and conversion of Matthew. What is this individual who becomes a monument of mercy? He is one whose character is contemptible, whose employment is infamous, a detested publican; yet he is brought into the intimate fellowship and honourable service of the Redeemer. 'God has mercy on whom he will have mercy. And as the grace of God is sovereign, so it is resistless; it is like the lightning which rends asunder and shivers the loftiest oak, which levels to the dust the proudest tower. Christ speaks the word and the change is effected. There is something sublime in the account given of the conversion. Christ says, 'Follow me. And he arose and followed him.' With an attachment to the world that might appear unconquerable, in circumstances and in society that naturally steeled against any saving impression, with a heart hard as the nether millstone, the publican listens, he yields, he follows Hin who has not where to lay his head. Has such a EXPLANATORY REMARKS. This chapter exhibits a frightful picture of the deep malignity and indomitable hatred of the Pharisees towards our Lord. No deeds of power could conquer their prejudices; no acts of kindness could win their affections. He can say nothing, he can do no-saving change been wrought in us? has the voice thing, that meets their approval. Because Christ said, on curing the paralytic, thy sins are forgiven thee,' they accused him of blasphemy. Christ, however, vindicates the expression, and lays claim to divinity; he tells them plainly, that He, the Son of man, has power to forgive sins, and that he no more blasphemes in using this expression, than in saying to the lame man, Arise and walk.' After our Lord's conversion of an earthly-minded publican, Christ repaired to his house, where he was brought into immediate contact with those who, by of Christ reached our heart? If we are really changed, effectually called, we will, we cannot but follow Christ. In every case where conversion is genuine, the world, and satan, and self, all combine in holding away from Christ; but in despite of all, in defiance of all, the liberated captive flies to Christ, lays hold of him, and will not let him go. How graciously does Christ accommodate his requirements to the special circumstances and attainments of his children. Christ taught his disciples as they were able to bear, and he summoned to duties E |