upon this subject, if you look to Deuteronomy you will find a direction to them, not to make use of horses in their battles, because to procure to themselves these horses, they must necessarily have recourse to Egypt, the neighbouring heathen nation, from which GOD would wean them. Now here they are declaring, that in consequence of God's mercy to them, they would no longer commit their former besetting sin, which was trusting to an arm of flesh instead of the arm of God for defence; and then they added, that they would abandon their other besetting evil, which was idolatry-" neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods." Now, my brethren, see how plainly this bears upon ourselves. We have our besetting evils, and they are, as to their general character, of the same nature as those of the Israelites of old. We trust to any thing rather than to God in our various emergencies and distresses. We use all the means that are placed within our power to relieve us in our distresses, but we use them without reference to GOD. Even in our worst distresses, although, perhaps, we may for a moment offer up an ejaculation to the Divine Being to help us, we think not of going and pouring out our sorrows before him, and trusting in his power, and word, and compassion, to extricate us from our distresses. One of our besetting evils, therefore, is, looking to man rather than to GOD; and the other is idolatry, just similar in nature to the sin which the Israelites committed of old. We do not, indeed, take the work of our own hands; we do not take an idol which we have hewed out of a stone, or carved out of a tree, and place it in a temple and bow down before it, the light of Christianity has dispelled all this superstition and darkness, at least for the most part; but do we not set up our idols in our hearts-do we not enshrine them in our breasts-do we not give that place to other objects in our affections which should be God's alone? Which of us is there that has not an idol in his breast-some object of this world, of avarice, pleasure, amusement, or worldliness of one kind or another? And those thoughts, and that disposition, and that time, which should be devoted to GOD, and to things that are approved of by him, we squander upon those idols that profit not. Now it is when we are brought to this salutary state of repentance, brought back to GoD as transgressors, brought to cast ourselves unreservedly on his compassion and mercy, it is, then, we are delivered from those besetting evils, and it is then that this idolatry appears base and hateful in our estimation, and it is then that, in the strength of the Lord, we determine to abandon it. Here, then, my brethren, is both, as to the prayer that is to be offered up, and as to the promise or vow that the Christian is to make to the Lord, a model for us, according to which to construct our prayers, and according to which to make our promises or vows to God. Now let us look back and see what we have done. Often, perhaps, have we heard these lessons of religion before: and often have we determined to follow them. Their goodness and truth, their justness and propriety, have often presented themselves to our minds; but, now, in the review we see that we have departed oftentimes from the course on which we should have proceeded, and that we have new occasion to come to God, and say, Turn us, pardon our iniquity. Now attend to the encou ragement-the blessed language of 431 and has lost that parent, and is utterly destitute? But God says, I will take him up, I will be a father to that utterly destitute person, in order to show us the compassion to which we may have recourse, and the mercy in which we may trust. He is that GOD that has mercy on the fatherless, and protects and keeps him. He has mercy on us, destitute and worthless as we may be; he says, "I will heal their backsliding, and love them freely." Here, then, is the encouragement that the religion of our Saviour holds out to us to turn to our GOD. Let us turn to him and live; let us cast ourselves on his grace and mercy to guide and support and bless us. When we fall he will raise us up; and he will preserve us by his power and grace safe unto the end. Amen. 432 SERVICE TO GOD. word, he should be recognised. I know indeed, that objections are often raised against deriving the knowledge of GOD and of his laws from the source whose claims we urge: I know indeed, that men often profess to study only from the light of nature, and to accept of moral systems only as they appear to be formed without the assistance of Scripture: I know indeed, that there is often a direct denial of many of the statements proclaimed in the book of GoD, and the application, to that book, of epithets prompted by the spirit of rancorous infidelity. There is much in these habits of mind, calculated to seduce the young; and many have been carly attracted by the false glare of iniquitous sophistry, to the embrace of opinions, which alike murder the usefulness of time, and the happiness of eternity. In terms the most unqualified, and with feelings the most abhorrent, do we denounce those opinions: we guard you, while at the outset of life, against lending a mo In order to the service of GOD, there, that thus, from the authority of his must be correct and believing views of the Divine character and claims, as they are revealed and asserted in the record of his word. True devotion to the Most High can never otherwise exist. It must be evident, that to ascertain who it is we are to serve, is a matter requiring first attention; and that to be adequate in our service, while here there is vacancy or mistake, is just as impossible as to form conclusions without premises, or to erect a structure without a foundation. You must therefore understand and embrace the statement contained in the revelation which has descended to you with its mighty authority; and hence you must deduce all your sentiments as to GOD, in his attributes, in his requisitions, and in the sanctions by which those attributes are vindicated, and those requisitions are enforced. You must receive him as there he appears-the God of creation, who formed the universe by the word of his power, and is the parent of all that live, and move, and have being; -the GOD of providence, whose ten-ment's hearing to the insinuations of der mercies are over all his works, the tempter; we enforce on you the who manages all the affairs of men grand principle-"To the law and to and empires, and exercises a wide the testimony; if they speak not acand watchful superintendence over cording to this word, it is because his vast dominions, so that from his there is no light in them;" we insist Spirit none can flee ;-the God of re- upon the absolute necessity, to all demption, who sent forth his Son to that is morally right and good, of setreconcile and pardon our rebellious tling and grounding yourselves in the race, to make, by the shedding of his belief of revealed truth; and we warn blood, an all-sufficient atonement, and you, on the ground of irrefragable to open, by faith in him, the glowing evidence, that if you comply not with and glorious prospects of glory, and the principle affirmed, you must rehonour, and immortality. It is de- main fearfully exposed to the evils manded, as essential to the service of which will be consummated in everJehovah-the necessary basis of all-lasting doom.-James Parsons. |