our own reasonings and conclusions: we | offering he had not respect." Secondly, the know the deceitfulness of our own hearts, secrets with which he had favoured themand are afraid lest while they encourage" Neither would he have shown us all these they should ensnare. We can depend with things, nor would as at this time have told more confidence upon the declarations of our us such things as these." This regards the fellow-Christians. Only let them relate their birth of their son, his education, his deliverown experience, recall to our minds some for-ance of their country-If the accomplishgotten truth, apply some promise, or give a ment of this be certain, our destruction is new turn to a particular circumstance-and impossible. we are relieved and delivered.

Let us leave Manoah and his wife, and think of ourselves. It is a dreadful thing for God to kill us. What is the loss of property, of health, or even of life, to the loss of the soul! Men can "kill the body," but there

And happy is the man who has such a friend and helper in "the desire of his eyes." In various instances, the importance of the female character to the welfare of man appears. She will aid Manoah in bringing up" is no more that they can do; but God is able to destroy both body and soul in hell." "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Hence it becomes unspeakably important to know how he means to deal with us. And, blessed be his name, there are satisfactory evidences that he is not our enemy, but our friend, and concerned for our welfare. Some of these are more general; others are more peculiar.

their children: and the earlier parts of education devolve almost exclusively upon her. She will assist him in the management of his estate: "the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of his life. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." "No man ever prospered in the world without the consent and cooperation of his wife." She will also help He has not left himself without witness him in the preservation of his character, of" in that he has done us good, and given us his health, of his peace of mind. Her sooth-rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling ing voice can charm away "the evil spirit;" our hearts with food and gladness." her soft hand can smooth the wrinkles of an anxious brow, and wipe off the mildew of an unwholesome evening. But she is found, in the noblest sense, "a help-meet for him," in aiding his piety; in adding flame to his devotion; in furnishing motive to his zeal, By prayer, by example, by conversation, she can encourage his resolutions, disperse his doubts, and "help his unbelief." Such was the hap-grand sacrifice which Jesus made upon the piness of Manoah: he had one who was an cross for us?-But we know he provided it; "heir with him of the grace of life." "But we know he accepted it; we know that it was his wife said unto him, If the Lord were an "offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetpleased to kill us, he would not have re-smelling savour." ceived a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these."

He has borne with our provocations; and though he could easily and righteously have destroyed us, we are still in the land of the living, and we ought to "account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation. The goodness of God leadeth to repentance."

Had he desired the death of the sinner, would he have provided and accepted the

Whence, IV. We take occasion to observe, that there is always enough in the Lord's dealings with his people to encourage them, if they have wisdom enough to discern it. How well did this woman reason! How naturally, yet how forcibly! "Nay-let us not turn that against us, which is really for us. We shall not die, unless God be pleased to kill us; and surely the tokens of his favour are not the pledges of his wrath."

Her conclusion is drawn from two things. First, the acceptance of their sacrifice: "If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands." It is not his manner to accept the offering, and reject the person: "And the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering; but unto Cain and his

If he were pleased to kill us, would he have given us such exceeding great and precious promises-promises so rich, so general, so free? Would he have said, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out."

Resolved on your destruction, would he have favoured you with such affecting discoveries? Like the man in the Gospel, though unable to tell every circumstance attending the operation, cannot you say, "One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see?" Has he not "called you out of darkness into his marvellous light?" Are you not filled with wonder-does not every thing appear new? Have you not seen an evil in sin which has rendered it odious and burdensome

-a depravity in yourselves, which has led | alter; they meet with unexpected difficulties; you ever since to exclaim, Behold, I am vile their purposes are frequently broken off-but and such a glory in the Saviour as makes it is otherwise here. The foundation of God you willing to follow him whithersoever he standeth sure, and the "top stone shall be goeth? "Flesh and blood have not revealed brought forth with shoutings-grace, grace, this unto thee, but our Father who is in hea- unto it!" It shall never be said of the God ven." of our salvation-"He began to build, but was not able to finish." "We are confident," says the Apostle, "of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

May you likewise be humbly confident of the same truth. May you be enabled to say, with David, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the work of thine own hands."

Had his aim been your ruin, would he have produced in you such sentiments and dispositions-So that the heart of stone is removed: you mourn for sin, and for the sins of others, as well as your own. You "hunger and thirst after righteousness;" and as much long to be sanctified as to be pardoned; and pray as much to obtain purity as peace. You love the sceptre, as well as glory in the Cross; and your dependence upon the Saviour's death is accompanied by endeavours to imitate his example; and you can never be perfectly reconciled to yourselves, till "the same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." If he smiles, you are satisfied to bear the frowns of the world; and can say, as you advance in duty and reproach, "If this be to be vile, I will yet be more vile."

And under your greatest discouragements, under every temptation to go back, have you not been enabled to persevere in the use of means? Though you have been strangers to comfort and freedom in duty, you have not restrained prayer before him; but, through many a benighted season, you have waited for him "more than they that watch for the morning." On the very verge of despair, something has afresh excited hope: "then I said, I am cast out of thy sight: yet, will I look again toward thy holy temple." You have had a degree of confidence-not only that you shall not seek him in vain-but that you have not sought him in vain: "I said, in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication, when I cried unto thee." And thus, while powerfully drawing you, he has been secretly sustaining you; as in the case of David, who said "My soul followeth hard after thee-thy right hand upholdeth me."

Now all this is really his work. By the grace of God, you are what you are: it is "he that has made you thus to differ" from others, and from yourselves. And if "the Lord has a mind to kill you," why should he have done all this? The conclusion is as obvious as it is encouraging. He could have destroyed you without these exertions in your favour. Surely, he does not excite expectations, to disappoint us; or desires, to torment us. Surely he does not produce a new taste, a new appetite, without meaning to indulge, to relieve it. Besides as he does nothing in vain, so he does nothing imperfect. What he begins, he is able to finish; and when he begins, he designs to finish. With regard to other agents, we cannot certainly infer the completion from the beginning: their views

And "when you are converted" from your doubts, and fears, and dejections, "strengthen your brethren. Comfort the feebleminded. Support the weak. Be patient towards all men. Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make strait paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."

DISCOURSE XVIII.

THE PROFANE EXCHANGE.

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."-Heb. xii. 16, 17.

THE history of the wicked, as well as of the righteous, is useful. By their crimes we are cautioned; and we are warned by their miseries. And as the Israelites fled from the tents of Korah, when "the ground clave asunder and swallowed them up," saying, "lest the earth swallow us up also"-so should we abandon the course of the ungodly world, lest we share in their tremendous ruin.

Anxious for our welfare, the Scripture addresses our fear as well as our hope, and holds forth instances of divine vengeance, as well as proofs of divine mercy. Hence the command of our Lord: "Remember Lot's wife." And hence the admonition of the Apostle: "Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

And what is all this to us? "Much every way." I compare your privileges with his

privileges your sin with his sin—and your | he sold his birthright." It is obvious that doom with his doom.

the loss was voluntary and base. First, it was voluntary. No one forced it from himhe sold it. He was indeed tempted to part with it by the sensation of hunger, and the sight of pottage when he was faint: an ob ject was before him which promised the im

hovah revealed himself; and there he was adored and served, while idolatry prevailed over all the other nations of the globe. And such was once the condition of this unhappy character. Accordingly he possessed the birthright, and stood in a fair way to obtain all the advantages flowing from it. And these were great and numerous.

To the birthright belonged pre-eminence over the other branches of the family. To the birthright appertained a double portion of the paternal inheritance. To the birthright was attached the land of Canaan, with all its sacred distinctions. To the birthright was given the promise of being the ancestor of the Messiah-the "first-born among many brethren"-the Saviour "in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed." And to the birthright was added the honour of receiving first, from the mouth of the father, a peculiar benediction, which, proceeding from the Spirit of prophecy, was never pronounced in vain.-Such were the prospects of Esau.

I. Let us view Esau in his original stateand COMPARE YOUR PRIVILEGES WITH HIS PRIVILEGES. To stand supreme in the house of the patriarch Isaac was no trifling prerogative his house was "the house of God, and the gate of heaven." In this family, Je-mediate gratification of his sensual appetite. But he could very soon have obtained food upon far easier terms. And surely the birthright could not have a rival in a mess of meat! Where was reason? Does the man yield to the brutes-No: he was not compelled to sacrifice his claims. And who compels you to abandon your hopes of heaven? Who forces you into perdition? You say that you live in a world full of enticing objects; that the dominion of sense is strong; that it is not very easy to resist the impulse of the moment. But is it impossible to resist! Have not many overcome, though placed in the same circumstances, and possessed of the same nature with you? What is goodness untried? Have you not reason as well as appetite? Is not grace attainable by you? Is it not sufficient for you? And remember that you can never have so strong a motive to commit sin as to avoid it. The greatest difficulties therefore which you have to overcome, are those which are placed to keep you from hell. What is the applause of a fellowcreature to the frown of the Almighty? What is a momentary pleasure to endless pain? And you know you act freely: you know that all the men in the world cannot force you to will: you know that the tempter can do nothing more than propose-the determination rests with you. You cannot justify yourselves even now to your own consciences, and hereafter, unable to allege one excuse, you will be speechless! Here is the true cause of your ruin-"ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." 66 Ye have loved idols, and after them ye will go."

And what are yours? It is true, you were not born in the house of Isaac; but you have been brought forth in a Christian country, in a "land the Lord careth for," where the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth." You have the Bible; you have Sabbaths; you have sanctuaries; you have ordinances; you have ministers; you have the throne of grace; you have the promise of the Holy Ghost and all things appertaining to your everlasting happiness are now ready. You possess much; but all your present advantages are not to be compared with those glorious hopes to which you are called by the Gospel. You have the prospect of becoming a "kind of firstfruits of his creatures," of joining "the general assembly and the Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven"-a primogeniture whose privileges far surpass those of the son of Isaac: a birthright which comprehends a "better country" than Canaan, even heaven, where we shall reign "kings and priests unto God," where "the Lord commandeth the blessing, even life for evermore!" But this pearl is not for the swine, who, ignorant of its value, tramples it under foot; but for those who, conscious of its incomparable worth, prefer it to every thing else, and, like the wise merchant, are willing to sell all to buy it. These high advantages may be sacrificed.

Secondly, it was equally base. For what is the price of the birthright? An empire? A crown?-A crown sparkles in the eye of ambition: a throne is the highest pinnacle of human pride:-Nothing like it—but a despicable trifle, "one morsel of meat"-" a mess of pottage❞—the dearest dish, says Bishop Hall, that was ever purchased, except the forbidden fruit. But I feel ready to dis pute this. Are not you more than like him? Do not you surpass him in folly? For what do you sell the treasures of the soul and eternity-but a thing of nought, a feeting indulgence, a false point of honour, an imaginary interest? Here is your eternal infamy and disgrace! "Ye have sold yourselves," says the prophet, "for nought." For what proportion is there between the things which you thus exchange? Duly consider the "un

II. Let us therefore view Esau in the surrender of his privileges, and COMPARE YOUR searchable riches of Christ ;" think what it SIN WITH HIS SIN.—“ For one morsel of meat | is to be "blessed with all spiritual blessings