Winter...... DISCOURSE XXXVII. The Cure of blind Bartimeus......Lukexviii-35.43..130 Divine knowledge......... DISCOURSE XXXVIII. God abandons the Incorrigible....Hosea iv. 17......148 DISCOURSE LXIII. DISCOURSE XXXIX. Christians not of the World.......John xvii. 14.....136 Saul of Tarsus praying...........Acts ix. 10, 11....226 DISCOURSE XL. Weak Grace encouraged..... DISCOURSE LXIV. .........................Zech. iv. 10.......141 The Paralytic; or Sickness improved...... DISCOURSE XLI. Martha and Mary............ ..........Luke x. 38-42....144 DISCOURSE XLII. DISCOURSE XLIII. The Ascension of our Saviour....John xx. 17.......151 DISCOURSE XLIV. DISCOURSE XLVII. DISCOURSE L. The Punishment of Adoni-bezek improved.... DISCOURSE XLVIII. ......... Famine....... DISCOURSE LXII PAGE DISCOURSE LIII. The Saviour comforting his Disciples...... DISCOURSE XLV. An Address to Youth................... ...Jer. iii. 4.........158 DISCOURSE LXIX. DISCOURSE XLVI. ..... Conversion........ .John xiv. 2, 3.....189 DISCOURSE LIV. DISCOURSE LV. DISCOURSE LVI. ..Amos viii. 11.....196 DISCOURSE LVIII. DISCOURSE LXXIII. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . . Phil. iii. 20, 21....264 DISCOURSE LXXIV. DISCOURSE LI. The cheerful Pilgrim......................... ...Psalm exix. 54....180 Daniel; or, Constancy in Religion.Dan. vi. 10.......267 .Matt. xviii. 3.....200 DISCOURSE LVII. DISCOURSE LX. The advantage of having godly Parents... ..............Judges i. 6, 7......177 Death conquered........ DISCOURSE LIX. .....207 DISCOURSE LII. Sin ruins a Kingdom.............1 Sam. xii. 24, 25..184 The unspeakable Gift.............Rom. viii. 32...........271 PAGE DISCOURSE LXXI. ......... ... ... ... ... ... ... .2 Kings v. 20-27..257 DISCOURSE LXXII. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .Prov. v. 11, 12....260 DISCOURSE LXXV. .240 DISCOURSE LXXXIV. DISCOURSE LXXXIV. PAGE Blessings unimproved resumed by by their Owner.............. Hosea ii. 8, 9.....311 DISCOURSE LXXXV. The Lord the unerring Conductor DISCOURSE LXXXVII. DISCOURSE LXXXVIII. The Water of Life....... ............John iv. 14.......326 DISCOURSE XC. DISCOURSE XCV. The Fountain of Life............ ..Zech. xiii. 1......353 DISCOURSE XCVIII. David's Fear and Folly...........1 Sam. xxvii. 1...366 DISCOURSE LXXXIX. DISCOURSE XCIX. Peter's curiosity and presumption. John xiii. 36-38..329 The Saviour's Grace in its Freeness DISCOURSE XCI. The Regulation of the Tongue....Psalm cxli. 2......338 B DISCOURSE XCIIL the Babe in Bethlehem........Matt. ii. 1,'2.....345 DISCOURSE XCIV. God thinks upon his People.......Psalm xl. 17......350 Retirement... PAGE and Effects...................1 Tim. i. 4......370 DISCOURSE C. The Death of Death..............2 Tim. 1. 10......374 Heb. vii. 25..... The two Intercessors..................... DISCOURSE XCII. Spiritual Succour derived from ap DISCOURSE CII. pointed Means...............Acts xviii. 27.....341 The grand Inquiry................John xxi. 17......382 {379 AN ADDRESS ΤΟ MASTERS OF FAMILIES. MASTERS OF FAMILIES!-You have often | vicious, they are infected fountains, poisoning heard, and perhaps always admired the reso- the multitudes that drink of the streams, and lution of Joshua. He had gathered all Israel spreading mischief all around. together in Shechem, and thus he addressed them "If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord; choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." THIS DETERMINATION DERIVES A CONSIDERABLE FORCE FROM THE PERSON WHO FORMS IT. It was Joshua. But who was Joshua? A soldier, a hero, a commander-in-chief of the armies of the living God, the governor of Israel, the principal man in the state. He it was who in the presence of an assembled country was not ashamed to say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Observe also THE INDEPENDENCE WITH WHICH THE DETERMINATION IS EXPRESSED. Joshua was by no means indifferent to the welfare of others. He wished all who heard him to choose the God he had chosen, and serve the God he served. But he could not allow himself to be influenced by them. If they will not follow him, he resolves to go alone. "O ye seed of Abraham! if you forsake him, which God forbid, not I. If you will not cleave to him, I must. If there was no individual in the nation, in the world to accompany me, I would say as I now do'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' 66 99 And does religion degrade talents, tarnish dignity, disparage greatness? It ennobles titles, and adds lustre to a crown. Are they only the vulgar, the foolish, the dastardly, who profess to acknowledge God? God has been served by persons of all ranks, and of all distinctions. In every age of the world some of the wise, the mighty, the noble have been called. And no where does religion shine to more advantage than in circumstances of elevation. Nothing is more pleasing than to see a combination of greatness and goodness in the same character. And nothing can be more useful. The higher classes have more opportunities and capacities for doing good than others. They are like a city set upon a hill; they cannot be hid. They are widely visible. Their influence is extensive and powerful. Their example regulates not only man-meanly enslaved by custom, but asserting its ners, but morals: for it would be easy to prove own freedom, and daring to think and act for that morals, equally with fashions, work down- itself. Such a man does not wait for the comwards from superiors to inferiors. If the great pany and countenance of others to embolden distinguish themselves by the profession of him-he can venture by himself: and despise truth, the worship of God, the practice of vir- the shame-when as he advances, abandoned tue, they will be sure to draw others after crowds pursue him with their sneers and re11 them. Whereas if they are infidel, irreligious, proaches. Such was Abdiel. The case which Joshua here supposes is neither an impossible, nor an unusual one. In a thousand instances you will find yourselves alone if you are resolved to obey the dictates of truth, and the calls of duty. If "the whole world lieth in wickedness," and you will be "holy in all manner of conversation and godliness," you must be singular. If you live among fools, and are wise, you must be singular. If you live among the poor, and are rich, you must be singular. And it is presumed that you would have no great objection to be distinguished by wisdom, or wealth. And why should you be so terrified at the charge of singularity, in a cause infinitely more honourable? Nothing is so excellent as goodness, and no goodness is so praiseworthy as that which is singular. This shows a purity of motive, and a dignity of principle. This argues a grandeur of mind, a soul not "Faithful found Among the faithless, faithful only he; On such a man the Saviour fixes his eye, and cries, "Them that honour me, I will honour. He that confesseth me before men, him will I confess before my Father and the holy angels. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." It may be remarked, that THE RESOLUTION IS PERSONAL. Indeed he begins with himself: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." And thus, finally, the determination is RELATIVE and EXTENSIVE: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." as well as for himself? We may consider this two ways, as expressing either his happiness or his duty. 66 Nothing can dispense with an obligation to personal piety. Nothing merely official, or relative; nothing we do for others, while we are destitute of the grace of God in our own souls, can secure us. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many won--he intends to do this-and then to look for derful works?" And indeed those who are the divine blessing to give the increase. regardless of their own souls are not likely Thus Joshua resolves to endeavour in the to be very attentive to the souls of others. wise and zealous use of all proper means to Mere profession and a regard to decency may render the family he governs truly religious. carry you some way; but there is nothing He would instruct, reprove, admonish, encoulike a personal experience of divine things to rage them. He would address every princiinflame zeal. Unless you serve God your-ple of action. He would rouse every passion selves, your efforts will be transient, partial, in their bosoms. He would seize every fairregular. They are also likely to be unsuc-vourable opportunity, improve every striking cessful. A drunken master is a poor preacher occurrence to impress the mind with seriousof sobriety to servants. A proud father is a ness. He would cherish every promising apmiserable recommender of humility to chil- pearance. He would lead them to the house dren. They will do as you do, rather than do of God, and keep them from profaning his as you say. Your example will counteract all holy day. He would pray not only for them, the effect of your counsel; and all the convic- but also with them. He would worship God tions you would fix in the mind will fall like not only in the closet, but in the parlour, and arrows from an impenetrable shield. "Thou with his children and servants in the train. therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?" You should therefore begin "both to do, and to teach." You should be able, in a humble measure at least, to say to those who are under your care, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." Personal religion must precede domestic-therefore Joshua does not say my house shall serve him without me. But domestic religion must accompany personal-and therefore Joshua does not say I will serve him without my house: he includes both— But the question is-How could he say this? Could he be answerable for his family If he could say this from a knowledge of his family; if after observation he was assured of the good and pious dispositions of all those who were under his care-we should envy his happiness. This has sometimes been the case. But the privilege is not common. The words therefore are rather to be considered as an expression of his duty. Not that he supposed it was in the power of his resolution to make the members of his household truly pious. He knew that God alone is the author of conversion; but he knew also that God uses means, and requires us to use them: that it is only in the use of them he has promised his blessing; and therefore that it is only in the use of them we can expect it. Were we to hear a pious husbandman saying, "This year I will have wheat in this field, and in yonder I will have barley," you would not mistake him. He does not mean to intimate that he can produce the grain, but he can manure, and plough, and sow, and weed And this, O ye masters of families! this is that which I wish to enforce upon you all. O that I could find out acceptable words, as well as words of truth! O that I knew by what arguments I could induce you to establish the worship of God in your own houses! To render our reasoning upon this subject easy of apprehension and remembrance, let me call upon you to consider domestic religion in reference to God-in reference to yourselves—and in reference to your families. I. Think of it IN REFERENCE TO GOD. TO him family religion has a threefold relation. The first is a relation of RESPONSIBILITY. For we are required to glorify God in every condition we occupy, and in every capacity we possess. For instance: If a person be poor, he is commanded to serve God as a poor person. But suppose he should become rich. He would then be required to serve him as rich and from the time of his acquiring this wealth, he would be tried by the rule of |
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