VIII.

THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITH THE BELIEVER.

GENESIS XXviii. 15.—“ Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land: for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

Such were the words addressed to Jacob from the top of the "ladder of vision," when fleeing from his father's house, and from the face of his brother Esau,-and such are the words addressed to every believer, while in a strange country, a pilgrim to the heavenly Canaan.

I. THE IMPORT OF THE DECLARATION.

"I am with thee."

The presence of God with Jacob is here declared :-HE is present in his nature and in his providence to all, but he is specially present to the christian.

1. His presence produces abounding consolation.

Whatever the circumstances in which the christian is placed, His presence makes the dark place light, the rough way smooth, the bed of sickness and the hour of trial, seasons of rejoicing. Without his presence the world has no beauty, and prosperity no charms—with his presence, a desert is a paradise, and adversity is welcome. The soul in his absence is like a landscape after the setting of the sun-no objects to be seen, no songsters to be heard; in his presence, it is like the same landscape when the sun is shedding upon it its meridian rays-all is light, melody and beauty.

2. His presence is protection and safety.

Whatever the christian's lot in life, wherever providence guides his steps, in whatever circumstances he may be placed, whatever trials he may encounter, the Lord is his keeper; his protecting arm shielding him from danger-his fatherly care supplying him with temporal and spiritual mercies-his unremitting watchfulness of the efforts of spiritual foes, form the constant portion of the believer. In temptation, in danger, in joy, in sorrow, in society, in solitude, at home, abroad, He will keep thee.

THE EXPECTATION OF THE DYING PATRIARCH.

II. THE PROMISE OF ITS CONTINUANCE.

"I will not leave thee."

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To the child of God belong exceeding great and precious promises; many of these have been already fulfilled, not one of them shall fail. There are promises of pardon, of sanctification, of comfort, and support, of direction and assistance; here is one of abiding presence, sealed with the blood of the covenant, firm as the pillars of heaven.*

III. THE ASSURANCE OF FINAL SUCCESS.

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I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken."

Every other pursuit will end in disappointment: riches make themselves wings-honours pass away like the glistening dew-friendships are ended by the suggestions of malice, caprice of temper, or the power of death-pleasures are transient, the means or the capacity of enjoyment withering away. But God will not leave :-his kindness, his love, his Spirit, his care, his peace, will not leave you. He will bring you to the promised land-however long the journey may appear, whatever enemies you may encounter. The ransomed of the Lord shall return; with unutterable rapture will you find yourselves received into glory.

B.

IX.

THE EXPECTATION OF THE DYING PATRIARCH.

GENESIS xlix. 18.-" I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord."

Death is a serious and important thing, because of that which it removes us from, and of that to which it introduces us. It removes us from the pleasures, companionships, and business of earth, and forces us into an untried, and, so far as experience is concerned, an unknown state. This subject ought never to be one of indifference; it is sometimes however treated with a foolish hardihood by the unbeliever and

* Hebrews vi. 17 and 18.

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infidel. Let us turn our attention to a different scene;-a dying Patriarch in his tent :-look,

I. AT THE OBJECT OF HIS SOLICITUDE.

“Thy salvation."

The patriarchs might not have the same clear notions of salvation which we have, but they had the substance with them. Salvation was the work of a life; they had to dig, and hew, and delve for it as for hid treasure. The types by which they read what it was, were in the case, and they had to set them before they could read. The salvation of the text is a salvation yet to come; it includes,

1. Deliverance from trouble.

The patriarch had had much of this with Laban, and Esau, and his own family.

2. Deliverance from sin.

His troubles had their origin in his sins, he felt that deliverance from these would be salvation indeed.

3. An introduction to heaven.

II. AT THE POSTURE IN WHICH HE EXPECTED IT—“I have waited."

1. It was one of faith.

His whole life illustrated this principle: his dwelling in a tent, his various removals, said, here is not my home. 2. It was one of hope.

Expectation of it was constantly alive in his breast. 3. It was one of patience.

"All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come.'

X.

BT.

PERSONAL AND FAMILY RELIGION.

EXODUS XV. 2.-" He is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him."

In this song Moses commemorates the remarkable deliverance which had been wrought out for himself and Israel, by the overthrow of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. Contemplating this deliverance, and recalling to mind the many

PERSONAL AND FAMILY RELIGION.

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wonderful interpositions of Divine power for their fathers, and more recently in the wonders of Egypt for themselves, Moses, in behalf of all Israel, declares that this God shall be their God, with them he shall have his habitation, and by them he shall be exalted.

I. AN IMPORTANT RESOLUTION.

I will prepare him a habitation, and I will exalt him. This resolution embraces two particulars: what he would do privately; what he would do publicly.

1. What he would do privately.

"I will prepare him a habitation." (1.) In his heart.

It is the duty of every individual to prepare his heart as a habitation for God. The human heart, in a state of nature, is occupied by God's enemies :—there, Satan hath his seat; there, corruption reigns; there, no desire for God, no power to return to God. But God graciously vouchsafes spiritual influence-a measure of the Spirit is given to every man; each has it therefore in his power to prepare in his heart "a habitation for God." To do this, the understanding must be enlightened by his truth-the will subdued by his grace the imagination preserved from impurity-the conscience freed from restraint. There must be an entire abandonment of sin, and entire obedience to his law. The heart must be yielded up to his sway, be purified by the blood of his Son, renewed by his Spirit, and thus made a habitation for Him.

(2.) In his family.

The first concern of the Christian-of him who has prepared a habitation for God in his heart, should be, to erect a habitation for God in his dwelling. He should secure this by offering, in the morning and at night, the sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving-by singing his praises, searching his Word, imploring his blessing, seeking his guidance, and placing himself and affairs entirely in his hands. The loose and the profane must not be harboured in the dwelling where God has his habitation; there must be no intimacies with the ungodly; the table and the social circle must be preserved from the presence of those who are the enemies of the Holy One. In your engagements with the world, in your business, you must of necessity mix with the ungodly, but the connexion must proceed no further, for the friendship of the world is enmity with God.

2. What he would do publicly.

The purest and brightest services of creatures can add nothing to the glory of God, his name is exalted above all praise. But while the essential glory of God cannot be augmented or increased, there is a sense in which he may be exalted. The spreading of his cause, the observance of his commandments, the showing forth his praise, may add to his glory, by extending the knowledge of him. By thinking of him with reverence, by loving him supremely, by contemplating his ways, we exalt him. To exalt him, in the sense of the text, we must,

(1.) Aim to advance his kingdom in the world.

We should lay out ourselves for usefulness in the social circle, in our immediate neighbourhood, in our business connexions, in the town in which we live, in the villages surrounding. By personal effort, faithful reproof, persevering prayer, we should aim at the advancement of his kingdom.

(2.) We should exalt him by an open acknowledgement of his cause, and by ascribing to him the glory of our salvation.

On all appropriate occasions and in all proper places we should speak of his goodness and mercy, we should neither be afraid nor ashamed of telling others that we are the saved of the Lord.

(3.) By consistent conduct and uniform obedience.

We are called to be a holy people, and we exalt God most when we are most like him.

II. THE MOTIVES ON WHICH IT WAS FORMED. The resolution to which Moses came originated, 1. In personal experience of the Divine mercy. "He is my God.'

This is the language of one who has been the subject of redeeming mercy; it is the breathing of the adopted child. My God!-not merely my Maker-though in that character he has claims upon me; not merely my Preserver-though here also I have occasion for grateful emotion-but my Redeemer-my reconciled Father-my God in Christ.

2. Grateful remembrance of his past dealings.

My father's God."

The God to whom he was devoted; his house was the place of thy habitation-there, thy praises were sung-there, thy name revered. 'My father's God," to whom his life