cause to God. Any person may be accused unjustly, and it is not always that he has the means of clearing himself; hard suspicions therefore may for a long time rest upon him, and may even descend with him to his grave. During all the continuance of such a trial, he who is conscious of his integrity may possess his soul in patience. He may assure himself that either here or hereafter there will be the fulfilment of such a promise as this; "Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him; and he shall bring it to pass. He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light, and thy just dealing as the noon-day." Indeed it is a part, and no small one, of that persecution for righteousness sake which the servants of God have to endure, to have things laid to their charge which they know not, to have their good conversation in Christ falsely accused. There are those who will say all manner of evil against them falsely. But let those who thus suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls, yea and of their characters too, to him in well-doing, as unto

a faithful Creator. He will eventually "plead their cause, and execute judgment for them," and "every tongue that shall rise against them in judgment they shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord."

Lastly, let it be ever stated, and ever remembered, that all have now an atonement to which they may have recourse while their death and their final judgment are yet delayed. There is one to stand between a sinner and the judgment of God: "if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins." Through the sacrifice of his death, and the merit of his righteousness, the most guilty may be pardoned. To him then let all repair, who are accused by their own consciences, and dare not that God should enter into judgment with them. Let them most humbly and penitently confess their sins unto the Lord, and they shall find mercy. The bitter water shall not be given them to drink, but on the contrary the water of life. And

when they have received this mercy, let them hear the voice of the Saviour himself, as he spake unto one accused of adultery before him; "Go, and sin no more." Yea, let every pardoned sinner put away all his transgressions, renounce all the hidden things of dishonesty, nor allow himself in the indul. gence of even one sin, whether open or

secret.

Let it be remembered also that while the most guilty may have pardon, the most innocent needs it. In the strict sense of the word there are none innocent. They may be innocent of this or that particular offence, but there are none without sin: "all have sinned." Therefore, all need pardon: all need a Saviour. All must go and seek mercy at his hands. All must believe on him that

they may be justified. All must repent of their sins; all must forsake them. Otherwise none can escape destruction. All must

perish.

SERMON XVII.

DIRECTIONS RESPECTING VOWS.

NUMBERS VI. 2, 3.

When either man or woman shall separate themselves to von the vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: he shall separate himself from wine, and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, nor dried.

AMONG other religious acts of the Jews we find that vows were often made, and laws are laid down for their due regulation and discharge. These vows consisted of some solemn engagement voluntarily taken upon themselves by those who made them, or of the consecration of some person or thing to some particular use or service for the honour

of God. The Nazarite's vow, which is described in the chapter before us, was one of the most remarkable of these; but before I enter upon it, I shall make a few observations to you on vows in general, as they are spoken of, and directions given concerning them, in the sacred scriptures.

I. In the first place we find that there was no obligation laid upon the Israelites to make any vow. This is expressly stated in the twenty-third chapter of Deuteronomy, and the twenty-second verse, "If thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin unto thee." In the next place it appears that nothing was to be considered binding as a vow, but what had been solemnly uttered by the voice. A mere thought, desire, intention, or purpose conceived in the heart, was not obligatory except it had gone out of the lips, as we read in the verse following the one just quoted; and hence the Psalmist says, "I will pay thee my vows which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble." But, in the third place, whenever the vow had been thus made, it must be