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voice, and do all that I speak, then will I be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

IT is but too common for men to cast the blame of their own negligence on God

But they who labour so much to exculpate themselves now, will one day be silent

And God will finally be justified in every sentence that he shall pass

His kindness to the church of old may shew us what his conduct is towards us

And they who are thus guided, warned, and encouraged, must, if they perish, ascribe their condemnation to themselves alone

The words before us contain

I. The work and office of Christ

Christ is here called an angel or messenger

[He is often called by this name in the holy scriptures— Nor does he disdain to assume it himself—

In his essential nature indeed he is equal with the FatherBut in his mediatorial capacity he sustains the office of a servant-]

As the angel of the covenant, he leads and keeps his people

[He is represented as a leader and commander, like Joshua his type

He went before them in the wilderness in the pillar and the cloud

And still, though invisibly, guides them in their way to heavend-]

Nor does he leave them till he brings them safely to glory

[He did not forsake the Israelites, till he had accomplished all his promisese

Having "prepared the land for them," he preserved them for it

• He is the angel that was in the pillar and the cloud, Exod. xiv. 19. That angel was Jehovah, Exod. xiii. 21. That Jehovah was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 9. See also Mal. iii. 1.

John xii. 49.

Ps. xxv. 9. and xxxii, &.

* Isaiah Iv. 4.

e Josh. xxiii. 14.

Thus has he "prepared mansions for us" also

And will surely bring us to the full possession of them] But as this office of Christ implies a correspondent duty in us, God suggests

II. A caution against neglecting him

We are much in danger of displeasing him

[As our guide, he expects implicit obedience

Nor can we rebel against him without "provoking" his indignation

Hence we need continual circumspection']

The consequence of displeasing him will be very terrible

[Doubtless to penitents he is full of mercy and compas

sion

But to impenitent offenders he will manifest his wrath

Nor will he suffer any to continue in their sins with impunity!-]

His power and dignity are a certain pledge to us that he will avenge the insults that are offered him

[By "the name of God" we understand not his authority only, but his very nature

And this union with the Father is a pledge to us, that he will act as becomes the divine character

Nor will any consideration of mercy ever tempt him again to sacrifice the honour of the Deity to the interest of man-] It is not however by terror only that God would suade us; for he adds

III. An encouragement to obey him

per

Obedience is in some sense the condition of God's

favour

[We know that there is nothing meritorious in man's obedience

Yet is there an inseparable connexion between that and the divine favour

Nor is it a partial obedience only that he requires at our hands

It must be earnest, anwearied, uniform, and unreserved-]

f John xiv. 2.

i Ver. 13.

1 Pet. i. 4, 5.
k Ps. vii. 11-13,

John xiv. 10, 11. and x. 30.

b Isaiah lxiii, 10.
'Ezek. xxiv. 13, 14.

And to those who yield him this obedience he will shew himself an active friend, and an almighty protector [His favour consists not in a mere inactive complacencyIt will manifest itself in a constant and powerful interposition on their behalf"—

He will not fail to secure them the victory over all their enemies-]

ADDRESS

1. Those who disregard the voice of this divine mes

senger

[From what is spoken of his mercy you are ready to think him destitute of justice

And from the depth of his condescension you conclude he will not vindicate his own honour

But where God most fully proclaims his mercy he declares his justice also°—

Make not him then your enemy who came from heaven to save you

Consider what means he has used to guide you to the pro

mised land

what great things he would do for you, if you would obey his voice

what certain and terrible destruction your rejection of his mercy will bring upon you?— And instantly surrender up yourselves to his direction and government-]

2. Those, who though they submit to his government; are doubtful of success

[The Israelites, notwithstanding all the miracles they had seen, were afraid they should not finally attain the object of their desires

Thus amongst ourselves, many tremble lest their expectations should never be realized

But is not God able to beat down your enemies before you?

Or will he forget the promise he has so often renewed? If he be incensed against you, it is not owing to unfaithfulness in him, but to instability in you

Only be vigilant to obey his will, and to follow him fullyAnd you need not doubt but that he will preserve you unto his heavenly kingdom'-]

n2 Chron. xxxii. 8. Isaiah xlix. 25.
r Heb. xii. 25:
9 Jer. ii. 17.

• Exod. xxxiv. 7.

2 Tim. iv. 18.

3. Those who are following him with cheerfulness to the heavenly land

[Blessed be God, there are some of you like-minded with Joshua and Caleb'

And are not you living monuments of the power and grace of God?

Have you not on many occasions proved his readiness to pardon sin?

And do you not daily experience his paternal care and protection?

Go on then with increasing vigilance and an assured hopeKnow that all the power and perfections of God are engaged for you

And that "having guided you by his counsel, he will finally bring you to glory"-]

• Numb. xiv. 24. and xxxii. 12.

CCCXCVIII. CHRISTIANS ARE NOT OF THE

WORLD.

John xvii. 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

SUCH is the enmity of a carnal mind to the will and law of God, that men usually hate us most for those very things which render us most acceptable in the sight of God-The sanctity of Abel was the real ground of the inveterate hatred that rankled in the breast of Cain, and that impelled him to destroy his brother whom he could not imitate-And David in his day complained, that when he put on sackcloth and chastened his soul with fasting, pleasing as that conduct must have been to God, profane scoffers turned it to his reproach-Thus our Lord told his disciples that the world would hate them because they did not conform themselves to its habits: but at the same time, repeating what he had spoken of their holy singularity, he pleads it as an argument with his heavenly Father to interpose more effectually for their preservation from evil, and their sanctification through his truth"-The assertion before us leads us to shew

a Ver. 14-17.

I. In what respects Christ was not of the world

Our Lord fulfilled with the utmost exactness all his social and relative duties, and wrought, till the age of thirty, at his father's trade-But though he filled up his proper station in the world, he was not of the world 1. In his spirit and temper

[A levity of mind, a disregard of God, and an indifference about eternal things, characterize the generality of mankindBut no such disposition was ever seen in our adorable Emmanuel-A holy gravity invariably marked his demeanor: he had a continual sense of the divine presence, a deep impression of the importance of time, and an unremitting zeal to finish the work assigned him-" It was his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him"-]

2. In his desires and pursuits

[The world affect nothing but the things of time and sense: pleasures, riches, and honour are the idols which they worship -But our Lord desired none of these things-Had he wished for pleasure, he had a mind and body framed for the most exquisite delights of which our nature is capable: as his bodily organs were not weakened by any sinful habit, so his intellectual faculties were capable of comprehending all the wonders of creation, and of deriving the sublimest pleasure from the contemplation of them-But he was occupied with thoughts widely different from these: he found no time for the amusing speculations of philosophers-He had come to atone for sin; and, that he might do so, chose rather to be "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief"-Had he desired riches, how easily could he, who commanded a fish to bring him a piece of money to pay his tax, have possessed himself of inexhaustible stores of silver and gold! But he chose rather to be destitute even of a place where to lay his head, and to be a pensioner upon the bounty of some pious women-He did indeed carry a purse, but it was not for the procuring of superfluities for himself, but that he might administer to the necessities of the poor-Had he been ambitious of honour, with what crowds of followers might he have been attended, all of them monuments of his tender compassion and almighty power! But he dismissed them from him, and frequently with the most solemn charges, that they should tell no man what he had done for them: and when the people would have taken him by force to make him a king he rendered himself invisible, and withdrew from them-So little did he covet

b Mark vi. 3.

C Luke viii. 3. and ix. 58.

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