failed he did not use his parental authority-he did not restrain them. Remember Eli. It is not enough to pray for your children, and to pray with them, and to warn them; but you must restrain them. Restrain them with the cords of love. From wicked books-from wicked companions-from wicked amusements-from untimely hours, restrain them.

3. Command servants as well as children. So did Abraham. Remember you are in the place of a father to your servants. They are come under your roof; and they have a claim on your instructions. If they minister to you in carnal things, it is but fair that you minister to them in spiritual things. You have drawn them away from under the parental roof, and it is your part to see that they do not lose by it. Oh! what a mass of sin would be prevented, if masters would care for their servants' souls.

4. Deal with each as to the conversion of his soul. I have known many dear Christian parents who have been singularly neglectful in this particular. They worship God in the family, and pray earnestly in secret for their children and servants, and yet never deal with them as to their conversion. Satan spreads a kind of false modesty among parents, that they will not inquire of their little ones, Have you found the Lord, or no? Ah! how sinful and foolish this will appear in eternity. If you should see some of your children or servants in hell-all because you did not speak to them in private-how would you look? Begin to-night. Take them aside and ask, What has God done for your soul?

5. Lead a holy life before them. If all your religion is on your tongue, your children and servants will soon find out your hypocrisy.

IV. The blessing.

1. You will avoid the curse. You will avoid Eli's curse. Eli was a child of God, and yet he suffered much on account of his unfaithfulness. He lost his two sons in one day. If you would avoid Eli's curse, avoid Eli's sin. "Pour out thy fury on the families that have not called on thy name❞—Jer. x. 25. If you do not worship God in your house, a curse is written over your door. If I could mark the dwellings in this town where there is no family prayer-these are the spots where the curse of God is ready to fall. These houses are over hell.

2. Your children will be saved. So it was with Abra

ham. His dear son Isaac was saved. What became of Ishmael I do not know. Only I remember his fervent cry: "O that Ishmael might live before thee!" Such is the promise : "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Such is the promise in baptism. Ah! who can tell the blessedness of being the saved father of a saved family? Dear believers, be wise. Surely if anything could mar the joy of heaven, it would be to see your children lost through your neglect. Dear unconverted souls, if one pang can be more bitter than another in hell, it will be to hear your children say: "Father, mother, you brought me here."

SERMON XVIII.

AND IN THIS MOUNTAIN.

"And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it."-Isa. xxv. 6–8.

THESE words are yet to be fulfilled at the second coming of the Saviour. It is true that the Lord of hosts has long ago prepared this feast, and sent out his servants, saying: Come, for all things are ready." But it is just as true, that the veil that is spread over all nations is not yet taken away; and Paul tells us plainly, in 1 Cor. xv. 54, that it is in the resurrection morning that these words shall be quite fulfilled: "He hath swallowed up death in victory."

Still these words have been in some measure fulfilled wherever there has been a peculiar outpouring of the Spirit upon any place. Often at sacrament seasons in our own land, these words have been fulfilled. God has made Christ a feast of fat things to hungry souls. The veil of

unbelief has been torn from many hearts, and the tears wiped away from many eyes. It is my humble but earnest desire that next Sabbath-day may be such a day in this place.* I want to engage all of you who are the children of God to secret and united prayer that it may be so; and I have, therefore, chosen these words by which to stir you up to pray.

I. Consider the Feast. II. The tearing away of the veil. III. The effects of it.

I. The Feast.

1. Where is it? Ans. "In this mountain." (1.) Moriah? Ah! it was here that Abraham offered up Isaac.

It was It was

here that the passover lamb used to be slain. here that Jesus stood and cried, "If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. " (2.) Mount Olivet? It was here that Jesus said, "I am the true vine." It was here that Jesus had the cup of wrath set down before him, in that night in which he was betrayed. (3.) Mount Calvary ? It was here that they crucified Jesus; and two thieves one on each hand. It was here that the passers-by wagged their heads, the chief priests mocked, and the thieves cast the same in his teeth. It was here that there was three hours' darkness. It was here they pierced his hands and feet. It was here that God forsook his own Son. It was here that infinite wrath was laid upon an infinite Saviour: "In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things."

To anxious souls. The world tries to cheer you; they bid you go into company, see more of the world, enjoy pleasure, and drive away these dull thoughts. They spread a feast for you in some lighted hall, with brilliant lamps; and the pipe and the tabor, and wine are in their feasts. Oh! anxious soul, flee these things: remember Lot's wife. If you are anxious about your soul, flee from the feasts of the world. Stop your ears, and run. Look here how God tries to cheer you-he, too, prepares a feast; but where? On Calvary. There is no light; it is all darkness round the cross; no music, but the groan of a dying Saviour: "Eli! Eli!-my God! my God!" Oh! anxious soul, it is there you will find peace and rest. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The darkest

*The Communion Sabbath.

hour that ever was in this world gives light to the weary soul. The sight of the cross brings within sight of the crown. That dying sigh which made the rocks to rend, alone can rend the veil, and give you peace. The Place of a Skull is the place of joy.

2. What is it?-A feast of fat things, of wines on the lees.

(1.) A feast. It is not a meal, but a feast. At a meal, it is well if there be enough for all who sit round the table; but at a feast, there should be more than enough-there is a liberal abundance. The Gospel is compared to a feast: "Come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine that I have mingled."-Prov. ix. Again, in the Song of Songs: "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love." Again, in Matt. xxii.: "Tell them which are bidden, Behold I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage."

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So it is in Jesus: there is bread enough and to spare. He came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly. There is a feast in a crucified Jesus. His dying in the stead of sinners is enough, and more than enough, to answer for our sins. It is not only equal to my dying, but it is far more glorifying to God and his holy law than if I had suffered a hundred deaths. "Comfort ye, comfort ye; ye have received at the Lord's hand double for all your sins." His obeying in the stead of sinners is enough, and more than enough, to cover our nakedness. It is not only equal to my obeying, but it is far more glorifying to God than if I had never sinned. His garment not only clothes the naked soul, but clothes from head to foot; so that no shame appears-only Christ appears, the soul is hid. His Spirit is not only enough, but more than enough, to make us holy. There is a well in Christ which we never can exhaust—still rivers of grace which we never can drink dry. Christians, learn to feed more on Christ: "Eat, O friends! drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved!" When you are asked to a feast, there is no greater affront you can put upon the entertainer than by being content with a crumb below the table. Yet this is the way the Christians of our day affront the Lord of glory. Oh how few seem to feed much on Christ! how few seem to put on his white flowing raiment! how few seem to drink deep into his Spirit! Most

are content with now and then a glimpse of pardon—a crumb from the table, and a drop of his Spirit. Awake, dear friends!"These things have I spoken unto you that your joy may be full.”

(2.) A feast of fat things, of wines on the lees,

The fat things full of marrow are intended to represent the richest and most nourishing delicacies; and the wines on the lees well refined, to represent the oldest and richest wines; so that, not only is there abundance in this feast, but abundance of the best. Ah! so it is in Christ. First, There is forgiveness of all past sins. Ah! this is the richest of all delicacies to a heavy laden soul. As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. A good conscience is a perpetual feast. Oh! weary sinner, taste and see. "I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." These are the apples that a weary soul cries out for: "Comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love." Second, There are the smiles of the Father. The Father himself loveth you. Oh, to pass from the frown of an angry God into the smile of a loving Father! this is a feast to the soul-this is to pass death unto life. Third, The droppings of the Spirit into the soul-ah! it is this which comforts the soul. This is the oil of gladness that makes the face to shine. This makes the cup run over. This is the full well rising within the soul, at once comforting and purifying. Dear friends, be not filled with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. These are the flagons that stay the soul. May you be in the Spirit on the Lord's'-day!

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3. For whom is it? Unto all people. "The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." Ah! there is not a creature under heaven for whom the feast is not prepared. There is not a creature from whom we can keep back the message: "All things are ready; come to the

marriage."

Dear anxious souls, why do you keep away from Christ? you say Christ is far from you; alas! he has been at your door all day. Christ is as free to you as to any that ever came to him. Come hungry-come empty-come sinful— come as you are to feed on glorious Jesus. He is a feast to the hungry soul.

Dear dead souls, that never felt one throb of anxiety—