of explanation and reasoning than to the others, (except, for the same reason, the Fourth.)

1. God claims his right and title to have all worship to Himself:-I, the Lord thy God." Isaiah xl. 26-28; xliv. 6, 8.

2. He declares himself to be a jealous God—that is, that he is very ready to resist dishonour done to himself. Exodus xxxiv. 14. Isaiah xlii. 8; xlviii. 11.

This meaning of the word jealous is very different from the meaning commonly given to the same word, when used to express a feeling of suspicion concerning the affections of one person for another. This human jealousy is a selfish anger, at any one being thought better of than ourselves; and is one of the worst fruits of the evil root of self-love-hardening the heart against real and kindly affection; for which reason it is called in Scripture," cruel as the grave." (Cant. viii. 6.) God is perfect; and it is not only His right that every one should love and honour Him above all things, but it is the highest happiness and greatest advantage of man to treat Him thus. The word jealous brings our thoughts to the comparison by which He himself condescends to call that a marriage Covenant by which He agreed that His people should be a " peculiar treasure to him above all people.' (Exod. xiv. 5. Isa. liv. 5. Jer. iii. 14; xxxi. 32.) Accordingly to worship a false god is stamped in Scripture with shame, by comparing that crime to the crime of a woman, who leaves her husband to live with another man. is called spiritual adultery. (Ezek. xxiii. Jer. iii. 8, 9.)

It

3. This sin of giving God's honour to another, he says in this commanment will provoke him to great severity of justice.

He will not only take account of it in the idolater himself; but will also visit it (that is, search for the sin, trace out its consequences, and punish it), as it is carried on from father to son.

This great sin has a great tendency to go on from father to son. The sense of religion, whether towards the true God, or to a false god, must take the highest place in the mind, because it concerns the most important things.

A parent's love for a child is the strongest feeling of the heart, and must lead a parent to instruct a child in those things which are considered essentially necessary to his welfare-whatever else a parent neglects to teach his child, he will teach him his worship.

If the worship is a false worship, it has been shewn to be (unlike the true worship) naturally pleasant to the heart, easily taught, and readily learnt; and therefore a false worship has always become stronger, and more superstitious as it descended from generation to generation.

Yet, in spite of this natural tendency, and this severe punishment, God expressly says, that if any son forsakes the sin of his father, he will not suffer for the sin of his father. (Eze. xviii.)

4. Persons who worship falsely, are said to hate God. The same is always said in Scripture, because there is no possibility of taking a middle way between God and anything else. If we donot love Him above all things, He justly requires so much of us which we do not like, and is necessarily so strict about it, that as soon as we know Him, our feelings are actively against Him; that is, we hate Him. (Rom. viii. 7. Matt. vi. 24. John vii. 7.) 5. Yet in all this severity of justice, God shews His mercy by the manner in which he expresses himself while stating his justice. "Three or four" is an expression, which means a few; "thouands" is an expression which means many. A parent's heart is urged to obey this commandment by being told, that if he brings up his children to love God, and keep his commandments, a blessing shall come upon many generations of his children; while this threatening against those who bring up their children in false worship, and enmity against God, is only said to extend to a few generations.

II. The teaching of the Gospel adds much to the right understanding and application of this Commandment.

1. In this commandment there is a direct reference to that love of God, which our Saviour declared was the combined meaning of the four first commandments. (Mark xii. 28-30.) That word of Christ explains this love as being with all the heart, mind, and soul; which here we learn must be expressed by right worship. Christ said that to be right this worship must be spiritual. (John iv. 24.)

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2. The warning to the Colossians to beware of those who would teach us to humble ourselves according to our own wills (called voluntary humility" and "will worship;") or would lead us to the worship of angels, shews this commandment is broken by worshipping according to a false notion of God, which suits our own wills, or by superstitious worship. (Col. ii. 18—23. 1 Tim. iv. 8.)

3. This commandment is said to be broken by covetous perthat is, persons whose heart is earnestly set upon any worldly thing. (Eph. v. 5. Col. iii. 5.)

sons;

Persons who "mind earthly things," because they give themselves up to the gratifications of the pleasures of the body, are said to make a god of their belly.

4. The reference made before to the comparison, in consequence of God's calling himself a jealous God is applied by St.

James to those who make friendship with the world, who are called adulterers, and adulteresses, in the same way that idolaters are in the Old Testament; and they are also said to hate God, or to be at enmity with Him. (James iv. 4. 1 John ii. 15. Matt. xii. 39. Mark viii. 38.) And St. John after shewing the state of the world, states what is the Christian's understanding of the true God, and charges them to keep themselves from idols. (1 John v. 19-21.)

5. A superstitious use of the Lord's Supper is breaking this commandment. (1 Cor. x. 14-22.)

III. There are only two excuses which are attempted to be made by christian professors for the breaking of this command

ment.

1. The first excuse is not for themselves but for the heathen; whose idolatry is supposed to be excusable, because of their ignorance and the power of this excuse applies to hinder Missionary exertions to teach them the Gospel.

The very

threat of this commandment sets aside this excuse for the heathen, as it says that God will visit for the sin of idolatry, and find out for punishment, even in the generations that are brought up in it from their infancy; so that their education in error shall be no excuse. Paul's heart was stirred at Athens to find the people in idolatry; and he told them that whatever might have been before the Gospel, God now commands all men, every where to repent and turn from idolatry. (Acts xvi. 16, 22-30.) The argument in Rom. i. 21-23, 28 plainly shews that God punishes the heathen for their idolatry. And it is said that all idolaters are cast out of the kingdom of God, and must perish. (1 Cor. vi. 9. Eph. v. 5. Rev. xxi. 8; Rev. xxii. 15.)

2. The second excuse is commonly in defence of covetousness. Persons whose hearts are set upon this world often deceive themselves with a notion that their carefulness for these things is only a prudent diligence.

The promise of God is, that all necessary things shall be added

to those who seek first his kingdom and righteousness. (Matt. vi. 33. Luke xii. 31.) He is pledged to provide for those who serve Him; and therefore an excessive care for worldly things is inexcusable in one who professes to worship God.

A diligent self-examination of our hearts as regards this Commandment will shew us how often we have broken it, and how surely it would condemn us. This will direct us to Christ as our only hope of salvation. (Gal. iv. 24. 1 John i. 7.)

Questions for self-examination upon this Sermon.

1. Am I convinced that to perform my worship superstitiously, and according to a self-willed notion of God, is to break this commandment? 2. Do I feel that a covetous love of worldly things is idolatry? 3. Is my worship a spiritual worship now? and am I willing to acknowledge that for all my unspiritual devotion and self-willed thoughts of God, I am condemned by this commandment? 4. Does this make me more earnestly strive to secure the salvation of Christ as my only hope from condemnation ?

THE PRAYER.

See the Rubric before the Commandments in the Communion Service. Lord, have mercy upon me, and pardon me for my transgression of thy second commandment in the time past; and, by thy grace, incline my heart to keep this law for the time to come.

TEXT PAPER, No. IX.
TEXT-Gal. vi. 8.

"For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

The common notion of the mercy of God induces many to hope that they shall go to Heaven, though they live in a worldly and ungodly state of mind. Heaven is CHARACTER as well as HAPPINESS. It is happiness of a particular kind; not that sort of happiness which every man in this world is best pleased with. This life is SOWING time :-Heaven is the great REAPING time.

Consider from the Text,

I. What is meant by the comparison of SOWING and REAPING. Matt. xiii. 24-30. Job xiv. 4. Luke vi. 44.

II. Sowing to THE FLESH.

The meaning of "his flesh." Rom. vii. 18; viii. 5-8. Sowing to it. Luke xv. 11-17. Sowing to the world. 1 John ii. 15-17. Prov. i. 22, 29-32.

III. Sowing to THE SPIRIT. John vi. 63. Affections. Col. iii. 2: Put on Christ.

Rom. xiii. 12—14.

Christian liberty. Gal. v. 13-26. Patient waiting. James v. 7, 8. IV. The REAPING TIME.

The reaping in this life. Isaiah lv. 20, 21. John xiv. 27. The eternal HARVEST. Rom. ii. 5-9. Rev. xx. 6; xxi. 3, 4.

QUESTION to be suggested in the Sermon.-Do my inward affections and my outward conduct shew that I am sowing to my Own FLESH, or to the SPIRIT of God?

Questions for self-examination after hearing this Sermon. 1. Do I understand that my character must be according to

heavenly things, or else I could not be happy if I were to go to heaven? 2. What sort of things do I set my heart upon? what do my thoughts run on? or what mostly occupies my thoughts during the day? 3. If my mind runs for the most part upon worldly things, is it not reasonable to expect that my character must be worldly? 4. If I am of a worldly character, how can I be happy in heaven, where there are no worldly things? 5. When I hear any one say, 66 we cannot be always thinking about religion," am I ready to consent, and to make this supposed incapacity an excuse for indulging in worldliness? 6. Do I love spiritual conversation, and the reading of books that lead me to Christ? 7. Do I look forward with pleasure to the time when Christ shall come, and all worldly things shall pass away, and all spiritual things be triumphant? 8. Does my outward conduct plainly shew that my pleasure is not in worldly but in spiritual things? 9. SPECIALLY, what degree of RELISH do I find in prayer? and what degree of SORROW do I feel when I am not in a prayerful state?

TEXT PAPER, No. X.
TEXT-Matt. v. 3.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Every one wishes to be BLESSED. Man cannot make us BLESSED, but only GOD. Christ has come in the flesh to give us the true BLESSING; and He has told us who are the BLESSED ONES. It is foolish to trust to any other blessings than His. His blessings are not like the world's blessings. (John xiv. 27. 1 Cor. ii. 12.) In the Sermon on the Mount Christ begins with describing the BLESSED ONES. These blessings will be explained in course. I The first character of the BLESSED ONES.

1. The spirit—not the appearance. 1 Sam. xvi. 7. Ps. xliv. 21. The source of all, whether good or bad. Matt. xii. 35; vi. 22, 23; vii. 17, 18.

2. Not proud, &c. Psalm xii. 2-4. Prov. xxvi. 12. Rom. xii. 16. Luke ix. 55; but poor in spirit. Prov. xvi. 19. Isaiah lvii. 15; lxvi. 2. Psalm xxxiv. 18.

II. Their blessing-The KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is theirs. 1. The kingdom of Grace now. Luke xvii. 21. Matt. xviii. 3, 4. Luke x. 21. Mark x. 15, 24.

James iv. 6. 2. The kingdom of Glory hereafter.

xxiii. 41-43. Matt. xxv. 34, 37.

Luke xviii. 13, 14;

QUESTIONS. Am I poor and humbled in my spirit? If I am proud in heart, or self-conceited, how can I expect the blessings promised to the poor in spirit?