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it; we have nothing to fear, though we live in the neglect of it?' Yes: all our exhortations to serve God with your whole hearts are, by many, considered in no better view than as weak, though well-intentioned, effusions of a heated imagination.]

2. With calumny—

[Men who choose not to obey the calls of God will always revile those who do. They will impute their zeal to hypocrisy, or idleness, or conceit, and vanity. They will presume to judge the motives of religious people, with as much confidence as if they could see the heart. Pharaoh had certainly no reason to ascribe to idleness the request that had been made to him: yet with a malignant triumph he professes to have seen through their motives, which he was determined to counteract. So, at this time, the enemies of true religion will represent the professors of it as heretical and seditious, and the Ministers of it as people that "turn the world upside down."]

3. With oppression

man.

[It is happy for us that all possess not the power of Pharaoh; and that the law has affixed bounds to the tyranny of Were it not so, we should still see, that the natural enmity of man against his God is as fierce as ever. Civilization has altered our habits, but made no change at all in our hearts. Husbands, parents, masters, in numberless instances, obstruct the progress of religion in the hearts of those over whom they have influence; either requiring services that shall interfere with their religious duties, or laying snares to divert their attention from them. And when complaint is made by their injured dependents, they will shew no regard to their consciences, but will exult in tyrannizing over them with their imperious mandate.] ADDRESS

1. The opposers of true religion

[Many who in themselves are serious and devout, are as bitter enemies to spiritual religion as the most abandoned profligate can be. When the Jews wanted to expel Paul and Barnabas from Antioch, they could find no better, or more willing, agents than "devout and honourable women"." But it were better for any one to have a millstone about his neck, and to be cast into the sea, than to be found among the opposers of vital godliness". "Their Redeemer is mighty;" and he will avenge their cause. Instead therefore of setting yourselves against them, and calumniating them, inquire what is the reason that you yourselves are not religious. May not your own words be retorted upon you; "Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye say, Let us not sacrifice unto the Lord?" Yes; it • Matt. xviii. 6.

n Acts xiii. 50.

is no calumny to affirm this: "Go therefore now, and work." Go; and instead of obstructing the sacrifices of others, present to God the sacrifice that he demands of you.]

2. Those who meet with persecution for righteous

ness' sake

["All who will live godly in Christ Jesus are taught to expect persecution:" therefore think it not strange that you are called to suffer; but rather "rejoice that you are counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake." Are you discouraged, because the relief you have sought for is withheld, and your troubles seem to increase? It was thus that God dealt with the Hebrews in the instance before us; and he not unfrequently deals thus with his people, in order that he may be the more glorified in their ultimate deliverance. If therefore the shadows of the night be still lengthened, you need not despair; for "at evening-time it shall be light;" and in the hour of your deepest distress God will surely interpose for your succour and relief3. Take care however that the enemies of religion have no cause to find fault with you for neglecting the duties of your station. It is no little stumbling-block in their way, when you give them occasion to adopt the language of the text. See to it then, that you be active and diligent in every work to which God, in his providence, has called you. The direction given you by God himself combines worldly activity with spiritual fervour, and represents each of them, in its place, as truly acceptable to him; "Be not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."]

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Exod. vi. 9. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

"AS face answers to face in a glass, so does the heart of man to man." We are apt, indeed, to imagine that the Jews were a people of more than ordinary depravity: but it is found that mankind almost universally act precisely as they did, under similar circumstances. We have here a remarkable instance of despondency. The Hebrews had been long groaning under a most cruel oppression: and God had sent his servant, Moses, to deliver them from it. But the effect of his interposition hitherto had been only to

augment their troubles. Of this they had bitterly complained, as indeed had Moses himself also: and now, for their comfort, God sent them by Moses a most consolatory message, assuring them, that, however gloomy their prospects might appear to be, a most perfect deliverance was at hand. But they, we are told, "hearkened not unto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage."

Let us consider,

I. Their conduct on this occasion

The testimony of Moses was in every respect worthy of credit-

[He had wrought before the people the miracles which God had commissioned him to work, in confirmation of his divine mission: and hitherto, if he had not yet succeeded in his embassy, he had executed his office with fidelity and courage. It might be supposed, indeed, that if Moses himself had fainted under the discouragement which they had experienced, much more might they. But, on the other hand, if God had renewed his commission to Moses, and expressly authorized him to assure them of a speedy and certain deliverance, so that his mind was left without any doubt of ultimate success, they might well receive his testimony, and rest upon it with composure.]

Nor could any thing be conceived more suited to their necessities

[They were under the most "cruel bondage." But Moses declared, that God had entered into covenant with their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to deliver them: that he had confirmed this covenant with an oath: that, from compassion to them, he was about to fulfil the engagements he had entered into that he not only would deliver them from their sore bondage, but would, by the judgments which he would inflict on Pharaoh, make him more anxious to rid himself of them than ever he had been to detain them; and would constrain him, in fact, to "drive them out from his land"." He further declared, that God would bring them safely into Canaan, wherein their forefathers had sojourned as pilgrims and strangers, and give it them for their inheritance; and would "take them to him as his peculiar people, and be unto them a God," yea, and "their God."

In reporting to them these "great and precious promises," he was careful particularly to make known to them the grounds a Exod. iv. 30. b ver. 1.

on which they might be received with the most implicit affiance; for that God had repeatedly pledged his power and veracity for the performance of them. Thrice had God renewed that solemn declaration, "I am Jehovah," the eternal, selfexistent, and immutable Jehovah : and, times almost without number, he had undertaken to execute, with his own irresistible arm, the whole that he had promised: "I will bring you out; I will rid you; I will redeem you; I will bring you into the land; I will give it you; I will take you to me for a people, and I will be your God."]

Yet would not the people receive, or even “hearken to," his words—

[Their minds were so wholly occupied with their present troubles, that they could think of nothing else: they were altogether overwhelmed with " anguish of spirit:" and so utterly did they despair of relief, that they desired to be left to live and die under their present servitude, rather than run the risk of augmenting their afflictions by any further application to Pharaoh in their behalf.]

Without dwelling any longer on their conduct, I beg leave to call your attention to,

II. The instruction to be derived from it-
We may notice from hence,

66

1. The weakness of the human mind

[It has been justly said, that "oppression will make a wise man made:" and the common experience of all is, that hope deferred maketh the heart sick." In my text, we see both the one and the other strongly exemplified. And, in truth, where afflictions are great and of long continuance, the mind of every man is apt to faint: nor can any thing but divine grace adequately sustain it. Even David, when hunted by Saul as a partridge upon the mountains, forgat for a season the power and fidelity of his Protector, and in a fit of despondency exclaimed, "I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul." So, under various circumstances, the Church of old complained, "My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God:" yea, "the Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me." Sometimes her despair has been so entire, that she has even made the justice of it a ground of appeal both to God and man: "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?" But this experience, in whomsoever it be found, is decidedly contrary to the mind and will of God. We are never to limit the power of

с ver. 2-8. d Gen. xiv. 11, 12. e Eccl. vii. 7. f Prov. xiii. 12.

God, or to doubt his veracity. We are not to suppose, that, because we see not how deliverance can come, God is at any loss for means whereby to effect it. It is well to "have the sentence of death in ourselves, that we may not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead," and has promised to "judge his people and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and that there is none shut up or left."]

2. The proper office of faith

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[Faith is to look, above all created things, to God; and to realize, under every dispensation, the presence of him that is invisible. It is to lay hold on God's word, and to rest upon it, and to expect its accomplishment, in defiance of men or devils. It is to hope, even "against hope." Its legitimate exercise may be seen in Abraham, when he was commanded to offer up his son: "I have no fear but that God will fulfil his promise in Isaac: even though I should reduce him to ashes upon an altar, God can raise him up again, yea, and will raise him up again, rather than suffer one jot or tittle of his word to fail. "Being strong in faith, and giving glory to God," he both formed, and acted upon, this assured expectation: and in proportion to the strength of our faith will be our confidence in God, even under the most discouraging circumstances. shall say, "Though the fig-tree should not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

We

Had Israel on this occasion been able to confide in God, how sweetly composed had their minds been in the midst of all their troubles! Let us learn to exercise this grace of faith, and under the darkest dispensations to say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him."]

3. The excellency of the Gospel dispensation-

[What Moses said to Israel, we are authorized and commissioned to declare to you. You are under a bondage far more cruel than that which Israel experienced: but in the name of Almighty God we come to you, and proclaim, that he has entered into covenant with his Son for your redemption; that he has confirmed that covenant with an oath; that he will bring you out from the power of sin and Satan, and conduct you in safety to the heavenly Canaan. For the fulfilment of all this he pledges to you his word, saying, in relation to every part of the work, I, the immutable Jehovah, will do it for you: I will work; and who shall hinder? Only believe in

8 Deut. xxxii. 36.

h Hab. iii. 17, 18.

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