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SERMON X:

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WHEN Paul says, that his preaching consisted not in excellency of speech or human wisdom, he states something that is applicable to the whole of Scripture, which presents to darkened reason a labyrinth, out of which it sees no outlet, and something that also very frequently applies to the ways in which God leads his people. Whet deep complaints are uttered by the man after God's own heart in Psalm xxxviii.; from which, however, we will only adduce the tenth verse, where he says,. My strength faileth me.' Strength is necessary in order to labor; and he who does not possess it, is incapable of the latter. The Christian must labor much. He must watch, pray, deny himself; preserve himself unspotted from the world; lay aside the sin which so easily besets him, and renders him slothful, put on the armor of light; believe-because without faith it is impossible to please God; love-because only he that loveth abideth in God, and God in him; in short, to say every thing in few words, he must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling.' Let us not, think to excuse ourselves with the idea that we are unable to do this; for the debtor mentioned by our Lord, was delivered over to the tormentors, just because he was not able to pay.

David was able to do it. It is true, he never imagined he did it perfectly, but confessed that no one can

understand his errors; yet he succeeded. What did he not possess, whom Saul called a stripling, whose form was more pleasing than great; what courage did he possess, and how much did he accomplish! A lion and a bear once attacked his flock, and carried off a lamb; but the little beautiful boy ran after him, smote him, and rescued the lamb from his jaws; and on its attacking himself, he caught it by the beard, smote it, and slew it. O pleasing type of Christ! The fair and ruddy youth had courage enough to go forth against the Philistine, whose height was six cubits and a span, when every one else fled before him. His brother Eliab angrily reproached him for being presumptuous, and thought he would do better to go and tend the few sheep in the wilderness. But it was not presumption; it was confidence in the living God. The fair-faced courageous youth probably did not at that time anticipate that he should ever compose such a Psalm as the 38th; and lament in it that his strength failed him. If his strength had departed, he was no longer able to accomplish that which he could otherwise have performed, and which was at other times easy to him; it was now become difficult, and even impracticable. 'I am feeble, and sore broken,' says he in verse 8; 'I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart;' according to Psalm lxxvii., he was so troubled that he could not speak much less accomplish anything. What was the reason of so much wretchedness? His iniquity was the cause of it; on which account he at length says, ‘I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are just, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.'

What was it that failed him? Not all strength in the general, but his own strength. My strength faileth me.' Before, he had been able to do much that was

good; but this is now at an end. began to be troubled about his

we

No wonder that he sin. In verse 17, This was a severe trial

are told he was ready to halt. to self-love, self-righteousness, and to the life of self. But whom the Lord loveth, he overthrows in this manner, and gives them over unto death.

What was the result of this guidance? He never obtained his own strength again, nor did he wish for it; God has no pleasure in the strength of a man. Nothing was left him, but to declare his iniquity, and to hope in the Lord; who according to Psalm lxviii., gives his people might and power. His own strength was then no longer needed; he was then strong when he was weak, and great, by being humbled. Then he no longer said, 'I care;' but, I lay me down and sleep in peace, for thou, Lord, only causest me to dwell in safety.'

Strange beginning! glorious end! Such is also the 'case in the history of Jacob.

GENESIS XXXII. 29.

And he blessed him there.

Jacob now receives the blessing on the very spot on which he had been obliged to wrestle. We will consider this a little more minutely.

Israel had entreated a blessing, and that with a fervor and resolution which would take no refusal: 'I will not let thee go except thou bless me.' This was the Lord's own work in the soul of his servant. It was a prayer according to his will; and if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.' This prayer flowed from a profound and vital feeling, from a heartfelt consciousness of the necessity of a superior communication of grace. It was a hungering and thirsting after righteousness, which Jesus pronounces blessed, on account of the satisfaction attendant upon it, and to which the latter is secured.

What was it that Jacob particularly desired in imploring a blessing? He had already a sufficiency of earthly wealth; and in spiritual things he probably did not regard himself as one who has no part in the Divine blessing, and who is not an object of the good pleasure and love of God; by no means. He intended by it, first, a confirmation of the blessing received from his father, in virtue of which he was to be the progenitor of the promised Savior of the world. This is proved by his high esteem and love for the Redeemer. Esau, his brother, might have had the first claim to it, on account of his being the first-born; but he thought so little of the Redeemer, that he sold his birth-right, with all its privileges, for a mess of pottage ;-a figure of all those who esteem temporal blessings, and sensi. ble and sinful delights, more highly than the favor of God. Esau obtained what he sought-earthly prospe rity; and in this respect far exceeded Jacob. The latter had only a sufficient number of servants, whilst Esau

could take the field with four hundred armed men ; which was at that time a great number. The children of Esau were immediately termed princes, (ch. xxxvi.), and they were numerous. Two of them were called Eliphaz and Teman; and as these names were applied to Job's friends, it is evident that they were the descendants of Esau. As they make no mention whatever of the Redeemer in their discourses with Job-to whom the latter bears such an excellent testimony, and who is also mentioned by Elihu-we justly conclude that Esau troubled himself little about it, and that his descendants followed in his steps; who, in the case of Job, only regarded temporal prosperity as a sign of Divine favor, and the being deprived of it as a proof of the Divine displeasure; and hence declared Job to be an ungodly man, by which they at the same time proved their own righteousness; according to which they regarded their temporal prosperity as a reward of their virtue, and inferred from Job's affliction, that he. possessed no virtue. They were hirelings; hence the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends, for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath: My servant Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept; lest I deal with you after your folly.' If before, they would only hear of their own righteousness, and not of a mediator, they were now obliged to be content to accept of Job's mediation, and hear that the Divine displeasure was kindled against them, notwithstanding their great wisdom and virtue, in which they thought they so much excelled Job; and they were in

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