of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about.” Thus were our iniquities acknowledged his, as his righteousness is said to be ours. Isaiah liii. 5, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." 1 Peter ii. 24, "Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes we are healed." With strict propriety doth the Redeemer say, these iniquities are more in number than the hairs of my head; innumerable evils have compassed me about. Fourthly, Therefore, my heart faileth. Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me. He was dumb and opened not his mouth. Fifthly, Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me, make haste to help me. And he was heared when he prayed, Psalm lxxxvi. 13, "For great is thy mercy toward me; and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell." Psalm xvi. 15, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." SKETCH LXI. PSALM CXlV. 19-21. First, WHO are they that fear the LORD? They are those Psalm xxv. 14, who are taught by the elucidating spirit of truth. "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant." The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and a sound understanding have all they who walk therein. Secondly, What is the desire of those who fear God? Their desires are expressed in their prayers. Thirdly, God will fulfil the desire of those who fear him. Whatsoever they ask, according to his will, they shall receive. Fourthly, He will save them. I am God the Saviour, and beside me there is no God. Fifthly, The LORD preserveth all those that love him, although their foes may be many and mighty, yet the LORD is Almighty, and the victory will be with him. Sixthly, The sire of men and angels will destroy the wicked. 2 Thessalonians ii. 8, "And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the LORD shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." › Seventhly, Psalm lxv. 2, the blessed consequence of this preservation, of this destruction is described. "O thou who hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." Isaiah xliv. 3, "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." Joel ii. 28, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." No wonder then, that the mouth shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah, and that all flesh shall bless his holy name forever and ever. SKETCH LXII. PROVERBS x. 24. First, WHAT is the wicked here spoken of? 2 Thessalonians, ii. 8, "And then shall inat wicked be revealed, whom the LORD shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming." Secondly, What is the fear of this wicked? Matthew viii. 29, " And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Mark v. 7, "And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not." 2 Peter ii. 4, "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into the chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." Revelations xx. 2, " And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal upon him." Thirdly, Who is the righteous? Romans iii. 10, "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one." Jeremiah xxiii. 6, "In his day Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely : and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Fourthly, What is the desire of the righteous? He desireth not the death of the sinner; he willeth that all shall be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth. He was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Fifthly, The desire of the righteous shall be granted. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; but righteousness delivereth from death. SKETCH LXIII. ISAIAH I. 2, 3. First, The magnitude of this subject may be estimated by the importance of the characters addressed-Hear, O heavens; and give ear, O earth. What are we to understand by the heavens? There seems to be a plurality of heavens. The aerial heavens, the starry heavens, the throne of God, and the seat of the blessed, inhabited by angels and the spirits of just men made perfect; these are solemnly called upon to hear what the Almighty is about to utter. Secondly, The earth must also give ear; not any particular portion of the earth,in contradistinction to the general mass. Jeremiah xxii. 29, " earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD." And chapter vi. 19, "Hear, O earth: behold I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruits of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it." Surely it cannot rationally be supposed, that the earth on which we tread, is thus solemnly called upon to hear the word of the LORD? Certainly not; it is human, it is animated earth, which in the beautifully figurative language of scripture, is thus commanded to hear. Thirdly, Why are the heavens and the earth impressively enjoined to hear? Because the LORD hath spoken. Fourthly, What are the heavens and the earth summoned to hear? Not the words of the creature, the doctrines and traditions of men-no, assuredly; it is the words of the LORD of heaven and earth, which all intelligent beings are commanded to hear. Fifthly, What hath the LORD spoken? I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The expression is remarkable. The rebels were the children of God, although in a state of rebellion. Ezekiel xvi. 6, 13, 14, 15, “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, LIVE; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, LIVE. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil; and thou wast exceedingly beautiful,and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among theheathen for thy beauty; for it was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee, saith the LORD God. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications to every one that passed by." Do you say, they were children before they rebelled, but not when they became depraved, lost, undone sinners? I deny that the sacred volume authorizes such an idea; and I appeal from your assertion to the Apostle to the Gentiles. Galatians iv. 5, 6, "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, an heir of God through Christ." Romans v. 8, "But God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Colossians ii. 13, 14, "And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." Ephesians ii. 1, 5, 13, 16, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ; by grace ye are saved. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body on the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Sixthly, Why did the people of God rebel against him? Because they were ignorant of the rock from whence they were hewn. Their knowledge was more confined, than that of the brute animals which fed on their grounds. The ox knew his owner, and the ass his master's crib, but Israel did not know; Israel was ignorant of the God who made him! Seventhly, God the LORD was, nevertheless, the owner of these rebellious, these ungrateful, these ignorant people. They were the property of Emmanuel; he was their master, they were of his fold, the sheep of his pasture. Eighthly, Although they were the people of God, they did not consider; and although they did not consider, they were his people. But what was that which the people of God did not consider? They did not consider the character of him who made them, nor for what purpose they were made. They did not consider to what they were entitled; they did not consider the character of their adversary, nor how unequal he was to contend with the omnipotent Friend of sinners. Had they considered these things, they could never have been deceived; they would have walked with steady feet in the paths of peace, from which the highest felicity would have resulted. But as happiness was the aim and end of creation, the God who called the human family into existence for his own glory and their good, will not, cannot be disappointed. No individual ever hath, no individual ever can successfully resist the absolute will of almighty God. SKETCH LXIV. ISAIAH i. 28. First, WHO are the transgressors, and who are the sinners? Were they of one nature? Why then, this mode of expression, transgressors and sinners ? Secondly, What is this threatened destruction? Is it the eternal ruin or death of the human family? If it be, God our Saviour will Jose his offspring, that inheritance for which he hath paid a price all price beyond, and although all things were made for him, and : |