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While we admire this tenderness, let us learn also to resemble it. Let us excuse and approve as far as we can; and in examining characters let us observe the good more largely than the evil. Let us beware of indiscriminate reflection of speaking severely of persons in the gross; of branding a whole course of life with the reproach of a particular action. A man may redden with a blush, or turn pale with a fright-but what should we think of the painter, who in his delineation would secure this temporary, incidental colour, instead of his natural and common com-plexion? When the angel appeared to Abraham, Sarah behaved very unbecomingly she hid herself behind the door, she listened, she disbelieved, she laughed, and she denied the whole-there was only one good thing; one thing commendable and exemplary on this occasion-and the Holy Ghost has seized and mentioned this only to her honour. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters ye are so long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." Job, in the paroxysm of his grief, cursed the day of his birth-but he is proposed only as an example of patience: "Ye have heard of the patience of Job." Notwithstanding the imperfections remarked in the seven churches of Asia-they are still called the seven golden candlesticks.

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Secondly. God remembers the past. Our me mories soon fail us. How little can we now retrace of all the busy concerns in which we have been engaged! How few of our actions, and how much fewer of our words and of our thoughts are we able to recover from the oblivion of time! But all of them are with God. Old

impressions soon give place to new ones, and we often find it difficult to recall without assistance an occurrence that happened a few months, or a few weeks ago. "But a thousand years are in his sight but as yesterday, when it is past, and as a watch in the night."

As he observes everything, so he retains it; and what with you-is past, with him is-present. It was a persuasion of this that led David to pray, "Remember not against me the sins of my youth." For he can easily show us that he remembers them. He can write bitter things against us," and make us possess the iniquities of our youth." He can bring back old sins by afflictions; and he can bring back old sins by convictions. He can tell us all things that ever we did. Transgressions committed forty years back he can revive, even in their aggravations and circumstances, with all the freshness of recent guilt. And it is well to be convinced of this truth, in a way of mercy, and while we can apply for pardon. For he will certainly convince every impenitent sinner of it hereafter, in a way of justice, when he will publish to the world all the private wickedness of his heart and life, and fill him with shame, and everlasting contempt.

Thirdly. It is well to be informed of what we once were, and to be led back to our former history and experience. It is useful for a preacher sometimes to cry in our ears, and remind us of our natural state; that we may look to "the rock whence we were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence we were digged."—It is needful for him to remind us of the dispensations of Providence which have attended us in former years.

"Why should the wonders he has wrought
Be lost in silence, and forgot!"

It is well for us to raise our Ebenezers, and to inscribe upon them, "hitherto hath the Lord helped me." Such memorials God himself prescribes. "O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim, unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no." It is desirable to bring back to the mind our former frames and feelings in religion. We need everything that is favourable to self-examination and self-knowledge. We ought to be able to judge of our progress or of our declensions in the divine life. The state of our souls in particular circumstances and seasons should be secured; that after the lapse of years it may be reviewed. A comparison of our present, with our former experiences, will in some instances encourage; and in more condemn.

But we need reproof. It will be profitable for usto afflict our souls. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

This brings us, II., to consider these words as applicable to characters. And, first, they will apply to Christians under declensions in religion. It is said of Jehoshaphat, that he walked in the first ways of David, his father." This is an intimation that his first ways were his best; and that the king never equalled the shepherd. This is awful-but the case is not peculiar to him.Backsliding is no uncommon thing. For it should

be remembered that where there are no gross and scandalous deviations from the path of duty, there may be many secret alienations of heart from God and where iniquity does not abound, the love of many may wax cold. Let us imagine the Supreme Being, by his ministers, addressing such characters as these.

I remember thee, the kindness of thy youthI remember thy simplicity. You had no double views and aims then. One motive influenced and decided you. If God was pleased and glorified, and you could enjoy his smiles and his presence-it was enough; and the applause or censure of worms was less than nothing and vanity. You rejoiced that you were "counted worthy to suffer shame for his name," and binding the reproach of the cross as an ornament upon your brow, you said, "If this be to be vile, I will yet be more vile." One thing you desired of the Lord and that you sought after-it was a participation of the portion of his saints; therefore, regardless of all other things, you prayed, "Remember me, O Lord, with the favour thou bearest unto thy people, O visit me with thy salvation; that I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation; and glory with thine inheritance." You did not think of stipulating for anything else-with this, having only food and raiment, you could learn to be content. But alas! since this period, how often have you looked aside, after the friendship of the world; how often have you yielded a little of your firmness to avoid the reproach of the cross! It is not sufficient for you now to have God for your portion-you are miserable unless you are in a fair way of adding house to house, and join

ing field to field. A little disappointment in wordly things fills you with fretfulness and despondency-as if all were gone or going—and, like Jonah, you sometimes exclaim, when a gourd withers, "I do well to be angry, even unto death."

I remember thy attachment to the means of grace. Oh how you loved his word; it was your meditation all the day!-How welcome was the preaching of the gospel! Then a trifling indisposition; a little rain or cold; the unseasonable calling of a friend-did not keep you from the courts of the Lord-nor did you hear half-asleep. How you prized the sabbath, how you numbered the intervening hours that should draw it on: how you hailed it when it arrived: "This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! And O, how precious were those seasons in which, around the table of a crucified Saviour, you received the dear memorials of his dying love: in the reception you said

"His flesh is meat indeed! and his blood is drink indeed!" and in the reflection-" I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste!" Then Christians appeared like angels; how attractive, how edifying was the communion of saints! If two of you walked towards Emmaus, you took sorrowful and sweet counsel together; the Redeemer was your theme and your companion: and when you came to the village whither you went, you said one to another," Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us by the way, and opened to us the Scripture?" And, when alone, was not your meditation of him sweet, and therefore frequent? Could you not say with

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