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The desire of novelty often leads to fatal consequences. Many are ever seeking, but never find the truth. Many love to repeat some favourite expression, or to dwell on some favourite topic, to the neglect of more important points. Many cherish a fond regard to doctrines, without attending to practice; while some make use even of religion itself to stifle the remonstrances of conscience. Hence, too come dissensions, in the church. One says, "I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos," and thus, as the Apostle tells us, they prove themselves yet carnal." It has been the policy of Satan to undermine the church rather than to attack it openly. An avowed denial of any truth would alarm the mind; but the exaltation of one part of the Gospel, to the disparagement of the rest, is not so soon perceived to be equally productive of danger.

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Lastly: Let us ever remember that it is the practical application of old and well known truths to the conscience which is chiefly wanted, and from which Satan would divert our attention. What does the mere speculative belief of any truth avail, if it be not brought into effect? You believe, for instance, the sinfulness of your nature:-then, mark it well; trace it through all its windings; cherish tenderness of conscience; confess your sins before God; be deeply humbled for them; strive against them in the name of Jesus Christ. Thus you will walk in the right way. The hour is at hand, when empty words will not be allowed as a substitute for holy deeds. We may build upon the true Foundation, wood, or hay, or stubble; but that day will try every man's work of what sort it is. God grant that we may then be found to have received the truth in the love of it, and to have brought forth its appropriate fruits, to the glory of God and the salvation of our souls. Amen.

SERMON III.

THE GLORY OF GOD.

Exod. xxxiii. 18.

And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

AT the time when Moses spake these words, he had just received a remarkable proof of the favour of God towards him: God had punished the Israelites for the great sin which they had committed, in making and worshipping the idolatrous calves, at the very moment when he was delivering the Law in Mount Sinai. On this account he had destroyed many; he had threatened to visit their sins upon future generations, he had separated himself from them, and ordered his Tabernacle to be pitched without the camp; he had refused to go up with them into the land of Canaan; he had ordered them to put off their ornaments, and, in dread suspense, to await his judgment. In the midst of this indignation, Moses had ventured to prostrate himself before God, and to become an earnest intercessor in their behalf: he prayed for them, and prevailed. At his intercession, God was pleased to promise that he would not deprive them of his protection, but continue the visible tokens of his presence amongst them as before.

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Emboldened by such gracious condescension, and mercy, Moses prefers a farther request in which he had probably long, though in vain, sought an opportunity of preferring." And Moses said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory."-What! it may be asked had not Moses before this seen the glory of God? Had he not witnessed it when God appeared in Horeb, as a fire in the midst of a bush? Had he not seen it in the Pillar of the Cloud which guided the Israelites in their passage from Egypt? Had he not seen it continually resting upon the Tabernacle and appearing with awful brightness at its entrance? Had he not, in common with all the Israelites, seen it resting upon Mount Sinai, when the glory of the Lord covered the mountain, and the mountain appeared to burn with fire? Had he not seen it, in still greater effulgence, when he was called up into the mount, and entered within the cloud and the glory, and remained there forty days and forty nights conversing with God?He had; and, therefore it is plain that Moses meant, by the glory he desired to see, something far surpassing the splendour he had already witnessed; something which should be more expressly characteristic of the God of the universe. He wished, probably, to see God in his proper form, under such an appearance as that in which he manifests himself to the blessed inhabitants of heaven.

This request of Moses, it may be, was founded on a misapprehension, both of the nature of the Divine glory, and of the capacity of man to behold it. Yet God was pleased graciously to answer it; at once instructing him in the true nature of the Divine glory, which is that of his moral attributes; and intimating, that, in the present state of man, he was incapable of beholding the proper glory of the Divine Essence. "And he said, thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live." Yet, that he might in some measure gratify the desires of his faithful servant, he added, "Behold, there is a place by me; and thou

shalt stand upon a rock; and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by; and I will take away mine hand, and thou shall see my back parts but my face shall not be seen:"-i. e. I will give thee such a lowered representation of my glory, as thou mayest be able to bear; a representation which may be compared to seeing only the back of a person, instead of surveying the whole figure.

It is a natural mistake to judge of glory by the outward appearance. Hence we are apt, at first sight, when we hear of the glory of God, to conceive only of some external glory; something bright and dazzling, like the radiance of the sun in the firmament. The glory of God, in this respect, might indeed sufficiently display his infinite superiority to all other beings. His glory, even in this lower sense, is represented by St. John as illuminating the boundless regions of heaven: nor could man any more endure the splendour with which the Divine Majesty might clothe himself, than the eye could endure the brightness of the meridian sun. But from this lower sense of the word it is necessary that we should turn our attention to one which is far more elevated and sublime. Indeed, the aim of all Scripture is, to wean our thoughts from the objects of sense, from what is material or external, and to fix them upon things spiritual and internal.

We rise to a nobler and juster sense of the term, the glory of God, when we consider it as consisting in the perfection of his attributes. In these his glory preeminently consists. Let us proceed with reverence to contemplate them.-His attributes are either his natural or his moral qualities.

I. Consider, first, his natural attributes.

1. God is self-existent.-All other beings are created, and created by Him. He is the great Parent of existence. There was a time when other beings were not; and there was a period when they began to be, VOL. I.

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and to possess life and the various powers of life. And they then became, not what they chose to be, but what he made them. Their powers and faculties also are limited and capable of increase. Their knowledge increases, their perfections advance. But God remains the same: unchangeable; incapable of increase or progress in the perfection of his attributes. What he is at this moment, he always was, when as yet there was no created being.

2. Reflect next upon his Omnipresence:—He fills heaven and earth. He is equally in all places. Other beings reside where he has placed them; in heaven, on earth, or in hell. They have their proper and peculiar sphere of action. He alone has no place, no sphere no limitations. His perception, agency, power and wisdom are operating in every part of the universe, with as much perfection as if they were concentrated in a single spot-as though he were no where present and had no existence but there exclusively. He pervades all things, he comprehends all things; yet is pervaded by nothing, comprehended by none.

3. Survey his Power.-He is almighty, and can do every thing. These words are easily used; but what do they imply? How inconceivable is that infinity of power which they attempt to describe! He can do, instantly and perfectly, all things which are feasible. He can act without agents or instruments. All other beings, animate or inanimate, are but his instruments to fulfil his will. He speaks or wills, and it is done. He said, "Let there be light, and there was light." No other beings can create; they work with the materials which he bestows. They combine and modify these: but they cannot create: they cannot form what they please out of nothing. He needs the help of no other being: indeed, the strength of all other beings, annexed to his own, would be no addition to it; for they possess none which they do not derive from him. His powers alone are underived. He is the original Fountain of his own perfections.

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