to the bright list of special providences in his be- | half? And did it not teach him in a new and altogether unexpected manner, but still in a manner most solemn and impressive, that the "race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong," but that "the favour of God is better than the might of kings?" And was he now to forget all his former resolutions, and to darken the lustre of his piety, and to lessen the vigour of his faith, by a greedy assumption of the spoils of conquest? Was he now to lay aside his simple dependence on Jehovah's promise, and to avail himself of carnal and earthly resources? Was he, the father of the faithful, to permit any interposing medium to darken his clear views of the faithfulness and love of his covenant God, and thus to render questionable the reality of his faith? No. He lifts up his hand to God, and swears that he shall have nothing to do with these earthly gains. He had already surrendered objects and possessions unspeakably more dear. The favour of God, and the light of his countenance, were infinitely more valuable to him than the abundance of gold and silver; and the language of his resolution is this: "O Lord, thou art my God." "The most high God, the possessor of heaven and of earth," was able and willing to supply all his wants, and to him he had devoted all his earthly possessions, by an unalienable engagement. The homage he paid to God was the homage of an entire self-surrender. He felt himself to be wholly at His sovereign disposal. All he had was God's, while He, the Almighty God, was his shield, his stay and staff, the strength of his heart, and his "portion for ever." 2. Abram's resolution was dictated by duty to himself.

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The patriarch had been very lately called from darkness to light. The command addressed to him by God to leave his father's house, and to sojourn in the land which was to become the heritage of his descendants, was, in other words, an invitation to renounce the slavery of Satan, and to enter on the free and willing service of Jehovah. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, a country which was strange to hiar in its habits, and customs, and manners, and in which he was a stranger both in a natural and spiritual sense. By faith, he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." To that city of secure habitation he was taught to bend his course. To that land of happier promise, his desires and affections were invited to aspire. "God was not ashamed to be called his God, because He had provided for him a city." The grand design of God in all his dealings regarding the patriarch was this: To teach him the great and salutary lessons of piety, to detach him from the love of present things as his portion, -to check, and ultimately to destroy, the dominion of the world and of the carnal heart,-to enlarge his conceptions of the plan of the divine administration,--and to give a holy and heavenly direction to all the powers and faculties of his soul. It is of immense importance to keep in

mind this spiritual view of the calling of Abram, for otherwise we must regard that singular event in no higher light than as a politic arrangement by Providence, in regard to the covenant of peculiarity, by which the descendants of the patriarch were to be separated from other nations. That Abram himself took a very different view of it is plain from the quotations already made from the Epistle to the Hebrews, as well as from many particulars in the history of his life. Had personal or family aggrandisement been the sovereign object of his life and labours, instead of rejecting the proffered boon of the King of Sodom, he would have grasped at it with the greatest eagerness. But Abram had far nobler and purer prospects, and his conduct was influenced by holier aims. He felt himself to be a stranger and a pilgrim upon earth. A new and a brighter scene had begun to open to his view. The city which had foundations expanded its rich magnificence before him; the "desire after a better country, that is, an heavenly," formed the leading feature in his heart's affections; and the favour of Him "who was not ashamed to be called his God," did stamp a character of absolute insignificance on all sublunary joys. In this temper of mind, and with these prospects before him, it became the duty and the interest of the patriarch to avoid every thing by which the celestial risings of his soul might be checked, or by which the brightness of his prospects might be dimmed. He did not allow his spiritual aims to unfit him for the ordinary duties of life; nor did he consider it inconsistent with the character of a spiritual soldier, to vindicate injured innocence by deeds of military prowess. But in the midst of his labours and trials he was alive to the danger of temptations to the love of the world; and when the rich rewards of his conquest of the kings was presented to him, he "lifted up his hand, and swore by the Most High," that he would not intromit with one of its articles,that he would not add to the strength of those ties which might have bound him to the world,-that he would not permit even lawful possessions to occupy his thoughts and press on him with their carnalizing influence, that he would not even run the risk of being at all impeded in his heavenly march, but would press onward with accelerated vigour to the city of habitation. He lived and he died in faith, not having "received the promises, but having been persuaded of them, and confessed that he was a pilgrim and a stranger on earth."

3. Abram's resolution was dictated by regard to the general interests of religion in the world. I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich." There was a danger lest the moral impression which the call of Abram was designed to make should be lost or lessened by his acceptance of a share of the conquered spoils from the hands of the King of Sodom. He might be tempted to

boast of the liberality with which he had remunerated the labours of the patriarch, and might thus have looked upon the prosperity of his house as the result of his agency. Abram perceived that in this way the special Providence of God, in watching over him, and in blessing his house, would have been concealed from human view. Secondary causes would have occupied that place which was due exclusively to the great first Cause of all. The beneficial effects of the example and the history of the patriarch would not have been realized. The interests of religion at the time, and in the country, would have suffered; and, in the estimate of future generations, Abram would have sunk from his high elevation as the denizen of "a city which hath foundations," to the meaner rank of an earthly prince, intent mainly on the gains of conquest, whose name may live on the historic page, but the star of whose glory sets in

he is possessed of all those attributes which entitle him to the supreme love and veneration of his intelligent creatures, that his moral government is universal, and that we are accountable to him for the deeds done in the body. We must cherish a sovereign esteem of him on account of what he is and hath done for his creatures. We must abide by his laws as the only rules of obedience, aim at his glory as the ultimate object of desire, and prize his favour as life. What is the reason why there is so little of real religion even among the professors of the sanctuary, so little steadiness of principle, and purity of motive, so little of that habitual piety which rises superior to considerations of human policy, and so little of that enlightened rectitude of intention, which bids defiance to the allurements of selfishness and mercenary interest ? And whence is it that the flaming professions of nominal Christians so frequently prove, upon experiment, to be "as the Moreover, the self-denial of the patriarch was sounding brass, or the tinkling cymbal ?” It is, designed to teach the men of those days-at a the want of this sense of God upon the mind. It time when direct written revelation was not ge- is the practical dereliction of his high and holy nerally enjoyed, and when example was the most authority. It is the habitual disregard of his prominent instrument of instruction-that higher law as the sovereign and only rule, and the subobjects than the spoils of conquest were presented stitution in its place of such inferior and more to the anticipating views of men,-that God was flexible guides, as fashion, and honour, and selfthe Sovereign Proprietor and Dispenser of trea- interest, and human opinion, and general expesures, that a world beyond the present was the diency. Think not that even they who "hold centre of the hopes and the wishes of all well- the truth" are inaccessible to the malignant indirected minds, that it becomes immortal beings fluence of these baser principles. We may be to sit loose to the possessions and privileges of perfectly sound in all the articles of our theologitime, and to aim at the full enjoyment of a trea- cal system, while that system is not brought to sure in heaven, an "inheritance that is incorrup-bear on the language and the life, and its articles tible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away." Let us now attend,

death.

II. To the instructions to be derived from this particular view of the character of the patriarch Abram.

are allowed to occupy no higher place in the moral dress of their adherents than that of gaudy trappings of distinction. Were the practical sense of God more deeply impressed upon the conscience, we should not have so much reason to complain of a barren orthodoxy, an inoperative faith. Our principles would regulate our worldly transactions; our hopes and fears, as to the future world, would tell propitiously on our daily avocations in the present; we would stand in awe, so as not to sin wilfully; we would be kept back from presumptuous sins; and the presence of the Most High" would operate as a constant check to sinful indulgence, and a habitual monitor to "deny ungodliness."

1. It sets before us the grand principle of all religion,—I mean, a supreme regard to God in his revealed character. It is beyond all doubt that the resolution of the patriarch was dictated by his sense of dependence on God, and of responsibility to him. The important circumstance of his accompanying it with the solemnity of an oath-the most awfully affecting appeal which" man can make to heaven-proves incontestibly that the principle which was uppermost in his mind was, profound reverence for the Sovereign Majesty of heaven and of earth, a deep and commanding sense of relationship to him as his Creator and Judge, and a habitual desire to aim at his glory in all his actions and habits of life. Had any inferior considerations influenced him, it is not to be supposed that he would so readily and so decidedly have set aside the tempting bait, or that his resolution, though solemnly formed, would have in the issue been proof sufficient against the enticements of interest, and the fascinations of this world's renown.

The grand, the essential principle of all religion is, a supreme regard to the majesty and the laws of God. We must believe that he is, that

2. The example of Abram, in the case before us, furnishes a most valuable rule of guidance in all the dubious and questionable departments of the Christian life.

In the economy of human life, the Christian often finds himself placed in circumstances of perplexity; he is at a loss to know what is the strict line of duty. Good and evil, right and wrong, seem to his view so blended together, that it is extremely difficult so to disentangle them, as to be able promptly to lay hold of the one and to reject the other. The Law of the Lord is indeed perfect, and there is no case of possible occurrence in which it can fail to furnish us with direction; but then, it must be recollected, that the Word of

Lastly. The example of the patriarch teaches us to cherish in our minds, and to exemplify in our lives, a holy indifference to the treasures of time.

There is nothing in the history before us that frowns with a suspicious look on the labours of lawful industry, or on the well-earned rewards of successful enterprise; but there is much in it to reprove the earthly-mindedness of the human heart; to check an over-anxiety about the riches, the honours, and the pleasures of this life; to lessen, in our esteem, the value of those objects of sense which press most powerfully around us; to weaken the strength of those ties which bind us so strongly to the world; to induce in us, by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, a disposition and a determination to prefer deliberately the things of Christ, yea, even his reproach, to "all the treasures of Egypt;" and to magnify in our esteem the riches and the glories of a coming eternity. We are not forbidden to use this world; but we must use it so as not to abuse it. The good things of time are not to be treated with a cynical or stoical insensibility; but they are not to be looked upon as an ultimate end, or as the chief good of man. The treasures of the world, when bestowed by the hand of Providence on the labours of industry and skill, are neither to be hoarded up with a miser's care, nor to be squandered with thoughtless prodigality; but they are to be converted into instruments of usefulness to the world and to the Church. Our prayer must be that of the wise Agur,-" Give me neither poverty nor riches, but feed me with food convenient for me." A moderate state of things is, on the whole, most suitable to the moral condition of man, as the child of a day, and as the candidate for immortality. A scene whose attractions, however strong, we must soon quit, and whose very best qualities can never satisfy a soul that grasps immensity, must not engage the whole force and vigour of its powers. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

God is not a dry collection of minute statutes, or | simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your cases of casuistry, adapted to the endless variety conversation in the world. of human character and life; it rather sets before us certain great general principles of duty, leaving the practical application of these to the enlightened judgment and conscience of individual believers. And here it is that the most serious entanglements do often present themselves; and hence the false and doubtful, and positively sinful, measures into which well-meaning but incautious believers have been so often led. The example of the patriarch furnishes a most valuable rule for all such occasions. It tells us, that the question in all doubtful cases is not, or ought not, to be, How far may I go with my unbelieving brethren, in their favourite courses, and yet be a believer still? or, May I engage in this pursuit, or indulge in this amusement, or partake of this pleasure, without actually outraging my profession, or forfeiting my hopes? The question should rather be,-In this particular emergency, what is the safest line of duty for me to follow, consistently with a supreme regard to my own spiritual prosperity, and that of my brethren around me? How shall I keep at the greatest distance from the paths of sin, and give least occasion to the enemy to think evil of the good cause in which I am embarked? On this principle proceed such important precepts of the Word as these:" Abstain from all appearance of evil;" "Touch not the unclean thing;" "Let not your good be evil spoken of." In the case before us, there was nothing positively sinful in accepting a part, or the whole, of the spoils so justly acquired; and in the case of Elisha, at a later period, there seems to us nothing abstractly sinful in the acceptance of a small testimony of gratitude from the Syrian general; but in both cases, the same grand principle of conduct was applied. The most remote danger of trenching upon the peerless rights of the Majesty of Heaven, of injuring their own sense of dependence on God, and increasing, even by possibility, the power of temptation over them,and the anxiety lest such doubtful compliances would have had an unhappy influence on the spiritual concerns of their fellow-creatures, and on the general progress of religion in the world; these constituted, in both cases, the important considerations which guided the conduct of the venerable patriarch and the inspired prophet. And were such considerations in more vigorous and practical operation among Christians, we should not have so much occasion to mourn over their many inconsistencies; nor should Christians themselves feel so frequently at a loss to find out the path of duty. Let us only remember, that we have just one thing to do, one great object to aim at, one grand interest to promote," Hallowed be Thy name." Keep these principles habitually in your eye, and your conduct will be uniform and steady; you will go straight forward in your career, and, amid the perplexities of doubt, and the painful sacrifices of self-denial, you will enjoy the testimony of your own conscience, that with

CHRISTIAN TREASURY.

"Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that wulketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." ISAIAH, 1. 10.-When the name of God and Christ are thus simply and alone apprehended, they may be sufficient ground for faith to rest upon, than which nothing can be more comfortable to a poor distressed believer. When God's wrath waxed against his people, so that God began to

say,

"How long shall they provoke me?" Numbers xiv. 11, and speaks of destroying them, and of making Moses a great nation, what hath Moses recourse to, in

along the country, so constructed, that when a fire was lighted at the foot of the long pole, they were to stand to their arms; when another fire was kindled on a grate fixed to a transverse beam, they were to repair to their regiments; and in case of imminent danger, the whole regiments were summoned to the scene of action by the lighting of a tar-barrel, placed on the top of the pole. By a series of vigorous measures, the Covenanters soon made themselves masters of all the fortified places in Scotland. Apprehending danger from the king's fleet, they took care to fortify the town of Leith; and such was the zeal manifested by all classes of people in the cause, that about one thousand five hundred of both sexes, including ladies as well as gentlemen, for the encouragement of the rest, wrought in the trenches till the fortifications were completed.*

collision, will not place much weight on the meet- | and patriotic sentiments, the nation rose, almost siing of that Assembly, the controversy about which multaneously, and made vigorous preparations for was soon settled. One thing is certain, that who- meeting the threatened invasion of the episcopal ever may have been to blame in commencing hos- army. A large force was soon levied, by the tilities, the Scots used every effort to prevent, orders of Parliament, and placed under the comand showed every disposition to terminate, them. mand of General Leslie, a brave old veteran, who Aware that their proceedings at Glasgow would had been trained to war under that noble chambe misrepresented, and made a handle of by their pion of Protestantism and liberty, Gustavus Adoladversaries against them, they sent up a supplica-phus, king of Sweden. Beacons were erected tion to the king; in which, in the most humble and respectful manner, they explained the reasons of their conduct. All, however, was of no avail; no sooner was it known at court that the Assembly had continued to sit after being discharged by the Commissioner,that, without waiting for the royal sanction, they had deposed the bishops, and restored the Presbyterial polity, and that the people approved of these proceedings,-than the king meditated revenge. He was so highly incensed at the Covenanters, says Burnet, that "he resolved neither to think nor talk of treating with them, till he should appear among them in a more formidable position." They had touched him on the tender point of the royal prerogative. As the champion of Episcopacy, he deemed himself bound in conscience to resent the insult offered to the order. In short, his pride was piqued, and nothing would satisfy him but unconditional submission. The only answer he made, on reading their supplication, was, "When they have broken my head, they will put on my cowl." He immediately raised an army in England, with which he advanced to the border, ordered a fleet to blockade the Firth of Forth, and despatched the Marquis of Hamilton with another army, to land in the north, and join the forces under the command of the Marquis of Huntly. As the Parliament of England, with whom Charles had also quarrelled, refused to grant him supplies for this outrageous undertaking, the bishops, by the advice of Laud, came forward with large contributions. The inferior clergy in the English Church declined all interference in the quarrel; but the Papists, who expected every thing from the triumph of the king's party, and acted under the private directions of the queen, were not slow in contributing to the object. The war thus commenced, having been instigated by the advice, and supported by the money, of the prelates, and being, moreover, mainly designed to support their Episcopal pre-sons. tensions, was commonly called the Bishops' War. The posture of Scotland, at this crisis, was sufficiently alarming; but our fathers, conscious of the rectitude of their intentions and the goodness of their cause, were not to be intimidated; nor would they submit to be trampled on by a bigoted court and an infuriated bench of bishops. "Certainly," says Baillie, "our dangers were greater than we might let our people conceive; but the truth is, we lived by faith in God, we knew the goodness of our cause, and we were resolved to stand to it at all hazards whatsoever, knowing the worst to be a glorious death for the cause of God and our dear country." Animated by such pious of a single drop of blood.--Mem. of Duke of Hamilton, pp. 114-116,

While thus providing for self-defence, however, the Covenanters were anxious to vindicate themselves from the charge of rebellion. The king having denounced them as traitors and rebels, even before they took up arms in their defence, and every effort being used by the bishops to render them odious in the eyes of the English, as if they intended to invade England, they published a paper, entitled, An Information to all good Christians within the Kingdom of England;' in which they "take God to witness that religion was the only subject, conscience the motive, and reformation the aim, of their designs ;" and that they had no intention of invading England, or casting off their dutiful obedience to his majesty's lawful commands. And when they found themselves compelled to take up arms, another paper was hastily prepared by Mr Henderson, entitled,

Instructions for Defensive Arms,'-in which the real state of the quarrel was explained; and their conduct in resorting to self-defence vindicated by many cogent and unanswerable rea

At length, the blazing tar-barrel announced to the people of Scotland that the threatened invasion had begun. A squadron of nearly twenty ships of war, under the Marquis of Hamilton, appeared in the Firth of Forth, to the consternation of the citizens of Edinburgh, and the adjacent country; but the people flocking from all quarters to the point of danger, the fleet was literally pent up on both sides, and

The castle of Edinburgh was surrendered without any resistance; which was owing, it is said, to the address of a lady of rank, who, on the pretence of paying a visit to her friend, the captain of the castle, kept him engaged in a game at cards, after dinner, during which General Leslie, at the head of a few of the townsmen, scaled the walls, and took possession of the fortress, without the effusion