may be under the special guidance of His wisdom and love; so that "truth and justice, religion and piety," may flourish among us, and the British sceptre be always wielded in the fear of the Highest. Finally. Let us value our mercies, and improve them by leading "quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."* * 1 Timothy ii. 2–4. SERMON XXV. GOD'S REMEMBRANCE OF ISRAEL. ISAIAH xliv. 21. O ISRAEL, THOU SHALT NOT BE FORGOTTEN OF ME. ONE very important and agreeable part of that commission which God has given to His ministers is expressed in the first verse of the fortieth chapter of Isaiah's prophecy; where we read the remarkable words,-"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." And, together with the commission itself, our gracious Lord has also furnished the means and materials which are requisite to the due execution of it. In committing to us the oracles of God, He has put into our hands "exceeding great and precious promises," which it is our duty so to exhibit, explain, and apply, that we may be faithful stewards of the Divine mysteries, and helpers of your joy. One class of these promises may be termed limited and particular, being such as refer to some special case and condition of God's people, which they distinctly mark and point out. Others are more general and comprehensive, and are couched in terms of such extensive import as to include all possible cases and circumstances, and to furnish a medicine for every wound, a cordial for every care, an antidote against every fear. Of this latter kind is the consolatory assurance contained in our text, on which I propose now to offer a few plain remarks. Let us implore the Divine presence and blessing while we consider, I. The persons to whom this promise belongs. I. The promise of the text is addressed to Israel. By this term the Holy Ghost, who spake by the prophets, intended to designate, literally and primarily, the natural descendants of Jacob, or Israel: a people whom Jehovah had deigned to call into special relation and covenant with Himself, and whom He had distinguished by various privileges from all other nations of the earth. But, unhappily, they distinguished themselves as much by their ingratitude and disobedience, as God had distinguished them by His favours and bounties. Such were the primary objects of this promise. But we are authorized by the analogy of many other passages of God's word, and by the established rules of scriptural interpretation, to explain it also in a much more extensive sense. We are abundantly warranted in applying what was primarily spoken of the literal Israel to the spiritual Israel, and in transferring those assurances of Divine favour and protection which were originally addressed to the Jewish church to all the children of God whom Christ hath gathered together in one. The privileges which were formerly limited, in a considerable degree, to the natural posterity of Abraham, are now laid open to all the followers of his faith and piety. Jehovah had said to the former, by His servant Moses, "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation."* Language remarkably similar is applied by the apostle Peter to all Christian believers: "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous * Exodus xix. 5, 6. : light which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."* St. John uses like expressions in grateful praise: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." And there are several parts of St. Paul's Epistles which explicitly assert that the Christian church has succeeded to the exalted character; and to the peculiar spiritual privileges, which are mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging chiefly to Jewish saints. "He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." "We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." + These brief observations may serve to point out the persons to whom the promise in the text belongs. It was primarily addressed to the Jewish church, but is now equally applicable to the Christian church, of which the * 1 Peter ii. 9, 10. + Revelation i. 5, 6. Romans ii. 28, 29; Galatians iii. 27-29; vi. 14-16; Philippians iii. 3. former was an instructive type. Nor does this consolation belong to the church in its collective character only, but to every individual believer in Jesus, as a lively member of that body. Let us proceed to consider, II. The gracious import of the promise itself. "Thou shalt not be forgotten of me." It must be sufficiently obvious to every one who reads or hears this declaration, that its meaning is far more full and comprehensive than the strict and literal import of the words in which it is conveyed. More is intended than is expressed. For, as to remember God, in opposition to that forgetfulness of Him by which the wicked and the worldly are characterized, is the sum of human duties; so, to be rememberednot to be forgotten-by Him, in the sense here designed, is the sum of all human felicity. "Thou shalt not be forgotten of me:" that is, I will not overlook thy interests, or neglect thy welfare, or withhold anything which will promote thy real and permanent advantage. I will not cease to care for thee, but will think of thee for good, and consider thee as under my providential charge and gracious protection. That all this is implied in the promise before us, though it be expressed only in negative terms, appears from many parallel passages, but especially from Isaiah xlix. 13-16:-"Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." These general observations being premised, it will now be easy to show the particular import of the text in its application, |