August 22

tle, it shall not be so among you—" Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

AUGUST 22.—"David served his own generation by the will of God." Acts 13:36.

EXAMPLE has a thousand advantages over every other mode of tuition. Hence God—for none teacheth like him—has filled his word, not by documents and dissertations, but facts; and spreading before us the lives and actions of men, commands us not to be slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

We have here a noble testimony concerning David. In his early days he was in obscurity, being the son of a plain yeoman, in the village of Bethlehem, and employed in the humble occupation of a shepherd. But he was soon called to expose himself in the field of battle, and obtained for his countrymen an easy victory, by killing the wonder and terror of the age. After this—for as he rose he suffered—we find him in exile, under the persecutions of Saul, wandering and hiding himself in wildernesses for his safety, and hunted like a partridge upon the mountains. At length, through much tribulation, he entered his kingdom, and was crowned, first over Judah, and then over all Israel. But after distinguishing himself as a warrior, and a ruler, he was compelled by the rebellion of Absalom to leave his palace and his capital, and ascend, weeping and barefooted, the mount of Olives, where his son, and his Lord the Messiah, ages after, agonized and triumphed. Then we find him re-established in more power and authority than ever, and reigning in safety, peace, and honour—and at last we find him anxious to build a temple for the name of the Lord, amassing an abundance of materials, and sparing no expense; so that he could say, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." From this glance at his life, we see that it was very eventful and singularly diversified. But in every period, and in every relation, and in every scene, he displayed principles and dispositions which rendered him not only civilly, but morally and religiously useful. In youth; in manhood; in obscurity; in splendour; in adversity; in prosperity: by his wealth; by his power; by his authority; by his wisdom; by his inspiration as a prophet; by his genius as a poet and a musician; in all his resources he constantly served his generation.

But he also served his men generation. Not indeed exclusively; for he has served every generation since. He is now serving the present. Christians now living bless God for his writings. Who has not found in them a treasury of experience? a flame at which he has often lighted his torch? a harp that has often driven away his evil spirit? There are some who not only serve their own age, but levy a tax of admiration and gratitude upon every future one. Such were the reformers. Such were Luther, and Calvin, and Knox, and others. And nothing can be more unjust than to censure these men who did so much, because they did no more; or diminish their fame by reproaching them with a few faults, which were rather the errors of the times than of the men. Such were those patriots who resisted unto blood striving against sin, and pro-

cured for us the invaluable blessings of civil and religious freedom. Such were the translators who gave us the original Scriptures in English. Such have been the writers who have defended the truth of the Gospel, and furnished materials for private and domestic devotion. How useful is Watts, even now, by his Psalms and Hymns, in which millions bless God; and by his songs for children which, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings perfect praise. No man indeed knows how any good he does may be perpetuated and enlarged.

But if we cannot serve other generations let us serve our own. Some strain too much after distant objects, and overlook what is immediately before them. Some leave large sums when they die—they had better be their own executors, and see and enjoy the application of their own liberality. They had better convince the world that they act from choice; for at death they can retain nothing, but must part with all they possess. The endowments bequeathed by many of our good forefathers have operated rather injuriously than otherwise; retaining the support of error in some places of worship, and relaxing the zeal and generosity of congregations in others; for people have an amazing keenness in perceiving when their assistance is not wanting. The cause of the poor and the cause of God will be hereafter committed to others; they are now entrusted to us: let nothing draw us off from present duty.

He also served his own generation by the will of God. Nothing comes by chance in our affairs. The Lord determines the bounds of our habitations, appoints us our stations and offices, and assigns us our talents and opportunities. How obviously was it his pleasure that David should be what and where he was. It was all without his design or thought. And therefore when Saul's courtiers reproached him that he was a restless ambitious youth, who, dissatisfied with a private condition, sought to work himself into notice and eminence; he could appeal and say, "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mines eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother; my soul is even as a weaned child." Others too, without any purpose on the part of their friends or their own, have been laid hold of by the hand of Providence, and conducted forward so as to exemplify the promise "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight."

But it was not only by his providential will that David served his own generation, but also by his revealed will. This he made the rule of his conduct. "Lead me," said he, "in thy truth, and guide me, for thou art the God of my salvation, on thee do I wait all the day"—like a servant, to receive and obey the orders of his master. We must not follow our own fancies, or do that which is most agreeable to our feelings; but what God requires of us. For this purpose we must repair to his holy oracles, and ask, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" A woman is not to usurp authority and to teach in the church. A man is not to assume the office of the magistrate under a notion that he could discharge it better. If

a village preacher on the Sabbath leaves his own family without control and without instruction, he may be serving his own generation, but not according to the will of God. God enjoins us to abide in our own callings. If we step aside from them we may be useful; but the effect is often equivocal, the good is more than counterbalanced by the evil arising from the violation of order, and God asks who hath required this at your hand?

Let this example induce our imitation. We all have it in our power to be useful; and let us see to it, that we decline not doing what we can, because we cannot do what we would. Let us immediately and earnestly call into action whatever influence we possess to serve our own generation by the will of God. Our generation serves us. None of us liveth to himself. All the endowments conferred upon us look beyond ourselves; and as good stewards, we are to minister the manifold grace of God. It is as much our privilege as our duty. It enthrones us in the esteem of our fellow creatures, and with such sacrifices God is well pleased. When a Christian comes to die, he must be humble in looking back upon his imperfections; but he will have reason to be thankful, if by the grace of God he hopes that he has not wholly lived in vain. I, said the learned Dr. Donne to his friends when dying, I repent of all my life, but the part of it I have spent in communion with God, and doing good to men.

AUGUST 23.—“And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”—Exodus 3:5, 6.

THIS address of God to Moses contains an admonition to restrain and regulate him; and an assurance to establish and encourage him. The admonition may be understood and improved as a check to vain curiosity. Here was much to excite the notice and surprise of Moses. The bush was burning, but he saw no fire near it, or lightning from heaven to kindle it. He also saw what was more unaccountable still, that though it kept flaming, not a spray or a leaf was consumed. It does not therefore appear wonderful that he should have been tempted to turn aside to see this great sight. Yet it would seem he was not free from blame. He should have been satisfied with the prodigy, and have waited in adoration the development of the design; but he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and wanted perhaps philosophically and speculatively to explore “Why it was not burned.” And therefore the voice cries to him, “Draw not nigh hither.” This curious desire of knowing things that do not concern us is too natural to all. But we should endeavour to repress it rather than increase it by indulgence. In the common affairs of life, and the concerns of our fellow-creatures, it is an impertinent, troublesome, offensive disposition, and is sure to fix upon a person in time the odious character “of a tattler and a busy body in other men’s matters.”

But it is yet more to be guarded against in religious affairs. Nothing can be more inconsistent with, and injurious to, that spirit of child-like submission which a Christian is to cherish