ticipator of his cares, the soother of his griefs, that they may be the guilty and unhappy agents the healer of his wounded spirit, and the com- of eternal destruction to their own offspring, or missioned trustee of a lost world's redemption. the honoured and blessed instruments of their To replenish that is not, as some imagine, eternal salvation and glory-then every impedito fill again, but to fill completely-the earth ment will give way under the irresistible preswith inhabitants was one great part of the gra- sure of these sovereign motives, and the work of cious purpose of the Creator; and to this end aa godly education will advance, blessing the lowly portion of his original blessing was specially cottages of the poor, and the lordly dwelling of directed. And if this gracious purpose has never the rich on earth, and swelling the train of those yet been fully realized, the fault lies not in any that follow the Lamb, and celebrate his praises in deficiency in the blessing, but in the folly and heaven. wickedness of men, by which the human race has been continually drained away in wars and fightings, arising from the lusts that 'war in the members;' while the progress of population has been still farther impeded by the barbarism arising from the cruelties and devastations of war, and from the pestilences and famines that have invariably followed on its track. 6 But the mere multiplication of inhabitants was not God's full purpose. His purpose included the multiplication of men to know him as God, remember him as Creator, to love him as Redeemer, to fear him as Judge, to be like him as Sanctifier, and to obey him as Lawgiver and Father. And here it is that the helpmeet's qualifications, and worth, and excellency, are to be chiefly discovered. In training up a vigorous youth to bodily activities or to mental acquirements, a father may effect much; but in training the child to teachableness, to self-denial, to gentleBess, almost every thing depends upon a mother. A father may raise and finish a noble superstructure; a mother must previously have aid the unseen foundation. It is thus father and Lother should combine and be mutually helpful to each other in training up their offspring in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But not as if a father's work begins only where a mother's ends. To ensure the ends of a good education, they must be concurrent instructors, and proceed one uniform system, and with one great object--not the mere accomplishments, but the salvation of their children. What a beautiful, what a glorious sight! a pious family on earthredeemed family in heaven! That the impediments to parental education are great and many, cannot be denied. Some are impeded by sickness, some chilled by poverty, others distracted by cares and troubles, some overwhelmed in business; but the great, and indeed the only insuperable impediment, is the neglect of salvation as the only worthy aim of in struction. When the value of a child is estimated by its soul-when the destiny of the child is felt to be heaven or hell—and when the parents feel Let it then be never forgotten, that, in every such union of earthly interests, eternal interests are inseparably involved. And let it be farther considered that these are the eternal interests not merely of the parties forming this union, but it may be the interests of many generations. How needful then to seek the divine guidance and blessing, remembering that, while house and riches are the inheritance of fathers, a prudent wife is from the Lord.' And that while 'favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised.' TWENTY-FOURTH DAY.-MORNING. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die,' Gen. ii. 16, 17. EVERY created thing must be subject to some law; and every law must prescribe or enforce some limit beyond which the subject may not pass. This fact is manifest in God's works of creation. The planets in their heavenly courses are subject to the laws of motion and attraction from which they never depart. The plants in their earthly beds are subject to the laws of heat and moisture, and to which they are ever obedient in bud, and flower, and fruit. The beasts of the field, the fishes of the water, the fowls of the air, all follow the instinct, that is, the law of their respective natures. Shall man be found an exception to this general rule of creation? Certainly not. He must be the subject of some law, because he is a creature; and he must be subject to a moral law, because he is intelligent and accountable. We find, accordingly, that the law given to Adam is neither the mechanical law that governs the heavenly bodies, nor the vegetable law that produces the plants, nor the instinctive law that necessary to our correction and reformation when | help meet for him. At this time, it seems high we have sunk into a state of sin? Mere animal ly probable, the holy angels were in being; for enjoyment may come without labour; the birds when God laid the foundations of the earth neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns. But when he laid the measures thereof' and 'stretch where mental enjoyments are required, they can ed the line upon it'-then the morning sta only be attained when they have roused and sang together, and all the sons of God shoute directed the bodily powers into active obedience for joy.' And certain it is that, at this time, a to the will of God. And this is the will of God, the lower animals had been created. How the 'if any man will not work, neither should he eat.' is man said to be alone? Just as a cottage ma The idle man, therefore, is condemned to die; be alone in the midst of a forest. It has no ki and should he continue to live, he lives but as the dred with the trees: it is alone of its kind. robber lives, by literally stealing what is not his was man. He was alone of his kind: and th own, and incurring the righteous condemnation beneficent Creator determines to make an he both of God and man. meet for him; an image of himself, as he was: But how can we enjoy the contemplation and image of God; capable of mental communit communion of God, when actively and laboriously with him, as he was with God; capable of dout engaged in the business of a busy world? Can ing his happiness, by partaking it; and shou a weary body co-operate with an active mind? any disaster deprive him of that happiness, cap Can a heavenly spirit consist with an earthly ble of alleviating his sorrows by copartnership hand? Yes, these are different, but not contrary. his burden. The spirit may be willing, while the flesh is weak, and the weakness of the one will not be charged against the willingness of the other. On the contrary, this weakness is the very test of willingness; while it keeps willingness humble, from the consciousness of the weak or, perhaps, reluctant, companion with which it is conjoined. Man was therefore not made for solitud Solitude is, no doubt, often to the mind wh medicine is to the body. Medicine is salutar as it interrupts some unhealthy process, invigo ates some weakened organ, or corrects some ranged function. But just as to live on medici would be inconsistent with health, so, to live solitude would be inconsistent with happines Even in a state of holiness, solitude is inconsiste with happiness; for, were there no advice to asked, no comfort needed, no wants to be su Indeed worldly employments are no hindrances to communion with God. Paul the tent maker was surely as near to God as Paul the apostle. Neither are temptations any real hindrances. Our Lord in the wilderness, under Satan's most sub-plied, still, in solitude, there would be no obje, tile devices, was only drawn the nearer to his Father, by the efforts of the tempter to drive him for the affections, and thus, not only one depar ment of our constitution totally unoccupied, b the chief source of our enjoyment totally dried u But when God created man, and formed i help meet for him, he did not contemplate t mere span of his obedience, but embraced in h beneficent and merciful purposes the whole peri of his future history. And if, in Eden and innocence, it was not good to leave him alon much less could it be good for him when, as guilty exile, he was driven forth to till the groun now cursed for his sake, with no title but si no entail but sorrow, no home, no rest but th grave! And when, to counterbalance these sever but yet merciful inflictions, God gave him th appeared the full wisdom and the goodness of th promise of 'the seed of the woman,' not till the provided companionship. His help meet the stood beside him not merely the partner in guilt, and exile, and curse, and toil." but the depository of his high flector of his brightest by partaking, th the coun ve are lityy sown before temp erpent. ke one wledge v more hat she Even h philanity' , even to the njurin the ention rising eye. lner aults, ment eat, inion, iour; ature gina trac ture, ed to st we objects rious at that sin ne moment and what is im who was her destiny, learest and dearvery sinner have is to deprave.' in the cause of evil arity to the most ardent d-a zeal that will often d to make one proselyte,' 3 reward in making him " 'a as! how much is sin aggranicated through the chanly; when husbands and r to forget God; when dren in the way that These form but a small portion of the chain of evidence that history furnishes; but they may suffice as a valuable specimen of the early and continuous assertion of the truth; and may be usefully summed up in the words of the learned Kennicot: God,' he observes, being about to create man, is introduced saying, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;" in consequence of which the historian tells us, "so God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him." It is evident then that God created man in his own image. This is mentioned thrice, by way of emphasis, and to prevent, if possible, all possibility of misconstruction. Now what God did, was certainly what God proposed to do. God created man in his own image, that is, in the image of the Godhead, and therefore God proposed to create man in the image of the Godhead. But if God proposed to create him in the image of the Godhead, the proposal must have been made to the Godhead, because the words are, "Let us make man in our image." And if the proposal here made, be by God to the Godhead, it is absurd to suppose it made to the same person that makes it; and consequently reasonable to think it made to the other two persons in the unity of the Godhead.' What a glorious revelation, what an ennobling truth! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, engaged in the designing and effecting of the first creation, as in the purpose and completion of the second! Yes, the second creation! For if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature,'-a new creation-old things'-the wreck and remnant of the fallare passed away. Behold all things are become new.' How benevolent the design of the Godhead, to make the rational creatures happy, by making them good; and in making them good, to raise them to the highest possible standard, even the image and likeness of the uncreated God. This image of God in man consists in the impress not of one, or of any select portion of his attributes, but of such measure as the creature may receive of them all. Man is an image of God's eternity; for, though, as a creature, he is but of yesterday, as immortal he endureth for ever.' Man is an image of God's omnipotence; for though weak and powerless in himself, he can do all things, through Christ strengthening him.' Man is an image of God's omnipresence; for though in body confined as to a prison house, in spirit hesitteth, even now, in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' But it is mainly in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures, that the image of God is discovered in man. In bodily strength, long life, and acuteness of sense, many creatures vie with man, or decidedly surpass him; but in the knowledge, and resulting fear, love, and service, of God, the weakest believer stands on an elevation, literally infinite, above all the inferior tribes. Of these principles the product is 'righteousness,' the complete fulfilment of all that is commanded. This righteousness stood on the basis of creation in the first Adam, and by sin was cast down; it stands upon the basis of the Creator in the second Adam,- God manifest in the flesh,'-and so is incapable of injury. This knowledge and righte ousness are manifested in 'true holiness'—of a creature still in the world, the utter separation from the world; of a creature still immersed in the duties, cares, and sorrows of the world, yet altogether dedicated to God, and living above the world; wearing out time, but living in eternity; a prisoner in a house of earth, but a spiritual dweller in God. And as such, man is seen a true image of God, in the dominion which he holds over the works of God. Even in the hands of unrenewed sinners, there appears a remnant of original dominion. But every province is in a state of rebellion, and none more obstinate than the sinner's own heart. But Christ Jesus we see 'crowned with glory and honour,' and acknowledged 'Lord of all;' and every believer we see restored in him to a copartnership in that throne which he gained by overcoming the world, and in which he sits till death, the last of his and our enemies, shall be utterly and eternally destroyed. TWENTY-FIRST DAY.-EVENING. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen,' Rom. xi. 36. 'ALL things,' visible and invisible, all things in heaven above, and in the earth below, were created by the word of the Lord,' and by his continued energy they are all sustained; through him, as the channel of administration and beneficence, every needful supply is furnished, whether of light, and rain, and dew from heaven, or of plants on the earth, or of good and perfect gifts to the souls of men; and to him, as to a centre of universal attraction, all things tend in their progress, bearing witness to his infinite perfections, and thereby exhibiting his glory to all his intelligent creatures. Three questions here naturally present them- | their source, and to be employed for him as their selves. What is the glory of God? How can sovereign. Even as David saith: Thine, O we glorify him? What are our inducements and Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the obligations to render him glory? glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven, and in the earth, is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as Head above all.' What is the glory of the Lord? It is, first, that visible splendour in which God has been plased to make his presence manifest to men's badily senses. Thus it is said in Exodus that Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel.' But that this was not the sole, but merely one visible exhibition of his glory, is manifest from the fact, that after this Moses says to the Lord, I beseech thee, show me thy glory;' and the Lord graciously answers, 'I will make all my godness pass before thee, 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 my hand while I pass by. And I will take ay mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts'—or that which I shall hereafter be but my face shall not be seen.' Agreeably to this ccount of the visible glory, John describes it as xhibited in the Son of God. And the Word Kas made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we bed his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' Now since man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever,' it becomes a subject the most solemn inquiry, How shall we glorify orify God when we diligently study, spiritually iscover, and humbly and fervently acknowledge is perfections. That this should be our chief end Earth is evident, because it is the chief work f the church in heaven: for, they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when the living creatures give glory, and Tonour, and thanks, to him that sat on the tare, that liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the hrone, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to reive glory, and honour, and power.' We glorify God when we acknowledge all the blings we enjoy, and all the gifts with which we are endowed, to have come down from him as We glorify God when we humble ourselves beneath his mighty power, when we confess and lament our sins before him, when we bow to his chastisements, and deprecate and flee from his deserved anger. Thus speaks the prophet to Israel; 'Hear ye and give ear; be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains. We glorify God when patiently, cheerfully, and joyfully, we are contented to suffer for truth and righteousness. Thus Peter admonishes the church- If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.' We glorify God when we employ our hearts, and our voices in his praise, and so fulfil his own declaration, 'who offereth praise, glorifies me.' Our obligations to glorify God result immediately from the various means whereby he may be glorified. We have had his brightest perfections shining upon us in the beams of the Sun of righteousness.' The very opening of our eyes therefore compels us to tell of what we see. He has enriched us with his spiritual treasures, and we are bound to acknowledge our obligation. We have sinned against his law, and come short of his glory in our disobedience; we are bound, therefore, to glorify the mercy by which we are brought to salvation. If tried in the furnace of affliction, we are bound to glorify him; for he only refines us from the dross of worldliness, that the brightness and the value of the gold may appear. has given us eyes to see, hearts to feel, and voices to praise: we are bound, therefore, to employ our gifts to the honour and glory of the donor. He But beyond the obligations to the duty, there lies this paramount inducement, which we select out of many. Our eternal enjoyment of God— our possession of him as our own—as our Father, our Saviour, our Sanctifier—with all our delight in his perfections and gifts-all lie in the very act of glorifying God, and cannot be separated from it. To glorify God, is to enjoy God; an enjoyment that increases as our knowledge, our faith, our love, our hope, our confidence, our submission, our sensibility, and our utterance increase an enjoyment, now impe: fect, because |
