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neglect HIM, to prefer other things before HIM. When the blessed JESUS was led forth to be crucified, all His disciples forsook HIM and fled. When His great Apostle St. Paul was suffering in his Master's cause, he was left alone by those to whom he looked for support and encouragement: "Demas (said he) hath forsaken me, because he loved this present world." In the same manner are Christians tempted to forsake their Heavenly FATHER, in that they are too ready to fly from their duty when trouble or danger appear, like Demas, too fond of this present world.

This then, I repeat it, is the solemn thought which never can be deeply enough impressed both on our own hearts, and on those of the children and young persons, for whose right and Christian education we are each in our several stations fearfully responsible. "If thou forsake HIM, HE will cast thee off for ever." That the great LORD of heaven and earth should threaten to cast us off, how moving, how awful is the thought! Because HE, our GOD and REDEEMER, must be, of necessity, our only hope and consolation—and if we lose HIM and His gracious favour, where else can we look ?

Nor is it a mere fancy and superstitious notion that we are thus in danger of being cast off. For in proportion as we are tempted to forsake God and His righteous will, we must of course provoke Him to forsake us and leave us to ourselves, or, in the words of the text, to "cast us off for ever." And in what degree we are tempted thus to forsake our GOD, out of fear of men, or too great a love of this world, or an over-great confidence in ourselves, in that degree are we in danger, in danger of being eternally cast off.

Now we should remember, that let our condition in life be what it may, be we young or old, rich or poor, sick or well, yet God is the only friend of us all. We cannot help each other but by His aid, nor can we help ourselves without HIM. This is true even of the affairs and interests of this world. But with regard to that world which is to come, it is yet more evident that all our dependence must be on HIM. For if at last we shall be found to have been neglectful of His gracious will, if we are placed on the left hand of the Judge when He shall come with all His holy angels, what other hope remains? It is therefore better, infi

nitely better, to be the most miserable, abject wretch on the face of the earth, than to be such an one as ALMIGHTY GOD would cast off for ever. It is better to suffer readily any ridicule and contempt as long as we live here, than for the sake of avoiding this treatment to fall into sin, and be in the end rejected of our SAVIOUR and JUDGE.

"Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation,”—you know the rest. There is no warning more necessary to be remembered by us all than this, particularly by young persons, who are so apt to be drawn aside by a sense of false shame, a fear of ridicule, which never must be yielded to.

Having eternity before us, and so short a time wherein to prepare for it, and even that uncertain, no time can safely be wasted upon trifles, in endeavours to please the world, or in plans and resolutions of amendment at some distant period, which very likely we may never live to see.

To be cast off for ever by ALMIGHTY GOD, to be shut out from the presence of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and from that happiness which He has prepared for them that love Him, these are dangers which may well awaken all our fears. But as to any thing we can suffer in this world, it is scarcely worth regarding by any one who remembers what our real circumstances are. And this makes it so necessary for us all, young and old, parents and children, teachers and taught, to look to ourselves, and not to be led away by the errors of other people, nor to waste our time and thoughts on trifles, or worse than trifles, when the question is, whether we shall be eternally rewarded or eternally cast off.

SERMON CCCXLV.

DANGER OF BAD COMPANY.

GEN. xxxiii. ult. xxxiv. 1.

،، And he erected there an altar, and called it EL-ELOHE-ISRAEL.

"And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land."

THE Contamination and injury which the Church of God should suffer from intercourse with the evil world is, we may suppose, typified and foretold in various parts of the history of the ancient Patriarchs.

The anxiety, too (so to speak), of ALMIGHTY GOD, to prevent this injury, is also shadowed out to us, as in other ways so, in the earnest desire uniformly expressed by the Patriarchs, and the care taken that their children should not marry into heathen families.

Thus, in the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis, a very particular account is given of Abraham's anxious care that his son Isaac should "not take a wife of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom he dwelt." And again (at the end of this morning's lesson') we find Rebecca thus expressing her fears about her son :-" I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me ?” And then it is immediately added, that “ Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan."

1 The second Sunday in Lent.

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Afterwards, when Jacob himself came to have a family of children growing up, one of his most severe afflictions arose from their not being contented to follow his quiet, religious ways, but choosing to mix more with the world (as we call it). For, after his escape from Laban first, and then from Esau, he began to think of spending his days with his family in comfort and prosperity, as is intimated in the end of the thirty-third chapter: "Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle. . . Then he came to Shalem, and bought a parcel of a field for an hundred pieces of money, and there he spread his tent," that is, made that his home. Nor did he at all forget or neglect his duty to the LORD GOD of his fathers, who had “led him all his life long;" for it is immediately added, that "he erected there an altar, and called it (that is, dedicated it to the Name of) EL-ELOHE-ISRAEL,"-GOD, the God of Israel; or, The God of Israel is The GOD; thereby both bearing witness against the false worship and idolatry of the people among whom he dwelt, and, at the same time, providing (as it were) a Church, or centre of unity, for all his numerous family and dependents, in the regular service of JEHOVAH.

But, alas! the enticements of the world were too great, and prevailed to bring misery and sin into this otherwise happy home. And the beginning of it is expressed in the first verse of the chapter," Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land." And the sad consequences of her conduct are set forth in the rest of this chapter, which the Church at this season particularly presses on the serious thoughts of her members. For it seems, as I suggested, to be linked on to the morning lesson; and a direction is given to our thoughts, in that the last verse of that chapter and the first of this, contain the same form of expression, and appear to point out to us a peculiar kind of danger-the danger in which young persons are, in the midst of privileges, of being deluded and led away, first, by vain curiosity, and then by worldly and carnal lusts, to misery and ruin; and this through the influence especially of bad example.

Now when "Dinah went out to see" or visit "the daughters of the land," we may well suppose that she was weary of the

quiet, uniform course of life kept up at her father's house, and wanted to see (as it is called) a little of the world.

Also, no doubt, the strict, religious services which Jacob (like his father before him) paid to the LORD JEHOVAH, the one true GOD, were matters of scorn and mockery to the neighbouring families; all of whom were, more or less, corrupted with heathen idolatry, and their gods served with (probably) impure and cruel rites.

Besides, then, the dislike of restraint, this unhappy young woman, no doubt, felt ashamed of being accounted one of such a family as Isaac's was; and, therefore, listened the more readily to the suggestions of the evil one. However, the end was most wretched, as the history goes on to state, and may well supply warnings to all Christian persons, young men and women particularly, in all times; but perhaps in these times especially, as may appear from a few plain considerations.

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There is, we know, in "the natural man a great dislike to submit to authority as such; so that, even when persons do what they are commanded, it is often not because it is commanded, but for some other reason.

And in times such as these of busy excitement, and in various ways perhaps of peculiar trial, the danger may be greater of our going wrong in this respect.

We may well suppose, that it was not with Jacob's permission that Dinah "went out to see the daughters of the land;" or, at least, that, if he did give her leave, it was with fear and reluctance, especially as she was his only daughter. But her father's authority and wishes being set aside, she went out without God's blessing, and misery and ruin followed.

And this represents to us the guilt and punishment which Christian people make themselves liable to when they disregard the authority of those whom the Providence of GOD has placed over them; when children go against their parents, servants against their masters, subjects against their Sovereign, and Christians of all stations against the Church, and those in it "who have the rule over us," as the Apostle expresses it. For the Scriptures uniformly set forth this authority as divine; and their language is,-"Whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth

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