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his own will; his own fame. And see his wretchedness. The man was not only wrong in relation to God, but wrong in his own internal economy. Sin is restlessness and pain. Only in true religion is there rest and peace. "The wicked are

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like the troubled sea that cannot rest." God declares that there is no peace to them. Peace is only upon Israel.

But let us follow the course of the narrative. It brings before us God's merciful expostulation and reproof. Jonah, it seems, left Nineveh, and put up a sort of booth in its immediate neighbourhood. He chose a bushy place for its erection. A large parasitic plant was there, growing as a tree; and this, by special interposition, sprang up rapidly, and cast a most agreeable shade over the small tent in which the prophet sat and reposed himself. This gourd, when it had sprung up, and for a short time sheltered the moody prophet, who rested in its shadow to see what would become of the city,-God smote. A small unseen worm crawled to the root of the plant, and cut off the supplies of nourishment for the branches. In a hot climate, the very force that made growth rapid, would, in such a case, make decline as visible and rapid too. And this gourd, and this worm, "God prepared.” God sent the tempest; God prepared the great fish; he gives the gourd; he sends the worm. See his universal dominion. I mean not, his universal right of dominion, but the dominion itself: a dominion always existing, and implying constant action and direction; not miraculous, but natural. The order of nature is the rule of God. And God's rule has constant reference to moral purposes.

The gourd withered; and almost ere Jonah could have time to reflect upon it, "a vehement east wind" was prepared, charged with heat, and the sun beat with its fury on the head of the prophet. His mood before was wretched. Physical fever and irritation would now succeed. He fainted under the pressure; and on recovery, again gave way to his impatience and anger; and desired to die rather than to live.

His heavenly Master now mercifully expostulates with him: "Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?" The impatient prophet immediately justifies himself by the

strange burst of unholy passion: "I do well to be angry, even unto death." The gourd, in its whole history, was now made a parable to him, to convince him of his error and sin. He had not planted nor cherished the gourd. It came up rapidly, and as rapidly withered. No particular interests were dependent on it. It afforded a comfortable shade to

single individual; and he, out of the way of duty. Mark the striking character of the appeal: "Thou hast had pity on the gourd, and should I not spare Nineveh?" A single vegetable, on the one hand; on the other, a vast multitude of living beings, made in God's image, capable of an infinite pleasure or pain, besides a large quantity of cattle. The point of the appeal is, the superior regard which God pays to man: man, who alone, of all earthly creatures, can know God, can serve God, can be happy in God. Jonah would

have had the gourd spared for his own comfort: were not these hundreds of thousands of rational creatures, each with the interests of eternity bound up in his personal condition, to be spared by Him that had made them, and brought them up; and that sought in his wisdom and love to bring them to himself?

Thus do we see why Nineveh was spared. The intimation is brief: but it opens up the vast subject of the tender, the paternal mercy of God.

What effect the admonition had on Jonah, we are not told. What effect it ought to have had, we must at once perceive. In the course of this solemn conclusion, we find two or three facts and suggestions.

1. Jonah prays angrily for death.-The holy apostle would not choose for himself. He longed to be with Christ; but while Christ was to be honoured, and the church benefited, he was willing to continue in the toils and sorrows of earth. Anger, blinding the mind, and hardening the conscience, may talk about death as desirable: but such a state is utterly opposed to the solemn desire of entering into God's eternal kingdom which true religion inspires, and which is always connected with a patient willingness to live, whether for doing or suffering, so that God may be honoured, the

church edified, and sinners saved. You may be tired of earth, and yet have no meetness for heaven. If you are fit to die, you are willing to live. Your one feeling is,—that Christ may be magnified.

2. Let the gourd warn you against resting in mere external and creature comforts.—All these are in God's hands. In a night they spring up: in a night they perish. Only the mercy of God is changeless and eternal. Let God be your

portion. Be thankful for the gourd; but trust in God, and draw your comforts from him. There is a worm ready to attack the gourd: but if it withers, trusting in God, you are not unsheltered. "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath and around are the everlasting arms.”

Finally. It is man's duty and interest to give himself up to the service of God.-God is the ruler of this world, and the world to come. All things are under his rule. None can oppose him and be unnoticed. They only dwell in safety who have secured his favour, and dwell in humble, unquestioning, persevering obedience. We know that God's favour is to be secured in Christ. The rule of obedience we have in Christ's holy Gospel. To submit is your duty. It is your interest. The universal Lord is your Friend; nay, your Father. Guided and guarded by his providence, you shall pass through the world in safety and peace; and of your undying souls, the everlasting God shall be the portion for

ever.

TRUE AND ACCEPTABLE RELIGION.

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."PHILIPPIANS iii. 3.

IF you look at the text in connexion with the circumstances with which it was delivered, you will see, not only that it contains, but that it was intended to contain, a clear and comprehensive description of true and acceptable religion.

The Jews regarded themselves as exclusively the people of God. They boasted of the covenant, to the sacramental sign of which they duly attended. Many of them, not able to deny the evidences of the Messiahship of the Lord Jesus, endeavoured to make his religion utterly subservient to the Jewish institute. By them, great dissensions were excited in the primitive churches. They required even Gentile converts to be converts rather to Moses, than to Christ; to the servant, rather than to the Son. "We," said they, "we are the circumcision:" we are the only covenanted people of God.

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In opposition to this-direct opposition-is the language of the text. A new dispensation has been established; and according to it we are the circumcision;" we are the covenanted people of God, "who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."

We have thus the apostolic characters of true religion; given, not incidentally, but of set purpose. In opposition to Jewish and Judaising claims, we are the circumcision."

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Deeply feeling the importance of the description, let us examine it, for the purpose of placing before ourselves a rule by which to judge of our state.

I." Which worship God in the spirit."

1. Every true Christian is a worshipper of God. He believes in God. He spiritually perceives his dependence on God. Seeing the divine perfections, he acknowledges them ; giving God the glory due to his name. He exalts the Lord his God by worshipping at his footstool. And he does this in the various relations in which he stands to God,-personal, domestic, social, public.

2. He worships God in the spirit. Properly, there is no worship where there is insincerity. But, under the law of Moses, certain ceremonies were enjoined, certain acts commanded, which, as commanded, became parts of divine worship by the simple presentation of them. Under the Gospel, worship is restored to its real position: the act of the heart; the homage of the entire man. The outward worship will be the expression of the inward, and will be worship because it is the expression of it. They who do not "worship God in the spirit," are not God's covenanted people yet.

II. They "rejoice in Christ Jesus."

Let us briefly analyze this feeling of triumphant exultation. 1. The Christian, who is truly such, perceives clearly the glories of his Saviour. The glories of his person, his character, his offices and work, his purposes and administration. All this he knows, and delights to contemplate.

2. The Christian, who is truly such, has received the assurance of his own personal interest in Christ. He has actually fled to Christ; trusted in Christ; received the spirit of adoption. His heart is sprinkled from an evil conscience.

If the sight of an object of surpassing glory, in itself considered, be calculated to awaken feelings of highest admiration; when that object can be appropriated,—not indeed, exclusively, but actually for all purposes of aid and advantage as if it were our own only,-then admiration mingles with joy, and the joy and the admiration together produce exultation and triumph. And thus does the true Christian "rejoice in Christ Jesus."

III. "And have no confidence in the flesh."

What confidence in the flesh means, the apostle immediately explains: "Circumcised the eighth day," &c. He refers to some real or supposed personal endowments, connected with his former religious profession: something external, and performed by the body.

1. The true Christian puts "no confidence in the flesh," as to his final salvation. Christians feel they are God's subjects; condemned by God's law. Their guiltiness they acknowledge, and their utter inability to cancel it. Many seek out to themselves methods of safety and peace. The Christian has fled to the mercy-seat. Here is his confidence, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood."

2. He puts "no confidence in the flesh" for happiness. He has learned this truth, that God, and God alone, is his proper good; God, to be chosen, loved, obeyed, by his soul. He does not undervalue the creature, as it is God's work, or gift; but he does not overvalue it. He can use the world, without abusing it; and can do without it, if it be taken from him, provided his heavenly Father makes him glad with the light of his countenance.

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