FOR A BURNT-OFFERING. And Abraham called the name of the place (87), that is to say, "The Lord will manifest himself." In a little time, and the son would never again have awakened on his father's bosom: but in this important, decisive moment, God interposeth; the angel of the Lord calls, God manifesteth himself! And hath the Lord never shown himself unto thee in an important and decisive moment ?-If thy life has been holy, thou must have beheld Him! Dark and mysterious, life may frequently appear, for the counsels of the Lord cannot be fathomed. When will it end? How will it end? How shall I endure? Yet see! the mystery is cleared, the counsels of the Lord become bright as mid-day: the whole scene has changed. Angels of the Lord, for such may thy fellow-men become, (and to thee, the form of thy fellow-men is dearest,) have operated the change at God's behest. See, the dear son, the beloved daughter, are sick; thou hast renounced them; hopelessly thou hast quitted their bed of suffering. But they live, they revive, they bloom, they become once more thy joy, thy delight. Then doth God manifest himself. The life of a father, a mother was in danger, and already thou beheldest orphans around thy couch.See, an unexpected change takes place. The physician's well-directed glance was the angel's look, his voice the angel's call, who manifesteth himself in the name of the Lord. How many of you here assembled, have found yourselves placed in overwhelming difficulties! Ye desired not such things as contribute to the elegancies, the pleasures of existence; ye only sought the necessaries of life, bread to feed, a garment to clothe, a bed for the repose of your offspring. See, something occurs of which

ye

dreamt not.

Friends! patrons arise and open for you. the path to fortune. Not one angel's voice alone sounds from heaven; it appears as though heaven itself were opening its portals, and pouring its treasures in your lap! But how can I enumerate all the instances in which God appears to us so manifestly! Only be attentive to what passes in life, only listen to the voice of God. He often calls on you by name; listen but to the call, and answer "Here am I, here am I." Thus did Abraham: and what did he besides? He called the place “God manifesteth himself:" there he prayed, there he built an altar, there in after days, was erected the holy temple of the Lord. O my beloved, must I then ask, how do we distinguish the place, the hours, the days in which the Lord hath manifested Himself unto us, in His majesty, His mercy, His grace? Days on which ye have escaped a danger, on which a beloved life has been spared, on which you have been rescued from poverty, restored after sickness to health, on which a son, a daughter has been born, to a father, a mother! By what do ye distinguish such days, I again ask? You make yourselves merry! Would I could employ a commoner term, for so very usual an occurrence. You make yourselves merry, that is all. Who reflects that such days, above all others, should be passed in peaceful piety, in the centre of all who are dear to us, should be marked by righteous works, useful and beneficial to all mankind, and that the spirit of such days should be, ‘God manifesteth Himself.' Who remembers that on such days we ought to kneel and worship God, and render thanksgiving and praise? O again contemplate long and earnestly Abraham's mirror, my friends. Do you see his image? Seek to resemble it. I cannot present any

Let His watchword

thing more beautiful to your view! be yours, as often as God shall call, "Here am I!" His motto yours, as often as God shall require a sacrifice, "The best to the best." Give to your morality and religion the character of His,-firmness. Trust in God to-day, to-morrow, as long as ye breathe the breath of life, with a quiet and holy faith, even when overshadowed by the night of suffering. In such a night He will be to you the brightest star, the star of love and hope. Seek to behold God, and He will manifest Himself to you, when His aid shall be most unexpected. But mark such moments of your lives with something imperishable, eternal. Step forth thus into life: follow the path unto which God leadeth, which God will show unto you. Enjoy the pleasures of life and rejoice that God hath spared unto you the dear ones who are around you, to embellish your latter days: but train them, not only for earth, but also for heaven. O that they may seek and find heaven; take heed that they bear a heaven within them in heart and spirit, that they may join their voice in the "Thrice Holy" of the angelic choir! that they may elevate themselves unto God, that His praise be continually in their hearts!

Hallelujah! Amen!

F

SERMON IV.

A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF A GREAT LIFE.

GENESIS XXv. 8.

A FUNERAL Song, a lament for the dead, and yet no grave—no death! for ye who cleave unto the Lord your God, ye live! live eternally, with the sons and daughters and all the dear ones, whom your Heavenly Father has given unto your affections. He has watched over you and them, and amid the sad chasms which time and distance have created in so many circles, the Allmerciful has stayed the hand of the spoiler and has caused our dwellings to be passed over. Wherefore then do the words first uttered, recal to your minds the tomb and death? Because I desire to shew you life as exhibited by the man, the beloved of God, who has furnished to us the materials for a succession of discourses, for much contemplation. In the triennial circle which our weekly portions embrace, the sermon of to-day will be the last, of which Abraham, the father of the faithful, will be the subject. The picture, my friends, presented to us by the Bible and history, of the deeds of great and extraordinary men, is not completed, until the stern master death, has silently given the finishing stroke. Abraham also will stand to-day, for the first time, in completeness before you, when you shall have become acquainted with his return home—his death.

We dwell but too willingly with those who have become dear to us in life. We have embraced them fervently, and would not again be separated from them. If they tear themselves from us, if they depart for another land, we stand as rivetted to the spot and our eyes are fixed upon them as long as sight can discern them. Thus are our eyes fixed this day on the man in whom God decreed that all the generations of the earth should be blessed. We contemplate his life, that we may learn to live.

Yes, O Father in Heaven, we would learn to live, as often as we appear in Thy presence! Therefore is Thy dwelling so pleasant unto us, O Lord! Therefore do our hearts long and pant for thy courts, where flesh and spirit rejoice in the God of life. And as the bird seeketh and findeth its dwelling, as the swallow prepareth her nest for her young, so do we seek and find Thy altar, O our King, our God! so do we prepare it for ourselves and our children. Let us not tarry in vain in Thy house. Let thy word also this day influence us for good; may a noble life long since ended, instruct and elevate us! Grant that we may thence learn better to understand our destination and employ our powers, on this our pilgrimage, for the benefit of mankind! Grant that we may continually become more faithful to our duties, that our hearts may ever beat more purely, and kindle with a holier flame for each other! Grant that we may all be blessed with the conviction that the earth is not the limit of our activity-that the messenger of death is an angel of life, a heavenly envoy sent by Thee; with the faith, that none are destined to annihilation, but all are