Application —
[The term, Nazarite, imports separation : and though, as has been observed before, the ordinances relative to Nazarites are no longer in force, their duties, in a spiritual view, are obligatory on us. St. Paul says, " Come out from among the ungodly, and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." You remember too it was observed, that " God raised up young men to be Nazarites." O that the young amongst us would be foremost in the sur- render of themselves to God ! How would the world be bene- fited ! how would God be glorified ! With respect to
females, a vow of theirs, if not allowed by their father or their husband, was made void; so that they could not separate themselves, as Nazarites, without the permission of those who had the control over them0: but there is no such controlling power now, none to prevent a surrender of our souls to God : the answer to any opposing authority must be, " We ought to obey God rather than men." Let nothing then keep us from executing the purposes which God has inspired ; but let us, both old and young, " yield up ourselves as living sacrifices unto God, assured that it is no less a reasonable, than it is an acceptable, service " ]
0 Numb. xxx. 1 — 16.
Numb. vi. 23 — 21. On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee : the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the chil- dren of Israel, and I will bless them.
THE exercise of benevolence is that which every child of God should cultivate to the uttermost : but ministers above all should consider it as the distin- guishing badge of their office : they are compelled indeed sometimes to " use sharpness ; " but whether they rebuke, or whether they exhort, they should be actuated by nothing but a principle of love. Under the law, it was a very important part of the priestly office to bless the people ; and God prescribed a form of words to be used by Aaron and his sons in the