any value. And this is what St. Paul most earnestly recom- mends : " I beseech you, Brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service'"." In presenting volu7itary oblations to the Lord, there were some peculiar en- couragements afforded, to which I will call your more especial attention. First, of the offerings so presented, the offerers themselves partook : so that Almighty God, who was repre- sented by the altar that consumed the memorial ; and the priests, to whose support a good measure of the offering was assigned; and the offerer himself; all, if I may so speak, feasted together. Next, the vow or voluntary offering might be pre- sented "with leavened bread:" yes, notwithstanding leaven was prohibited, most strictly prohibited, in all other offerings, it might be presented in this, because God would shew his special approbation of this, and his willingness to condescend to the infirmities of those who desired to honour him, though they could not honour him to the extent they desired. And, lastly, whereas in an offering of thanksgiving the offerer could only partake on the day that he presented his offering, in that which he presented as a votv, he might partake the second day, as well as the first ; that so he might have a full, a rich, an abiding enjoyment of the sacrifice, which, of his own free will, and without any necessity imposed vipon him, he had vowed unto the Lord". And now, after this, shall I need to multiply words in order to induce you, Brethren, to surrender vip your- selves unto the Lord ? No : I need only shew you in what way God has prescribed it to be done under the very dispensation nnder which we live : "In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion witli their faces thitherward, saying. Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be for- gotten °." Do this, my Beloved, and it will be the best possible completion of your vows. Go to God, as not your own, but His : go to him as bought with a price, even with the precious blood of his only dear Son; and from this moment live wholly luito him, that ye may " glorify him in your body, and in your spirit, which are hisi'."]
™ Rom. xii. 1.
" See Lev. vii. 11 — 16. Mark the distinction between ver. 12. and ver. 16.
° Jer. 1. 4, 5. p 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.
596. J i>avid's love to god. 437