means by it a supply of every temporal blessing, which he will bestow upon them from the very instant that they thus return unto him. If therefore we apply this spiritually, we may understand by it a supply of all spiritual blessings, which God will vouchsafe to his people from the time that they come to him with real penitence and contrition. Just as when our Lord says, " If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink ; and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water :" (by which he meant all the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit :) so, I appre- hend, when God says in my text, " I will give her vineyards," he means every kind of temporal and spiritual blessing. It is added further, " I will give her the valley of Achor for a door of hope." Achor was a very rich valley, so called from the circumstance of Achan being stoned there. It was the first portion of the promised land that came into the possession of the Israelites : and this was to them a door of hope ; it was a ground of assurance, that they should in due time possess the whole land : it was, as it were, an earnest, whereby they were taught to expect the fulfilment of all the promises. Here then we see the meaning of the passage before us, according to the spiritual interpretation of it : God promises to his people the richest spiritual blessings ; and teaches them to consider all which they here possess, as an earnest only of what they shall hereafter inherit. Now it is by this prospect of receiving all spiritual and eternal blessings, that the young Christian is encouraged to proceed.
First, He has a prospect of all spiritual blessings. The believer soon finds, that, if he will be faithful to his God, he must forego some worldly advantages ; and sacrifice every interest that stands in competition with his duty. Now this to our earthly hearts is no little trial : those who are insincere cannot stand this test : like the young man in the Gospel, they may wish for an interest in Christ ; but, if they must sell all in order to obtain it, they will rather part with Christ and his benefits : yea, if for a season they make a profession of godli- ness, they will at last, like Demas, prove by their conduct that they are " lovers of this present evil world." But, as an anti- dote against this poison, God promises that he will give better riches, even " durable riches and righteousness ;" and, that the blessings which he will bestow, shall far more than counter- balance any thing which can be lost for him : and thus he inclines the soul to suffer temporal loss, in expectation of greater spiritual advantage ; and (as did the saints of old,) to " take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." The Christian also, after a little time, begins to find that he has many sore conflicts to maintain; that he has enemies on every side ; that he has temptations without number ; and that he has