recommend the example of NehemiahP; confident that such
intercessors are the real bulwark of the nation If the
humiliation of so wicked a prince as Ahab succeeded so far as to defer the judgments of God to the next generation, we may well hope, that the genuine repentance of many would prevail for the entire removal of them from our land. " As long as we continued to seek the Lord, the Lord would make us to prosper."]
P Neh. i. 4.
Matt. vi. 19 — 21. Lai/ notupfor yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and ivhere thieves break through and steal: hut lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither motli nor rust doth corrupt, and tvhere thieves do ?iot break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there loill your heart be also.
MUCH of our Lord's sermon on the mount was intended to explain the true import of the Law, in opposition to the false glosses with which the Scribes and Pharisees had obscured it. But in many parts of it the instruction is general, and unconnected with any particular persons or circumstances. The Phari- sees indeed were covetous : but the whole human race are more intent on earthly than on heavenly things ; and therefore the exhortation in our text may be considered as equally important in every age and place.
In discoursing upon it, we shall consider, I. The direction given —
This consists of two parts, the one negative, the other positive :
L The negative part —
[This is not to be understood as though there were no situation or circumstances wherein it were allowable to lay up money : for it is certainly the duty of all persons to make pro- vision for those whose subsistence depends upon them : those who should refuse to support their aged parents or relatives would be deemed worse than infidels^ : iioi', by parity of
a 1 Tim. V. 8.