HOMILETICS. Vers. 5, 6.-Go~s promueI; to such a.s keep hu covenant. Three things are here specially worthy of consideration :-1. The n1tture of the promises; 2. 'l'he grounds on which tbey may be belie,·ed and trusted; a.nd 3. The conditions attached to them, 1. . Tim 1' A TURE OF 1'HE PROMISES. God's proJ:?ises to. Israel are threefold-they shall he kmgs; they shall be priests; they shall be his peculiar treasure.-(a) Kings. Most rneu are sla ves---servants of Satan, servants of sin, slnves to their evil passions, slaves to opinion, abject slaves to those among their fellow-men on whom they depend for daily bread, or for favour and advancement. The glorious liberty of the children of God shakes off all these yokes. Man, awakened to his true relations with God, at once asserts himself, realises his dignity, feels that he need "call no man, master." He himself is supreme over himself; his conscience is his law, not the will of another. His life, his acts, his words, are under his own control. Within this sphere he is "kina," directing and ruling his conduct according to his own views of what is right and fittin°g; and this kingship is mostly followed by another. Let a man once show himself a true, brave, upright, independent person, and he will soon have subjects enough. The weak place themselves under his protection, the timid under his guidance. He will have a clieni,ele, which will continually grow so long as he remains on earth, and in Heaven he will be a "king" too. The" faithful and true servant" has "authority over ten cities." He "reigns with Christ for ever and ever" (Rev. xx. 6; xxii. 5). (b) Priuts. A priest is one who is consecrated to God, who has free and ready access to him without an intermediary at all times and seasons, and who acts as an intermediary between God and others. As circumcision consecrated the Israelite, so baptism consecrates the Christian. He receives "an unction from the Holy One" (l John i. 20), and is thence- forth a " priest to God," bound to his service, brought near to him, entitled to "go boldly to the throne of grace," to offer up his own prayers and intercessions, nay-even to "enter into the holiest" (Heh. L 19). He is further not only entitled, but bound tc a.et as intermediary between God and those who do not know God; to teach them; cu11ven them, if he can; intercede for them; under certain circumstances, to baptise them. (c) His pecul-iar treasure. The world despises God's servants, sets little store by them, regards them as poor weak creatures, whom it may ill-use at its pleasure. But God holds ea.eh servant dear, sets a high value on him, regards him as precious. " They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels" (Mai. iii. 17). Each saint is a jewel in the crown of the Lord Christ, and is estimated accordingly. A king would as soon lose one of his crown jewels as Christ one of those for whom he shed his precious blood. He has " bought them at a price;" they a.re his; and the value which he sets on them no man can know. They are to him "more precious tha.n rubies." 11. THE GBOUNDB ON WHICH THE PBOJIIISES HAY BE BELIEVED AND TRUSTED, As we have found of men in the past, so we look to find of them in the future. God bade the Israelites look back, and consider what he had already done for them-whether in the past he had proved himself faithful and true-whether he had supported and sustained them, "borne them up on eagle's wings," protected them, delivered them from dangers. If this were so, could they not trust him for the future l Would they not believe the promises which he now held out to them? Would they not regard them as certain of accomplishment? The Israelites appear to have believed; and shall not Christians do the like? Have not above three thollll8.Ild years tested God's faithfulness, since he thus spoke to Israel? In the whoie long course of thl:5e millennia has he ever been proved unfaithful? Assuredly not. .All that he promises, and more tha.n all he pro- mises, does he perform for the sons of men. ~ever does he disappoint them; never does he fail to make good his word. Each promise of God therefore may be trusted implicitly. " God is nut a man that he should lie, or the wn of man that he should repent." He is true, and therefore must will to do a.s he haij said; he is omnipotent, and therefore must be able to do a.s he wills. III. 'l'HE CONDITIONS ON WHICH TBE POOMISES ABE GIVEN. "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant." The precious promises of God to man are conditional upoo (a) his g,•neral obedience; (b) his observance of a certain formal covi,nant. 'l't,e en. XIX. 3-10.) 'l'IIE UOOK OF EXODu:',.
obedience must be" an obedience indeed"--i.e., an obedience from the heart sincern 'oving, complete, so far as human frailty permits--not partial, not 0uru<l~ina n,;;, outward only. 'l'he covenant must be kept in a.II its essentials. To the Je;, ci;cum- cision was necessary, after which ho had to make offerings, to attend certain festivals year by year, to pay tithes, and to observe numerous minute regulations with re"a.rd to "cleanness·' and "uncleanness." 'fbe Christian covenant has but two essential rites Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Even these are only "generally necessary to salvation.': Still, if we look for covenanted mercies and claim them, we must take ea.re to be within the covenant. We must inquire dispassionately, what the terms are upon which Christ receives us into covenant with him, a.nd not take upon ourselves a dispensing power, absolving us from a.ll such obligations. Christ rejected from the marriage-feast the man who ha.d not on a wedding-garment. No one who neglects either of the two solemn and simple ordinances which a.lone Christ has ordained in his Church can be sure that he will not in the last day be rejected.