SERMON XVIII.

CHRISTIAN AGREEMENT.

GEN. 45. 24.

See that ye fall not out by the way.

THIS is what Joseph said to his brethren, when he had made himself known to them in Egypt, and was sending them away to fetch their father. It was out of jealousy and enmity that he had at the first been sold by them to the Ishmaelites. And now that he had been heaping benefits on their heads, he did well to add this good counsel for their guidance, in the journey they were to take together to Canaan. But in order for you to see that this was kindly counsel, and not the taunt and triumph of success, observe how he had said before by way of comforting them; "Now therefore be not grieved nor angry

with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." (ver. 5.) And again, "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God." (ver. 8.) After which words of kindness, and other signal proof of hearty forgiveness, it well became his station of authority to give them the wholesome counsel of the text: "See that ye fall not out by the way."

This counsel it is my purpose now to enforce, by shewing how it concerns us all, as brethren in Christ, to abstain from quarrelling one with another; and specially how it concerns members of the same family, as masters and servants, parents and children, brethren and sisters, husbands and wives. See then, I say to all, "see that ye fall not out by the way. way." Our way, like the journey of these brethren of Joseph, our way too is from Egypt to Canaan. We are hastening, or we ought to be, all the days of our earthly pilgrimage, hastening from the regions of sin, to the promised land of holiness and heaven. We are returning to that God, who, as He

Himself has told us, feels for us in our lost estate, as a father for his beloved children. (See Isa. 1. 2.) In this our journey we are beset with difficulties and dangers. We have to pass through this wilderness of the world, through the evil communication of the faithless, the covetous, the sensual, and the proud. We have to encounter the fiery darts of the wicked one, assailing us with all evil thoughts, all sorrows and sufferings of body and of mind. We have to wrestle all the way with our own selves, with the flesh, and with the will which after the flesh is corrupt within us. All this we have to do and to suffer. And so imminent is our risk, so hard our warfare, that even the righteous shall "scarcely be saved." (1 Pet. 4. 18.) Shall we then add to all this trouble, aggravate all this misery, by quarrelling, and wrangling, and fighting with each other? Or shall we not rather listen to this advice of Joseph, " See that ye fall not out by the way?"

Well would this text apply to that quarrelling among nations, which under

the name of war has been thought honourable and often profitable, whereas it must ever be in the end most ruinous and disgraceful to the whole family of mankind. See then that in this respect "ye fall not out by the way." See that you never be tempted, by any supposed honour or profit of war, to speak of it as desirable, or to wish for it in your hearts. Pray rather, as we are in our Litany well directed, pray, "from battle," as well as from "murder," " good Lord, deliver us." Beseech also in very earnest the good Lord to hear you, that it may please Him "to give to all nations unity, peace, and concord."

Well would this text in like manner apply to natives of the same country, members of the same political community; and to the tumult, and strife, which of late years more especially have distracted the peace of society. Whether the cause have been the selfishness and negligence of one class, or the ignorance, presumption, and perversity of the other; or whether both parties, as is usually the case, must take their full share of blame; certain it

is that many countries have of late been visited with civil confusion, and that our own has been thought to be greatly in danger of it. Think then soberly of the way you have to go, the life you have to live on earth. Note how many of its ills are relieved, how largely its blessings are multiplied, by the interchange of good offices, and good will, amongst each other. Note how this good will may be promoted, and all the benefits of society enlarged and secured, by peaceful conference and reasonable agreement. Note how each act of violence redounds to the detriment of true liberty, and to the disgrace of those who would thus aim at its establishment. Note all these evils of civil strife; note all these advantages of peaceable submission to the powers that be; and you will in your conduct, as members of the state, take ever for your rule this direction of Joseph: "See that ye fall not out by the way."

Well does this rule apply also to those, who esteem themselves members of the same household of faith. What can be more scandalous in the eyes of the scoffer,