is, as often is the case, emphatic here-Lest peraventure X fulfil’d, be drawen to denyen, and seyen, who is the Lord!—That is, lest having all earthly things at command, I should gratify all my sensual desires, and thus feeling no spiritual wants, be excited to deny that there is a God; and tauntingly and impudently call upon His followers to shew Him whom they call Lord. Coverdale expresses the pride and naughtiness of their heart, in his translation-Lest if I be to full, I denye thee, and saye, what fellowe is the Lord?-The general meaning is, "Lest I be full, and addict myself to luxurious living, pamper the flesh, and starve the soul, and so deny thee, the Fountain of goodness and if called upon to resort to first principles, I say, who is Jehovah? Why should I acknowledge, why should I serve Him?—and thus cast aside all sense of religion, and all moral obligation."

But there is another clause that seems to make a separate prayer, though included in the preceding-Feed me with food convenient for me, expressed by three words in the original, pn □n ha-teripheni lechem chukki, the meaning of which appears to be, "give me as prey my statute allowance of bread." The prayer of a hunter going out to the forest, to seek for venison. "Thou knowest I need a certain portion of food for myself and family; so order it that I shall meet with such prey, as may be both suitable and sufficient for my wants." It is the same petition in sense and substance as that in our Lord's prayer, τον αρτον ἡμον τον επιούσιον δος ήμιν σήμερον, Οr το καθ' ἡμερον, Give us to-day our sufficient portion of food-or, give us each day our proper ration-i. e. what is sufficient for our daily consumption.

There was great moderation in the prayer of Agur; he wished merely for what was sufficient for the family support, -just what was needful, and this was what Providence seemed to prescribe; and therefore it is termed pn chukki, my statute allowance that which is marked out as necessary for the support of life; and this he asked not in advance, but day by day; and thus continual dependence on God, and continual gratitude for blessings daily received, were kept in full exercise.

This is a most lawful prayer: it can never be the design of God, that any man shall perish through the want of the necessaries of life. There is bread for all, furnished by divine

Providence; and work for all, by which they may acquire that bread: for it is in or by the sweat of the brow, that a man shall eat bread-this was God's original design; and hence the Apostle strongly asserts, 2 Thess. iii. 10, that they who will not WORK, shall not EAT: and hence he commands them, 1 Thess. iv. 11, " to study to be quiet, to do their own business, and to work with their HANDS.' The slothful man shall be clothed with rags:-nor is there any thing in providence or in grace, to entitle him to expect a subsistence if he labour not in Agur's prayer, he can have no part. RICHES, in no sense, can he have, who will not work. POVERTY and wretchedness must be his portion; with the disapprobation of God, both in time and eternity. But God will bless the hand of the diligent; and he may not only have enough, but something to spare. Reader, should God not only give thee the portion necessary for thee, but something more; remember, the poor is ever with thee, turn not away thy face from any poor man; and so the face of the Lord shall never be turned away from thee. Add to this, the consideration, that God requires your help in behalf of His Church, and for the diffusion of His knowledge among the heathen. There are whole nations who have not heard of the Lord's Christ. You cannot get to them in person--go then in proxy. There are many

holy men who have in this way consecrated their service to the Lord, and wish to be sent to those countries, from which a voice is come to our ears, and to our hearts, Come over and help us!-send them as your proxies and representatives.

Let the rich, who do not wish that their table should become a snare to them, expend at least a part of their surplus in this way and this will be the means of getting the blessing of God on all the rest. Thus, between the poor, the church, and the heathen, there are so many open channels to take off all our superfluous cash, and consequently so many means of conveying God's approbation and blessing to our hearts and families. Thus the rich man may join in Agur's prayer with great fervour and success- -Give me not riches, without giving me a heart to use them to thy glory and the good of mankind! And thus, to use a plain term, that which God has put into your hands, you will never put into your heart but will honour the Lord with your substance.

And now ye POOR: arise and shake yourselves from the

Has not your present wretchyour slothfulness or the abuse

dust, and cry unto the Lord. edness proceeded either from of mercies already received? God may bring back your captivity-search your hearts, humble yourselves before Himwho knows, but He will return to you with mercies, and your expectation shall not perish for ever, He has promised "to deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper." Psal. lxxii. 2. But remember, there is no promise of deliverance, where there is no cry. If you call earnestly upon Him, you will find the truth of this promise: “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill." Psal. cxiii. 7.

In the preceding paraphrase on the short history and maxims of Agur, I have endeavoured to point out the snares and dangers incident to the principal states and situations of life the imperfection of human knowledge, the danger of self-confidence and presumption; the necessity of divine teaching and of preservation from extremes in reference to poverty on the one hand, and riches on the other; the blessedness of a middle state in society; the duties of the rich, the poor, and of those who occupy the middle place in reference to these two extremes--and the necessity of faith in God, prayer to Him, and contentment with the situation in which His wise Providence has thought fit to place us.

The prayer of Agur has been frequently quoted by many who attended very little to its meaning-and whose hearts were strongly set upon gain, who wished with all their souls to be as rich as the best of their neighbours; and who would have been glad to have been placed at the head of the community but as this was, in most cases, hopeless, they felt a desire to compound with Providence: and on condition that they were not to see poverty, but have all the necessaries, conveniences, and comforts of life, they would have been contented to have given up what they conceived to be riches, i. e, the state of kings, great lords, affluent merchants, wealthy tradesmen, and extensive land-holders! For want of close self-examination, we possess but little of self-knowledge; and often think we are very sincere, when in fact, we are very ignorant of the import of our own requests, and sometimes even mean the contrary to what we express.

The sum of all is, God alone is the Fountain, Author, and

Giver of all good. He loves man; and if, while humble, teachable, and dependent on Him, he earnestly and honestly put forth the powers which He has given him, steadily fleeing from sin to God his Saviour; that saving and merciful God will bless him in his lawful endeavours, and enable him to owe no man any thing, and to provide things honest in the sight of all men ;-God will not very probably give him riches, but will save him from pinching poverty, and grant him the food or maintenance convenient or suitable to his state.

Whoever has received from God food, raiment, and a contented spirit, has received all that he should pray for, and all that any human being needs, to make him truly happy. What is beyond this, is generally an encumbrance, or a heavy charge entrusted to the possessor in behalf of the poor; and he has much need to pray for grace from God, to be faithful. He who prays for RICHES, prays for snares, vanity, and vexation of spirit. He who prays for POVERTY, prays for what few can bear: and should his prayer be heard, and he become poor, he will most probably steal, and take the name of the Lord in vain. For where a prophet of God did not feel himself safe, a common Christian would be very likely to fall.

Some pray for poverty of spirit—this is perhaps another word for humility: of this, no man can have too much. And some pray for the riches of grace and glory: by which they mean, an abundance of faith, hope, and love. This should be the incessant prayer of every Christian; for, without the faith that works the hope that excites to universal patience—and the love that labours for the glory of God and the salvation of men-no man can be a true Christian, or ever expect, on the gospel plan, to inherit the kingdom of God.

SERMON XXVIII.

THE GLORY OF THE LATTER DAYS.

JOEL, Chap. ii. 28, 29, 32.

28. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days, will I pour out my spirit.

32. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be delivered.

This passage, as quoted by St. Peter, Acts ii. 17, 18, 21, stands thus

17. And it shall come to pass in the last days, (ev rais soxatais hμepais,) saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, (poontevσovσiv,) and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

18. And on my servants, and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my spirit; and they shall prophesy, (kаí пρоρηтεvσоvσɩ.)

21. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, (owOnoerai, he shall be made safe,―be preserved.)

HOPE, "the expectation of good things to come," has a powerful operation on the human heart, in all states and conditions of life-suppose it be well with us, we think it may be better; and the bare possibility of the thing, is sufficient to excite hope that it shall be so: and hence expectation, which properly speaking, is hope drawn out into unlimited successive acts; and thus we pass through life, with, if not a cheerful, yet an amusing prospect of future good.