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JOSHUA XXIV. 15. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

THIS was the resolution of Joshua, the ruler of Israel. He was one of the multitude, who, under Moses their leader, had, by the strong hand of the Lord, been delivered from Egyptian bondage. He had spent forty years in the wilderness, on the journey from Egypt to Canaan; and was one of the only two of the whole multitude who were adults when they came out of Egypt, who were permitted to enter the promised land. On the death of Moses, he had succeeded by divine appointment, to the supreme authority in the nation. He had conducted the tribes of Israel, through Jordan, into Canaan; had led their armies to battle and to victory; and had put them in possession of the promised land.

The nation of Israel had now been in peaceable possession of the land of Canaan, several years; and Joshua had become old, and knew that according to the course of nature, the time of his death was near. Anxious with his latest life to glorify God, and promote the interests of the people, over whom he had presided, he gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and there addressed them.

In this address he briefly recited God's gracious dealings with them, beginning with the call of Abraham, and carrying them through their history, down to the time when he addressed them. He then applied his address, by exhorting them to fear and serve the Lord, who had thus VOL. XI. No. 8.

graciously dealt with them as a people. And he urged them to an immediate decision, whether they would serve the Lord or not. "Choose ye (said he) this day whom ye will serve." He then told them what his resolution was a resolution which he had doubtless formed many years before, and according to which he had, through a long life, acted. This resolution we have in our text-" As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Whatever others might do, this was his resolution.

This was a most noble and blessed resolution. And O, that every individual in this assembly would make it for himself! And that every head of a family would make it in behalf of his family! We should then be, indeed, a blessed congregation.

In speaking from the text, I will

I. Explain the resolution.

II. Offer reasons to enforce it.

I. I would explain the resolution-"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The resolution, you perceive, is two-fold. Joshua resolved that he himself, personally, would serve the Lord; and then that his family also should serve him. The amount of his resolution was, that he would maintain both personal and family religion. It will be proper to consider each of these branches of the resolution separately. (1.) Consider it in regard to personal religion. "As for me I will serve the Lord." What is it truly to serve the Lord? I answer

1. If we would personally serve the Lord, we must become reconciled to him. Mankind, in their natural state, are alienated from God. They do not approve of his character, law, government, and plan of salvation. On the contrary, they dislike them, and are opposed to them. As we read Rom. ix. 7: "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Hence, if we would truly serve the Lord, it is evident, we must become reconciled to him. This native enmity, and opposition, and dislike, must be given up; and the contrary feelings towards God must be exercised and cherished in our souls. He searches the heart and requires the heart in all our services, and common sense teaches that we cannot acceptably serve him, unless our hearts are right with him, unless they become reconciled to him, which they are not, in their natural state. And agreeably to this we are often exhorted in the Scriptures to "be reconciled to God;" the ministry of the gospel is called "the ministry of reconciliation;" the great business of ministers is sometimes summed up, in instrumentally reconciling sinners to God; and God's people, of whom it is said,

that they were sometimes alienated, and enemies in their mind by wicked works, are described as reconciled to God. This is the commencement of religion in their souls. Hence, my hearers, if you would truly serve the Lord, you must first become reconciled to him-to his character, law, government, and plan of salvation, so as to approve of them.

2. If we would personally form the resolution in the text-"As for me-I will serve the Lord;" and practically execute it, we must repent of our sins. We must be sensible that we are sinners; feel that sin is an evil thing; condemn ourselves for it; be sorry for it, and mourn over it; and forsake our sins with hatred of them, and turn from them to God. Such repentance is essential to the real service of God. This the nature of things teaches; for if we have been in a state of alienation from God, and rebellion against him, it is not possible, that we can heartily engage in his service and pursue in our feelings and conduct a directly opposite course, without condemning our former feelings and conduct, and exercising sorrow for them; or repenting of our sins. And that repentance is essential to the service of God is explicitly taught in his word, where sinners are often exhorted to repent; and remission is connected with repentance; and God commands all men every where to repent; and it is declared "except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish."

3. The personal service of the Lord includes faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. "This," said our Savior when he was upon earth-"this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." "Without faith it is impossible to please him"-"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." There is no acceptable return to God whom we have offended, but through Christ as mediatorChrist is the way; "no man cometh to the Father but by him." It is through his righteousness alone that we can obtain the forgiveness of our sins, and the acceptance of our persons and services. And it is by faith alone that we can obtain an interest in this righteousness. This faith in Christ, which makes a part of the acceptable service of God, implies a conviction of sin and ruin, and utter helplessness. Under this conviction the person exercising true faith, believes that Christ alone can save him, and that he is able and willing to do for him what he needs; and renouncing every other dependence, and approving of the plan of salvation through Christ, he cordially receives him as he is offered in the gospel, for the pardon of his sins, and the acceptance of his person and services, in the sight of God. This is a very important

and fundamental article, in all true and acceptable service of the Lord. It doubtless made a part of Joshua's service. For religion was substantially the same under the Old Testament dispensation, as it is under the New. The saints of that period, through prophecies, and promises, and types, were led to believe in a Savior to come, and relied on his merits for pardon, and the acceptance of their persons and services. By faith Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice. Noah was heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Abraham saw Christ's day and rejoiced; he believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. And in Habakkuk we read-"the just shall live by faith." Faith was doubtless a part of Joshua's service; and it is still an essential part of all acceptable service of the Lord.

4. Another essential part of the service of the Lord is love to him. This reason teaches; for even men, if they could know the heart, would not approve of professions of service, where love was wanting and much less will the heart searching God whom we are under infinite obligations to love. Besides, God, in his word, repeatedly and explicitly requires that we should love him. God demands, "My son, give me thine heart." "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God." He teaches us that the faith which is acceptable "works by love ;" and that "love is the fulfilling of the law." And he has made many promises to those who love him; and has denounced threatenings against those who do not. Love to God then, is essential to the true service of him. This love to be genuine and acceptable, must be supreme. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and soul, and strength, and mind.” And our Savior says, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me." And again, he says, "If any man come to me, and hate not (that is comparatively) his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

right state of mind. state of mind.

5. In the service of the Lord is included obedience to all his commandments. And indeed this is the main and great point, and is emphatically the service itself. The other things we have considered relate to a This is the conduct proceeding from such a Obedience is the necessary fruit of genuine reconciliation to God, repentance, faith, and love. If we are reconciled to God so as to approve of his law, and delight in it, this approbation and deligh will lead to uniform obedience. If we repent of our sins, in genuine re