of all the godly, eternity will be the perfect Jubilee. There we shall have perfect liberty; for ever free from an oppressive yoke or galling chain. There we shall have perfect rest; for ever free from all suffering, disturbance, and calamity. There we shall see our inheritance, and never be removed from it. All is perfection there, perfect glory and blessedness; we ourselves shall be perfect; and we shall only see and feel perfection, and that for ever. There, in a word, we shall be like God; for there" we shall see him as he is."

O glorious and solemn subject! We shall die; but at the appointed hour the trumpet shall sound that wakes the dead, and we shall rise from the prison of the grave, and, if found faithful, we shall, in our glorified bodies and souls, enter into the joy of our Lord.

But

But in conclusion, 1. We must warn the careless. You live in the "acceptable year of the Lord," in the gospel Jubilee. You are called to the enjoyment of liberty, rest, and imperishable wealth; freedom from sin, happiness in your souls, and glory for ever. you yet disregard the call, and live in slavery, misery, and poverty. What are you doing? In what will your course end? Consider, before it be too late, and hear and receive the gospel. "Blessed are they that know the joyful sound." Pray earnestly for grace, that their blessedness may be yours. Why will you destroy yourselves for ever?"

2. Let all take care that they improve their privileges. If we consider the nature of the blessings which the gospel bestows, and then examine ourselves, we shall see great reason to be diligent in making our calling and election sure. What slaves to sin are we yet! how much are we strangers to divine rest and happiness! how dim our apprehensions of glory! Let us seek more liberty and peace; more faith and hope. We must not be idle: we have much to do, if we wish to be true Christians; wise, sound, sincere, and humble followers of our great Redeemer.

THE PRAYER.

O blessed God, I thank and praise thee for all the mercies that I enjoy, and especially for the gospel of our salvation; give me grace that I may know the joyful sound, and walk in the light of thy countenance. Deliver me from the slavery of sin; grant me happiness in true piety; and let me rejoice in thee all the day, and triumph in the sure hope of glory. Let me so spend my life in thy service, that I may spend eternity in thy presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LECTURE XXVI.

THE PEOPLE MURMUR AT THE REPORT OF THE SPIES.

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. Num. xiv. 1.

IN the preceding chapter we have an account of the men who were sent to examine the land of Canaan. In verses 1-16, we are told who they were: in verses 17-20, we have the commission that was given them: in verses 21-33, we are informed how they executed their commission. Ten of the twelve spies were unbelieving, irreligious men, and they gave an evil report of the land. They represented it as being fruitful, but at the same time as abounding with strong cities and gigantic inhabitants. Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, made a right acknowledgment of God and be lieved in his promise.

I. Let us examine the remaining part of the history, contained in the 14th chapter. Observe,

1. The conduct of the Israelites: ver. 1-4. A good

report and a bad one were given them: to which did they attend? To the bad one. They weep: they murmur against their rulers: they are profane, and wish they had died long since: they meditate a return to Egypt. Here is human nature; impatient, fretful, impious, foolish. Men would have all things smooth before them, all in agreement with their own wishes; or they quarrel with every thing. What a creature is man when God is forgotten, and when he is ruled by his folly and his passions!

2. The conduct of Moses and Aaron: ver. 5-9. They display none of the violent passions of our nature. They reason with the enraged multitude. Their assertions and admonitions show their piety and judgment. What a contrast! On the one hand a furious multitude; on the other, Moses and Aaron, Caleb and Joshua, in all the dignity of wisdom and religion, composed and gentle in the storm. See here what man is with, and without religion.

3. The divine interposition: ver. 10-12. What is solid and pious persuasion to a raging crowd? It is the whisper of a child in a whirlwind. It was a perilous moment: Moses and Aaron and the faithful spies are to be stoned. But here God interposes: he never forsakes his people: he reveals himself in the proper time. How awful it is to displease him! How terrible is he in his doings when he is provoked by obstinate sinners?

4. The expostulation of Moses, and its success: ver. 13-20. God threatened to destroy the Israelites, and would raise from Moses a greater nation. Does this please Moses? No: he had true piety, and no selfishness; he was anxious for the glory of God, not for his own exaltation. He therefore earnestly prays, 17—19, that the people might be forgiven. His prayer, 20, was heard and accepted. Here we see the disinterested and benevolent character of a truly good man, and also the power of prayer.

5. The just judgments of God: ver. 21—23, and 36

-38. In the midst of mercy the divine justice must be manifested, and the Israelites, and all generations, must see that God abhors iniquity. The ten rebel spies die by the plague: not only so, but all the people from twenty years old and upward shall never see Canaan. Forty years must be spent in the wilderness, till one generation dies and another occupies its place. God is merciful, but he is just: he pardons, but he also punishes.

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6. The recompense of the righteous: ver. 24. But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully; him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. Every word here is expressive. Consider Caleb. My Servant:" "another spirit:" "followed me fully." Consider his reward. He shall enter into Canaan after an interval of forty years: and his posterity shall inherit it. What shall we say? "Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth."

7. The fruitless submission of the people: ver. 39— 45. They mourned; they confessed their sin; they resolved to go up to Canaan. But it was too late: the decree had gone forth, and it could not be reversed. Their obedience was rebellion. They had disregarded the proper season, and now they must reap the fruit of their doings. See Proverbs i. 24—31.

II. Let us make a few plain reflections on this history. 1. Let us follow wise advisers and pious teachers. A glorious Canaan is before us: if we would enter into it we must act properly while we are in the wilderness. Whom shall we hear and obey? Those who account religion harsh, unpleasant, needless, impossible? No: but those who, knowing our weakness and our enemies, show us where our strength is, and encourage us to arise, arm ourselves, go up, and take the goodly land. The word of God, Conscience, Reason, follow these; not the authors of evil reports.

2. Let us learn what human nature is. In the case of the Israelites, what a sad and humiliating picture is here put before us! No faith in exercise, God and his faithful word forgotten: then folly and passion rule, and man is capable of all enormities and excesses. Without a solid, vital religious principle, what is man? 3. Let us notice the direct consequences of sin. By unbelief, and its natural results, the Israelites provoked God to anger and lost the temporal Canaan. By unbelief, and its natural results, discontent, murmuring, and rebellion, we Christians provoke God to anger, and lose the eternal Canaan. We trifle; presume; care not what we say or do; rail against man; murmur against God; and think all must yield to us. Besotted creatures! Blind mortals! There is a God, and his eye is upon us, and if we persist in our folly and madness we shall find that he is a holy, just, and terrible being. Persist in sin, and be undone for ever. The sinner's short boast, and short pleasure, will be followed by unending infamy and unending woe. This is the fruit of

sin.

4. Let us see how pleasing are the characters, and how happy is the end of the truly good. Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua are men of faith and obedience; men of true piety. How calm in danger! How mild and benevolent in provocation! How devout and stedfast in the day of trial! They are noticed, honoured, rewarded by Him in whom they confided. What shining lights among a perverse people! Surely piety is the good part, and he that chooses it makes the wise choice.

But, to say no more, here is Man in his folly, Piety in its excellence and loveliness, and God in his goodness and severity. We are now pilgrims in the wilderness: let us beware of pride, fretfulness, discontent, and unbelief: let us believe in God and his word; resign, obey, rejoice, and persevere. Let every reader of these lines say, "The heavenly Canaan is before me; I will