muft not be conformed to this prefent Life; but as He who has called us is holy, fo we also are to be holy in all manner of Converfation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, 1 Pet. XV. 16.

LEVITICUS, Chap. XXV. Ver. 1, to 34.

TH

HIS Chapter contains the Law, whereby God ordained to let the Land rest every Seventh Year, and to celebrate the Jubilee every Fiftieth Year.

"My Brethren,

After the Leffon.

HE Defign of the Law, which ordains that, the Land fhould rest every Seventh Year, and the Jubilee to be celebrated at the End of the Fiftieth Year, was to make the Jews remember, that the Land of Canaan belonged to God, and that the Fruitfulness of the Country proceeded from God alone; as alfo to preferve the Diftinction of Tribes and Inheritances; to provide for the Support of the Neceffitous; to prevent the Rich, by purchafing Lands and Slaves in Perpetuity, to deprive the Poor of their Goods and Liberty. Now although thefe Laws are abolished, we ought to obferve in them the great Wisdom of God, and the admirable Manner by which the People were governed; and we are to learn from thence, to do Homage to God of all our Goods; to be dif-interested and charitable towards the Poor; to treat our Servants with Humanity; to be just and equitable in all our Affairs; and to obferve a due and exact Proportion in Bargaining; and in Buying and Selling, according to the true Value of Things.

DEUTERONOMY, Chap. VI.

OSES exhorts the fews to obferve the Commandments of

M God, to love Him with all their Hearts, never, to depart from

his Word, and above all, to teach the Law of God to their Children, and to inftruct them in the Wonders that God had done for the Sake of their Forefathers.

After

My Brethren,

After the Leffon.

HE reading of this Chapter teaches us, that our great and principal Care ought to be to love God, to obey Him, and to adhere inviolably to his Word. But above all, we may obferve in this Place, that the Duty of Fathers is to inftruct their Children in the Law, and the Fear of the Lord; and always to talk to them about the Grace of God and this holy Commandments. If the Jews were obliged to the Performance of this Duty, Chriftians are much more fo, and they may not neglect the Education and Inftruction of their Children, without being guilty of a great Sin. Finally, We ought all of us to learn from hence, never to abuse the Favours of God, to meditate on them continually, in order to fear and love Him; fince it is that, as Mofes fays, which will be our Righteouf nefs and our Happiness, if we take Care to perform all that the Lord our God hath commanded us.

A

79 01

1

IN

d

DEUTERONOMY, Chap. XXXIV.

this Chapter we have an Account of the Death of Moses.

My Brethren,

WE

After the Leffon.

TE have here read the Hiftory of the Death of Mofes, who was the Deliverer and Law-giver of the People of God, and the greatest of all the Prophets: We are to honour his Memory, and to reverence the Law that he received from God, and which he hath left us in Writing. Moreover, we ought to follow the Examples of his Vertues, and particularly of his Faith, of his Meeknefs, and of the Zeal and Fidelity with which he ferved God: And then if we believe the Doctrine of Mofes, we ought to believe in Him whofe Coming he hath foretold, and who was infinitely above him by the Perfection of his Doctrine, by the Glory of his Miracles, and by the Holiness of his Life; to wit, in Jefus Chrift our Lord, to whom belongs Praifes and Glory, for ever and ever. Amina

JOSHUA,

I

JOSHUA, Chap. VII.

N this Chapter we are informed how the Ifraelites were defeated before the City of Ai, because of the Theft committed by a certain Perfon whofe Name was Achan, who had taken fome of the Plunder of the Town of Jericho, against the exprefs Command of God, and of the Discovery and Punishment of the faid Perfon.

THIS Hiftory furnishes us with feveral good Reflections: First, We fee from it, the Behaviour of Achan, who took of the accurfed Thing; to what Sin the Love of Riches drives Men, and that nothing is facred to fuch who are strongly poffeffed with this Paffion. Secondly, We may obferve here, that the Sin of one Man alone, may draw down the Curfe of God upon the Publick; and that Unrighteousness and medling with forbidden Things, may deprive a whole Nation of the Protection of God. Thirdly, The admirable Manner of discovering Achan, by cafting of Lots, proves clearly that God knows all Things, and that Sins committed in Secret, cannot escape either his Knowledge or Revenge. Fourthly, That Punishment. of Achan fhews, that ill-gotten Riches are never profitable, and that the Curfe of God follows unrighteous and facrilegious Perfons, as well as those who are the Authors of Scandals and publick Misfortunes. Lastly, This Punishment was an Example that God thought fit to make, to oblige the Children of Ifrael to fear Him, and to teach them, that if they did not refpect his Laws, they would-never profper.

T

JUDGES, Chap. XVIII.

HE Jews of the Tribe of Dan, being fo much freightned in their Country, fent out Spies to inform thein of the Condition of the City of Laifh, and took it, after having confulted the Lord, the Means of a Levite, whom they took along with them to be t

Prieft.

My Brethren,

After the Leffon.

OR the Understanding of this Chapter, and for benefiting by this Leflon, we must make thefe Three Reflections. First, That the Tribe of Dan did justly undertake the War against the City of Laish, because God had given the Land of Canaan, of which this City was a Part, to the Children of Ifrael. Secondly, We may learn by the Example of thofe of Dan, who, before they put their Defign in Execution, confulted the Lord by the Means of a Levite, and did alfo take the Levite along with them to be their Prieft; that we ought not to fet about any Thing without knowing the Will of the Lord; and that we ought to esteem above every Thing, the Advantage of ferving God publickly. Thirdly, We must obferve from this Relation, that although God did not approve the Worship that was fet up in Micha's Houfe, because it was a Mixture of Idolatry, yet He answered them by the Means of the Levite, to the End that the Knowledge of Himself might be preserved amongst the People of Ifrael.

2 SAMUEL, Chap. XI.

THIS is the History of the Crime that David committed with Bathsheba.

My Brethren,

WE

After the Leffon.

E have read to you the Relation of the great Sin that King David committed, by falling into Adultery, and caufing riah, his faithful Servant, to be flain by a crying Injuftice and black Treachery. The Time, and other Circumftances of this Fall of David, and that which he did to conceal this Crime, ought to raise in us the following Reflections: First, That we easily forget our felves when we are in Profperity and at our Eafe, as David then was. Secondly, That Looks may draw us into Uncleannefs, and that this Paflion ought to be refifted in its Beginning, and that we must avoid thofe Objects that may excite it. Thirdly, That Uncleanness does commonly engage People in other Crimes; and that after they have fallen into this Sin, they commit others to conceal it, whereby they become more guilty. Lastly, We ought to consider, that when

David

David had fallen, he was no longer in a State of Salvation, and of Grace and that if he had not raised himself by a ferious and publick Repentance, he would have perished in his Sin. So that we ought not to abufe this Example, but on the contrary, we are obliged to watch over our felves with the more Care, above all, because fince thefe Sins are much more enormous in Chriftians than they were in David, and that it is more hard for them to get off, and to obtain Pardon for them.

KIN

1 KINGS, Chap. III.

ING Solomon marries the Daughter of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. God appears to him in a Dream, and bid him ask what he would of Him. Solomon having asked Wisdom rather than Riches, God granted him both; whereby that Prince gave Proofs of his extraordinary Wisdom, in the Judgment that he pafs'd upon the Dif pute that happened between the two Mothers about their Children.

My Brethren,

Yo

After the Leffon.

YOU have heard, that Solomon having asked of God Wifdom rather than Glory and Riches, God granted him an extraordinary Wisdom; of which he gave Proofs in the Judgment that is here recorded; and befides that, a Glory which exceeded that of the greatest Kings. Whereupon we are to obferve, that the Great Men of the World being appointed for the Good of the People, they ought above all Things to labour to obtain the Wisdom of which they ftand in need, and make their Glory to confift not in Power and Riches, but in the Exercife of Juftice and good Government. And we ought all of us to learn from hence, that the Gifts of the Spirit of God, are what we ought to feek after in the first place, and that he is ready to bestow them on those that ask them of Him; besides which, He often grants them Temporal Bleffings which they did not ask Him. This is what Jefus Chrift teaches us by thefe Words: Seek ye firft the Kingdom of God and his Righteoufnefs, and all other Things fhall be added to you. Now thefe hopeful Beginnings of the Reign of Solomon, fhews us how happy this Prince would have been, if he had perfevered in Holiness and in the Fear of the Lord.

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