pleases when he makes a display of his justice. Now he drowns a world; now he rains fire from heaven; and here fiery serpents are made the ministers of his vengeance. These dreadful creatures bite the offenders, and the bite is mortal. We may conceive what confusion and terror and dismay prevailed through the camp: but how deplorable was the case of the wounded, languishing, and dying Israelite!

3. Their penitence: ver. 7. See here the right frame of mind for offending mortals. We see it with satisfaction: we know that it will lead to some good effect. What do the Israelites do? They confess their iniquity; they mention their sins without excuse or palliation; they seek that intercession may be made to God for them. Here is feeling; here is honesty; here is devotion: that is, here is repentance. They took a measure for the removal of their visitation that could not fail. Then see,

4. The divine appointment for them: ver 8. Could Moses disregard their suit? No: "And Moses prayed for the people." Could God reject the sacrifice of a broken spirit and contrite heart? No: he appointed a remedy. He wounds and he heals by what means he pleases. A brasen serpent was to be made, and to be elevated on a pole; and the wounded Israelites were to look upon it. Thus God chose to display his goodness, compassion, and power.

5. Their recovery: ver. 9. The appointments of God must be always effectual. How improbable that merely to look upon a brasen serpent should heal a deadly malady! The fact however was, "If a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived." All reasoning on the subject was useless. The case of the sufferer was desperate; but here is a remedy; an assurance is given; the duty is performed; the benefit is derived; the individual, who was full of anguish and expecting a speedy death, now rejoices in health and strength,

II. The application of the subject to ourselves Here we shall briefly notice four points.

1 Our Malady. Whether we consider our hearts or lives, our spiritual state by nature or our conduct, we must rest in the painful conclusion, that we are miserable sinners. Did the poison of the fiery serpents revel in the veins of the Israelites? Do not worldly attachments, our wicked tempers, our violent passions and appetites, our pride, hatred, wrath, and envy, prove to us that a most deadly poison pervades our souls? Had the Israelites sinned? Have not we sinned, in the very same manner, quarrelling with God and man under our trials? Let us dwell on our gross sins: though they are concealed from men, yet they are open before God. Let us dwell on duties left undone; on our transgressions by thoughts, by words, by actions. Then we shall own that our sins are numberless.

Such is the spiritual case of man. All is wrong without: and why? because all is wrong within. A deadly poison works in the soul: all its faculties are corrupted: "there is no health in us:" we are perishing creatures. Could the dying Israelite cure himself? No: Nor can we cure ourselves. If we are left to ourselves, there is nothing before us but the second death. But let us see,

2. Our remedy. God has appointed salvation for us. He has given us his only Son to die for our perishing race. The serpent raised on the pole was a type or shadow of our blessed Redeemer lifted up upon the cross. Not human wisdom, ability, virtue, and merit can save man: if he be saved, it must be according to the appointment of God: and what is that appointment? A crucified Saviour. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." This Saviour may be to one a stumbling block, and to another foolishness; but still he is the wisdom of God, and the power of God: nor is there salvation in any other. Here is our Remedy. Now observe,

3. Our Duty. The mere existence of a Saviour and of the means of salvation will be of no avail to us, if we do not make a right use of them. Suppose the Israelite had said, "that serpent cannot cure me; it is all foolishness; I will not look to it; it is folly to suppose that I should derive benefit from it if I did." You see that he would have made God's appointment vain as to himself, and he must have died. In the same manner, if we refuse to comply with God's directions, we shall die in our sins, and perish for ever. What is our duty? We should seek repentance and faith. Filled with shame and godly sorrow, we should look unto Jesus. Then see,

4. Our Restoration. Spiritual health and life only belong to the true penitent and true believer; and to him they do belong. The sound penitent and true believer is forgiven; is made a partaker of the Holy Ghost; is a new creature in Christ Jesus; is, in short, a redeemed person, a true Christian, a Child of God, and an heir of everlasting glory. He felt the malady; he used the remedy; and now he enjoys the blessedness of religion, its sanctifying power and its cheering prospects. His faith has made him whole; it has given him various measures of spiritual life, health, and strength. He feels and deplores the working of sin, the inherent poison; but still he knows some of the virtues of "the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations."

Let us conclude our reflections on this interesting portion of Scripture, by remarking the absolute necessity of our being experimentally familiar with these things. The sad case of Christians in general is, that they do not feel the Malady, and consequently the Remedy is to them an empty name. If we do not feel the burden of sin, and understand its consequences, we shall never be serious and earnest about salvation. Nor let us deceive ourselves. If our salvation be not with us a matter of the most serious thought and strenuous

endeavour, we shall inevitably sink into perdition. Let us bless God for his goodness in giving us a Saviour; and let us search the Scriptures, and pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that we may know both ourselves and our Saviour to our everlasting benefit.

THE PRAYER.

O Almighty God, give me, I beseech thee, just views of myself and of our Saviour. I bless thee for the instructions of thy holy word; enable me so to use them, that I may both see, feel, confess, and lament the wickedness of my heart and life, and look unto Jesus with a living and true faith, so that I may obtain all spiritual blessings from him. Deliver me and all Christians, from hardness and impenitence of heart, from pride and unbelief; and, being a partaker of redeeming mercy and grace, may I live in obedience to thy laws, to thy honour and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

LECTURE XXX.

BALAAM.

He sent Messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.Numbers xxii. 5.

·

THE character of Balaam is very extraordinary, and deserves our attentive consideration. It suggests various important reflections, which ought to sink into our minds, and to have an abiding influence on our hearts

and conduct. His history occupies three chapters of the book of Numbers; and we may presume that it was thus particularly related on account of its impor

tance.

I. We may briefly examine the account which is here given us of Balaam.

1. We may enquire what he was in religion. It is evident from the history, that he was acquainted, in a certain manner, with the true God. He had some measures of religious knowledge. It should seem that

he had been in the habit of receiving from God some discoveries of his will. We may also conclude, that he cultivated such knowledge as obtained for him the character of a sorcerer. The knowledge he had of God was not, therefore, a sanctifying knowledge. But,

2. We may observe his conduct: ver. 5. The King of Moab sent Elders to him with the rewards of divination, requesting him to come and curse Israel, a practice then common, by which it was thought that the people who were cursed would be a more easy prey to their enemies. How did Balaam act?

1. View him at home. He professes to refer all to God; ver. 8. He receives a positive denial from God, ver. 12, as to his going with the men. He states this to them, ver. 13, and they depart; but he is assailed, ver. 15; by fresh messengers. He again consults God, and he now receives a permission to go: ver. 19, 20. His heart was unsound. The first assertion of God was clear and express: but there was in Balaam's heart a love of the world, of honour and distinction, so that he was anxious to gratify Balak, and enrich himself.

career.

2. View him on the road: ver. 21-35. A Miracle is granted him on his journey, to check him in his His Ass speaks, and an Angel appears to him. But what does he say? "If it displease thee I will get me back again." This is not the language of sincerity. Balaam knew what the will of God was. His conscience and his inclinations must have been at variance. But