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SERMON VII.

On the Duty of openly ranging ourselves on the Side of the Lord.

EXODUS, Xxxii. 26.

Then Mofes flood in the Gate of the Camp, and faid: "Who is on the Lord's Side ?"

AMONG the moft evident tokens of the

natural alienation of the human heart from righteousness is the indifpofitions of men to render unto God the fame measure, which they render one to another. He, who in fome few inftances has found his friend deserving of confidence, is prone to confide in him afterwards, and perhaps even to credulity. He, who has witneffed examples of power of a fuperior, ufually afcribes to him ftill greater power. He, who has experi

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enced

enced eminent and unmerited acts of kindness, and returns not to his benefactor the tribute of gratitude and love; is ftigmatifed with univerfal cenfure. How different is our conduct towards Him, to whom we owe every thing! A fon bonoureth his father, and a fervant his mafter. If then I be a Father; where is my honour ? And, if I be a mafter; where is my fear, faith the Lord of Hofts (a)? They who have received unremitting teftimonies of the providential wifdom of God, refuse to entrust themselves to his guidance. They who are furrounded by the wonders of his omnipotence, difregard his threatenings and his promifes. They who are indebted to his fpontaneous bounty for bleffings incalculable in number and in amount, thank him not, nor obey him and forfeit not the favourable eftimation of the world.

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In the unbelief, the contemptuous difregard, the bafe and rebellious ingratitude dif played by the children of Ifrael towards the Almighty Father of mercies who had rescued them from Egypt, we imagine that we behold this natural alienation of the heart from God,exemplified to an extent never to be rivalled. Inftance after inftance we read with aftonishment. We forget that, what(u) Malachi, i. 6.

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foever

foever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning (b). We forget that all men are children of Adam; that the Creator hath made all nations of one blood; that human nature is in all men the fame

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that in every man in every age the heart is in its original propenfities deceitful above all things and defperately wicked (c). When we contemplate the enormities of the chofen people; we contemplate the course which we fhould ourselves have been no lefs difpofed to pursue. The hiftory of Ifrael is a mirror, which reflects our own likeness.

We learn, in the chapter from which the text is taken, that when Mofes, who had been fummoned to the top of Sinai that he might receive ordinances and directions from God, had now continued during many days. upon the mountain; the people of Ifrael became extremely impatient at his abfence. They affembled tumultuously around Aaron, They affirmed that, as for Mofes, they knew not what event had befallen him. And although they had fo lately covenanted in the moft folemn manner ftedfaftly to keep the ten commandments; yet in defiance of the fecond commandment they infifted that Aaron fhould mould for them a graven (b) Rom. xv. 4. (c) Jerem, xvii. 9.

image, a visible emblem and reprefentation of the unfeen God, to be carried at the head of the hoft. Aaron, fearing man more than the Lord, moft wickedly gave way to their clamour and violence. He formed a golden calf, the image of an animal which he had been accustomed to see the object of worship in Egypt; built an altar before it; and pro claimed a feast in honour of Jehovah. Before that image the people bowed down in adoration; to that image they offered facrifices; to that image they afcribed the glory of their deliverance from the land of bondage. This blind and daring idolatry of the Ifraelites God revealed to his fervant who ftood before him. Mofes, having prevailed with his heavenly mafter, by the kindeft and moft difinterested interceffion, to forbear from destroying the rebellious nation inftantly and utterly; haftened down from the mountain. Arriving at the gate of the camp, and beholding the people occupied in idolatrous fongs and dances and worship before the golden calf; he cried aloud, Who is on the Lord's fide? Let him come unto me. All the fons of Levi obeyed his voice. They gathered themselves together unto him: they declared themselves on the fide of the Lord; and professed their

readiness

readiness to execute the commands, of his chosen minifter. They were called to a painful trial of obedience. They were required to take their fwords in their hands; to pass through the camp of Ifrael from one fide to the other; and to flay every perfon, whether neighbour, companion, brother or fon, whom they fhould find engaged in paying reverence to the idol. The children of Levi did according to the word of Mofes: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

In applying to our edification the portion of fcriptural history which you have heard; I fhall, in the first place, endeavour to convince you that, as Mofes called upon the faithful among the Ifraelites, so the gospel calls upon us, to ftand forth on the fide of the Lord. And I fhall afterwards lay before you some obfervations refpecting the faithful difcharge of this duty. Let us unite in earnestly befeeching the Giver of grace to open our minds, that they may understand and embrace the truth.

I. The people of Ifrael; the peculiar people of God; the people who had experienced fuch extraordinary mercies at his hand; the

people

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