mount Hor, and learn to die to the vanity and glory of this world, and to cleave, with increased ardour to that gospel, by which "life and immortality are brought to light," and to trust in that great High Priest, who, though he "was dead, is alive, and lives for evermore," and giveth "eternal life to as many as he will."

Death, the most common of all events, at every season, and in whatever form it comes, is tremendous and affecting; but the appearance of death, in the scene before us, is alto

the death of an old man, but not occasioned by any apparent decay of nature, not preceded by long sickness, not hastened on by disease or accident; but the spirit is surrendered at the command of God, in the fulness of health, in the composure of perfect recollection, without a hesitation of reluctant nature, without regret, without a pang. When sentence of death was pronounced upon Moses himself, and for the self-same transgression which shortened the life of Aaron, we find the fondness of nature, and the fervour of religion, repeatedly uniting, to crave a reprieve at least, if not a total remission: but Aaron, when summoned to depart, whether it was from superior fortitude of mind, from the consciousness of greater demerit, or that the historian has charitably drawn a veil over a brother's infirmity, while he frankly exposes his own, prepares instantly and cheerfully for the event.

credit to himself, and to the satisfaction and advantage of all Israel. But, alas! he has the mortification of seeing that people gradually and imperceptibly wasting away before his eyes; he feels himself the dying minister of a dying congregation; he observes the hand of justice doing that by slow degrees, which it might have accomplished at once, and employing forty years in what could have been made the work of a single moment. At length the stroke of death comes home to his own family, and it may be presumed to his very heart. In the one hundred and twen-gether singular and uncommon. It is indeed tieth year of his age, and thirty-seventh of his priesthood, Miriam, his sister by nature, his friend by habit and affection, and, sad to think, his companion in offence, is removed to a world of spirits, and he is warned of his own departure, by the loss of one of his nearest and dearest relations. Moses delineates her character with singular conciseness and simplicity. The hand which she had in his preservation, when he was exposed, in early infancy, upon the Nile, procures her an interest in his affection, and in those of his readers, which the blameableness of some parts of her after conduct is unable wholly to destroy. Our censure of her envy and ma- | lignity, in more advanced life, is somewhat softened by the recollection of her childish tenderness, attachment, vigilance, and address; and, while we condemn the vehemence of her spirit, and the unruliness of her tongue, the edge of resentment is blunted, when we see her punished there, where a female is Were we to follow the impulse of imaginamost vulnerable, in the fairness of her looks, tion, we might, without overleaping the moand the agreeableness of her person, and we desty of nature, represent to you the deep heartily join in the prayer of Aaron in her concern wherewith the good man's own fabehalf: "Alas, my lord, let her not be as one mily was affected when the award of death dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed, was pronounced: the concern of all Israel at when he cometh out of his mother's womb;" the thought of being deprived of the labours, and in that of Moses himself; "Heal her the advices, the example, and the prayers of now, O God, I beseech thee." From thence, their venerable high priest; the concern of to the hour of her death, a period of thirty- Moses in being made the messenger, almost seven years, the history is entirely silent the executioner of death, upon his much beconcerning her, and this is, perhaps, the high-loved brother, associate, and friend; himself est praise that can be bestowed upon her. The sharp reproof which she had received for presuming to intermeddle in public affairs, had taught her, we are bound in charity to believe, that the post of honour, for a woman, is a private station; that she is then most distinguished, most respectable, most valuable, when the world knows and talks least about her.

That self-same year the fatal summons is addressed to Aaron also, and one brother is made the messenger of death to the other. The same hand which arrayed him in splendid apparel, and consecrated him to the high and honourable office of priesthood, must strip him again, and anoint him to his burying. The whole progress of this solemn scene is highly pathetic and interesting. Let us attend the funeral procession to the top of

too lying under the same condemnation. If, after he received the command to ascend the mountain, that he might die, he was permitted to minister in the priest's office any more, to pour out the blood of the sacrifice, to burn incense upon the altar, to lift up his hands and bless the people, with what holy fervour may we suppose these sacred services performed with what devout attention would they be listened unto and waited upon, when both minister and people knew for certain they were to meet no more! May we not suppose the good man, in strains such as these, taking a last, long farewell of those to whom he had for so many years stood in a relation so tender and so intimate. The time of my departure, O Israel, is at length come, and I am ready to be offered up. That God who appointed me to serve you in holy things,

Having, in whatever language, bidden a final adieu to worldly connexions; in the sight of all the people, the high priest, in all the splendour of his official habit, sad and solemn, climbs up the hill, from which he never was to descend. What were the emotions of Israel in gradually losing sight of their venerable patriarch, to see him no more again for ever? What were the feelings of the patriarch in surveying from the summit of the mountain the goodly tents of Jacob, in which he had an earthly concern no longer? Nature casts many" a longing, lingering look behind;" but faith looks forward, and beholds mortality swallowed up of life. Nature regrets a promised land; unseen, unpossessed, unenjoyed, because of unbelief: faith stretches the wing, and aims a bold but not uncertain flight, to a heavenly Canaan, where "the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are for ever at rest."

permits me to wait at his altar no longer. I have | fadeth not away. O death, where is thy sting? fulfilled my day. I have finished my course. O grave, where is thy victory! Arise, let us I have survived the greatest part of my con- go hence. Arise, let us ascend to the top of temporaries, but must die at length. I leave the mountain." you with remorse, because I accuse myself of many failures in point of duty towards you; I leave you with regret, because I sincerely love you; I leave you with joy, because I can with confidence commit you to a guardian Providence, even to the God of your fathers, who can easily supply my place, by one wiser, holier, and more faithful than me; and who, I trust, will continue still to rule and to lead you by that best of men, of brothers, and of friends. My body leaves you, but my spirit cannot be separated from you; in death it will cleave unto you; and when set free from the clogs of sense, it will still hover over you, attend your journeyings, and, finally, rest in peace when Israel rests in the promised land. These forty years have I borne your names engraved on jewels, upon my heart, and I will carry you with me in my heart, to the regions of eternal day. Farewell, my sons; Eleazer, the heir of my dignity and anxiety, and Ithamar, my youngest hope. Think of The spirit fails as we proceed. The deaththe dreadful fate of your elder brothers, and warrant is again recited. The justice of the serve the Lord with reverence and godly sentence is acknowledged, and the prisoner fear. Think of your father's errors and learn prepares for death. The golden crown, the miwisdom. Ponder his approaching dissolu- tre, the girdle, the ephod, the breastplate, are tion, and learn the nothingness of human one after another deposited, and human glory grandeur. Call to your remembrance what is patiently surrendered. As they were severalProvidence has done to and for me, and re- ly yielded up by the father, they are severally joice with trembling. Again I am summoned assumed by the son. Stripped of all that coveraway; it is the voice of Moses, of my bro-ed the body, the body itself is at length laid ther; it is the voice of God I hear. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee, the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. I come, my brother, I know whose command thou bearest; I know that I must obey. But to part with thee is the bitterness of death; endeared as we are to each other by friendship, as allied by blood-conjoined in office, knit together by habits of affection, united in life, and, blessed reflection, not to be long divided by death. Thou wilt bury all my unworthiness in the grave; thou hast already buried it in the profounder, silenter tomb of a gentle and forgiving heart. I come, O my God, at thy call; I desire not to live, if thou biddest me to die. Yet I mourn to think that my death is a mark of thy displeasure. But I see the sun Let the son of pride, who is rising into shining through the cloud; it is not wholly splendour, and bears "his blushing honours in anger, thou art summoning me away; thick upon him," turn his eyes to the top of thou art graciously putting an end to my yonder mountain, and learn the nothingness painful labours, my anxious thoughts, my im- of all the glory of man. Is his station higher perfect services, to my weaknesses and wan- than that of the high priest of Israel? Are derings, and exalting me to a dignity far be- his vestments more magnificent, is his chayond what I have hitherto enjoyed. I shall racter more sacred, is his dignity more persee thee as thou art. I shall serve thee with-manent, flow his honours from a higher out wearying. I shall offend no more. Hence- source? Behold Aaron laid low: retiring forth is laid up for me, a diadem for glory and from the world, naked, as naked he came infor beauty, a crown of righteousness that to it; the head which once wore the mitre,

down, and the mortal blow is at length struck by Him who saith, "I make alive, and I kill.” Aaron dies, but Eleazer lives. The priest expires, but the priesthood is immortal. Three ascend, only two return. What matters it how the poor perishing clay tabernacle were disposed of? About the spirit of the man whom God thus called away, we can be under no anxiety nor apprehension. A general, and I doubt not, an unaffected mourning of thirty days takes place; and all Israel lament when dead, the man whom many had envied, maligned, and persecuted through life.

This is one of the many happy consequences and effects of death! It shuts the mouth of scandal; it brings to light, unnoticed or obscured virtues; it draws the veil over blemishes and imperfections.

levelled with the dust; the tongue which once spoke so well, for ever dumb.

The hour of rest nightly admonishes us of the last fatal hour. We strip ourselves of our garments one by one, and lay them down; we are reduced to the image of death; the eye is closed; our faculties are absorbed; the form of the man only remains. And the time is at hand, we know it, when we must put off this body, as an uneasy, worn-out, useless vestment, fit only for the moth or the dunghill. "Man must say to corruption, Thou art my father; and to the worm, Thou art my sister and mother." "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness of man as the flower of the field."

or returning thy animosity; and learn to die betimes to these wicked and odious passions. Suppose him laid on the bed of death; stript of those honours, talents, advantages, successes which render him the object of jealousy and malignity to thee. How you are disarmed! Pity and tenderness awake in your breast. You now hate yourself, that ever you could hate your brother. Let the reflection of what may so soon happen reconcile thee to him now. Mar not thy own comfort, by seeking to disturb his repose. The cold hand of death will speedily extinguish the angry flame.

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They truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.— Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."* "He need not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he

Our very children are the harbingers of our dissolution. They are the pleasantest, but the plainest monitors. Every step they rise brings us a little lower; as they grow stronger and stronger, we grow weaker and weaker. They wait to assume our name, our place, our robes, our office: they are ready to array themselves in our spoils. The elevation of Eleazer is the fall of Aaron. The pub-did once, when he offered up himself. For lic life of the son, is the death of the sire.

Look to that mountain, O man, and reflect that he whom now you hate, envy, oppose, malign, will speedily be changed into a clod of earth, and rendered incapable of feeling

the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore."+

HISTORY OF BALAAM.

LECTURE LXVII.

These are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteous ness; but was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass, speaking with man's voice, forbad the madness of the prophet.-2 PETER ii. 15, 16.

all our other appetites, only whets this; and after the heart is dead to every other joy, it lives to the dear, the inextinguishable delight of saving and hoarding.

Or all the evil propensities to which human | and deluged it with blood, may be traced up nature is subject, there is no one so general, to an eager desire to obtain the territory, or so insinuating, so corruptive, and so obstinate, the treasure of another. Age, which blunts as the love of money. It begins to operate early, and it continues to the end of life. One of the first lessons which children learn, and one which old men never forget, is, the value of money. The covetous seek and guard it for its own sake, and the prodigal himself must first be avaricious, before he can be profuse. This, of all our passions, is best able to fortify itself by reason, and is the last to yield to the force of reason. It most unremittingly engages the attention and calls into their fullest exertion all our powers of body and of mind. Ambition and pride, those powerful motives of human conduct, are but ministering servants to avarice. Reputation and power are pursued chiefly as the means of procuring wealth; and all the fierce contentions which have distracted the world,

In exact proportion to their incapacity and disinclination to make use of money, is the violence of men's thirst to possess it; and on the threshold of eternity it cleaves to them, as if life were just beginning. Philosophy combats, satire exposes, religion condemns it in vain: it yields neither to argument, nor ridicule, nor conscience. Like the lean kine in Pharaoh's dream, it devours all that comes near it, and yet continues as hungry and meagre as ever. If a representation of the odiousness, criminality, and danger of this vile affection can be of any use, it must be to those whose hearts are not yet hardened,