!

Could a dying Ifraelite have been prevailed upon, think you, to reject the atonement and interceffion of Aaron? No furely. Only fee how hope revives in their countenances, and joy sparkles in their eyes, all turned and fixed upon him in the execution of his priestly office. And why? Because they were fentible of their wretched and perilous eftate. They needed not to be told, that they were expiring by the peftilence. They knew it, they felt; they were looking wishfully around them for help and deliverance, ready, with eagerness and impatience, with gratitude and thankfulness, to fnatch at it, and embrace it, the moment it should appear. O why are not we fo? Why do we hear of the atonement and interceffion of the holy Jefus, with fo much cold indifference? Why, but because we see not, we know not, we feel not the want of them. And yet, what is there, within us, or without us, that doth not teach and fhew it us? To tell you that the world is full of forrow, is no news; to tell you that the world is full of fin, is, I prefume, no news. And from what would you defire to be delivered, if not from fin and forrow? To tell you that a fentence of death is paffed upon the bodies of men, and that, without redemption, a sentence of condemnation will be paffed upon their fouls and bodies too, this like-wife is no news to any of you.. Daily experience proves the first, and the Scripture afferts the fecond.. And from what would you wish to be faved, if not from death and condemnation? Or what, in point of wretchednefs and horror, was the camp of Ifrael with the peftilence in the midst of it, if compared to fuch a world as this? Go thou who art tempted to reject, or to neglect the K 2.. fatisfactions

fatisfaction of Chrift, go to the bed of fickness, and undraw the curtains of affliction; afk him who lies racked with pain, and trembling at the thoughts of the wrath to come, what his opinion is concerning the doctrine of atonement; and obferve how the name of a Saviour and Interceffor puts comfort and gladnefs into his forrowful and affrighted foul, at a time when the treasures and the crowns of eastern kings would be utterly contemned, as equally vain, worthlefs, and unprofitable, with the duft of the earth. Then reflect, that

fuch, one day, muft be thy ftate; and, in that state, fuch infallibly will be they thoughts and fenfations. And did the cares and pleasures of the world fuffer living men to think and feel as dying men do, the interceffion of Chrift would be regarded and ac cépted by Christians, as that of Aaron once was by Ifrael. Now, indeed the fentiments of men on this great point may be different, because their paffions and their prejudices are different; but we Thall all think alike upon the fubject, when paffion fhall cease, and prejudice be no more, at the hour of death, and in the day of judgment In that last and concerning day, the fcene on which we have been meditating fhall be again exhibited, in its moft awful and tremendous acccomplishment. Instead of the earthly pit opening it's mouth to swallow up Korah and his company, the infernal pit of everlasting deftruction fhall difclofe its bottomlefs depth, to receive alive into it the great adversary and all that have taken part with him againft God and Chrift. Inftead of fire from the prefence of the Lord, to confume the two hundred and fifty that offered incenfe, "Behold the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven, and

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all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, fhall be as ftubble, and the day that cometh fhall burn them up, and leave them neither root nor branch." Instead of the peftilence to destroy fourteen thoufand only of his murmuring people, the inexhauf tible floods of almighty vengeance, heaped up for ages, fhall be poured out, to drown rebellious fpirits in irresistible perdition. Then, when the hea-vens fhall melt with fervent heat all around, the fiery gulph rolling beneath, and the earth, upon which we ftand, finking down into the flames, then what a fight will it be, to behold our blessedAaron, our great mediator, ftanding up and inter-pofing his merits between the dead and the living;, between those who, difbelieving, have murmured against him, and thofe who, believing, have ferved and obeyed him. Then tremble, thou wretch,. who haft blafphemed, or flighted the interceffion of Jefus. But rejoice greatly, O faithful soul, whose truft hath ever been in Him; thy falvation is fure, and the day of thy redemption is come: rejoice, and fhout aloud for joy; join the chorus of angels, and the fpirits of just men made perfect, the ten thousand times ten thoufand, and thousands of thoufands, whom the well-beloved John heard faying, "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wifdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing." And with them let "every creature which is in: heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and fuch as are in the sea, and all that are in them, exalt their voices, and proclaim," Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power, to him that fitteth

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upon

•

*

upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever." Amen. *

* The plan and subftance of the foregoing Discourse are taken. from one published fome years ago, by my late learned and valuable friend, the Reverend Mr WATSON. But it always feemed to me, as I frequently used to tell him, that he had much abated the force and energy which the composition would otherwife have poffeffed, by introducing a fecondary and fubordinate fubject, which continually diverted the attention of his readerfrom the primary and piincipal one. I was therefore tempted to work up his admirable materials afresh, with fome few alterations and additions, that fo noble a fubject as the Interceffion of Chrift, illuftrated by that of Aaron, might ftand out: to obfer vation, fimplex duntaxat,et.unum.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was figned. he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerufalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

THE chapter relates to us a confpiracy formed

by the Babylonian princes against Daniel, because the king, "finding an excellent fpirit in him," had preferred him above them all. For we read of no crime but his merit, which indeed is a crime fuffi ciently heinous in the eyes of those who are defti tute of it. At all events therefore Daniel must be impeached. The only queftion was, in what form it should be done.. "Concerning the kingdom,' and his fidelity to his fovereign," they could find (and we may be fure it was not for want of diligence in fearching) none occafion or fault; forafmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.' And now, what do they fix upon, as an article of impeachment against him? Why truly, his PIETY. "We shall not find (say these ftatefmen) any occafion against this Daniel, unlefs. we find it against him concerning the law of his God." But fome difficulty there ftill remained in the execution of this project; as, it seems, there:

was