of the spiritual malady of sin, that you would earnestly seek the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit, to destroy the dominion of sin which naturally reigns within you, and to infuse into your hearts the love of God and of Christ, and of all the holiness and morality inculcated in his gospel.

Let me next beseech those who hope that, through the mercy and grace of Christ, they already partake of his atonement and sanctification, to see in this history of the Israelites, the lamentable blindness and perversity of the human heart; and to gather from it those warnings for themselves which it seems to present. And first, I would say, be distrustful of yourselves. If these Israelites, after all that they had seen, and all that had been done for them, were thus lamentably led away into so great a rebellion against God by their own evil passions, and expose themselves to so great wrath from him, why may it not be so with you also, for what are you by nature better than they? It is well said that "he who trusteth to his own heart is a fool." Therefore "let him that thinketh he standeth,

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take heed lest he fall." Be ever watchful and jealous over yourselves with a godly jealousy, and keep your hearts with all diligence, since out of them are the issues of life." Beware of giving the least way to a fretful rebellious temper against God. When the Israelites fell into this discontented and quarrelsome spirit with his chastisement of them, their powers of observation and reflection became obscured, they could not see his hand in a judgment even so manifestly miraculous, but laid it wholly to the account of men who not only had no power whatever to make the earth cleave asunder, or to bring fire from heaven, but who even would have laid down their own lives for their sakes. Thus we see that sin and rebellion stupify the mind, as well as harden the heart: they destroy men's reason and judgment, and make them act like idiots. Thus we see that when turbulence and passion sway the heart, the faculty of consideration is suspended, and men rush into sin, with unbridled impetuosity, as a war-horse into the battle.

But I add, lastly, that while it is indispensable that you be jealous and watchful over your own hearts, you may with most perfect confidence rely on the power and grace of Christ. By his help you may be enabled to overcome all the temptations to which your evil nature may subject you. He is able to keep you from falling. And he allows his people to appropriate to themselves what he said to St. Paul, " My grace is sufficient for thee, and my strength is made perfect in weakness." Rely therefore with undoubting confidence on the help of Christ. Trust yourself wholly to his care; and while you carefully distrust, nay utterly despair of, any sufficiency of your own to preserve you from falling into some such sin as this of the Israelites, make no doubt whatever of his ability, and cast yourself wholly on his care. You honour him when you thus trust him; and this very trust will keep you watchful over yourself, because it arises mainly out of a continual consciousness of your own depravity and helplessness. Surely, may you say, "in the Lord have I righteousness and

strength." You may look unto him to enable you to persevere, and he will perfect that which concerns your safety. Rely therefore on his protection and go forth in his strength; he will never leave you nor forsake you, but will keep you through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in due time.

SERMON II.

AARON'S ROD BUDDETH.

NUMBERS XVII. 8.

And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

EVERY judgment of God that is executed upon transgressors has a merciful intention towards the survivors, that they may fear, and be prevented from the commission of similar iniquities. The present chapter affords us an instance of this. God is pleased, as it is recorded here, to put the appointment of his priests to another proof, and to work another miracle, that he might make the children of Israel to cease entirely from their murmurings