it to their souls. See our Redeemer in the days of his flesh: was there any disease which he could not cure? Was not even a touch of his garment instantly effectual for one who had spent her all upon physicians, and to no purpose? Methinks I hear one complaining, that sin and Satan have such an entire possession of his soul, as to render his state altogether hopeless. But "is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no Physician there?" Look at the demoniac in the Gospel: so entirely was he possessed by Satan, that no chains could bind him, no restraints prevent him from inflicting deadly wounds upon himself. But a single word from the Saviour expels the fiend, and causes the maniac to sit at his feet, clothed, and in his right mind. Fear not then, thou desponding sinner; for there is nothing impossible with him. ~And if thou say, 'True; but he has already tried his hand upon me in vain, and given me up as incurable;' hear then what he speaks to thee by the Prophet Isaiah: "For his iniquity I was wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth; and yet he went on frowardly in the way of his heart." (Here is your very case: and what says he to it? Does he say, 'I have therefore given him up as incurable?' No; but (“I have seen his ways, and will heal him." Heal HIM, does he say? Yes; "I will heal HIM, and will restore comforts to him and to his mourners." Go then to him, thou desponding soul. Say to him, as David did, "Lord, be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee "." If you reply, 'There is no hope for me, because I have once known the Lord, and have backslidden from him;' be it so; yet, as a backslider, hear what a gracious message he sends thee by the Prophet Jeremiah: "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings 9." One thing only would I guard you against, and that is, "the healing of your wounds slightly." Let your wounds be probed to the very bottom: and then, as the waters of Marah were healed so as that the fountain itself was changed, so shall your soul be purified throughout, and "the waters flowing from you spring up unto everlasting life."]

q Jer. iii. 2

s John iv. 14. and vii. 38.

LXXXVII.

SCRIPTURAL EQUALITY.

Exod. xvi. 16-18. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded: Gather of it every man according to his eating; an omer for every man according to the number of your persons: take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

e curious, because it occurred, not occa... a few instances, but continually, for forty ough the whole camp of Israel. se. I apprehend,

God's merciful disposition towards them— ty of circumstances might occur from time to time me heads of families from making the necessary fore the sun should have dissolved the manna, and d them of the portion which they ought to have Illness, in themselves or their families, might incathem for the discharge of their duty in this matter; are of urgent business cause them to delay it till it te. In this case, what must be done? God, in his took care that there should be in some a zeal beyond ir own necessities required, and that their abundance be sufficient to counterbalance and supply the wants of In order to this, he needed only to leave men to the en of their own minds. They did not collect the food osure, but measured it after they had brought it home;

they might apportion it to every member of their ly, according to the divine command. Hence it would occur, that one who was young, active, vigorous, and gaged, would exceed his quota; whilst another who was ebled by sickness, or depressed by sorrow, or occupied some urgent business, as that of attending on his sick wife family, might collect but little. Neither the one might nk of administering relief, nor the other of receiving it; but all cases where there was excess or defect found in the exertions of one, there was a corresponding want or superfluity in another; so that, on measuring the whole, there was no superfluity or defect throughout the whole camp.

In fact, this, in some respect, obtains throughout the whole world: for though there is doubtless a great disparity in men's possessions, arising from different circumstances, the rich unwittingly supply the necessities of the poor, by dispersing their wealth in return for the comforts or elegancies of life: and thus, to a much greater extent than men in general are aware, is equality produced among them; all having food and raiment, and no one possessing more.]

2. From their bountiful disposition towards each

other

[In this view St. Paul quotes the very words of my text. He is exhorting the Corinthians to liberality in supplying the wants of their poorer brethren: he tells them, however, that he did not mean to burthen them for the purpose of easing others; but only that, by an equality, their present abundance

waters of a spring, and the barrenness of the land through which they ran, by a single cruse of salta: and thus also when he restored the serpent-bitten Israelites by the mere sight of a brasen serpent. As to the idea of the tree itself possessing qualities calculated to produce the effect, it cannot for one moment be admitted; because the waters were sufficient for the supply of two millions of people, besides all their cattle; and because the effect was instantaneously produced. We therefore say again, that the insufficiency of the means he used, displayed only the more clearly the all-sufficiency of his own power, precisely as when by the voice of a feeble worm he awakens men from their death in trespasses and sins.]

2. That he will put honour upon humble and believing prayer

[There is such " efficacy in the fervent prayer of a righteous man," that God, if we may be permitted so to speak, is not able to withstand it. See persons in any circumstances whatever, and you are sure to find them extricated from their difficulties, and made victorious over their enemies, when once they begin to pray. Even if the people themselves be ever so unworthy, yet, if they have an Advocate and Intercessor for them at the throne of grace, they almost invariably escape the judgments which God had denounced against them; so cordially does "God delight in the prayer of the upright," and so desirous is he to encourage all persons to pray for themselves. The murmuring spirit of the people might well have provoked God to decline all further communication with them: but Moses prayed; and his cry entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.]

But both the trial and deliverance were sent with a view to some ulterior good: let us consider, III. God's design in each—

Amongst other objects which God designed to accomplish, the two following seem to be peculiarly prominent. He sought to bring them to a sense of, 1. Their duty

[What particular statutes and ordinances God promulged to them at this time, we are not informed. But there is one thing which he certainly made known to them; namely, the conditional nature of the covenant which he was about to make with them, and the suspension of his favours upon their obedience. They had hitherto dwelt only on their privileges, without at all considering their duties: they thought of what b 2 Cor. iv. 7.

a 2 Kings ii. 21.

c ver. 26.

God was to be to them; but not of what they were to be to God. Now God, having softened their minds by a heavy trial, and conciliated their regards by a miraculous interposition, opens to them the connexion between duty and privilege; and thereby prepares them for becoming "a holy and peculiar people, zealous of good works."]

2. Their sinfulness

[This mixture of judgment and mercy was well calculated to bring them to a knowledge of themselves. The trial alone would only irritate and inflame their minds: but the deliverance applied a balm to their wounded spirits. By the union of them they would be humbled, and led to acknowledge the heinousness of their ingratitude, their unbelief, their querulousness, and rebellion. This is expressly declared to have been a very principal end of all the dispensations of God towards them in the wilderness: and it is a main object of his diversified dealings with his people at this day.]

Let us LEARN from this subject,

1. To mark the effect of trials and deliverances on our own minds

[If trials always, instead of humbling, disquiet us; and if deliverances produce only a temporary impression, and not a lasting change on our hearts; can we be right before God? They ought to "work patience, experience, and hope;" and by means of them our faith ought to be so purified, as to tend to the praise and honour and glory of our God at the appearing of Jesus Christ." By examining into this point we may "prove our own selves," and ascertain with considerable precision our true character.]

66

2. To distrust our religious feelings

[We may be moved under a sermon or any particular occurrence; we may sometimes be dissolved in tears, and at other times be elevated with joy; and yet have no root in ourselves, nor any inheritance with the saints in light. Who that had heard the devout songs of Israel at the Red Sea, would have thought that in three days they could so totally forget their mercies, and indulge such a rebellious spirit? But look within; and see whether, after an occasional exercise of religious affections, you have not, within a still shorter space of time, been hurried into the indulgence of the most unhallowed tempers, and the gratification of a spirit that is earthly, sensual, and devilish? Ah! think of "the stony-ground hearers, who received the word with joy, and yet in time of temptation fell away." Lay not then too great a stress on some transient d Deut. viii. 2. e 1 Pet. i. 7.