whatsoever to "live after the flesh," but being under so many and such peculiar obligations to live after the Spirit, be it the high and sole aim of every one of us to have respect unto the recompense of the inheritance provided for us. "Let us set our affections on things above1," have our conversation in that heaven from whence we look for the Saviour, look steadily unto "Jesus, the Author as well as Finisher of our faith," and desire nothing so much on earth as to be led, adopted, borne witness to by the Spirit of God. And being constrained by these considerations, let us set the due value on our glorious and heavenly birthright, by fulfilling its conditions.

And how shall we properly ascertain, and on the best authority, and by the surest test, whether we are really doing this? By examining ourselves daily, by trying ourselves continually, whether the character of children of God by adoption really does belong to us-positively may be affirmed of us-faithfully is, at this present time, exemplified in us. And be it our special care to remember, that upon this inquiry necessarily must depend, both a knowledge of our state at present, and its sufficient spiritual regulation for the time to come.

The subjects of inquiry are already provided, the tests of adoption already set down for us by the Apostle; and we can ask ourselves solemnly, in secret, and at leisure, whether we actually do "mortify the deeds of the body," whether we actually do suffer with and after the example of Christ, whether, in all our words, deeds, and thoughts, we are "led by the Spirit of God," and possess his inward testimony, and cry unto God through him, not "in the spirit of bondage," but in "the spirit of adoption,' Abba, Father." And let the chief constraint to an immediate and constantly recurring self-examination on these serious subjects be, that upon them most certainly rests the attainment of any spiritual privileges. And let us also be constrained by the alternative presented to us by the Apostle: "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

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1 Col. iii., 2.

THE NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

THE EPISTLE. 1 Cor. x., 1 to 13.

BRETHREN, I would not that cation, as some of them commit

ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with many of them God I was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilder

ness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit forni

ted, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The Apostle here proves by example that punishment always follows sin, that sin, more especially, which is committed after men have received the knowledge of the truth, and obtained access to the means of grace. He tells us, that, although the children of Israel were "under the cloud'," and "passed through the sea2," and did "eat the same spiritual meat," and did “drink the same spiritual drink*,” and so had abundant opportunity of glorifying the governing power and recognising the directing hand of Providence, yet "with many of them God was not well pleased, but overthrew them in the wilderness."

The first example of this kind that the Apostle adduces, is the example of lust punished. The Israelites lusted after quails when they had the manna, and God punished them for this, by sending pestilential diseases among them, and slaying, even while the meat was yet in their mouths, the mightiest of their families. The next example adduced is that of idolatry 1 Exod. xiii., 21. 2 Exod. xiv., 22. 3 Exod. xvi., 15.

* Exod. xvii., 6.

5 Ps. Lxxviii., 30, 31.

punished. "The people sat down to eat and to drink” in honour of the golden calf, “and rose up to play'" and dance in token of its supposed divinity; and three thousand of the idolaters were slain. Another example adduced is that of fornication punished. "Some of them committed fornication, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand." And a further example adduced is that of temptation of Christ punished. "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents3." And the last example adduced is that of impatience under trial punished. "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer*." Here, then, we have well authenticated instances of sins visited with God's temporal vengeance, and of sinners not permitted to live, who had grievously transgressed the Lord's commandments. We have instances of lust, idolatry, fornication, unbelief, impatience under trial most signally punished, and must acknowledge, with shame and confusion of face, that some of these sins are, even among Christians, not uncommon, and deserve to be visited, in the more aggravated cases of transgressors under the Gospel, with at least ten-fold wrath and vengeance. The facts in question are striking proofs, that God sometimes awards his punishments even in this world, and perchance visits most crying sins with the two-fold retribution of death here, and death for ever.

are come."

The Church in the wilderness is a warning, in all these particulars, to the Church in general. "These things," saith the Apostle emphatically, "were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted." "All these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world With us it sometimes happens, that "the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful"." The Israelites, who "were under the cloud and passed through the sea," did, notwithstanding such signal tokens of God's presence and favour, "lust after evil things." So, I fear, do we, who have greater knowledge, higher motives, nobler privileges. The world, the flesh, and the devil, still tempt us to lust after them. We covet what others possess; we covet what we cannot obtain; we covet what we must soon part with; and the means 1 Exod. xxxii., 6—19. 2 Numb. xxv., 1—9. 3 Numb. xxi., 6.

* Numb. xiv., 2, 29, 37.

5 Matt. xiii., 22.

of grace, with which we are blessed, do not always appear sufficient to keep down effectually our spirit of covetousness.

Learning from this punishment of the Israelites that lust or covetousness (for it is the same thing) is hateful to God, let us take heed to our ways herein, and be warned by the terrors of the Lord, if we will not be moved by his love, that “ every one that nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity'.' Idolatry also, not merely the idolatry of image worship, but of preference of some sinful object of desire, is here seen to be hateful to God. A simple and fervent faith in our Lord Jesus Christ will love and adore him alone who died for all, and will not admit into the sacred home of its affections any other principle whatsoever. Even one earthly thing thus idolized is a virtual dethronement of the Lord Jesus Christ; and surely if this Scripture be true, must bring with it swift destruction. "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all;" for "sin (even in one point) is the transgression of the law," and "no idolater (whosoever he be) hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." And

is not unbelief also a sin in this our day? And is not impatience under trial a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to many unstable souls? Yea, even though we be every one of us professors of Christ's religion and hearers of his ministers, there is necessity imposed upon us, "seeing that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things," to "take heed, lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God."

The Apostle, having thus proved by example, that punishment always follows sin, and having also, I trust, "written these things for our special admonition," proceeds to give encouragement to those, who in the midst of great and sore temptations are anxiously taking heed unto themselves, lest they fall. And his encouragement is first, that "no temptation has taken them but such as is common to men," and secondly, that "God is faithful," who, far from suffering them "to be tempted above that they are able, will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that they may be able to bear it.”

What encouragements these are to weary and heavy-laden sinners, who really have put on, in humble confidence, the Lord Jesus Christ, and are, at present, "in heaviness through mani3 1 John iii., 4.

1 2 Tim. ii., 19.
4 Eph. v., 5.

2 James ii., 10.
5 Rom. ii., 2.

• Heb. iii., 12.

fold temptations." If, in the examples of sinners of old time perishing in their sin, careless, impenitent sinners of the present day are solemnly warned; so much the more in these comforting assurances of a Father of mercies and God of all comfort, will Christ's approved servants obtain strength in time of temptation, and "find grace to help them in their time of need'." If those who are "drawn away of their own lust and enticed," receive terrible admonition, so do those who endure temptation find infinite joy and comfort. They are greatly encouraged by the assurance, that their measure of temptation has not been greater than that of other disciples of Christ, nor greater than what, with the assistance of the doctrines and promises of the Gospel, all may bear. And they are also encouraged with the assurance, that God will never suffer them to be tempted above their strength, and in any case provide, through the agency of his mighty power, the means of deliverance.

Thus warned on the one hand, and encouraged on the other, let us all, according to our several spiritual exigencies, profit by this evening's admonitions. And let us especially guard against that indifference to edifying truths, here and elsewhere taught, to which so many of us are prone, and with which, unless we are especially careful, the tempter may even now tempt us, and deaden the efficacy of that " engrafted word which is able to save the soul."

THE TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

THE EPISTLE.

CONCERNING spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

1 Cor. xii., 1 to 11.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by

4 Now there are diversities of the same Spirit; gifts, but the same Spirit.

1 1 Heb. iv., 16.

9 To another faith by the same 3 James i., 21.

2 James i., 14.