shall the whole universe combined prevent the execution of his vengeance on one single individual amongst them.] The observance of ceremonial duties will never compensate for the want of true humility [Judah retained the forms of religion which Israel and Ephraim had cast away. Yet because Judah resembled Israel in their sin, they were to be involved in Israel's calamity. Thus must all, however zealous and exemplary in other respects, be brought down and confounded before God". Even a preacher of righteousness, if lifted up with pride, shall fall into the condemnation of the devil. The rule laid down by God himself shall surely be observed to all eternity—] INFER 1. How excellent is the Gospel of Christ! [Nothing but the Gospel ever did, or ever can, humble the soul. The law may terrify; but it is the Gospel alone that melts us into contrition. That no sooner reaches the heart, than it brings down our high looks. It turned, in an instant, thousands of blood-thirsty murderers, into meek, loving, and obedient followers of the Lamb. And thus does it still operate on all who receive it in sincerity. Let us then listen to it with delight. Let us pray, that a sight of the crucified. Saviour may produce its due effect upon us. And let us lothe ourselves the more in proportion as we are persuaded that God is pacified towards ush.] 2. What need have we all to watch and pray! [There are none who are out of the reach of this malignant principle. St. Paul, after having been caught up to the third heavens, was in danger of being overwhelmed by it'. And who amongst us does not find that it is ready to puff us upon every occasion? Let us remember that this ruined the very angels in heaven. And that it must be mortified in us, if ever we would obtain mercy in the last day. Let us guard against the first risings of it in the heart; and, whenever it "testifies to our face," let us implore mercy of the Lord, that the thought of our hearts may be forgiven us. In this way we shall be preserved, though in the midst of danger; and be exalted in due time to glory, and honour, and immortality.] MCLI. THE FOLLY OF CREATURE-CONFIDENCE. Hos. v. 13. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. MEN continually provoke God to chastise them, but rarely make a due improvement of his chastisements. Instead of turning to God, they dishonour him still more by applying to the creature under their distress rather than to him. The ten tribes, when punished for their willing compliance with Jeroboam's edicts, sought repeatedly to the Assyrians for help, instead of humbling themselves before God: but they found, as "Judah" also did on similar occasions, that their confidence in the creature served only to involve them in shame and disappointment. Taking the text simply as an historical fact, we deduce from it two observations, which deserve our consideration. I. Men, in times of trouble, are prone to look to the creature for help, rather than to God This was one of the most common and heinous sins of the Jewish nation': and it is universal also amongst ourselves, 1. In troubles of a temporal nature [In sickness of body, we lean, like Asa, on the physician. In distress of mind, we complain and murmur; but forget to pray. In straitened circumstances, we expect relief from a ver. 11, 12. God consumed them as the moth consumes a garment, or as rottenness the bones, secretly, slowly, gradually, effectually. b Sometimes they relied on Egypt, Isai. xxx. 1—3. and xxxi. 1. Sometimes on Assyria (as Manahem did on Pul, 2 Kings xv. 19. and Ahaz did on Tiglath-pileser, 2 Kings xvi. 7.) and sometimes on themselves, Isai. xxii. 8-11. "Jareb" here certainly means the king of Assyria: but whether it was his proper name, or a name given him by the prophet, is uncertain. It means Defender, and might be applied to him in a taunting manner. In this view it would be a very severe sarcasm. See 2 Chron. xxviii. 20. c 2 Chron. xvi. 12. d Gen. iv. 13, 14. friends, or our own exertions. God is invariably our last refuge.] 2. In spiritual troubles [Under conviction of sin, we betake ourselves to the observance of duties, and make resolutions to amend our lives, instead of fleeing to Christ as the refuge of lost sinners. In seasons also of temptation, or desertion, we adopt a thousand expedients to remove our burthens, but will not cast them on the Lord. Though foiled ten thousand times, we cannot bring ourselves to lie as clay in the potter's hands; but will rest in the means, instead of looking simply to God in the use of means.] But the longer we persist in it the more we shall find, that, II. The creature cannot afford us any effectual suc cour There are circumstances indeed wherein friends may be instrumental to our relief: but they can do, 1. Nothing effectual [The consolations which are administered by man, or by the vanities of this world, are poor, empty, transients. Not the whole universe combined can ever bring a man to " glory in tribulations"," and to say with Paul, "I take pleasure in them for the sake of Christi:" as soon might they enable him to stop the sun in its course, as to reduce to experience the paradoxes of that holy apostle-.] 2. Nothing of themselves [It is not a little humiliating to see how weak are man's endeavours to heal either the disorders of the body, or the troubles of the soul, when God is pleased to withhold his blessing. The best prescriptions, or the wisest counsels, are even lighter than vanity itself. Reasonings, however just and scriptural, have no weight: advice, however sweetened with love and sympathy, is rejected: the very grounds of consolation are turned into occasions of despair1. When God says, "Let there be light," there is light: but till then, the soul is shut up in impenetrable darkness m.] ADDRESS 1. Let us guard against this sinful propensity, both in our national and personal concerns e Isai. lv. 2. h Rom. v. 3. 1 Ps. lxxvii. 2, 3. f 1 Sam. xvi. 14—16. m Job xxxiv. 29. g Jer. ii. 13. [We cannot but see how prone we are, as a nation, to rest on human alliances, and human efforts. Would to God we could correct this fatal error, and trust more entirely in the great disposer of all events! As individuals at least, we may, and must, correct it. If we would have the blessing of God, and not his curse, we must renounce all creature-confidence, and trust in him alone". If we would do this, our happiness would be complete°———] 2. Let us especially rely on Christ as the healer of our souls [He is "the healer of the nations P," "Jehovah, who healeth us:" there is no physician besides him; nor any balm, but his blood. We may use whatever means we will, either to pacify the conscience, or to purify the heart; but we shall find that they can "not heal us, nor cure us of our wound." But Christ is all-sufficient: he can in one moment purge us by his blood, and renovate us by his Spirit. To him then let us look with humble, uniform, unshaken affiance.] n Jer. xvii. 5-8. See David's example, Ps. lx. 11. and cxxi. 1, 2. • Ps. xci. 1-7, 9, 10. P Rev. xxii. 2. q Exod. xv. 26. MCLII. SPIRITUAL DESERTION. Hos. v. 15. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. MEN, when they become Christians, do not lose any of their natural feelings, but they experience many sensations both of pleasure and pain, which are altogether new, and peculiar to themselves: when God lifts up the light of his countenance upon them, they possess the sublimest happiness of which our nature is capable, "a joy with which the stranger intermeddleth not:" so also, when God withdraws the light of his countenance from them, they are made to feel the most exquisite sorrow, with which no temporal affliction, no bodily anguish, can be compared. This is the sorest chastisement which can be inflicted on a godly and ingenuous soul: yet sore as it is, the wickedness of our hearts too often makes it necessary for us; for this will often avail to humble the soul, when every thing else has been tried in vain. Hence it is generally God's last resource: he uses various other methods first, to make his people holy, and to keep them vigilant: but when they are still remiss and negligent, he departs from them, and says, "I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith" or dependence. Thus he dealt with his people of old he had told them, in verse 12, that he would be to them as a moth, or as rottenness, to consume them: then, because they went to the Assyrian rather than to him for help, he told them, in the verse before my text, that he would tear them, as a young lion teareth his prey:" and then he adds, as the sorest calamity of all, and as the only one which would produce the desired effect, that he would forsake them; "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early." From these words we will endeavour to shew I. The nature of spiritual desertion— you, [They who view God's dealings with the Jews merely as a history, will lose the most important benefits which the relation of them is intended to convey. There is a striking similarity and agreement between the dispensations of Providence and the dispensations of grace; so that there can be no doubt but that the former were intended typically to represent the latter. And, in order to understand the Scriptures aright, we must interpret them according to this canon. The most sober and candid expositors have agreed in this. The desertion spoken of in my text literally refers to the abandoning of the Jews to the power of the Assyrians and Chaldeans, till they should be brought to repent of their sins: and the return which is there foretold as the effect of this desertion, had its accomplishment in part under Ezra and Nehemiah; partly also on the day of Pentecost; but principally, we expect it to be fulfilled at a future period, when the whole nation shall "look on Him whom they pierced, and mourn." But we may with the utmost propriety take occasion from it to speak of spiritual desertion, which all the Israel of God in a greater or less degree experience. In my text, God says, "I will go and |