bestows them. Ingratitude is too often the leading feature of our character. It was said by a heathen sage, that "injuries were engraven in the rock, but favours are written on the sand." This is too true in respect to our fellow-men: still truer is it in respect to God. The innumerable providential and gracious mercies which He bestows upon us pass off without even a note of acknowledgment. At the close of their journey the Israelites were reminded of their mercies in the wilderness. First, was the wonderful deliverance of the Red Sea, and following their footsteps throughout the whole of their career we find that God cared for them, protected them, led them, fed them, quenched their thirst, clothed them, sheltered them, and brought them safely to their destined home. Did they fear when God spake to them from the midst of the fire on the mount? He provided a mediator that they should not die. Were the waters of Marah bitter? a tree was provided whereby they were made sweet. Were they attacked by the Amalekites? Moses stood on the top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand, and Israel prevailed. Were they hungry? manna from heaven was given them in abundance. Did they suffer thirst? water was brought forth out of the flinty rock. Were they bitten by the fiery serpents? a serpent of brass was provided as the means of their cure. Moses recalls all this to their minds, "Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water? Who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint, who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not?" Brethren, have we not experienced corresponding mercies in our own case? We cannot enumerate them. Let each for himself recall to mind his own special favours, and be astonished at the vast

amount.

Let us consider the text

II. As a representation of Divine motive. "To humble thee and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart,

whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no." God might have carried the people directly through from Egypt to Canaan without any delay. He could have crushed all the nations with a stroke to make room for His chosen: but He had other designs to fulfil, other motives actuated His infinite mind.

These appear to be three. First, to humble them; Secondly, to test their obedience; and Thirdly, to prepare them for their inheritance.

1. He designed to humble His people. This they greatly needed; for instead of acknowledging their dependence upon His power, they were invariably disposed to attribute the honour of their deliverance and progress to themselves. "And thou say in thy heart," says Moses, "My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth." Such is the disposition of man. He wishes to aggrandise himself and take to himself that glory which is due only to God; forgetting that without Him "nothing is strong," "nothing is perfect." Hence he is brought into straits to teach him a lesson of humility.

Nebuchadnezzar magnified himself, therefore he was driven to dwell with the beasts of the field. Herod "gave not God the glory," therefore "he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." "The mighty man shall be brought low, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled, but the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness." Both God's chastisements and His mercies unite to show man his own nothingness, and his sole dependence upon a higher power.

2. Another motive was to test their obedience.

"And to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no." Being a Sovereign He demands obedience, and He will employ all the necessary means to enforce the obedience which is due to Him.

3. The people were kept forty years in the wilderness to

prepare them for Canaan. They proved themselves to be unfit for the possession of wealth and the enjoyment of liberty directly after being delivered from poverty and released from bondage. There was a process of discipline necessary to school their minds and to train their dispositions for the future inheritance. Such insubordination and obstinacy as they manifested were incompatible with the right government of a large and free country. They must learn to obey as well as to govern.

severe,

God leaves His people in this world in order to prepare them for heaven. It is their state of probation. They cannot leap at once from a state of corruption to a state of holiness. The work is gradual. "By little and little" they are trained for glory. There are lessons to learn which cannot be acquired without great experience. "Through much tribulation" they must enter into the kingdom of heaven. The process may be but not more so than is necessary. It is like the purifying of metal, which requires various severe trials that it may be adapted to the use for which it is intended. The gold is not that pure, bright, burnished thing (bearing the image of the Sovereign) as it is in the circulating coin of the country when it is dug from the mines. No; it is then a gross mass of impure mineral, mixed up with much that is worthless and vile. To prepare it for its dignified use it must be crushed, and sifted, and washed, and smelted in a burning fiery furnace, until it becomes a liquid stream to be removed from one boiling caldron to another, that by the process it may ultimately reflect the image of the refiner, when all the corrupt appendages are destroyed. Similar, my brethren, are the processes through which we must pass to fit us for heaven. The trial may often appear so severe, that many think God's object is to destroy us; but no, He sits near the furnace as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." When His image is reflected. upon us, He will take us to Himself as acceptable metal, and

during the process we may confidently say with Job, "When he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold.”

Thus God leads us forty years, more or less, as He sees necessary, in the wilderness. Happy are we if, after passing through trials, and receiving mercies, we are humbled, and are taught to keep His commandments, so that ultimately we may be prepared for "the inheritance of the saints in light."

367

The Fifth Sunday after Easter.

EVENING SERVICE.-Second Lesson: Rom. v.

Verses 7, 8.-"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

THE ancient Jews divided the characters of men into three classes; which were sinners, righteous men, and good men. This threefold distinction of character is also observed by classical writers, and the apostle had doubtless this distinction in view when he penned the words of our text. Sinners were those who were lawless and reprobate in their conductthose who not only claimed their own, but also appropriated to themselves what belonged to others. The righteous were those who were free from crimes cognizable by law-those who did not defraud others, acted justly in their dealings with others, and paid everyone his due; but were entirely wrapped up in themselves, regardless of the interests of others. The good were those who were not only innocent and just, but were also kind, generous, charitable, and beneficent; studying the good of others as well their own, and willing even to make sacrifices for the welfare of others.

In every age such distinctions exist. The world has never been without them since the fail of Adam, and never will so long as sin and humanity will be joined together in flesh.

Keeping those different classes in view, we may comprehend the meaning of the apostle in the text, which is to represent the contrast between the devotedness of Christ, and the devotedness of man.

We shall therefore direct your attention, First, To the limited nature of men's love towards each other; and