We might farther pursue these illuftrations under the guidance of fcripture; but perhaps they have already become tedious.

There is one reflection, which here naturally arifes; that the beafts may be of moral, as well as fecular benefit to us. We employ them in our fervice, use them for our food, and from them collect materials for our clothing. But this is not all the use which we are to make of them; we are to learn wisdom from them. And perhaps one reason, why God has placed us in a condition, which requires us to be converfant with them, is that we may thus gather moral inftructions from the actions which we see in them.

It is, however, a humbling thought, that we should need instruction, and fhould fo often meet reproof from the animals, which we defpife. Sure ly we are much fallen from the dignity of rational beings; we are much depraved in the difpofition of our hearts; we are much corrupted in our fentiments and actions; elfe God would not send us to learn wisdom and virtue from these inferior creatures. God has given us understanding, and made us wiser than the beafts of the field, or the fowls of heaven. But our understanding is darkened through the ignorance that is in us, because of the blindness of our hearts. Our reason is enflaved to paffion and luft. Our judgment is perverted by earthly affections. Hence the brutal creatures are so often propofed to us as emblems of the wisdom and virtue, which we have lost and which we ought by all means to regain. Their example, however, is but a subordinate auxiliary to means more excellent and wonderful.

Let us rejoice in the rich and glorious provifion, which God has made for our recovery from this dishonorable and dangerous apoftacy. He has

given us a revelation from heaven. This teaches us, that all have finned, and fallen under condemnation to death and mifery-that a faviour has come to redeem us by his blood-that the divine spirit is fhed down to renew us by his influence, and that God gives his holy spirit to them, who ask him. Convinced of our guilt and depravity, let us repair to the God of grace, fupplicate his pardon in the name of his fon, and implore the kind influence of that good spirit, which is able to renew our hearts, fubdue our lufts, brighten our understanding and purify our fouls. And under this heavenly influence let us afpire to improvement in knowledge and virtue, and to the purity and perfection of our nature, that we may be qualified to affociate with angels, and with them to dwell in the immediate prefence of the crea

tor.

SERMON VIII.

Joab laying hold on the Horns of the Altar.

I. KINGS. 30.

And he faid, Nay, but I will die here.

THIS is the refolution of Joab, who had fled to the altar, as his laft refuge, when he knew, that king Solomon had determined to take away his life.

This Joab was a man of great diftinction in the reign of David. The king made him the chief commander of his army, and principal counsellor in war; and the duties of his high station he executed with wisdom, fidelity and courage. By his long continuance and eminent fervices in his office, he had acquired fuch unbounded influence among the foldiery, that he affumed, in fome cafes, an imperious controul over the king himself.

On certain occafions he expreffed some sense of religion. David's order for numbering the people" was abominable to Joab," and he remonftrated against it as what would be "a caufe of trefpass to Ifrael." Before his famous battle with the combined forces of Syria and Ammon, he addreffed the officers of his army in a speech, which fa

voured highly of patriotism and piety; "Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people and the cities of our God. And the Lord do that, which feemeth him good."

But though he occafionally expreffed fome pious fentiments, yet in his habitual temper he was haughty, deceitful and ferocious. In an infidious and treacherous manner, and from mere jealoufy and envy he affaffinated two men, Amafa and Abner, who were more righteous than himself. Af. ter the fuppreffion of Abfalom's rebellion, Joab threatened the king with another and more dangerous infurrection, if he continued to indulge his immoderate grief for the death of an unnatural fon. When, in the decline of David's life, Adonijah ufurped the throne, Joab joined the party of the ufurper, though he must have known, that the king intended to make Solomon his fucceffor. This complication of crimes induced David to leave it in charge to Solomon, that he should not fuffer Joab to go down to the grave in peace.

Solomon, after his father's demife, being firm ly feated on his throne, caufed Adonijah to be put to death; and he depofed and banished Abiathar the priest, who had been deeply concerned in the late ufurpation. Joab, hearing what meafures the king was taking, and being confcious of his own crimes, and perhaps knowing David's charge to Solomon, expected, that his own fate muft foon follow. He therefore fled to the tabernacle and caught hold on the horns of the altar. Solomon, being informed of Joab's flight to the altar, fent an officer to fall upon him. The officer came to him and faid, "Thus faith the king, Come forth," that the altar be not stained with thy blood. Joab replied, "Nay, but I will die here." On a fecond order from the king, he was executed in that place.

In the land of Ifrael cities of refuge were appointed for the security of the man, who had flain his neighbour unawares; and the tabernacle, at the door of which stood the altar of burnt-offering, was in some cases allowed to be a place of refuge for the manflayer. But neither the cities nor the tabernacle were to yield protection to a wilful murderer. When it appeared, on examination, that the man came prefumptuously on his neighbour to flay him with guile, the divine order was exprefs, "Thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die."

Joab must have been too well acquainted with the law of God, to suppose, that a wilful murderer and a rebel against the government, fuch as he was, could be faved from death by fleeing to the altar.

The prefervation of life was not his object in this action; for he expected ftill to die. He faid, "I will die here." It is probable he viewed this flight to the altar as an act of religion, which became a dying finner, and would procure him pardon and acceptance with an offended God. His crimes were fuch as no facrifice of beafts could expiate, for the law had provided no atonement for prefumptuous fins. If he muft die, he would die on the altar, and make himself the facrifice, and his blood the atonement. If this laft act was accompanied with repentance of his fins and faith in the mercy of God, he certainly was forgiven. Whether this was the state of mind in which he died, the story is filent, and we cannot judge.

There is, however, one very ferious and important truth here fuggefted; "that men, who have lived all their days without a regard to religion, may wish for the benefit and protection of it, when they die."