SERMON XIII.

CONCUPISCENCE PUNISHED.

NUMBERS Xi. 31, 34.

And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all abroad for themselves, round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people; and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

IT is one design of the sacred Scriptures to make "sin appear exceeding sinful." Sometimes they place the evil before us in its essential deformity and vileness. At other times they surround it with "the terrors of the Almighty," drawn from those

dreadful threatenings which justify all our fears. To confirm these declarations, and illustrate these motives, we have also given us numerous examples in which we see the malignity of sin realized. "Let no man 66 say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth "he any man; but every man is tempted when he is "drawn away of his lust and enticed. Then when "lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin "when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

The event which is to engage our present attention is singularly awful. We do not wonder that God who esteems the prayer of the wicked an abomination, should refuse their unreasonable cry; but when we see him working a miracle to gratify their wishes, and making his bounty the means of their destruction, we are compelled to exclaim, "how unsearchable are his "judgements, and his ways are past finding out!"

The Israelites had been for some time preternaturally fed with manna. At length they despise it, and influenced by the multitude of strangers that was among them, fall a lusting. They wept again and said, "Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the "fish which we did eat in Egypt freely: the cucumbers and the melons, the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick but now our soul is dried away: there is "nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes.' The Lord hearkened and heard. He promised to indulge them and behold the dreadful accomplishment of his word. "And there went forth a wind from "the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let "them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey

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"on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the ❝ other side, round about the camp, and as it were two "cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the "people ftood up all that day, and all that night, "and all the next day, and they gathered the quails:

he that gathered leaft gathered ten homers; and "they spread them all abroad for themselves round "about the camp. And while the flesh was yet be"tween their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of "the Lord was kindled against the people; and the "Lord smote the people with a very great plague.. "And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hat"taavah: because there they buried the people that "lufted." But, alas! though the fathers were buried, their children survived; and there are many among Chriftians now, as well as among the Jews of old, upon whose tombs KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH may be inscribed, with a translation under, THE GRAVES OF LUSTS. Let us approach these sepulcres and receive inftruction.

I. LET US REMARK THE POWER AND DOMINION OF GOD. Every element, every creature is subject to his authority, and yields to his contruol. He holds "the wind in his fift;" he determines the quarter from which it blows; the time of its rising and of its falling; the degree of its influence; the quality of its effects. "Every living thing" ftands before him, and ministers unto him; he says to one, "Go, and he go"eth; to another, come, and he cometh." He speaks, and the fowls of the air, and the beafts of the field repair to Adam for names, to Noah for fhelter. Has

He enemies? Where can they hide? How can they' escape? Every place is a magazine of arms; every being becomes an executioner, from an angel to a fly. Has He friends? He can never want inftruments to deliver or relieve them. A fifh supplies Peter with the sacred tribute.

Ravens feed Elijah.

Lions refuse to touch Daniel. He nods, and the sea divides, the rock pours out water, manna drops from the clouds. "And there went forth a wind from the "Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them "fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this ❝side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, "round about the camp; and as it were about two cu"bits high upon the face of the earth." The Israelites were unbelieving; they questioned his ability to supply them; they said, "Can God furnish a table in "the wilderness? Behold He smote the rock, and the "waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can "He give bread also, can he provide flesh for his peo"ple? Even Moses ftaggered through unbelief."The people among whom I am, are six hundred "thousand footmen; and thou haft said, I will give "them flesh that they may eat a whole month. Shall "the flocks and herds be slain for them to suffice

them? or fhall all the fifh in the sea be gathered 66 together for them to suffice them? And the Lord "said unto Moses, is the Lord's hand waxed fhort? "Thou fhalt see now whether my word fhall come to pass unto thee or not." Chriftian, why doft thou limit "the Holy One of Israel?" Why does thy confidence tremble when difficulties multiply, and ordinary means of relief fail thee! "Haft thou not

"known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting "God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, “fainteth not, neither is weary?" Behold in Him whose you are and whom you serve, boundless resources at the command of friendly sympathy and fatherly care. "To Him belong the issues from death." "The silver and the gold are his." "His are the "cattle upon a thousand hills." "The earth is the "Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world and they "that dwell therein." "O fear the Lord, ye his "saints, for there is no want to them that fear him: "the young lions may lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good "thing."

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II. SEE HOW MUCH MORE DILIGENT MEN ARE IN COLLECTING THE MEAT THAT PERISHETH, THAN IN LABOURING FOR THAT MEAT WHICH ENDURETH

UNTO EVERLASTING LIFE. "And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day and gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all "abroad for themselves round about the camp." What eagerness, what assiduity, what perseverance, what sacrifices of ease, and even of sleep do we here discover! "This is our opportunity; this may not “continue; this may never return." "The children "of this world are wiser in their generation than the "children of light." The wants of nature are pressing, and knock till they are relieved; but spiritual necessities are either unknown, or disregarded. When the body is in danger, we are alarmed, and instantly L L

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