He was to make the nearest approach to God in his office than all beside, he was to represent the whole Israel of God, he was to remove from them all their sins; and that before the Lord, by the ordinance of the scape goat, by which all the sins, iniquities and transgressions of the people of Israel, were in one day, and by one sacrifice, to be removed: all which as understood by Aaron could not but be very consolatory.

We may here observe the goodness of the Lord towards his church. He caused his goodness and glory to pass before Moses his servant. The Lord by him made known his ways of mercy towards his people, the children of Israel. He by him made known himself in his institutions, in the which he would be worshipped by them. The Lord did by Moses ordain for the church in the wilderness, a tabernacle, sacrifices, priesthood and typical atonements; and now he is pleased further to command and ordain one peculiar ordinance, even that of one particular day, and of particular services, which consisted in various sacrifices, with the entrance of the high priest into the holiest of all, after which there was a typical removal of all sin out of the sight, and from before the Lord, by the scape goat, as had not been so fully and so clearly expressed before.

The book of Genesis contains an history of 2369 years. The tabernacle was erected in 2514, so that from hence to the coming of Christ must include a period of 1487 years. I mention this, as it seems to me very pleasing to the mind to apprehend the Scripture data. The temple of Solomon was built 480 years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, and it was dedicated in the year of the world 3001: it stood 400 years, and then it was destroyed by the Chaldeans. I would it should be observed, that both books of the Chronicles, contain an history of about 3500 years, from the creation

till after the return of the Jews from Babylon. The worship of God in all its parts and services, was never completely attended to, until the temple was built and consecrated; before which time, the services could not be so conveniently attended on, as it could not but require a settled place where they were to be administered. It should be added, there was no addition of ordinances, all were settled by the Lord, he delivered them all to his servant Moses, who delivered them to the church, and that by the ministry of his brother Aaron: and in the advent of Christ, and in the incarnation of Messiah, in his person, life and death, the whole typical memorials of Jesus and his salvation, were to be accomplished and realized.

As I have from these words, " And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord and died," taken notice of the time and occasion on which what is here recorded, was delivered by the Lord unto Moses, so what further remains of the text is to observe the place where the Lord spake this was from the mercy-seat, the voice came from one of the cherubs. These, as the representatives of the three in Jehovah, must have been from the coupled cherub, the lion and the man, the representative of the lion of the tribe of Judah, who is both God and man, and the man in God: by him as the heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, God hath in these last days spoken unto us. Moses had free access to God, and liberty to enter into the holiest at all times; we read, " And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him, (that is, with God), then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy-seat, that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubims, and he spake unto him." Num. vii. 8, 9. Thus we clearly understand from

whence the Lord spake to Moses, and gave forth his command concerning what was to be spoken to Aaron, concerning what follows in this chapter concerning the day of atonement. Therefore I go on,

Secondly, to raise such general observations from these particulars which have been already expressed, as may serve to be of real use and benefit and thus, as the preliminary discourse to the following lectures, prepare the mind for an entrance on the grand subject matter which lies before us, in the intended exposition of this whole chapter.

The first observation: it is very suitable to say, it is with the Lord Jesus Christ himself to direct his church, to appoint his own ordinances, to will the observance of them, according to his own good pleasure. It follows it is but right, and agreeable to the majesty and holiness of his person, to visit and correct for innovations in his church, to exercise corrective chastisements upon such as break his statutes, and keep not his laws. It is too much the case with such as make a profession of Christ and the gospel in the present day; many call Christ Lord, and do not the things which he commands them they are all for salvation without attending to the ordinances of worship: many will have nothing to do with these, except they can have them in their own way. It is by such the ordinances of Christ are corrupted, so as that there is not a proper respect and due reverence kept up in the mind concerning them. We have an example of this before us, the Lord had settled his ordinances, and opened every particular concerning the same: his will of command had been declared, yet these two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, not attending to the same, are struck dead before the Lord for the same: a very striking example that the eyes of Christ are like a flame of fire: that he searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins of the sons of men;

their sin consisted in their offering strange fire before the Lord. The observations which arise from hence are as follows:

As the Lord our God is holy, so his worship is also holy it is so, as it respects the matter, manner, and persons: it is holy persons to whom holy things belong : the Lord's called people, born again of the Word and Spirit, they only can worship the Lord. The apostle Peter addresseth such thus: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light,” 1 Pet. ii. 9. The fire on God's altar came down from heaven: this and none else, was to be made use of in the worship of God. So it is not com mon gifts, common graces, nor is it a common apprehension of Christ, and his truths, fit or constitute us to be spiritual worshippers; neither can we spiritually worship God with any of these: no! for "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth." God's worship must be of his own prescribing; it must be all of a spiritual and divine original : his ordinances in the which we seek him, must be of his own appointment: our church order and communion together, in the fellowship of the gospel, must be founded upon, and set down in the order of which Christ hath spoken, or else it is not of the Lord. There are many societies of christians, and these have the ordinances of Christ, and observe the institutions of baptism, and the Lord's supper, yet they are not the churches of Christ, because they are not embodied according to Christ's order and command. So with respect to preachers, and their preaching it is not what their natural abilities and gifts are: these do not qualify them to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God. The ministers of Christ must be possessed

with spiritual gifts, of knowledge in the Scriptures of truth, so as to be able to open and explain the same, or they are by no means suited to fill up a place and office of a preacher, guide, pastor, or teacher in the church and house of the living God. Nadab and Abihu are struck dead for offering strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. Many of the Israelites were smitten of the Lord, for looking into the ark, 1 Sam. vi. 19. Uzzah, a Levite, for putting forth his hand to the ark of God, and taking hold of it when the oxen shook it: the anger of the Lord was kindled against him, and God smote him for his error, and he died before the Lord, 2 Sam. vi. 6, 7. The man of God, who cried against the altar Jeroboam had set up, and commanded idolatrous worship to be performed before it: he, on the enticement of an old an old prophet, returning back, and eating bread and drinking water, is slain by a lion. So with respect to Uzziah, King of Judah; he, for his attempt to invade the priesthood, and entering into the temple to offer incense in the house of the Lord, was smitten with leprosy. Under the New Testament dispensation, we are informed of the Lord's dealings with those in the Church of Corinth, who profaned the institution of the Lord's Supper, and ate and drank unworthily, so as that thereby "they ate and drank damnation to themselves, not discerning the Lord's body." All these are recorded as solemn memorials and evidences of the Lord's displeasure against these persons and the substance of the same is most assuredly expressed by the apostle in these words and saints are divinely exhorted to attend unto the following caution: "Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear for our God is

:

a consuming fire." Heb. xii. 28, 29. To open these words: by the kingdom of God, here, is to be understood, the outward New Testament church-state, into which we are brought by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. This kingdom-state is in itself immoveable; it being altogether of him, he being the foundation of the same: and its ordinances being to continue in it, until day and night come to an end. It concerns those who have received the knowledge of him and it, to have grace, "that they may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" that is, that they fully prove they have grace: that they give full evidences of this, by serving God in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter in their being actively employed in gaining an increasing knowledge of the Lord's will in his ordinances, appointed by him for church fellowship; so as that they may be properly understood, and rightly performed. To stamp this with emphasis, he gives this as a reason: "for our God is a consuming fire." Our God: "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;" the God and Father of the apostle Paul, the God and Father of all saints the God and Father of the whole family named in Christ, both in heaven and in earth, "is a consuming fire, and a jealous God." He is zealous for his honour and glory, in matters of worship; therefore saints should be careful in their approaches unto him, that it be according to his prescribed form and order.

I think the following observations concerning those instances recorded in Scripture, which have been named, on whom the Lord was pleased

to

express his displeasure, thus much we may safely say, they are mentioned in Scripture for warnings, not for ensamples unto us, that we may not be presumptuous in worship, but ever remember the Lord's word is to be our rule, and we are

to be wholly guided, and influenced thereby also it becomes us to make a proper improvement of the same: whilst it does not become us to be too severe and animadvert on these persons; yet it becomes us to be awfully affected with their cases; for say these were only temporal punishments, yet even so considered, there is such a manifest evidence of God's displeasure towards them, as could not but be awfully affecting to survivors. In the case of Nadab and Abihu, it is said, "But Aaron held his peace." But even this implies, that he felt much on the occasion; it could not but be affecting, that these two men, who had seen the God of Israel when he confirmed his covenant with the people, at Horeb, and who, it is probable, had seen him a second time, when he appeared in glory, and was seen by all the people, and by them also, just before they fell into this very sin of offering strange fire, instead of the fire of the Lord: surely true views of this could not but most solemnly affect such as noticed this dispensation of the Lord. Not that I think these men perished everlastingly no, I do not I look on their deaths as a temporal punishment; yet under this very view they were taken in an act of sin, and this was their last act too for as they were struck dead by a flash of fire, as quick and subtle as lightning, there could be no time for thinking. It becomes you, all of you, I will say, all of us, who are either partakers of Christ, or but professors, to be very careful not to provoke the Lord to jealousy : are we stronger than he ?"

may

We see there is nothing little in the worship of God. Many of us are apt to say, and sometimes of the ordinances of God's house, You need not be so very particular about such and such circumstantials of worship. Beloved, these expressions are wrong: we have not learnt it from the Scriptures so far from it, that we have

in our text two men, and I think they were saints, yet they were struck with immediate death for omitting one thing in worship, and practising another. Sirs, there are many things in the Church of England, called worship, which are no where commanded in the word of God. Such as brought into the Common Prayer Book, the cross in baptism, kneeling at the communion, the vestments of the Clergy, will never be justified for it before the Lord; nor will it ever be found at the bar of God, that any of these things were, or are to be found in the sacred Scriptures. Yet all these things, let them be connived at by man, that will by no means render them acceptable to God. No, nor those good men, neither, which have, or still do, assent, and consent unto them. "For not he that commendeth himself, is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth,” 2 Cor. x. 16.

Nor is it that everything in our Dissenting Churches, is altogether equal, and exactly squared with the word of God; yet, whatsoever is not, is sin. It is commonly said, The Lord puts up with all this: he does not visit for it: such and such have vast congregations, which shews the Lord is with them; while such and such as are so very particu lar for doctrine and discipline, how few are their number; they are scarce sufficient to keep each other in countenance. Beloved, all this is carnal reasoning: it suits only such minds and mouths as are unacquainted with "the truth, as it is in Jesus." Be not displeased, if I tell you the truth, which is this: There are very few of us in this present age, who are pleased to think of these subjects, which have been touched upon, as Christ himself doth. hath given us his thoughts, and passed his censure, and expressed his judgments on the church from the Reformation, down to the present time. "Thou hast a name that

He

livest, and art dead. I have not found thy works perfect before God. Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy," Rev. iii. 1-4. The case of the men of Bethshemesh was different from that of Nadab and Abihu: they only looked into the ark to see, as it may be probably conceived, if the Philistines had deprived it of any of its sacred contents: yet such was the displeasure of God, for this, that out of the fifty thousand persons assembled on this occasion, in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite, the Lord smote seventy persons, with a great slaughter: that is, with some surprizing stroke, so that they died. We may learn how dangerous it is to pry into the truths of God, and the mysteries of Christ, with our carnal minds. Surely this is the improvement we should make of the circumstance. You have the account of this in 1 Sam. vi. 19.

As it respects the case of Uzzah, the Levite, who put forth his hand to save, as it may be supposed, the ark from falling; this being expressly forbidden by the Lord, see Numb. iv. 15., the Lord struck him dead upon the spot. This may be applied to such as think they can secure the glory of God's truths by guarding the gospel by their preaching law, hell, and damnation, duties, and graces, instead of declaring the pure gospel. Let such consider Uzzah's sin, and the Lord's displeasure with him for the same. I am not for thinking this man was sent to hell for this his sin, yet I am for believ ing what is in the scriptures concerning it, which is this: "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error, and there he died by the ark of God," 2 Sam. vi. 7. Should it not teach us not to meddle with the Scriptures of truth, the gospel of Christ, and the ordinances June, 1847.]

of the same, but with the greatest caution; and at all times with the rule of God's word, comparing spiritual things with spiritual? So to read, speak, and interpret the same, is as wholly and altogether agreeable with the oracles of God!

With respect to the man of God, who disobeyed the word of the Lord, the account of which is recited, 1 Kings xiii., who was slain by a lion, he being called a man of God, and all things, save in this one instance, proving him to be the Lord's; it shews the zeal of the Lord for his honour and glory and how dangerous it is to contradict any thing which the Lord hath commanded us, though we may be persuaded so to do, even by such as may pretend to have a message from God for us. The kingdom of Israel, of which Jeroboam was the first king, continued two hundred and fifty four years under nineteen kings, all of whom were idolators: the kingdom of Judah under twenty kings, the first of whom was Rehoboam, continued three hundred and eighty seven years.

Uzzah's being smote with the leprosy in the house of God, for his attempt to offer incense, as it fully proves the Lord's displeasure with him for the same, so it should be improved by us to stand in awe, and sin not; to be content in the station the Lord hath placed us in his church; not to get into any office in the church of Christ, without a clear and lawful call to the same.

With regard to the case of many of the members of the church of Christ, in Corinth, who had corrupted and profaned the table of the Lord, and were visited by the Lord for the same; these seem to be of the same nature with those spoken of before. My reasons for the same are as follows: because the apostle says to this church upon this subject, "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."

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