and then it was, that Aaron did, as is recorded of him in the text; "he took a censer, with fire from off the altar, and put on incense, as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation, and made an atonement for the people." He exposed himself, for their sake, to the vengeance of heaven, which was rolling on like an irresistible torrent, and had already swept away near fifteen thousand of his brethren; he stood in the midway between the wrath and them, "between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed." It stopped where Aaron stood; before him all were consumed; all behind him were saved:-an action this so full of faith and love, as to deserve the admiration of all ages; so wonderfully blessed in its consequences, that it cannot but well repay the time and pains we shall employ in inquiring into the grounds and reasons of them, and learning how it should come to pass, that the intercession of Aaron should arrest the wrath of God in its impetuous course, and save from impending death the remnant of rebellious Israel. And in the prosecution of the subject it may perhaps appear, that this awful and affecting scene which we have been contemplating, as affording fine matter for a picture, is itself a picture only of another more august and interesting scene, in which all the children of Adam are concerned, and do bear their parts.

said, were holy, and the Lord was among them;" every man was qualified to be his own priest, to instruct, and to save himself; and who was Aaron, that he should set himself up above his brethren, and lord it over God's heritage? At the same time that a schism was thus forming in the church, a rebellion was likewise fomented in the state. For Dathan and Abiram, who were laymen, and princes of the congregation, accused Moses of tyranny, and a design to establish arbitrary power; which they affirmed to be so clear a case, that unless he "put out the eyes" of the people, they must see he intended to enslave, and to make "himself altogether a prince over them." Matters soon came to an open rupture; God himself was appealed to, and a day fixed to determine the cause. And a most tremendous determination indeed it was. For when the two parties, according to order, had separated from each other, and all with eager expectation stood waiting the event, behold" the ground," which was under the rebels, suddenly "clave asunder, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all that appertained to them; they went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the congregation, And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense." They who have not studied hu- Let us then ask-Was it for Aaron's sake, man nature, who have not seen nor heard that God spared the remnant of his people? much of mankind, will perhaps imagine that Had Aaron any merit of his own, any supersuch a decision as this must needs have si- fluous righteousness, which might be imputed lenced every objection, and put an end to to them? Far from it; since, however comthe murmurings of discontent. And so far paratively holy and faithful he might be, yet indeed it is true, that "the people fled at the was he a descendant of that Adam, of whose cry of those who suffered, for they said, Lest children it is testified that "there is none that the earth swallow us up also." But as soon doeth good; no not one." He and " every as the danger was over, they discovered the high priest taken from among men," were real sentiments of their corrupted hearts. necessarily heirs of the universal corruption; After a single night's rest, the spirit of rebel- they had their infirmities, as the apostle ar lion again took possession of them; and, all gues, and were obliged to offer up sacrifices reverence laid aside, they go in a tumultuous for their own sins, as well as for those of the and insolent manner to their leaders, requir- people. Aaron, therefore, of himself, could ing at their hands, truly, the blood of Korah make no atonement for them; and without and his followers. "On the morrow, all the an atonement, the justice of God could not congregation of the children of Israel mur- let them escape. To account for this wondermured against Moses and against Aaron, say- ful deliverance, we must carry on our thoughts ing, Ye have slain the people of the Lord." farther; we must look to some higher atoneThus, by standing up for these offenders, they ment, some greater and powerful Intercessor showed a secret approbation of their offence; and High Priest, in whose name Aaron might and, being partakers of their crime, they justly act, and in virtue of whose merits he might, became partakers also of their punishment. as a representative, prevail with God to be The divine wrath, therefore, went out against gracious to his people. them. "Get you up," said the Lord to Moses and Aaron," from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment." A most dreadful pestilence ensued;

And here, there is but one person upon whom all our thoughts must immediately be fixed, namely, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the great High Priest of our profes

sion, the effectual Intercessor for the salvation of sinners. Had we any doubt, whether Aaron, when officiating according to the law, represented Him, St. Paul, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, has determined the point beyond all contradiction. He tells us, that the law had a shadow of good things to come, of which Christ and his heavenly truths were the body and substance; that Aaron and all other high priests were the representatives of him who is our gracious Intercessor and High Priest for ever; that the holy of holies in the temple was the figure of heaven itself; that all which Aaron did there, foreshowed what our Lord did and does for us above; that the blood there offered by Aaron and his successors, under the law, pointed out the blood of Christ, by him offered to the Father in heaven; and the incense, which was fumed upon those occasions, to diffuse a grateful smell, denoted the merits of our blessed Redeemer, which appease the wrath of God, render all our prayers and oblations acceptable, and fill heaven and earth with the sweet smelling savor of life, peace, and salvation.

their Creator and Sovereign, and gone over to his and their enemy. When we read of the repeated transgressions of Israel, with the mercies and the judgments of Heaven fresh in their memories, nay even before their eyes, we are amazed and confounded, and almost tempted to disbelieve the accounts of such horrible perverseness and ingratitude. But conscience sleepeth all this while, and we stand in need of a Nathan, to tell each of us, "Thou art the man." For who amongst us has not experieneed the mercies of God; and who has not abused them? Who has not trembled at his judgments; and who has not forgotten them again? Who, in the hour of sickness and sorrow, has not made vows and resolutions of amendment; and who, in the day of health and gladness, has not broken those vows and resolutions? Alas, my brethren! our own hearts, if we do but consult them, must tell us, that the history of Israel is true, and that we all have in us, derived from our common father Adam, a portion of the same rebellious spirit which was in them. "Are we better than they? No, in no wise; for," as saith the apostle, "we have charged both Jews and Gentiles," that is, all the world, "that they are all under sin; as it is written" in the Scriptures of truth, "There is none righteous, no not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known; there is no fear of God before their eyes-All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Such is the Scripture account of fallen man; And now, I would willingly hope that such are the works of which the world hath this scene begins to open upon you in all its been full from the beginning, and is likely to glory. For surely the brightest imagination continue so unto the end. Mankind, therecannot figure to itself a more exact and lively fore, resemble the people of Israel in their representation of our sinfulness, of the divine sins. Let us next examine, whether they do wrath, and the mercies of redemption. Un- not likewise resemble them in their punishder this most affecting image of rebellious ment.

These things being understood and considered, we may easily collect, from what has been said, the reason why Aaron's intercession on the behalf of offending Israel was so powerful and effectual. For if Aaron, in the office of high priest and mediator, represented the world's Redeemer, and if the atonement which he made for Israel, showed forth that great atonement to be one day made by Jesus Christ for the church universal of all ages and nations; then God had undoubtedly respect unto that great atonement, and, for his sake who was to make it, pardoned those for whom it was to be made. In the person of Aaron he beheld his beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased, interceding for the transgressors; Israel was spared for the sake of Aaron, but Aaron himself was accepted for the sake of Christ.

Israel, smitten with a pestilence, and saved Did Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with all by the intercession of Aaron, are described to us the miserable and lost state of man after the fall, the terrible execution of God's justice on the one hand, and the gracious interposition of our Redeemer on the other, with the effects of both.

Were the men of Israel sinners and rebels against their God? So we are all. All have sinned; all have broken their allegiance to

their company, go down into the pit? Did a fire come forth from the Lord, and consume the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense? And did a raging pestilence sweep off the murmurers by thousands? What are we taught by all this, but the same concerning lesson which the apostle teaches us in words, that "the wages of sin is death," and that "death passed upon all men, for that all

have sinned." Forfeiture of life and inheri- | pass from one to another, or to have an end, tance necessarily followed the transgression. like that of Aaron; but it was eternal and In Adam all died; all became mortal in their unchangeable, as the Son of God, who exbodies, and subjected to the sentence of natural ercised it. Such was our High Priest, who death. And not only so, but the souls of men perceived that, on account of man's transwere deprived by sin of communication with gression, wrath was gone forth from the preGod, who is the fountain of spiritual life; sence of the Lord, and that the plague was and both soul and body were in danger of begun among the people. And he saw that eternal death. When, therefore, we behold there was no man, and wondered that there the camp of Israel in the wilderness, visited was no intercessor. Therefore he arby the divine judgments; when we see some rayed himself in the holy garments of glory going down alive into the dreadful pit; others and beauty; he put on a breast-plate of rightburnt up in a moment by fire from heaven; eousness, and a robe of inviolable sanctity, and a pestilence threatening to consume the and he was clad, over all, with zeal as a rest; when we look around, and view, in cloak. He was anointed with the oil of gladevery part of the picture, the dying and the ness, with the Holy Ghost, and with power; dead; do we not at once acknowledge the and on his head was a crown of salvation and original from which it is drawn, and discern glory. Thus adorned and fitted for the work, in it the too, too faithful portrait of a fallen he put on, for incense, the merits of his sufworld, full of misery and death, because full ferings. He ran into the midst of God's peoof sin and rebellion! ple, as a mediator, interposing himself between the parties at variance, in order to reconcile them. He met the burning wrath, and turned it aside from all believers. He stood, and stands now, between the dead and the living, between those who, by opposing his method of salvation, will die in their sins, and those who, living and believing in him, shall never die eternally. He is at the right hand of God, ever making intercession for us. so the plague is stayed. A stop is put to the progress of everlasting destruction. The fiery sword of offended justice cannot reach, nor shall the second death have any power over such as accept the atonement which he hath made for them, and thankfully receive the benefits of his all-prevailing intercession. "There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."

But what? Must we then indeed perish? Must we all perish? "Will the Lord cast off for ever; and will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" Is the plague begun among the people, and is there no person who can stay it? O not so; blessed be our gracious God! there is yet hope of comfort, health, and salvation. Turn your eyes once more to the instructive picture, and there view the Intercessor making atonement, and saving the remnant of his people. Destruction was not the end for which God formed man. "For God made not death. He created man to be immortal, and made him an image of his own eternity. Through envy of the devil came death into the world, and still, as at the first, they alone who hold of his side do find it." The covenant of works being broken by transgression, the covenant of grace immediately succeeded in its room. This was the remedy provided against sin and death, and the blessed means of reconciliation fore-ordained by the Divine Persons, before the foundation of the world; that the sinner, who had no righteousness of his own to plead in arrest of judgment upon the new terms of this act of grace, might again find acceptance and life, through the divine satisfaction and intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was consecrated to be our High Priest, and ordained to perform an office, in attempting which, every high priest taken from among men must else have failed. He had no need to offer sacrifice for his own sins, since he had none; but being himself all righteous, was perfectly qualified to save others. Nor was his priesthood to

VOL. II.

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And

And can anything, then, my brethren, prevent our accepting this atonement, and thankfully receiving the benefits of this intercession? Can anything induce us, when the bountiful hand of mercy hath filled and holdeth out the cup of salvation, to dash it untasted from us? Nothing can, but an utter ignorance of our sin and of our danger. Could a dying Israelite have been prevailed upon, think you, to reject the atonement and intercession of Aaron? No, surely. Only see how hope revives in their countenances, and joy sparkles in their eyes, all turned and fixed upon him in the execution of his priestly office. And why? Because they were sensible of their wretched and perilous estate. They needed not to be told, that they were expiring by the pestilence. They knew it, they felt it; they were looking wishfully around them for help and deliverance, ready with eagerness and impatience, with gratitude, and thankfulness, to snatch at it, and embrace

it, the moment it should appear. O why are not we so? Why do we hear of the atonement and intercession of the holy Jusus, with so much cold indifference? Why, but because we see not, we know not, we feel not, the want of them. And yet, what is there, within us, or without us, that doth not teach and show it us? To tell you that the world is full of sorrow is no news; to tell you that the world is full of sin, is, I presume, no news. And from what would you desire to be delivered, if not from sin and sorrow? To tell you that a sentence of death is passed upon the bodies of men, and that, without redemption, a sentence of condemnation will be passed upon their souls and bodies too, this likewise is no news to any one of you. Daily experience proves the first, and the Scripture asserts the second. And from what would you wish to be saved, if not from death and condemnation? Or what, in point of wretchedness and horror, was the camp of Israel with the pestilence in the midst of it, if compared to such a world as this? Go, thou who art tempted to reject, or to neglect, the satisfaction of Christ, go to the bed of sickness, and undraw the curtains of affliction; ask him who lies racked with pain, and trembling at the thoughts of the wrath to come, what his opinion is concerning the doctrine of atonement; and observe how the name of a Saviour and Intercessor puts comfort and gladness into his sorrowful and affrighted soul, at a time when the treasures and the crowns of eastern kings would be utterly contemned, as equally vain, worthless, and unprofitable, with the dust of the earth. Then reflect, that such, one day, must be thy state; and in that state, such infallibly will be thy thoughts and sensations. And did the cares and pleasures of the world suffer living men to think and feel as dying men do, the intercession of Christ would be regarded and accepted by Christians, as that of Aaron once was by Israel. Now, indeed, the sentiments of men on this great point may be different, because their passions and their prejudices are differ- The plan and substance of the foregoing Disent but we shall all think alike upon the course are taken from one published some years ago, by my late learned and valuable friend, the reverend subject, when passion shall cease, and preju- Mr. WATSON. But it always seemned to me, as I fredice be no more, at the hour of death, and in quently used to tell him, that he had much abated the day of judgment. In that last and con- the force and energy which the composition would cerning day, the scene on which we have otherwise have possessed, by introducing a secondary and subordinate subject, which continually diverted been meditating shall be again exhibited, in the attention of his reader from the primary and its most awful and tremendous accomplish-principal one. I was therefore tempted to work up ment. Instead of the earthly pit opening its his admirable materials afresh, with some few altermouth to swallow up Korah and his company, Intercession of Christ, illustrated by that of Aaron, ations and additions, that so noble a subject as the the infernal pit of everlasting destruction might stand out to observation, simplex duntaxat et shall disclose its bottomless depth, to receive unum.

alive into it the great adversary, and all that have taken part with him against God and Christ. Instead of fire from the presence of the Lord, to consume the two hundred and fifty that offered incense, "Behold the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, and leave them neither root nor branch." Instead of the pestilence to destroy fourteen thousand only of his murmuring people, the inexhaustible floods of almighty vengeance, heaped up for ages, shall be poured out, to drown rebellious spirits in irresistible perdition. Then, when the heavens shall melt with fervent heat all around, the fiery gulf rolling beneath, and the earth, upon which we stand, sinking down into the flames, then what a sight will it be, to behold our blessed Aaron, our great Mediator, standing up, and interposing his merits between the dead and the living; between those who, disbelieving, have murmured against him, and those who, believing, have served and obeyed him. Then tremble, thou wretch, who hast blasphemed, or slighted the intercession of Jesus. But rejoice greatly, O faithful soul, whose trust hath ever been in Him, thy salvation is sure, and the day of thy redemption is come: rejoice, and shout aloud for joy; join the chorus of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, the ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, whom the well-beloved John heard saying, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." And with them let " every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them," exalt their voices, and proclaim, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, to him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever." Amen. *

DISCOURSE XX.

DANIEL IN BABYLON.

DANIEL, VI. 10.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

lustre, than at this time, in the person of Daniel upon his knees, in such circumstances. Let us, therefore, meditate for a while on an object which, as we are assured by the sequel, engaged the attention of Heaven itself.

If we consider the situation of Daniel in Babylon, it will teach us that we ought, on no account to omit our daily devotions. And if we consider the manner of his praying, it will teach us how we ought to perform them.

With regard to Daniel's situation in Babylon, we may contemplate him as one in captivity in a strange and heathen land; as one encumbered with the concerns of a vast empire; and as one in danger of his life for what he did.

THE chapter relates to us a conspiracy | ed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did formed by the Babylonian princes against aforetime." Never, surely, did the spirit and Daniel, because the king, "finding an excel- power of devotion shine forth with greater lent spirit in him," had preferred him above them all. For we read of no crime but his merit, which, indeed, is a crime sufficiently heinous in the eyes of those who are destitute of it. At all events, therefore, Daniel must be impeached. The only question was, in what form it should be done. "Concerning the kingdom," and his fidelity to his sovereign, "they could find (and we may be sure it was not for want of diligence in searching) none occasion or fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him." And now, what do they fix upon, as an article of impeachment against him? Why, truly, his PIETY. "We shall not find," say these statesmen, "any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God." But some difficulty there still remained in the execution of this project; as, it seems, there was no law yet in being, even in Babylon itself, that inflicted a penalty upon a man for being eminently devout. The great men therefore assembling together, went in a body to the king, and prevailed upon him to sign a decree which flattered his pride, that "whosoever should ask a petition of any God, or man, for thirty days, save of him, should be cast into the den of lions." Thus was atheism established by the law, in the court, city, and empire of Babylon, for the space of one month; and now, let any one pray who dared. But the contrivers of this new law were well enough acquainted with Daniel's character, to know that fear of the lions would never cause him to give over his devotions for one day, much less for thirty. And so accordingly it turned out. For "when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and pray

It had been no wonder to have seen Daniel devout in Jerusalem. For there was the temple of God, the true church and worship, frequented by all his countrymen. There dwelt the Holy One of Israel; and the light of his countenance visited and shone continually upon them. But when Jerusalem was trodden down of the Gentiles, and the temple laid low in the dust; when the Lord had "covered the daughter of Sion with a cloud in the day of his anger;" when "the glory was departed from Israel," and Daniel, with the rest of those that escaped the slaughter, had been led away into captivity among infidels and scoffers; that the holy fire of devotion should burn and shine through all these disadvantages and temptations; this was indeed a sight which God himself delighted to behold; as such devotion could spring from nothing else but that love of him in the heart, mentioned by king Solomon, which "many waters cannot quench, neither can the floods drown it;" all the sorrows and afflictions in the world cannot extinguish it; but it will break through, and triumph gloriously; as we find it did, in the case before us. In