do they pay that deference which they ought to the only rule of right: hence, they constantly and readily forget their multiplied provocations.

2. Light thoughts of sin is another cause.-How many, even among professors of our holy religion, think much too lightly of transgression! They view it not in its proper mirror; they consider it not in connection with the righteous law and infinite purity of God. Not a few scarcely suppose any thing to be sin, but what is directly scandalous in the eyes of the world. If dubious or forbidden practice be but sanctioned by persons of outward moral decency, they infer that they may do the same, without the least compunction or regret. This accounts for their conformity to the world, their compliance with its spirit and manners, in a thousand blameable instances: it easily accounts for their criminal forgetfulness of provocations against the Most High.

3. Love of self is also a reason.-Persons who think highly of themselves, are not very willing to censure their own conduct, or to remember their own faults. To keep up an exalted opinion of themselves, they practise self-flattery; they whisper, with some of old, "I shall have peace, though I walk in the imaginations of my heart." They bear a striking resemblance to the Pharisee who went up into the temple professedly to pray;-they thank God, that they are not as other men; they boast of their works, they wrap themselves up in their own righteousness, and thus forget, willingly forget, their grievous provocations against the greatest and best of Beings,

Such self-flattery, though it may gratify a man of pride must be extremely dangerous in its influence and effects. It may lead to strenuous efforts to palliate, and to excuse for what is wrong; but it

cannot alter the nature of things; it can never change wrong into right; nor can it annul the solemn threatening," Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight." Whatever man mistakes or forgets, God the Judge of all remembers; and, as to Him we are accountable, so at his bar our character and doom will be decided.

III. The DUTY enjoined is, that we remember our provocations.

"Remember and forget not."-There is emphasis in this repetition: it implies not only a proneness to forget, but the importance, the great utility, of not forgetting, of constantly keeping in mind, and having impressed on the heart, our provocations against God.

What is this importance, and this utility?

"Then

1. To make us penitent.—There are several verses directly in proof of this, in the book of the Prophet Ezekiel: Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed."" And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loath yourselves in your own sight, for all your evils that ye have committed." shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loath yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations*" Penitence, you perceive, is closely connected with the remembrance of past provocations; nor can there be unfeigned repentance without

* Ezek. xvi. 61; xx. 43; xxxvi, 31.

it. You see also in what this penitence consists; not in shame only, but in self-loathing, a painful dissatisfaction with ourselves on account of our sins. We must be penitent before God, or our hearts are not right in his sight; and as sure as we are the subjects of undissembled contrition, we shall not be self-complacent. The spirit and the language of Job will be ours-" Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

2. To keep us humble.-" Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee." If this was the design of the dealings of God with Israel, and the remembrance of his conduct was adapted to produce this effect, much more the recollection of provocations against him. Are we proud? Do we arrogate to ourselves what we ought not? It is because we are ignorant of ourselves; we see not our vileness as it really is; our hearts are not duly affected with the malignity of our guilt. Humility is founded in comparison, and is increased by contrast: when, therefore, we reflect on the purity of God, in connection with our depravity, what must we think? When we contrast the demands of his law with our manifold violations of it, how must we feel; and this, not by reference to months and years that are past, but to our present and daily offences? Habitual sinfulness ought to keep us habitually humble; and a just sense of sin certainly will have this effect. We shall lie low at His feet against whom our provocations are directed: we shall humble ourselves "under his mighty hand, that he may exalt us in due time.”

3. To preserve us thankful for mercies.-Are they. not unnumbered as our transgressions, and multiplied even beyond our provocations? "The Lord hath

not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him." And should not the recollection of this excite our gratitude? Is it not directly calculated to have this influence? Favours from a friend,, whom we are studious to please, and would not on any account offend, naturally call for thankfulness; much more, when this Friend is perpetually provoked, and yet perpetually kind; when, as our sin abounds, his grace much more abounds, and he is loading us with benefits the most undeserved!

4. To help our resignation under Divine corrections.-The Israelites were often corrected: they suffered severe chastisements, and they murmured; but why did they murmur? They forgot their provocations against the Lord their God in the wilderness. Do we suffer affliction? Are the strokes of our Father's rod painful and repeated? Ever remember, his strokes are fewer than our crimes, and unspeakably lighter than our guilt: we suffer nothing but what we deserve: all that we suffer, and ten thousand times more, is procured to ourselves by our ungrateful, rebellious conduct towards our God. Let us bear this in mind: let us "remember and forget not," and we shall not repine. "Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?" We shall say, and our hearts will feel the sentiment which our lips utter; "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness."

When we see a professor of religion fretting about his afflictions, we witness, probably, what is much exemplified in ourselves; but are we not grieved at heart that it should be thus? We take up our cross with so much reluctance, we are like "a wild bull in a net," or "like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke;" and if not altogether so refractory, we sink into sullen peevishness and discontent. O let us "remember and forget not;" let us carefully and constantly keep in mind our provocations against the Lord our God, and sweet submission will be the fruit! "In patience" we shall possess our souls, and in every thing we shall "give thanks."

5. To endear the Saviour to us.-A Saviour exactly meets the necessities and circumstances of a sinner; and we are sinners. Not they only who are living in ignorance, and unconverted to God, but all are sinners; and the daily imperfections of the best need not be palliated, or expressed by a smoother name; our imperfections and infirmities are sins, guilty provocations against the Lord our God. How precious, therefore, is such a Saviour as the Lord Jesus Christ! How inestimable is that blood of the Son of God which cleanseth from all sin! If you and I are penitents, we lament not only the sins of the years of our ignorance, but our reiterated offences to the present hour; and what relieves us? The great atonement of the Saviour, who once suffered; his perfect sacrifice; his complete righteousness! We see and feel our constant need of Him who is our Advocate with the Father, the propitiation for our sins, and who ever liveth to make intercession for us. Brethren, look unto Him; and implore his grace not only to preserve you from sin, but to cleanse you from its daily pollution; wait on Him to give you peace even while encompassed about with infir