LECT. pent on a pole*, and when they who VII. -- were bidden looked up to it, they were faved from death. Our Saviour hath applied this to the lifting up of himself upon the cross, where the ferpent that hath the power of death, was to be vanquished; that they who are wounded by fin, and in danger of eternal death, may look up to him and live. What was the offence of the people? It was impatience. What was their punishment? they were delivered to the power of the destroyer. What was the remedy? They were directed to look up to a figure of the cross. And where should the impatient now look up, but to Jefus the author and finisher of their faith; that great example of patient fuffering, who for their fakes endured the cross and despised the shame of it. If we are tempted to be weary and faint in our minds, when the Providence of God is leading us by fome tedious and disagreeable way against our will, then we are to look up to this pattern of patience, and to * In the heathen Mythology, a ferpent, twisted about a ftick, is the emblem of health, and the enfign of Efculapius. confider, VII. confider, how he took the painful way of LECT. the cross, and fubmitted his own will to the will of God. With this example before us, let us afk ourselves whether we have any thing to complain of; we who ought to have been there instead of him! In his death we fee the victory that overcometh the world. For the joy that was fet before him, he waited till the great work of our falvation was finished: and we are to wait in like manner, till all the defigns of Providence are accomplished in us; for we can inherit the promises on no other condition: he that endureth unto the end the fame shall be faved. But falvation, fuch as God hath promised, is not an object to all men. Some have no opinion of it; as there were those amongst the people in the wilderness, who thought scorn of that pleasant land to which they were going. When the fpies who were sent to view the land of Canaan, made their report of it, and brought back with them fome of its fruits, they differed very much in their accounts. N 4 They who proved VII. LECT. proved faithful and told the truth, said it was an exceeding good land, flowing with milk and honey; and that they were well able, with God on their fide, to take poffeffion of it, and overcome the inhabitants, whofe defence was departed from them. Others brought up an evil report of the land which they had fearched: they described it as a land which ate up, that is, ftarved its inhabitants; and that these were men of a gigantic ftature, to whom ordinary men were but as grafshoppers. This latter report found too much credit: and the congregation was fo discouraged and terrified by it, that they lift up their voices and wept; and they murmured against Moses and Aaron for bringing them into these infuperable difficulties, and even determined to make them another captain and go back. This is the act of unbelief for which they were doomed to 'fall in the wilderness, without being permitted to fee that land which they would take no pains to win. Such is the cafe of those fearful minds and VII. and faint hearts, which fay there is a lien LECT. in the way, and magnify all the difficulties. of the Chriftian warfare. The heavenly land, as they conceive of it, and as they hear from people like themselves, is not a place that would make them happy. Befides there are fuch temptations in the way as no man can refift. Vice is strong, and nature is weak. The gofpel prescribes a way of life that would ftarve people, and take away all their comfort. Therefore when all things are confidered, nothing is to be done, but to give up the cause, and go back to the opinions and ways of the children of this world. If I may give you my own fentiment, I do not suppose there is a fin upon earth more hateful to God, than this of undervaluing his promises, diftrusting his protection, and making unjust representations either of his religion itself, or of the rewards of it; as if his fervice were hard, or the end of it not worth attaining. This I can tell you, that fuch people are often made more miferable, and fuffer worse agitations VII. LECT. tations of mind from difappointments in the way of their own chufing, than the moft abftracted faint ever fuffered from the practice of self-denial in the way of godlinefs. For we may lay it down as a certain rule, that they who have not faith to see the value of the other world, have not the wit to use this properly: and no man need wish his worst enemy more wretched than the abuse of this world will make him. But, on the contrary, what words can defcribe the bleffednefs of him, who, depending on the promises of God, conquers the difficulties of life, and hath hape in his death! fuch an hope as is fignified by the divine Pfalmift, in words much to our prefent purpose-I fhould utterly have fainted, but that I believe verily to fee the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. As if he had faid, "I believe the report concerning that good land, to the poffeffion of which we are journeying; I know the value of it, and that the Lord himself is my defence by the way; and fo my heart hath not failed me: therefore I give the fame advice to all; wait on the |