under the ways of his providence. When the people expected to see an end of their journeyings, it pleased God still to lead them round about; but being weary of this unsettled life, we are told, that the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way:* and, to punish their impatience on this occasion, fiery serpents were sent to destroy them. But when Moses prayed for them, he was directed to place a serpent on a pole,† and when they who were bitten looked up to it, they were saved from death. Our Saviour hath applied this to the lifting up of himself upon the cross, where the serpent that hath the power of death, was to be vanquished; that they who are wounded by sin, 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 Jesus the author and finisher of their faith; that great example of patient suffering, who for

Numbers xxi. 4.

† In the Heathen Mythology, a serpent, twisted about a stick, is the emblem of health, and the ensign of Esculapius.

their sakes 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 some tedious and disagreeable way against our will, then we are to look up to this pattern of patience, and to consider, how he took the painful way of the cross, and submitted his own will to the will of God. With this example before us, let us ask ourselves, whether we have any thing to complain of; we who ought to have been there instead of him! In his death we see the victory that overcometh the world. For the joy that was set before him, he waited till the great work of our salvation was finished: and we are to wait in like manner, till all the designs of Providence are accomplished in us; for we can inherit the promises on no other condition: He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved.

But salvation, such as God hath promised, is not an object to all men. Some have no opinion of it; as there were those among the people in the wilderness, who thought scorn of that pleasant land to which they were going. When the spies who were sent to view the land of Canaan, made their report of it, and brought back with them some of its fruits,

they differed very much in their accounts. They who 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 side, to take possession of it, and overcome the inhabitants, whose defence was departed from them. Others brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched: they described it as a land which ate up, that is, starved its inhabitants; and that these were men of a gigantic stature, to whom ordinary men were but as grasshoppers. This latter report found too much credit: and the congregation was so 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 insuperable 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 see that land which they would take no pains to win.

Such is the case of those fearful minds and faint hearts, which say there is a lion in the way, and magnify all the difficulties of the Christian warfare. The heavenly land, as they conceive it, and as they hear from peo

not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will, with the temptation also, make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it."* This is the doctrine we are to learn from their history. He that standeth may now fall through unbelief, as they did: he that has been brought out of Egypt, may fall in the wilderness; therefore let us pass the time of our sojourning here in fear. But then, as God is still with us, we are never to be discouraged in the time of trial, nor to doubt of his protection. If there is a sea on one side, and a host of Egyptians on the other, and there seems no way to escape, the waters shall be divided, and the Egyptians shall be overthrown. If there is neither bread nor water in appearance, some improbable causes shall give us a supply of both some flinty stone shall become a springing well, and the heavens above shall give us meat enough. Then for the sicknesses of the soul, we have the remedy of the cross; and against the gigantic race of Anak, a defender who will never leave us nor forsake us : howsoever great

and formidable the enemies of the Christian

may appear, Greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the world.

* 1 Cor. x. 12, 13.

Though it is the design of these Lectures rather to interpret the scripture than to apply it; yet we are to consider the application as the end, and the interpretation as the means: therefore I cannot help indulging myself sometimes in dwelling upon the moral part, which is the most edifying of all. The history of the church in the wilderness is figurative, and we have learned what it signifies: but what good will this knowledge do us, if there is no counsel with it? What shall we gain by seeing how men were lost, unless we take advice from thence, and learn how we may be saved? I therefore do not spare, when occasion offers, to add to my interpretations such spiritual advices as arises out of them. The length and labour of my undertaking is the greater upon this account; but I hope your profit will be greater in proportion. The church that went from Egypt to Canaan gives us an example of every thing that can happen to the Christian church from the beginning of it even to the end of the world: therefore no historical figure of the scripture is of more importance to us than this journey of the Hebrews through the wilderness; and I ought not yet to lay it aside. For there are two particulars remaining, which are of great signification: the one