With what awful authority did he summon Aaron and Miriam before himb ! But with a more awful voice will he call us forth to judgment. With what indignation did he, after reproving their iniquity, " depart0 !" and will he not depart from such professors here ; yea, and bid them to depart from him for ever? Did he expose their sin to all? Did he inflict a most disgraceful punishment ? Did he order Miriam to be excluded from the camp of Israeld ? Who reads not here the shame and misery of those, who, under a cloak of religion, have harboured any secret lusts? Were the most distinguished characters in the whole kingdom dealt with thus ? Who then has not reason to fear and tremble? " Be wise now therefore, O ye kings, be instructed, ye judges of the earth. O kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the waye." Behold, the sin of these two professors delayed the progress of all the hosts of Israel for seven days f ! Armed hosts, or intervening seas, could not retard them: but sin, that evil and accursed thing, did what all the powers of earth and hell could not have done. O professor, think how many may be retarded in their progress towards heaven by one sin of thine ; yea perhaps may be turned out of the way, and ruined for ever ! Remember what our Lord has said, " Woe unto the world because of offences ! but woe, most of all, unto him, by whom the offence cometh." It is on this account that God enjoined all his people to " bear in mind what he had done to Miriam by the way, after that they were come forth out of Egypt g." The Lord grant that none of us may ever lose sight of it ! May we remember what an evil and bitter thing it is to lose in any degree the fear and love of Godh!]
a Matt. xi. 29. b ver. 4, 5. c ver. 9. d ver. 10, 14.
«Ps. ii. 10 — 12. f Numb. xxii. 15. e Deut. xxiv.9. h Jer. ii. 19. VOL. II. E