We may take occasion from them to consider,
I. In what manner we have sinned against the Lord — It would be endless to attempt an enumeration of
all the sins we have committed. We shall confine ourselves to that view of them which the context suggests —
[The sin against which Moses cautioned the two tribes was, unfaithfulness to their engagements, and a preferring of their present ease to the executing of the work which God had assigned them. Now we promised at our baptism to re- nounce the world, the flesh, and the devil b. These promises then made for us, we have renewed at our confirmation and at the Lord's table : but how have we kept the covenant which we have thus solemnly entered into ? Have we not maintained that friendship with the world which is enmity with Godc? Have we not rather sought to please than to mortify our carnal appetites'1? Has not the god of this world led us captive at his wille? And is not such a life one continued violation of our baptismal engagements?]
But the sin referred to in the text, will scarcely bear any comparison with ours —
[The Israelites were to maintain a warfare with men ; we, with the devil f. They were to fight for an earthly portion; we, an heavenly8. They might have urged that their aid was unnecessary, when God was engaged ; and that, after all, the prize was an inadequate reward for such fatigue and danger. But, can we hope to conquer without exerting our own powers ? Do we suppose that God will subdue our enemies without our concurrence? Or can we say that the prize held forth to us is not worth the contest? If our engagements be more solemn, our work more noble, and our reward more glo- rious than theirs, our sin in disregarding all must be pro- portionably greater: yet who amongst us must not confess that he has forgotten all his vows? Behold then, we may say to all, " Ye have sinned against the Lord."]
Nor are we to suppose that our sin will always pass unnoticed —
II. What assurance we have that our sin shall find
us out
Sin may be said to find us out when it brings down the divine judgments upon us —
b See the Church Catechism. c James iv. 4.
d Tit. iii. 3. e Eph. ii. 2. 2 Tim. ii. 26.
f Eph. vi. 12. s 1 Cor. ix. 25.