dealings with Israel in the wilderness : Was sin unpunished there? Do we see there no marks of his displeasure, no proofs of the connexion which he has established between sin and misery ? Does the destruction of that whole people in the wilderness give us no insight into this matter ? When we see what was inflicted on a man for gathering sticks upon the Sabbath m, on Uzzah for a mistake11, on the men of Bethshe- mesh for unhallowed curiosity0, on Herod for pride p, on Ananias for a lieq, shall we listen to the voice that tells us, that " the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evilr?" Know ye of a truth, beloved Brethren, that " God is angry with the wicked every day s ; " and that " though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished*."]
From hence, then, we may see, II. The impression which it should make on our minds —
Verily, as it makes a deep impression upon God's mind, so should it also upon ours. We should re- member it; and never forget so much as one sin, if it were possible ; but should have the iniquity of our whole lives ever treasured up in our minds, and standing in one accumulated mass before our eyes.
This is necessary for the unpardoned sinner —
[We are not to imagine, that it is sufficient for us to acknowledge in a general way that we are sinners, or to have our minds fixed on one or two enormous transgressions, and to confess them to God. We ought to trace sin to the foun- tain-head, and see how totally we are by nature alienated from God, and " enemies to him in our minds by wicked works:" and at the same time we should have such views of particular transgressions, as to be constrained to come to God, saying, " Thus and thus have I done : " and without such a view of our sins we can have no repentance, no forgiveness, nor even so much as any preparation of heart for the Gospel of Christ.
Without calling our ways to remembrance, we can have no repentance. For, what is repentance, but a confession of our
sins, and mourning over them before God ? We can
have no forgiveness ; for " he that covereth his sins shall not prosper : it is he only who confesseth and forsaketh them that
shall find mercy u" Nor can a person be prepared to
receive the Gospel: for the Gospel is a remedy ; for which they
m Numb. xv. 33 — 35. n 2 Sam. vi. 6, 7. ° 1 Sam. vi. 19.
? Acts xii. 23. <J Acts v. 3 — 10. r Zeph. i. 12.
s Ps. vii. 11. * Prov. xi. 21. u Pro v. xxviii. 13.