admire) his humiliation before God on account of it. This was very deep : "he rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the even-tide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their headsh." He had seen on many occasions how Moses and Aaron had succeeded in averting the divine displeasure from the people ; and, in concert with the elders, he now tried the same means: and we may con- fidently say, that, if all the hosts of Israel had been defeated, this was the sure way to retrieve their affairs. But his tender regard for the honour of God was that which eminently distin- guished him on this occasion ; " O Lord, what wilt thou do unto thy great name1?" This was the plea which Moses had often usedk, and to which God had paid especial regard1: and the man that feels it in his soul, and urges it in sincerity and truth, can never be ultimately foiled.
O that such were the disposition and conduct of our whole nation at this time ! But alas ! we hear of numbers slaughtered, without any emotion. We have fasts appointed ; but how few are there who observe them with such humiliation as that be- fore us ! It is true, the honour of God's name, I fear, is but little interested in our success : perhaps it is rather interested in the destruction of such an ungrateful and rebellious people as we are. But in relation to his Church and the advancement of religion amongst us, his honour is concerned ; because he has bestowed on us advantages equal, if not superior, to any that are enjoyed elsewhere on the face of the whole earth. Here then we may, and should, plead the honour of his name : he expects us to lay to heart the abounding of iniquity in the midst of us ; and takes it ill at our hands that there are so few who " mourn for the afflictions of Joseph™," and " cry for the abominations of Israel11." Let, however, the example of Joshua and the elders be impressed upon our minds, and serve as a pattern for our future imitation.]
Improvement —
[Let us not confine our attention to public calamities, but turn it to those afflictions which are personal and domestic. In this history we may behold the source and remedy of all the evil that can come upon us.
That God, in some particular case, may afflict his people, as he did Job, for the magnifying of his own power, and the fur- therance of their welfare, we acknowledge : but yet we never can err in tracing our afflictions to sin, as their procuring cause : and, if only they be the means of discovering and mortifying our corruptions, we shall have reason to number them amongst the richest mercies we ever received
h ver. 6. * ver. 9. k Exod. xxxii. 12. Numb. xiv. 15, 16. i Ezek. xx. 9. m Amos vi. 6. n Ezek. ix. 4.