earth do right?" Certainly we cannot but com- passionate the fate of the unhappy man, when we see him falhng a victim to the divine displeasure : nevertheless we derive from it much important in- struction. The judgment inflicted on him shews us,
1. That no command of God is to be trifled with —
[The eommand not to eat bread or drink water in that place might appear small ; but, however small in itself, it was sanctioned by the same authority as the greatest. That there are degrees of importance in a moral view between one com- mand and another, is certain : but as bearing the stamp of divdne authority, all are alike, and to be regarded by us with equal reverence™. Our Lord informs us, that "whoso shall break one of the least of his commandments, and teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven "," or, as that expression seems to import, be the furthest from it. Accord- ingly we find in Scripture very hea^'y judgments inflicted for, what might be considered, very small offences : the man who gathered sticks upon the Sabbath-day was stoned to death by God's express command : and Uzzah, who stretched forth his hand to support the tottering ark, was " struck dead for his error." Let us therefore not presume to violate any com- mandment under the idea of its being but a small command, or a venial offence : for we behold in the instance before us, that God is " a jealous God," and will vindicate the honour of his insulted law.]
2. That the more nearly we are related to God, the more aggravated is every sin that we commit against him —
[It might have been hoped, that so small a sin, committed so inadvertently, by one who was actively engaged in God's ser\'ice, might have passed unnoticed : but, on the contrary, he was punished, whilst the idolatry of Jeroboam, and the impiety of the old prophet, were overlooked. But God has taught us that "judgment shall begin at the house of God°;" and that the more distinguished we have been by his unmerited favours, the more certainly shall our transgressions be visited upon us p. Of this we have a most remarkable instance in the case of Moses, who for one inadvertent word was excluded from the land of Canaan ; nor could any entreaties of Moses get the sentence reversed. Let us not then presume upon our relation to God, or upon the mercies we have received from him, but rather be the more fearful of offending him, in proportion to the kindness he has exercised towards us.]
I" Jam. ii. 11. " Matt. v. 19. » Ezek. ix. 6. p Amos iii. 2.