[What were the sins in which we indulged years ago? Take us as a collective body; and it must be said, " In those we continue still." The gay, the worldly, the sensual, the pro- fane, all follow their respective courses as much as ever, equally
unallured by mercies, and unawed by judgments Nor
have all " the wonders" of redeeming love, though so fully and faithfully proclaimed, wrought any change in us. As the Israelites, though so visibly under the care of Almighty God, could not be prevailed upon to enter into the design of God's mercies to them, or to yield up themselves to him in a way of holy obedience, so neither are we led to exercise a simple faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to " cleave unto him with full
purpose of heart" — Dependence on him, communion
with him, and devotedness to him, are as far from us as
ever Our heads possibly may be instructed ; but our
hearts and lives are unchanged ]
And now let me ask, What are, II. The bitter fruits which they reap from it ?
Certainly, if ever a people could be happy, the cir- cumstances in which the Israelites were placed were calculated to make them happy. But "their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in trouble," as the just punishment of their sins. And how are our lives spent ?
What have we, but vanity and trouble ?
[In the abundance of all things that we enjoy, it is sur- prising how little there is of real comfort to the possessors. Many possess all that the world can give ; yet " in the midst of their sufficiency they are in straits'3." It may be thought that the rich are happier than the poor : but the very reverse
of this is true. God has cursed their very blessings0
Yea, the nearest of all connexions which God ordained for the happiness of man is, in a great majority of instances, un- attended with the blessedness which the parties hoped for ; yea, and too often is made a source of bitterest woe. Truly, " man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upwards d :" and this poor wilderness world is found to most a vale of tears ]
And what is this but the fruit of sin ?
[This was not the state of man in Paradise : it came as the fruit of sin : and in proportion as men live without God in the world, is the world and every thing in it embittered to them. It may be asked, Are the saints exempt from this common lot? Do not they find "vanity and trouble" here below, as well as others ? They do; but by no means in the same degree.
h Job xx. 22. c Deut. xxviii. 15 — 20. d Job v. 6, 7.
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