had cut their way through the Philistine hosts, and, at the most imminent peril of their lives, had brought him water from the well of Bethlehem, forbore to drink of it, and poured it out before the Lord with this reflection; " Is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives™ ?" However much he had thirsted for it, he was deterred by this consi- deration from even tasting it. And shall not we, when tempted to gratify any unhallowed appetite, call to mind what it cost our Lord to redeem us from it ? However strong may be our thirst for sin, shall not the remembrance of our having so often drank it with greediness abase us in the dust ? And shall we not in future put away the cup from our lips, saying, ' This is the blood, not of a mere man who jeoparded his life, but of God's only Son, who actually died for me ? Was he crucified for me once, and shall I now crucify him afresh ? Did he shed his precious blood for me, and shall I tread him under foot, and count his blood an unholy thing? How shall I do such wickedness, and sin thus against my God and Saviour?' This were indeed a good improvement of the subject before us : this were to answer the great end of all Christ's sufferings ; since " he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." This too beyond all things would evince us to be the very " people of God, for whose transgressions he was stricken." Let this effect then be visible amongst us. So, when we ourselves shall stand at the tribunal of our Lord, our lives shall testify on our behalf; and the judge of quick and dead shall say, " I know that ye feared me, seeing that ye put away from you the accursed thing, which my soul hated."
m 2 Sam. xxiii. 15 — 17-