cognizance and controul; and, consequently, that he had violated it in ten thousand instances. This is the account which he himself gives us of his own experience: *' I was alive without the law once ; but, when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died';" that is, ' Before I understood the law, I thought I had kept it, and should be saved by it ; but when I saw its spirituality and extent, I was sensible that I was a condemned sinner, and could never be justified by my obedience to it.'
It is remarkable, that God has taught us this very lesson from the commandment before us. Moses was the meekest man upon earth : yet on one occasion he transgressed against this commandment, and spake unadvisedly with his lips : " Ye rebels, shall we fetch you water out of this rock?" and then, in his anger, he struck the rock twice. Now for this single transgression God excluded him from the earthly Canaan ">. And what was the import of this dispensation? It was intended to teach us, that the law is violated as much by an angry word or temper, as by murder itself; that one single violation of it is sufficient to exclude us from the land of promise ; and that, though it is of excellent use to conduct us through the wilder- ness, it can never bring us into Canaan : that is the work of Joshua, and of Joshua alone. Let us then learn this important lesson from the commandment before us; and be convinced, that there is no justification for us by the works of the law.]
2. The evil and danger of bad tempers —
[It is thought in general a sufficient excuse for passion, to say, that we are naturally quick and hasty ; and, if a man do not long retain his anger, this hastiness of spirit is not considered, either by himself or others, as any great blemish in his character. But God does not judge so, when he tells us, that anger in the heart exposes us to his heavy displeasure, and that the saying to our brother ' Raca' puts us in danger of hell fire. Surely we must have very little considered the effects of anger, if we can think so light of the criminality attaching to it. See what murderous purposes issued from it in the
heart of David"! and what infernal ac^s were executed
in consequence of it by the incensed sons of Jacob °!
Or let us look nearer home, and see how often it terminates in blows, in duels, and in death. Who will say, that " the feet of an angry man are not swift to shed blood ? " If nothing but the declarations of God himself will satisfy us, let us attend to them: " He that hateth his brother, is a murderer; and
1 Rom. vii. 7, 9.
■" Compare Numb. xx. 10 — 12. with Ps. cvi. 32, 33. " 1 Sam. XXV. 32, 33. 0 Gen. xxxiv. 13, 25 — 31. with xlix. 5 — 7.