which they were to march to take possession of the land of Canaan, promised to their fathers. During their abode in that wilderness, (for they were sentenced to wander up and down in it for the space of forty years, on account of their sins,) at the command of GOD, he formed them into a people, instituted amongst them a most excellent method of government, and enjoined them a body of laws, which were "holy, just, and good; " equitable in themselves, and calculated for their good. But what was more than all this, he taught them the true knowledge and fear of the LORD, and exemplified his doctrine in his own person, so that others seeing his good works, might be induced to imitate the same, and glorify the GoD of their sal

vation.

Nor did this bright luminary go down in a cloud. He shone more and more refulgent, not merely till the noon, but till the evening of life, and at his setting broke forth with more than meridian splendour. All his greatest actions were performed during the last forty years of his life, and all that are recorded in this book, during the last month thereof. This book, indeed, is rather a history of words than deeds; it rather acquaints us with what Moses taught, than what he did. It is certain, the contents of it were delivered by him to the Israelites within a month of his death, even in the eleventh month of that year, which, together with the thirty days of mourning for his death, completed their forty years peregrination in the wilderness. Thus diligently did this man of God work while it was day, knowing the night of death was at hand when he could not work. Thus did he hasten to finish what his Master had given him to do, for he was faithful to him that appointed him in all his house. Thus did he exhibit to us a living example of the advice, afterwards given by as great a man, and as eminent a saint; "Exhort one another daily, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching."

In some of the foregoing chapters, we have an account of Moses's farewell address to the people of Israel, who were all assembled to hear his last words. In this discourse he warns them, in a most solemn manner, of the unavoidable miseries which would befall them, by the Providence of God, if they forsook his worship and service; and, at the same time, assures them of every desirable mercy from God's love and faithfulness, if they adhered to him. He sets before them life and death, blessing and cursing, and exhorts them to choose life, that both they and their seed might live. But, that no means might be wanting to do that obstinate and ungrateful people good, at the command of Gop

Moses writes the song contained in this chapter, in which he celebrates the perfections of Jehovah, rehearses his favours towards Israel, and their ill behaviour in return towards him; foretells the wasting and destroying judgments which God was about to bring upon them for their sins, and closes the whole with a gracious promise of the destruction of their enemies and oppressors at the last, and the glorious deliverance of a remnant of their nation. Of the many powerful strokes of true eloquence, contained in this divine song, the words of our text, taken in their proper connection, are not the least affecting. Speaking of the Israelites, he says, (ver. 5,) "They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children; or, more literally, according to the Hebrew, "their spot is not in his children;" 66 they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? Is he not thy Father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?"

In discoursing from these words, I propose to accommodate them, as much as possible, not to the case of the Israelites, for whose benefit they were primarily intended, but to our own case. I shall consider,

I. WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US?

II. How WE OUGHT IN REASON, DUTY, AND INTEREST, TO

REQUITE HIM.

I. I am to consider what GOD has done for us.

And what has he not done? Has he not done every thing for us that is done? And what could he have done for us, which he has not done? Surely, we are indebted to him for our being, and our well-being; for all our present comforts, and future hopes. What are we, or what have we, which we have not received from him, and for which we do not depend on him every day, and hour, and moment? All our temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings we owe to GOD; whatsoever we now enjoy, and whatsoever we hope to enjoy through everlasting ages. The goodness of GOD is a boundless and unfathomable sea, without either bottom or shore. His favours are so many, so various, and so great, that the line of our finite mind cannot reach their value, nor can our limited capacity recount their number. For multitude, diversity, and splendour, they resemble the stars of heaven, which the more attentively they are viewed, appear the more

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numerous, and, were we not so' immensely distant from them, would equally astonish us with their magnitude and order. Look then toward heaven, and see if thou be able to number, to methodize, or measure the stars. As little canst thou recount, set in order, or comprehend the mercies of GOD. However, to pursue the simile a little further, as some of those luminous bodies attract our attention more than others, either on account of their distinguished situation, their apparent magnitude, or their dazzling brightness, so some of the divine favours are more observable than others, and better deserving our regards. All that I can do then at present, is to select two or three of these, and engage you to consider them.

The first remarkable favour of GOD towards us, which strikes our observation, is our creation. Our very existence is his gift. Our bodies and souls, with all the powers and faculties belonging to each, came originally from him. There was a time when we could neither see nor hear, speak nor act; when we could not think, reason, nor remember; when, in fact, we had neither bodies nor souls; when we were not. But He spoke us into being by the word of his power.

And the same GoD, who originally gave us our existence and all our powers, hath continued them to us until now; for " in him we live, and move, and have our being." As we could not of ourselves start into life at first, so we cannot subsist in life any future moment without his interposition, power, and superintending Providence. We are not less dependant on him for our preservation, than we were for our creation, and that, not only because he gives us "rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our mouths with food and gladness," and hereby supports our animal nature, but because he feeds continually the lamp of life, and keeps it burning, and maintains our various faculties and members in health and vigour, which, otherwise, would soon become useless. "By him," says the Apostle, "all things consist," are supported perpetually, and hang together.

Are not these remarkable stars in the constellation of divine favours? Do they not distinguish themselves by their amazing magnitude and splendid brightness? Do they not enlighten our benighted minds in the knowledge of God's goodness, and warm our frozen hearts with humble and lively gratitude? Surely they do, if we view them attentively, and shun not the influence of their refulgent beams. GOD called us into being, that we might be happy; he created us, that we might display his infinite perfections, especially his wisdom, power, and love, in raising us up out of nothing, to be possessed of immortal glory and felicity,

such as we cannot now conceive. For the same end hath he preserved us in being until now, though, by sin and wickedness, we have again and again forfeited our existence, together with all our comforts. Here then appears the value of this gift of divine and unmerited love. In consequence of it, we are made capable (which, had we not been created, we could not have been) of manifesting the boundless glory of the Godhead, in our honour and happiness, through everlasting ages. When we were not, infinite goodness gave us our being, and made every possible provision for our well-being, in time and in eternity; and when we had forfeited this precious gift, and, by the vilest ingratitude and rebellion, deserved, not only to be reduced to our original nothing, but to be punished with endless torment, he mercifully spared and reprieved us; and still, if it is not our own fault, we may be as the angels of God, rich, glorious, and happy beyond expression, beyond thought, for evermore! How amazing is this! What a wonder of omnipotent love! How does the contemplation of its splendour dazzle one's mind, and overwhelm its powers! And is it so?

If I do not counteract the designs of his love, I shall. O then let me acknowledge my Creator's amazing goodness, praise him for his unspeakable gift, and walk worthy of so high a calling, and so glorious a hope!

But, to proceed.-A second still more illustrious and remarkable gift of God towards us, is our redemption from sin and misery, present and eternal, by JESUS CHRIST. The foundation of this divine favour is laid in our abuse of the former. Had we not slighted, or abused God's love, in the fore-mentioned instance, there would have been no room for discovering it in this; had we not destroyed ourselves after God had made us, there would have been no occasion for his redeeming us. Hence it appears, that, though his goodness shines with astonishing brightness in our creation, yet, it beams forth with more than redoubled splendour in our redemption. the more does grace abound. involved ourselves in its curse,

The more sin abounds, so much Having violated God's holy law, and exposed our defenceless souls

to the wrath of the Lawgiver; having insulted the authority of the King of kings, rebelled against his government, and incensed his inflexible justice, we had been ruined beyond recovery, had not God laid help upon one that was mighty. But He pitied our misery, and provided a remedy. He "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that," notwithstanding our sin and misery, "whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have eternal life." For he sent not his SoN into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."-Shout, O heavens! and be joyful, O earth, for the LORD hath done it! He hath visited and redeemed his people, and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his only begotten Son into the world, that,” though dead in our sins, "we might live through him;" yea, made him a sin-offering for us, though he knew no sin, "that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Join we then the angelic host, and loudly proclaim, "Glory to GOD in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men!"

"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." He who was "the effulgence of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person," who "made and upholds all things by the word of his power," who was in the form of GOD, and thought it not robbery to be equal with GOD," even he "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Having assumed our frail and wretched nature into union with his Divinity, he, for our sakes, magnified the law in his life, and suffered its penalty, due to us, in his death. He perfectly answered all the demands which infinite justice had upon us, illustrated the divine holiness, and so made way for the full exercise of his mercy and love towards a rebellious and guilty world. Hence it is that, in consequence of what he has done and suffered, God is no less faithful and just, than loving and gracious, when he pardons our sins, and "cleanses us from all unrighteousness."

Here then, let us stand still, and see this salvation of God! Let us consider the gift itself; the blessing conferred.-Redemption! free, full, eternal redemption! Redemption from sin, and all its dreadfully fatal consequences; from guilt and fear; from

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