offer it upon. In a word then, the sacrifice of Christ is an undoubted Scripture truth: but as to a proper altar for that sacrifice, it is a more disputable point; about which very wise and good men may be allowed to think very differently, or to judge as they see cause. 4. The fourth article to be considered is the supreme LAWGIVER, to whom the sacrifice of the cross was made, and by whom it was graciously accepted. God the Father, without dispute, as first Person in the Godhead, is Lawgiver in chief; and to him our blessed Lord paid the price of our redemption, the sacrifice of himself. If it be asked, what need there was of any sacrifice to a person so benign, and so mercifully disposed to pardon all repenting sinners; I say, if this were asked, it might be sufficient to reply, that we know the fact: God did require a sacrifice, and such a sacrifice; and he knows what need there was for it. However, without pretending to fathom the Divine counsels, or to understand all the reasons of state, by which an all-wise Governor proceeds, we may presume to observe that two special articles, the glory of God and the felicity of man, have been admirably served by this mysterious dispensation. It is for the glory of God that he is seen not to connive at offences, nor to be too indulgent towards sin, while he requires a valuable satisfaction for offences committed. His justice, his holiness, and unspotted purity are hereby glorified before men and angels, and the honour of his laws supported in the face of the whole world. On the other hand, man's eternal felicity appears to be best secured by the same means, because hereby provision is made to keep him the more humble and modest to all eternity. Pride is reasonably supposed to have been the sin of Lucifer, which heaven itself, and even the presence of God, did not keep him from. The more exalted his privileges were, the greater was his danger, and the surer his downfall. God has taken care that mankind shall have less occasion to assume, or to grow high minded. Their salvation shall stand entirely in the merits of another person, not at all in their own: and as often as they hope to be accepted in God's sight, it must not be with robes of their own cleansing, (full of spots and stains at the best,) but with robes "made white in the blood of the Lambi." This may be to them for ever a constant lesson of humility, which is the mother of all virtue, and a sure foundation of all happiness, securing them from the temptation which even angels before lay under, and which at length turned them out of heaven, since "reserved in everlasting chains "under darkness unto the judgment of the great dayk." Seeing then that the glory of God and the felicity of man appear to have been thus most effectually provided for by the sacrifice of Christ; no wonder if that sacrifice has a very "sweetsmelling savour," or is received as the most delightful perfume by him whose goodness is infinite, and whose mercies boundless; and, who having no interests of his own to serve, takes pleasure in every thing whereby his creatures may be made to come near him, and be rendered happy in the enjoyment of him. Having thus run through the doctrinal part of the text, I come next to the practical conclusion drawn from it, drawn by the Apostle in the text itself. II. "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children "[of God], and walk in love," that is, in love of the brethren. If our blessed Lord condescended to make a sacrifice of himself to God for the general good of mankind; we ought likewise to make the like tender of ourselves, our hearts, wills, and affections, and all our services, to the same God, and on the same account, namely, for the general good of all our brethren. Such a tender as I now speak of is that sacrifice which the Gospel every where points out to us, and which God expects of us; to sacrifice the old man, with the affections and lusts, and to put on the new man, devoting ourselves wholly to the glory of God and the happiness of our fellow creatures. In this respect, all Christians are represented in the New Testament as making one "holy priesthood," (saving to God's commissioned officers their peculiar presidency in it,) "to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by "Jesus Christ." Those "spiritual sacrifices" are reducible to two heads, to the two great commandments, the love of God, and the love of our neighbour. To the first head belongs the sacrifice of prayer, which is the Gospel incensem; as also the sacrifice of praise, which St. Paul exhorts us to offer up continually". To the second head belongs the sacrifice of almsdeeds, and of all other friendly offices towards one another. "To do good and to com"municate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is "well pleased." There are other spiritual sacrifices recommended in the New Testament, which are expressive of the love of God and of man, both in one: as the sacrifice of an "humble and contrite heart P," and the presenting our "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto "God 9." We cannot do greater honour to our Lord's sacrifice, than by thus copying after it in the best manner we are able; and following it (though at an infinite distance) in our own religious offerings and sacrifices, such as I have been mentioning. Be we thus "followers of "God, as dear children" of God, and true disciples of Christ. But more particularly, as often as we come to commemorate our Lord's high sacrifice at his holy table, be we mindful to make a tender of ourselves to him, as he made a tender of himself to God. While we plead the merits of that sacrifice in our offices here below, (which he also pleads in his intercessions on our behalf above,) let us throw in our own secondary sacrifices to it ; not to heighten the value of it, which already is infinite, but to render ourselves capable of the benefits of it. As there is merit sufficient on his part, so there must be competent qualifications 1 Pet. ii. 5. m Rev. v. 8. viii. 3, 4. n Heb. xiii. 15. P Psal. li. 17. a Rom. xii. 1. on ours: while Christ, by the visible signs of bread and wine, conveys to us the fruits of his natural body and blood; so ought we, by the same signs, to present to him the mystical body whereof we are a part. By the Levitical law, there was to be a meat offering and a drink offering thrown upon the lamb in the daily service, and both together were reputed but as one and the same sacrifice. The lamb, without question, signified Christ and his sacrifice: and why should not those secondary oblations thrown upon the lamb, be supposed to signify or prefigure the secondary sacrifices or services of Christians, thrown, as it were, upon Christ's sacrifice, to strengthen our claim to it, and to fix our interest in it? Therefore, while our Lord's sacrifice is represented and pleaded before God on our behalf, in the holy Communion; take we care to send up our devout prayers and praises, our humble minds and contrite hearts, our almsdeeds, and our forgivenesses of all who have offended us, our holy resolutions and pious vows ; and in a word, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto God. So may the sacrifice of Christ commemorated, and our own sacrifices therewith presented, be considered as one sacrifice of the head and members, in union together: and so may the united offering be received above, as an "offering and a sa"crifice to God of a sweetsmelling savour;" acceptable unto him, through Jesus Christ our Lord: to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory henceforth for evermore. Amen. SERMON XXXII. The History and Character of Balaam. NUMB. XXII. 10, 11, 12. And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. THE story of Balaam fills up three whole chapters in this Book of Numbers; and it is frequently referred to in several other places both of the Old and New Testament. Seeing then that it makes so considerable a figure in the sacred history, (though it comes in but occasionally,) I have thought it may well deserve a distinct consideration; and do therefore choose it for the subject of our present meditations. The Israelites, in their passage through the wilderness, were to march through the land of the Moabites, a people descended of Lot, and over whom Balak was king at that time. The Moabites, Ammonites, and Midianites, near neighbours, were all alarmed at the march of the Israelites, and were afraid of them; knowing what great things God had so lately done for them; and that neither Sihon king of the Amorites, nor Og the king of Basan had been able to stand before them. The Israelites had entirely |