made a curse for us, or devoted to that death to which our sin subjected us. Sixthly, We are therefore bound to live unto him who died for us, and to glorify him in our bodies and our spirits which are his.

SKETCH XLI.

JOSHUA Vii.

First, THE children of Israel committed a trespass respecting the accursed thing. Joshua xxii. 20, "Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity."

Secondly, The anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

Thirdly, The consequence. They fly before their enemies. Fourthly, Joshua appears in the character of a Mediator. Fifthly, The answer of Jehovah to the remonstrance of Joshua. Israel hath sinned; they have transgressed my covenant, and it is, therefore, they could not stand before their enemies.

Sixthly, God declares he will no more be with the children of Israel, except they destroy the accursed from among them.

Seventhly, Joshua is commanded to sanctify the people; and he is directed to say unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

Eighthly, Joshua immediately attends to the divine injunction. Psalm ci. 8, "I will early destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD." Ninthly, Joshua's address to Achan. My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel.

Tenthly, Achan's confession.

Eleventhly, Achan's execution.

Twelfthly, The consequences. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called the valley of Achor unto this day.

Hosea ii. 15,

"And I will give her, her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt."

REMARKS.

First, The sin of Achan was charged upon the children of Israel. Secondly, The consequences of sin. Thirdly, Repentance and confession will not exempt from the punishment denounced by the law. Fourthly, When the cause of God's anger is removed, his anger ceases. Fifthly, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

SKETCH XLII.

JOSHUA Viii.

First, God encourages Joshua. "And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed; take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai, see I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.” Secondly, The business is accomplished by stratagem. Thirdly, The execution of the king, with the disposal of his body.

Fourthly, Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal. Deuteronomy xi. 29, "And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizem, and the curse upon mount Ebal." And Chapter xxvii. 6, "Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them, and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God."

Fifthly, And upon this altar the law is written with all the blessings and all the curses contained therein.

Sixthly, All these laws and all these blessings and curses Joshua read in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, the women, the children, and the strangers with whom they were conversant, not excepted.

REMARKS.

First, All the promises are made to Jesus Christ.

Galatians, iii. 16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ." All the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus. Secondly, The altar is a very striking figure of our Saviour. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. Thirdly, Upon this altar were all the laws with its blessings consequent upon obedience, and its curses consequent upon disobedience written Galatians, iii. 13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." And Chapter iv. 4, 5, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Fourthly, The strangers were present upon reading this law; Deuteronomy xxxi 12, "Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law." Galatians iii. 14, "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Jesus Christ was the blessing of Abraham, in thy seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Lastly, The punishments on the Israelites, or upon their enemies, according to the law of God, did not make void the promises. Galatians, iii. 21, " Is the law then agains; the prom

ises of God? God FORBID: which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”

for if there had been a law given

SKETCH XLIII.

JOSHUA XV. 1—12.

First, THE HE land is divided by lot. Numbers xxvi. 55, "Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit." Joshua xiv. 2, "By lot was their inheritance as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses." Proverbs xvi. 33, "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD." And it was therefore that,

Secondly, The first lot that came up was for Judah. This was a wonderful instance of the wisdom of God respecting Judah. It was the fulfilment of the prophecy in Genesis xlix. 8, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. Thy father's children shall bow down before thee." And the fulfilment of this prophecy began where Abraham defeated the kings and rescued his kinsman Lot. Genesis xiv. 14, "And when Abraham heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan."

Thirdly, In the lot of Judah we find the valley of Achor, Chapter vii. 2, 6, "Wherefore the name of this place was called the valley of Achor unto this day."

Fourthly, Enrogal, that is the fountain of the fuller, was in this lot. Malachi iii. 2, "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap."

Fifthly, And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom. 2 Kings xxiii. 10, 13, "And he defiled Tophet, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption." Jeremiah vii. 31, "And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daugh

ters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart."

Sixthly, And the border of this lot reached unto the south side of the Jebusite, or Jerusalem, where was mount Zion, on which the temple was afterward erected. This mount was between Judah and Joseph, and in this arrangement the wonderful wisdom of divine providence is abundantly conspicuous; it was the completion of the prophecy, in Deuteronomy xxxiii. 12, “And of Benjamin he said, the beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him, and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders."

Seventhly, In the lot of Judah was the mount of olives, which in 2 Kings xxiii. 13, "Is called the mount of corruption." Nehemiah alludes to this mount, Chapter xiii. 26, "Did not Solomon, the king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God." Did Solomon, king of Israel sin, and was he however beloved by his God?

REMARKS.

First, It is observable that the LORD fixeth the bounds of our habitation. Secondly, The fulfilment of divine predictions is an abundant confirmation of our faith. Thirdly, It is to the humble man (and every sinner who is convinced of sin is humble), a never failing source of consolation, to know that Christ Jesus is the Saviour of sinners. Fourthly, It is a soothing, and a sublime reflection, that from the greatest apparent evil, the Omnipotent power, the Omnipotent grace of God, is constantly educing the greatest good.

SKETCH XLIV.

JOSHUA Xviii. 1-8.

First, AND the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh. The learned Cruden informs us that all christian commentators agree, that this word ought to be understood of the Messiah, that it is one of the glorious names.