entice thee consent thou not." If the world, as a false and flattering harlot, would deceive your inexperience, trust not its treacherous smiles, its pretended friendship. Trust rather to the counsel of your parents. Hearken to the voice of the Church. Believe those most who love you best. Keep close under the wings of the Almighty. You have, through Christ, been brought near to God, let nothing ever persuade you to depart from Him. The path in which you are called to walk is the path of safety and peace. If you keep in that path, you will have holy men for your companions, and good angels for your defence. You will be daily approaching nearer and nearer to the holy city. You may live day after day at its blessed gates, catching the sound of the hymns of praise, that are sung within, and beholding the bright radiance that flows from its glorious light. Yea, you may watch till those gates open, and a voice from within shall say to you, "Come up hither;" and that voice will be the voice of Him, whose you are and whom you serve, to whose mercy you are alike indebted for having been kept through life from that evil thing and bitter, the forsaking the Lord your God, and for every hope you have ever cherished of finding rest hereafter in heaven.

SERMON XVI.

THE COMMINATION SERVICE.

DEUTERONOMY xxvii 11, 12, 13.

"And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin: And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali."

WHATEVER peculiarity there was in the institutions of the Jewish people, the events of their early history were equally extraordinary. Their wonderful deliverance from Egyptian bondage; their coming out of their taskmasters' power, six hundred thousand strong, besides women and children, has no parallel in the history of the whole world. The feeble and oppressed are set free by the tyrannical and strong. A whole nation trust themselves to the guidance of an individual, whom forty years before they had contemptuously rejected. They leave their homes— the only homes they ever had-and putting themselves under the care of their leader, are ready

to follow him to a distant land, which they had never seen, but which they were taught to believe was to be given them for a possession. If we dwell upon the fact of such an immense multitude-unused to arms, and not even provided with food-setting forth in dependance upon the word of one man, and designing to go and dispossess a nation of warriors of the land of their fathers, we cannot help feeling, that it could not have taken place, but by the interposing providence of God. But while we refer to the Deity the execution of an undertaking, which but for His interposition, would have been utterly impracticable, we feel at the same time that it was a wonderful procedure, and one, in regard to which, the more it is realized the more extraordinary it appears. When we reflect too upon their forty years wandering in the wilderness; their being fed with food from heaven; their raiment not waxing old; and in spite of occasional outbreaks of dissatisfaction and rebellion, their submission in the main to the authority of Moses, the history of this people does seem the most wonderful of any upon record.

And here we may remark, that its being so distinct from the history of any other nation, is a secondary proof that the Jews were under the especial providence of God. If the Bible, as a

history, or as a code of morals, or as a manual of devotion, be compared with other writings, professing to give the history and laws of other people, the contrast is so striking, as to be conclusive with the unprejudiced, that in the history and institutions of the Jewish people we see the wisdom and gracious working of Almighty God. Whatever diversity of character may be presented to our notice in the several individuals, who are conspicuous in the sacred records—and as being but men, we have every gradation of moral character in them-still there is throughout a recognition of God, which elsewhere we should look for in vain. Righteousness is manifestly commended and upheld, while sin is condemned and held accursed.

Now nothing can be conceived more striking, than the illustration of this truth-given under the circumstances spoken of in the text. The broad, fundamental difference between sin and righteousness was proclaimed, on the occasion referred to, in a most effectual manner. Moses had given directions to the people, that on their arrival at the borders of the promised land, they should divide the twelve tribes into two equal portions; and that six of them should take up their position on one mountain and six on another. And here let us try and bring the picture home

to our minds. Let us fancy we see the two mountains with the valley lying between them; on the one, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children gathered together, and an equally numerous assemblage on the other. Let us realize the solemnity of the transaction, the awful pause, the still and anxious silence and suspense, preceding the delivery of the curses and the blessings as repeated by the Levites. When the Levites spake and said unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice, "Cursed be he that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place;" what an awful response must have been the "Amen" immediately and simultaneously uttered by so many thousand voices, expressing the full acquiescence of the people in the great principles proclaimed in their hearing! And as the one mountain, with its myriads, made the air resound with the deep and solemn affirmation of the righteousness of God's law, as each of His commandments was successively rehearsed; so with what joyful acclamation must the other half of the people, standing in equal numbers on the other mountain, have given back their hearty reception of the promise of blessing to the doers of righteousness.