instructs us, rejected the second warning. He smote the ass again, and then she fell down under him. There seemed but a step between him and death. Such an accident, unless God had still manifested his mercy, might have deprived him of life, but he was spared, as á monument of the long suffering of his God. Oh! let me intreat all perverse and obstinate sinners that hear me this day, to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, and not to create for themselves unhappiness and woe. You are as surely bringing destruction upon you by sin, as you would death by drinking a draught of poison. If every transgression shall receive a just recompence of reward, what punishment must a collection of transgressions. bring! Transgressions too of the most heinous. nature-rebellion, ingratitude, and presumption! My brethren! if you prefer pleasure to pain, beware how you trifle with God. You have been already chastised. Go now, and sin no more, lest a worse thing befal you; for, as the Lord said to Israel, so does he now say to all that walk in their own perverse ways: " If ye will not be reformed by these things," viz. the plagues I bring upon you for your iniquity, "but will walk contrary to me, then will I also walk contrary to you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins."* sins."* Of what ex

* Levit. xxvi. 23.

tent and force may be the punishment, which God designs for any of you, I pretend not to say, only this may be observed in general, he will shew himself the conqueror, and add sevenfold to the sevenfold vengeance, till he has humbled you under his mighty hand.

Balaam, having gone the length of perverseness that you have heard, was preserved from further punishment by a striking instance of divine grace, though he still continued to shew his madness and obstinacy. We read, v. 28, that "the Lord opened the mouth of the ass ; and she said unto Balaam, what have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said to the ass, because thou hast mocked me. I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, am I not thine ass, which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day-was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said-nay." Here we perceive the folly of all wicked men; for, first, they deny the providence of God, and, secondly they abuse it. First, they deny providence; for when any event happens contrary to the common course of things, or different from their expectations, they do not stop to inquire why it should be so, or with what design the Governor of the World has permitted, or commanded it to take place. And because they

are thus thoughtless and ignorant, they next abuse Providence, arrogantly taking upon themselves to arraign the proceedings of God; and supposing themselves injured, they vent their rage against every thing, that turns out contrary to their wishes. Refractory by nature, as a wild ass's colt, they are like a bull in a net, or a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. They spend their strength in unavailing fury, and sink at last, unsubdued in spirit, but exhausted with labour and fatigue. Are any of you the impatient sufferers I am describing? Consider, I beseech you, against whom you are fighting. Not against human power, but divine: not against man, but against God. It is hard to kick against the pricks. The contest is unequal. Yield to him, who fights against you, and I will venture to affirm, you will have no reason to repent of it. He is a generous conqueror, and displays his clemency to all that lay down their arms, and cast themselves on his mercy and protection.

Balaam, I have said, was prevented suffering further punishment by a striking instance of divine mercy; for it is written, v. 31, 32, 33," Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his. hand, and he bowed down his head, and fell

flat upon his face. And the Angel of the Lord said unto him, why hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold! I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me. And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times. Unless she had turned from me'; surely now also I had slain thee, and preserved her alive."

Act as we will, God will overcome at last ; for though Satan may long blind our eyes, yet we shall become so miserable by following our own ways, that we shall long to be brought into a more happy state. This will be the case if we are not given over to a reprobate mind; and then will be the time of God's love to us, when he will prove, beyond contradiction, that every evil has been the effect of our own sin, and every disappointment the production of his love. We shall then know, that unless such and such events had happened in direct opposition to our most sanguine wishes, the consequences would have been fatal to our happiness, and acknowledge, upon the retrospect of past transactions, the truth of what Christ assures us, that not even a sparrow falleth to the ground without our heavenly Father's knowledge. I trust there are some here, whose eyes the Lord has opened to perceive his wonderful mercy towards them; and that if his Angel had not

stood in the way to prevent the execution of their plans, they might have been suddenly cut off, and have fallen into the pit of destruction. We see enough here to convince every serious mind, that all things are conducted with the most consummate wisdom; and may, even from our scanty information, conclude, that nothing here happens by chance or accident; but, hereafter, when the particular reason of every event shall be revealed, and we shall be able to trace the several links in the chain of providence connecting the end with the means, we shall see much indeed to excite our wonder and astonishment. There is no one, who is not liable to accidents, and who has not met with them at one time or other. Some are hurt, and some are unhurt. Some are killed, and some are preserved alive. We, to whom the Lord has been merciful in preservation, know but little how much we are indebted to him for it. Had we arrived sooner at such a place, or left it a few minutes lat, than we have done, who knows what accidents might have befallen us? We might have lost our lives by the overturning of carriages, the falling of horses, the violence of our fellow creatures, or by some of the other means that occasion a premature death, unless God had watched over us for good. He is our preserver, as well as