because it is made a subject of precept and exhortation so to do. Health is God's gift: but what use we will make of it, is our choice. Bodily strength is God's gift: but of what advantage it shall be to us, depends upon ourselves. Even so, the higher gift of the Spirit remains a gift, the value of which will be exceedingly great; will be little; will be none; will be even an increase of guilt and condemnation, according as it is applied and obeyed, or neglected and withstood. The fourth chapter of Ephesians (verse 30.) is a warning voice upon this subject. "Grieve not the Spirit of God:" therefore he may be grieved: being given, he may be rejected; rejected, he may be withdrawn.

St Paul* represents the gift and possession of the Spirit in these words. "Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you:" and its efficacy, where it is efficacious, in the following magnificent terms: "If the Spirit of him that raised Christ from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." What, nevertheless is the practical inference therefrom stated in the very next words? "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh, for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die :" consequently it is still possible, and plainly conceived, and supposed, and stated to be so, even after this communication of the Spirit, to live notwithstanding, according to the flesh and still true, that, if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. "We are debtors;" our obligation, our duty imposed upon us by this gift of the Spirit, is no longer to live after the flesh; but, on the contrary, through the Spirit so given, to do that, which, without it, we could not have done, to "mortify the deeds of the body." Thus following the suggestions of the Spirit, ye shall live: for "as many as are led

• Rom. viii.

by the Spirit of God," as many as yield themselves to its guidance and direction, "they are the sons of God."

To conclude the subject. The difference between those who succeed, and those who fail in their Christian course, between those who obtain, and those who do not obtain salvation, is this: They may both feel equally the weakness of their nature, the existence and the power of evil propensities within them; but the former by praying with their whole heart and soul, and that perseveringly, for spiritual assistance, obtain it; and, by the aid so obtained, are enabled to withstand, and do, in fact, withstand, their evil propensities; the latter sink under them. I will not say that all are comprised under this description: for neither are all included in St. Paul's account of the matter, from which our discourse set out; but I think, that it represents the general condition of Christians, as to their spiritual state, and that the greatest part of those, who read this discourse, will find, that they belong to one side or other of the alternative here stated.

SERMON XXIX.

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CANAANITES. So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded.-Joshua x. 40.

I HAVE known serious and well-disposed Chrismuch affected with the accounts, which are in the Old Testament, of the Jewish palings with the inhabitants of Canaan. sraelites first setting foot in that counI complete establishment in it, which e whole book of Joshua and part of the we read, it must be confessed; of solations unlike what are practitween nations at war, of cities

and districts laid waste, of the inhabitants being totally destroyed, and this, as it is alleged in the history, by the authority and command of Almighty God. Some have been induced to think such accounts incredible, inasmuch as such conduct could never, they say, be authorized by the good and merciful Governor of the universe

I intend in the following discourse to consider this matter, so far as to shew, that these transactions were calculated for a beneficeial purpose, and for the general advantage of mankind; and, being so calculated, were not inconsistent either with the justice of God, or with the usual proceedings of divine providence.

Now the first and chief thing to be observed is, that the nations of Canaan were destroyed for their wickedness. In proof of this point, I produce the eighteenth chapter of Leviticus, the twenty-fourth and the following verses. Moses, in this chapter, after laying down prohibitions against brutal and abominable vices, proceeds in the twenty-fourth verse thus-" Defile not youselves in any of these things, for in all these the nations are defiled, which I cast out before you, and the land is defiled; therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you for all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled, that the land vomit not you out also, when ye defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from amongst their people. Therefore shall ye keep my ordinances that ye commit not any of these abominable customs, which were committed before you; and that you defile not yourselves therein." Now the facts, disclosed in this passage, are for our present pr

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pose extremely material and extremely satisfac tory. First, the passage testifies the principal point, namely, that the Canaanites were the wicked people we represent them to be; and that this point does not rest upon supposition, but upon proof: in particular, the following words contain an express assertion of the guilt of that people. "In all these the nations are defiled, which I cast out before you; for all these abominations have the men of the land done." Secondly, the form and turn of expression seems to shew, that these detestable practices were general amongst them, and habitual: they are said to be abominable customs which were committed. Now the word custom is not applicable to a few single, or extraordinary instances,but to usage and to national character, which argues, that not only the practice, but the sense and notion, of morality was corrupted amongst them, or lost; and it is observable, that these practices, so far from being checked by their religion, formed a part of it. They are described not only under the name of abominations, but of abominations which they have done unto their gods. What a state of national morals must that have been!-Thirdly, The passage before us positively and directly asserts, that it was for these sins that the nations of Canaan were destroyed. This, in my judgment, is the important part of the inquiry. what do the words under consideration deIn all these, namely, the odious and bruwhich had been spoken of, the nations which I cast out before you: and the ted: therefore I do visit the iniquity it." This is the reason and cause of es which I bring on it. The land itself but her inhabitants. The very land is inhabitants; of their odious and brutal of their corruption and wickedness. ad no other, was the reason for destroying and no other, is the reason here al

ɔt, as hath been imagined, to make lites: nor was it simply for their

idolatry. It appears to me extremely probable, that idolatry in those times led, in all countries, to the vices here described: and also that the detestation, threats, and severities, expressed against idolatry in the Old Testament, were not against idolatry simply, or considered as an erroneous religion, but against the abominable crimes, which usually accompanied it. I think it quite certain that the case was so in the nations of Canaan.Fourthly, it appears from the passage before us, and what is surely of great consequence to the question, that God's abhorrence and God's treatment of these crimes were impartial, without distinction, and without respect of nations or persons. The words, which point out the divine impartiality, are those, in which Moses warns the Israelites against falling into any of the like wicked courses; "that the land," says he, "cast not you out also, when you defile it, as it cast out the na tions that were before you; for whoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls, that commit them, shall be cut off from among their people." The Jews are sometimes called the chosen and favoured people of God, and, in a certain sense, and for some purposes, they were so; yet is this very people, both in this place, and in other places, over and over again reminded, that if they followed the same practices, they must expect the same fate. "Ye shall not walk in the way of the nations which I cast out before you; for they committed all those things, and therefore I abhorred them as the nations which the Lord destroyed before your face, so shall ye perish; be cause ye were not obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God."

What farther proves, not only the justice, but the clemency of God, his long-suffering, and that it was the incorrigible wickedness of those nations, which at last drew down upon them their destruction, is that he suspended, as we may so say the stroke, till their wickedness, was come t such a pitch, that they were no longer to b