dren's for ever: because thou hast wholly followed the Lord thy God. And now, bebold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he faid, thefe forty and five years, even fince the Lord fpake this word unto Mofes, while the children of Ifrael wandered in the wilderness. And now, lo, I am this day fourfcore and five years old. As yet I am as ftrong this day as I was in the day that Mofes fent me: as my firength was then, even fo is my strength now for war. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord fpake in that day (for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced): if the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord faid. And Joshua bleffed him (e): and according to the promise of Mofes affigned to him the mountain and city of Hebron, which were inhabited by those giants, the fons of Anak, at the name of whom the whole congregation of Ifrael had trembled: and the Lord was with Caleb; and he utterly deftroyed them. The words. of the Lord will be fulfilled as punctually with refpect to you.. The wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal (f). If the gofpel is preached to you in vain; if your lives are not lives of (e) Joshua, xiv. 6—14. XV. 13, 14 (ƒ) Matt, xxv. 46.

faith and holiness through Chrift: you will perish everlastingly, where the worm dieth not and the fire is never quenched. These are the true fayings of God. If you have another Spirit with you, even that new fpirit which is created in the heart by the eternal Spirit of fanctification; if you follow the Lord fully, in godliness, and humility, and prayer, and perfeverance unto the end: the inheritance of the spiritual Canaan, the kingdom of heaven, will be yours, by the blood of Jefus, for ever.

ap & 1803

The Syrians had gone out by Companies, and had brought away captive out of Ifrael a little Maid; and he waited on Naaman's Wife. And fhe faid unto her Miftrefs; Would God my Lord were with the Prophet that is in Samaria: for he would recover him of his Leprofy!

THAT the name of God might be glori

fied among the heathen was one of the leading purpofes, for the furtherance of which the children of Ifrael were felected to become a peculiar people to the Most High. In the victories which from age to age have attended the ftandard of the crofs, this plan of mercy has advanced many fteps towards its completion. In the univerfal triumphs which await Chriflianity, when the converfion and re

establish

eftablishment of the Jews fhall bring the fulness of the Gentiles into the church, it will receive its perfect accomplishment. But during the whole period of the Mofaic covenant; from the day when the magicians faid unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God, to the moment when the Roman centurion exclaimed, Truly this Man was the Son of God: the deliverances miraculously wrought amidst the chosen race fhook fucceffive kingdoms and generations of unbelievers with terror; and concurred with the confpicuous purity of the Jewish religion to extort from reluctant idolaters the tribute of praise to Jehovah.

In the narrative of which the portion of Scripture already recited forms a part, we perceive the Omnipotent gaining to himself from among the heathen an acquifition which his mercy never defpifes, the acquifition of a faithful worshipper. I propofe, in the first place, to ftate and briefly to illustrate the circumstances of the tranfaction: and, in the fecond place, to point out fome of the methods, in which we may derive benefit from the confideration of them.

I. The kingdom of Syria bordered upon Ifrael. In confequence of difputes refpecting their boundaries and various other causes, there

arofe

arofe frequent wars between the two nations. About the time of which we are speaking, fome troops of Syrians had effected a fucceffful incurfion into the land of Ifrael: and, according to the cruel cuftom of those days, had carried back with them into captivity fuch of the inhabitants as they had been able to feize. Among them was a young woman, who became a servant in the family of Naaman. Naaman was captain of the hoft, general of the whole army, of the king of Syria. He was a mighty man in valour. He was alfo a great man with his mafter, and honourable; becaufe by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. But in the midst of his grandeur and high renown, he was fubjected to a very fevere affliction. He was infected with the leprofy; a loathsome disorder not uncommon in the east. The Ifraelitish maiden felt compaffion for his distress. Her mind, fondly reverting to her native foil, dwelt on the wonderful works which God had there wrought by the hand of Elisha. She thought that this minifter of heaven, on whofe prayer the fon of the Shunamite had been restored to life, would be enabled to heal the disease of her mafter. She faid unto her miftrefs; Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria: for he would recover him of his

leprofy.