The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

SERMONS. 97being pure in heart, becaufe God was in a foleninmanner to converfe witli them. In this manner thepeople were fan£lined before God fpoke the ten commandsto them ; and thus they were to be fandlified,when it was to be difcovered who had taken of the accurfedthing. This v/as to be done next morning. " Inthe morning therefore ye Ihall be brought, according,to your tribes : and it fliall be, that the tribe whichthe Lord taketh, {hall come according to the familiesthereof ; and the family which the Lord fliall take,fhall come by houfeholds j and the houfehoid whiclithe Lord fliall take, fhall come man by man.'' Thefeverity of the puniihment to be inflicted is alfo intimatedto Jofhua ; " And it fhall be, that he that istaken with the accurfed thing, fhall be burnt withlire, he and all that he hath, becaufe he hath tranfgrefledthe covenant of the Lord, and becaufe he hathwrought folly in Ifrael." I cannot tell whether Jofhuakept fecret the initruftions God had gii'en him,or if he allowed the method of dete£l:ing the perfonguilty of the accurfed thing, and the dreadful puniflimenthe was to fufter, to be divulged in the camp*If this laft was the cafe, it is a wonder that Achandid not attempt to make his efcape. A Britifli offender,in that fort, would have taken a trip beyondfea, pretending, perhaps, that he was going abroad forhis health. However this be, *' Jolhua rofe up earlyin the morning." I cannot help taking notice, thatthe early rifmg of this brave mg^n is often taken noticeof in his hiflory. In this particular, he is fetbefore us as a pattern, whom every man of any fpiritfhould imitate. The tradefman or artificer, whoaims to make a fortune, or to be independent, fliouldrife early, and tranfacSl his bufmefs ; the fludentfliould flart from the bed of lloth, to fee the fun rifein his glory, to acquaint himfelf with the nature, thehiflory, the duty, and highefl happinefs of men •,prince, the general, the minifter of ffcate,Ithefhould, like