So, also, in reference to the assembly. No doubt there is evil there—evil in each individual member, and therefore evil in the body corporate. But it must be judged; and if judged, it is not allowed to act—it is rendered null. But to say that an assembly is not to judge evil, is nothing more or less than corporate antinomianism. What should we say to a professing Christian who maintained that he was not solemnly responsible to judge evil in himself and in his ways? We should, with great decision, pronounce him an antinomian. And if it be wrong for a single individual to take such ground, must it not be proportionably wrong for an assembly? We cannot see how this can be called in question. What would have been the result had Israel refused to obey the peremptory “command” given at the opening chapter before us? Supposing they had said, We are not responsible to judge evil; and we do not feel that it becomes poor failing, erring mortals such as we to judge any body. These people with the leprosy, and the issue, and so forth, are as much Israelites as we are, and have as good a right to all the blessings and privileges of the camp as we have; we do not therefore feel it would be right for us to put them out. Now, what, we ask, would have been God’s rejoinder to such a reply? If the reader will just turn for an instant to Joshua vii, he will find as solemn an answer as could well be given. Let him draw near and carefully inspect that “great heap of stones” in the valley of Achor. Let him read the inscription thereon. What is it? “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of His saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about Him.” “_Our_ God is a consuming fire.” What is the meaning of all this? Let us hear it and consider it. Lust had conceived in the heart of one member of the congregation, and brought forth sin. What then? Did this involve the whole congregation? Yes, verily; this is the solemn truth. “_Israel_ [not merely Achan,] hath sinned, and _they_ have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them: for _they_ have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and _they_ have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because _they_ were accursed: _neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed thing from among you_.” (Josh. vii. 11, 12.)