FIRST.—The rebellion, ingratitude, and idolatry of the Israelites, give us an awful proof of human depravity, and teach an humbling lesson to the spiritual Israel, who have the same sinful nature, are prone to the same sins, and would often fall into them and their consequences, but for the grace of God. SECONDLY.—The patience and long-suffering of God, particularly marked out in this history—he bare long with them; his mercy was extended, prolonged, and manifested to them, notwithstanding all their provocations, in forgetting his deliverances of them in times past, and practising the same sins he had before resented. THIRDLY.—His disapprobation of their conduct, and the means he took to testify it, are set before us. Our God is never at a loss for means to accomplish his wise and holy purposes of justice or mercy, as is evident from the history before us. The blessed Spirit operating upon the souls of his people, often by his influence reproves their consciences of sin, as it is so opposite to the purity of that divine nature, or holy principle he has blessed them with. Sin, committed by a believer, is a transgression of the law, or dictates of faith; for there is no sin, condemned under the first covenant, but what, under the covenant of grace, is pointed out in more odious colours.—Hence the idolatry, rebellion, and ingratitude of the believer, are seen and lamented by him as a child of God; and as God the Spirit communicates light to his understanding, to discover it as sinful, he perpetually testifies that his sins are more sinful than those who know not God. FOURTHLY.—The inseparable connection between sin and sorrow, is felt by all, both elect and non-elect. By nations, families, and individuals, the moral and penal evils of the Fall, will be, must be, and are felt by all. The non-elect feel it in many awful forms, as transgressors, in the curse of the ground, in the calamities of war, in all the dreadful horrors of a guilty conscience, and in the wrath of a sin-avenging God. Nations feel it universally; this is evident by the calamities which befell the land of Canaan—so the 6th Chapter begins: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian.” Their sin was resented in this form, by the Lord—the prevailing of their enemies, which forced them to hide in dens, caves, mountains, and strong holds—their enemies destroyed the increase of their country, and reduced them almost to a famine; “and Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites” and people of Arabia.