And God not only honoured him with this testimony of approbation, but he also gave him a distinguished reward. He says, "Behold I give unto him my covenant of peace; and he shall have it and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood." He was, it is true, the regular successor to it by birth, but the office had not been restricted as a birthright. God might have passed over his father or himself, and bestowed it on a younger branch, but he now settled it upon Phinehas for this distinguished act of zeal, and it continued in his line, with only some short interruption, as we have noticed in a previous sermon, until the time of the complete disarrangement and destruction of all the Jewish polity under the power of the Romans. But besides this settlement of the priesthood upon him, there was also contained, no doubt, the gift of personal and individual blessings. The covenant of peace was made in his soul, as well as given to him for his outward honour, and the love of God and his favour and friendship were bestowed upon him and remained with him

while he lived, and will be eternally enjoyed by him, as a king and a priest, in the everlasting glory of heaven.

But our thoughts are led to another vindicator of God's honour, another atonement, and another covenant of peace. Consider, brethren, the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh! what a zeal was there in his heart for the restoration of the insulted majesty of God. Think how the whole race of man had revolted from God, what a universal defection had taken place, and the world was lying in wickedness, God's law broken, and his service rejected. But Jesus came not as an avenger, he brought not the sword in his hand, nor the pestilence in his breath; he came "not to destroy men's lives but to save them," not to kill but to make alive. He came to restore the honour of God's broken law, not by visiting the transgressor with death, but by fulfilling it on his behalf: he brightened again the glory of God, not by destroying those who had tarnished it, but by fulfilling his whole will and doing his whole pleasure. Oh what a union of

illustrious zeal for the honour of his heavenly father, and of surpassing mercy towards the sinners who had forsaken his service, was exhibited by the Son of God, when he came forth to vindicate the majesty of God among his rebellious creatures, and to recover them to their obedience.

And think again of the means by which he made an atonement. He shed not the blood nor otherwise took away the lives of twenty-four thousand sinners as a sacrifice to God's justice, but he poured out the blood of one pure and spotless victim, no participator in the universal sin; he offered up one life in atoning sacrifice; his own blood his own life effected that mighty atonement, paid the whole ransom. In that stupendous act of judgment and mercy which filled all heaven with wonder and earth with praise, God spared the sinners, but he "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all." Jesus came, not as from Bozrah, with garments died in the blood of his enemies; the blood which stained him flowed from his own side, trickled down his face from the crown

of thorus, or burst in large drops from the pores of his body. There, Christians, behold the atonement which was made for you. There, in the sufferings of Jesus, see the method taken for procuring the pardon of your sins, and feel the strongest motive to make you forsake them. Look at that bleeding Lamb of God as he hangs upon his cross, suffering the wrath of divine justice in expiatory sacrifice.

And then go and sacrifice your own sins, and crucify the flesh, with its affections and lusts. Flee from the allurements of all wicked tempters. And let neither men nor women, your own evil desires, nor the arts of Satan himself, prevail to make you expose yourselves to the vengeance of Almighty God, that you perish not eternally.

Jesus also, like Phinehas, received honour and reward. As Mediator an everlasting priesthood was given him, and the covenant of peace ratified to him. He exercises that priesthood for the good of his believing people, and secures them the blessings of that covenant. Let these receive to themselves the comfort

of the word spoken by Isaiah, "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." Oh! let it be your support and consolation in this world of trial and trouble, ye children of God and followers of Jesus, that the covenant of peace and of the everlasting priesthood is made with you in Christ, and rejoice in it, as David was enabled to do in the close of an anxious and much chequered life.“ Although my house be not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he maketh it not to grow.'"

But ye who reject this covenant, and enter not into it by faith, ye who live ungodly lives, in the vanities of the world, the lusts of the flesh, and works of sin, know that a day will come when heavier judgment will fall upon you than fell upon either the Midianites or these sinners in Israel. A day is yet to come even on earth when "multitudes, multitudes