Numbers 15

Christ intercedes for the weakest believers (John 17:20), and for all the sins of believers. In the law there were some sins the High Priest was neither to offer sacrifice for, nor yet to offer prayer (Numbers 15:30). The soul that does ought presumptuously shall be cut off.

God will not have his day encroached upon, or defiled in the least thing. The man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath, God would have him stoned (Numbers 15). One would think that a small thing, to pick a few sticks to make a fire; but God would not have his day violated in the…

(2.) Such sins are more heinous that are committed presumptuously. Under the Law there was no sacrifice for presumptuous sins (Numbers 15:30). Question: What is it to sin presumptuously, which does heighten and aggravate sin, and make it more heinous?

It cannot stand with angelical obedience to leave the least iota of God's will unfulfilled: this is to do God's will as the angels, when we do all his will, quicquid propter Deum fit aequaliter fit. This was God's charge to Israel (Numbers 15:40): Remember to do all my commandme…

Indeed for involuntary surprises and unavoidable and lamented infirmities there is a pardon of course, but where is the promise to a daring sinner who sins upon a presumption of pardon? Pause a while, my soul, upon that Scripture — Numbers 15:27,30: 'And if a soul sin through ig…

David wept, and Paul was humbled for the sins of other men (Psalm 119:136; 2 Corinthians 12:21). Thirdly, we are here taught, not to give liberty to the best of our natural affections, as to zeal; but to mortify them, and to rule them by the word (Numbers 15:39); otherwise they…

He amplifies the crime of which he spoke before, that the people should not flatter themselves in their inventions. Now it is very likely that Isaiah alludes to Moses' words, wherein the Lord commanded that they should always have the Law before them: that they should fix it upo…

"But if you will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched." Indeed, God was so exacting about this, that he descends to a particular prohibition of seve…

This sin of uncleanness does debase the spirit made at first after God's own image; defiles both soul and body, which should be the temple of the Holy Spirit; and renders men unfit for communion with a holy God, who is of such pure eyes that he cannot approve of the least iniqui…

In this corrupt state of man, [illegible] by looking we come to liking, and are brought inordinately to affect what we do behold. (Numbers 15:39) That you seek not after your own heart, and your own eyes, after which you use to go a whoring. (Job 31:7) If my step has turned out…

When they did but look into the Ark, it cost them dear (1 Samuel 6:19). Gathering of a few sticks on the Sabbath, was severely punished (Numbers 15:32-36). These seem small matters, but in sin we must not consider so much what is, as why it is forbidden, and who forbids it.

It is a [illegible] current of corruption and [illegible] impudence, to sin in the face of a command, and under the eye and check of conscience, therefore our Savior leaves a star as it were, a memorandum upon that part of the story: Remember Lot's wife, beware how you go agains…