guilt, he was himself answerable, and might be convicted and punished.

Unintentional injuries however would often be done, and death might ensue from the hand of another by accident, without malice or intention of harm. For these cases, and even for that of murder itself, the cities of refuge were appointed. To these any one might flee who had slain another. There he might remain in safety under the protection of the priests and levites, and there the avenger of blood might not dare to set upon him. He was to be brought out for a fair and public trial. If he was convicted of murder on the evidence required, he was put to death: but if that evidence failed, or he appeared guilty only of what is called man-slaughter, he was sent back again to the city, and was there to remain in safety until the death of the High Priest, when he might return to his home and inheritance with safety. But if in the mean time he was found without the bounds of the city, the avenger might instantly put him to death without other proof or process.

Now this was a very merciful abatement of the power which had previously been exercised by the nearest of kin. He would seldom be upon the spot when the death of his relative occurred, whether by accident or otherwise. Some one of the cities was always within less than a day's journey from the most distant parts of the land. The Jewish writers say that the roads to these cities were kept constantly in good repair, and guide posts placed in them with the word Refuge inscribed upon them and pointing towards the city, that every facility might be afforded for escape. In the twentieth chapter of the book of Joshua we find the names and positions of the six cities appointed for this purpose, with a fuller description of the law and the forms respecting the man-slayer. But although provision was thus made for the impartial trial of even the wilful murderer, and the safety of him who had caused the death of another unintentionally, yet the value of the life of man, made in the image of God, was strongly marked in this appointment. He, who had inadvertently caused the death of another, though guiltless

of the crime or thought of murder, was nevertheless obliged to flee from his home and family, lest he should be slain, and even after acquittal of the capital crime, had to remain shut up within the bounds of the city of refuge, perhaps for the whole of his own. life, as his liberation could only take place on.the death of the High Priest. No compensation whatever could be made for his previous deliverance and return, any more than for the crime of actual murder, as we read in the thirty second verse of this chapter which contains the text.-" Ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest."

II. I now proceed to consider this appointment in the second particular proposed, namely, as a typical representation of the mercy of God in Christ.

Caution is always necessary in the application of the types of the Old Testament. They were not intended to bear an exact analogy with their anti-types in all their minute parts and special circumstances, but

to set forth such a resemblance in their general and principal features as should be sufficient to indicate the things of which they were representations. Sometimes the inspired writers of the New Testament draw the parallel at large, and in these we can never err; sometimes they only make a more remote reference to them, and then we must proceed on a sober and chastened comparison of the one with the other. Such a reference to the cities of refuge the Apostle evidently makes in the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews and eighteenth verse, where he speaks of himself and his fellow-Christians as having "fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them." I will therefore set before you some special circumstances in which the parallel holds.

1. The case of the manslayer is the general condition of mankind. For as he had sinned against his fellow-creature and against God by being the cause of death to one who was made in the image of God, so "all have sinned," by the commission of various offences both against God and man. I need not stay

to prove this first essential doctrine respecting man's salvation. It is written in such express terms and set forth in so many various ways in the word of God; it is recognized so distinctly in all the parts of our common prayer; it is so generally acknowledged at least in words, by all who profess and call themselves Christians; that I may well take this as a point granted by all who hear me. Yes, brethren, although we may none of us be murderers or manslayers, yet we are all most assuredly sinners, and all the world is guilty before God.

2. We are hereupon exposed to the divine vengeance. For it is written, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," and "The wages of sin is death." The transgressor has violated the law of God, and is consequently subject to its penalty. God is here himself the avenger, and his wrath may be looked upon as pursuing the sinner to destroy him, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." If this overtake him before he has "fled for refuge to the hope set before