guilt, are also the monuments of the divine pa- | month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face: and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."* In the recapitulation of this wonderful history in the book of Numbers, an interesting and important circumstance is recorded, which in Exodus is suppressed; and which we must here insert, that we may view the event complete in all its parts, and that we may feel it in all its force. The miracle of extracting water from the rock, which proved so salutary to the people, became fatal to Moses himself. And this he, with his native candour and simplicity, thus relates: "And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel; therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." For the illustration and improvement of which, we beg your attention to the following remarks. Thus was the gospel preached to them of old time. The solid rock became, as it were Observe, first, The credit which is due to moveable; "and followed them" wheresoever the sacred writers in general, and to Moses they went. The adamant was melted into a in particular, for their fidelity and integrity pool for their refreshment. Blessed type of in relating those particulars of their temper Him who in his own person accommodated and conduct which are the object of censure the immutability of the divine nature to the and condemnation, as well as those which necessity and the relief of human misery! merit applause. Indeed they do both with Blessed type of that stream of blood flowing the same "simplicity and godly sincerity." from the Lamb slain from the foundation of They never appear solicitous to celebrate the world, and " which taketh away the sins their own praise, and if glory may redound of the world!" Blessed type of that "consola- to God, and edification to men, they honestly tion that is in Christ Jesus" for the weary and publish their own shame. Unlike the geneheavy laden, for the guilty and the wretch-rality of mankind, who are perpetually catched, for the faint and dying! Blessed type of that precious stream which has flowed in every age, and is flowing to every nation and people under heaven; and which never leaves the path of the Zion-traveller, till, through the midst of Jordan, he stands on the delightful shore of the Canaan that is above, where it becomes "a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, there is the tree of life, which bears twelve manner of fruits, and yieldeth her fruit every † 1 Cor. x. 1, &c. * Isa. xxxii. 1, 2. ing at opportunities to introduce their dear selves, that they may be valued and admired: and, with equal anxiety, drawing a veil over their errors and imperfections. But these holy men delivered not their testimony "according to the will of man," nor in the spirit of the world; but, spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." And, with candid judges, this candour of theirs will be deemed no slight argument of their veracity in general, and no slender proof of the credibility of the scripture history. Secondly, Remark the mixture of frailty *Rev. xxii. 1, &c. † Numb. xx. 9, &c. and imperfection which enters into every ous prophet is punished. "Our God is a human character. Moses himself is not fault-consuming fire." "It is a fearful thing to less. And what is more observable still, he fall into the hands of the living God. Who fails on the side of his greatest excellency; can understand his errors! Cleanse thou me he is found weak there where he seemed from secret faults. Keep back thy servant most strong. "Now the man Moses was also from presumptuous sins, let them not very meek, above all the men which were have dominion over me: then shall I be upupon the face of the earth."* Nevertheless, right, and I shall be innocent from the great what saith the history? He loses temper, and transgression." speaks unadvisedly with his lips; "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock!" He takes glory to himself instead of ascribing it to God: "Must we fetch you water?" He presumptuously exceeds his commission. He lifts up his hand and smites the rock twice with his rod, whereas he was commanded only to speak unto it, before the eyes of the people. Remark, in the fourth place, The rashness and folly of man shall not, cannot render the purpose of God of none effect. A whole people shall not be permitted to perish for thirst because the prescribed mode of relief has not been exactly followed. Though the rock be stricken, instead of being spoken unto, it shall not fail to yield the promised fountain of water. Moses is frail, but God is good. There has prevailed, since the beginning, a strange contention between the folly and perverseness of the fallen, apostate creature, and the wisdom and goodness of the gracious Creator. And, glory be to God, our evil is overcome of his good. And when all struggle and opposition are at an end, when the will of God shall finally prevail, "and every high thought shall be brought into captivity to the will of Christ," it shall then be found, that "the wrath of man" has all along been Seems it not as if God intended to write vanity and shame on all the glory of man, "that no flesh should glory in his presence?" by showing us faithful Abraham mistrusting his God, and seeking refuge in falsehood: the patient Job growing peevish, and "cursing his day:" the affectionate and zealous Peter basely denying his Master; and the meek and gentle Moses waxing warm, and in his haste speaking disrespectfully of God, and unkindly of men. "Be not high-minded, but fear." "Let him who thinketh he stand-"working the righteousness of God;" that eth, take heed lest he fall." "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips."} Observe, thirdly, The delicacy and the danger of assuming a latitude and a liberty in sacred things. In what concerns the conduct of human life, and our intercourse one with another as the citizens of this world, many things must be left to be governed by occasion and discretion; but, in what relates to the immediate worship of God, and where the mind of the Lord has been clearly made known, to assume and exercise a dispensing power is criminal and hazardous. The tabernacle must be constructed, to the minutest pin and loop, according to the pattern delivered in the mount. If Uzzah presume to put forth his hand to support the tottering ark, it is at his peril. A holy and a jealous God will be served only by the persons and in the manner which he himself has appointed; and the intruder into sacred offices and employments is ready to be broken in upon in hot displeasure. Has God said, "Speak to the rock." Who has the boldness to strike it? Moses dares to do it; and his rashness forfeits his title to a part and lot in the promised inheritance. Into Canaan he shall never enter, but only see it at a distance with his eyes. The offending, chiding, murmuring congregation is pitied, forgiven, and relieved. The offending, hasty, presumptu the elementary strife which was permitted to take place in the natural world; the jarring, discordant passions which seemed to convulse and disturb the moral government of God, and even the infernal devices of the powers of darkness, were all, without their design, nay, contrary to their intention, carrying on the great plans of the divine providence to their consummation. Glorious, transporting thought! I will henceforth command my troubled soul into peace. I will calmly wait the issue, and leave it to the great God, in his own time and way, to explain the reasons of his conduct, and fully vindicate his ways to men. The troubles which I see, the troubles which I feel, the troubles which I fear, though they may come nigh, shall not overwhelm my soul; "I shall not be afraid when I hear of evil tidings; my heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord."* "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”† For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of glory." 66 Fifthly, When we behold a holy and righteous God thus severely punishing what may be deemed, by some a slight offence, in one of the dearest and best of his children, let none dare to trifle with his justice. If Moses, in one rash moment, by one unadvised step, incurred a displeasure which he could never remove, and forfeited an inheritance, which *Psalm cxii. 7. † Rom. viii. 28. 12 Cor. iv. 17. he never was able to recover, what hast his crime; and though well assured he is not thou, O man, to expect, whose whole life has to have the honour of conducting Israel into been an accumulation of offence; has been Canaan, nor the happiness of enjoying a perthe addition only of sinfulness to weakness, sonal possession in that promised inheritance, and of presumption to folly? "If the righ- yet he withdraws himself from no particular teous scarcely be saved, where shall the un- of duty, relaxes not his diligence, cools not godly and the sinner appear." Take care in his zeal; he labours to the last, does what how you estimate the malignity, guilt, and he can, though he be not permitted to do danger of sin, by the erroneous and fluctuat- what he would; he goes before Israel to the ing standard of your own weak understand- land of promise, though access into it was deing, or still weaker passions. Not accord- nied him. This, as much as any thing in his ing to these, nor the maxims of the world, history, marks his character and evinces the nor the prejudices of a misguided spirit; but greatness of his soul. And this teaches a by a steadier rule, by an unchanging law, lesson of no mean importance in friendship thou shalt be judged, and finally justified or among men, namely, to cultivate with dilicondemned. If Moses lost an inheritance in gence and assiduity the charities which we an earthly Canaan for neglecting to give have in common, and to suffer those things glory to God in one instance, tremble to to rest and sleep, which, if stirred and awathink of being eternally excluded from "the kened, are likely to disturb and separate us. inheritance of the saints in light," for ten thousand offences of the same nature. Beware of reckoning any transgressions small, any sin venial, any temptation contemptible. Behold the mighty fallen, and be humble. It is not the design of Providence that we should think exactly the same way on all points. But, shall I agree with my brother in nothing, because we happen to differ in one thing? It is truly affecting to find Moses in the I detain you till I have made only one resequel earnestly entreating a remission of mark more upon the whole history. The the sentence, but entreating in vain; and, distress of the cattle for want of water, is when unable by supplication to prevail, sub-mentioned as a circumstance of importance missively resigning himself to the will of God. But the world has seen a still more awful demonstration of God's displeasure at sin. When the Lord laid upon the head of the great atonement "the iniquity of us all; it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to grief." "God spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all." Is it possible to conceive a motive so cogent to abstain from evil, and even from the appearance of it; and to loathe and put off from us the garment spotted with the flesh? man. But again, one offence, though it may provoke the anger and call down the chastisement of a holy God, breaks not off all intercourse, and forever, between him and a good With the firmness of a wise and just father, he denounces the punishment and inflicts it. With the tenderness and love of a gracious and relenting parent, he carries on the correspondence; and even admits the offending child to closer intimacy, and to familiarity more endearing. For the great God is not like them who mar and embitter their pardon with hard conditions, cruel upbraidings, and mortifying recollections; and who plainly show, that though they may be capable of forgiving, they know not what it is to bury injuries in everlasting forgetfulness. The conduct of Moses too, under the weight of this awful displeasure, is amiable and instructive. He mutters not, with sullen Cain, "my punishment is greater than I can bear;" he sinks not into dejection; he replies not in resentment. While he deprecates the penalty, he attempts not to extenuate the guilt of 1 Peter iv. 18. both in the books of Exodus and Numbers, and it is especially attended to in the miraculous relief which heaven provided. Is the great God degraded, when he is represented as "caring for oxen, and feeding the ravens, and hearing the young lions when they cry?" No, no; these minuter views of his providential care and kindness endear him but the more to the understanding that discerns, and the heart that feels. I know not a more tender stroke of the pathetic eloquence than that which we have in the prophesy of Jonah, when God extended mercy in a manner peculiar to himself, to Nineveh, that great and sinful city. "Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow, which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than threescore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, and also much cattle."* One stage more will bring us with Israel to the foot of Sinai, to observe and to improve one of the most notable dispensations of Providence upon record; The giving of the law." But here let us pause with devout acknowledgment of that bountiful hand, which fed the seed of Abraham immediately from the clouds for forty years together; and which feeds us, through rather a longer process, by blending and compounding the qualities and influences of earth, air, fire, and water. While we adore the providential care which refreshed Israel by streams from * Jonah vi. 10, 11. the rock, let us rejoice together, that it refreshes us by keeping our rivers ever flowing, our fountains constantly supplied, and the clouds of our atmosphere, in their season, al ways impregnated with the rain and the dew. "With the bread that perisheth," gracious God! grant us that “which endureth to life everlasting." Amen. HISTORY OF MOSES. LECTURE LI Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses's hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon: and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.-EXODUS xvii 8-13. NOTHING can be more afflicting to a hu- | mane and serious mind, than to reflect on that strife and contention which have in every age deluged the world with human blood. Who could believe, if all history did not prove it, and who can think of it without horror, that men should be continually lying in wait, like beasts of prey, to catch and devour men; that the strong, the cunning, and the fierce should be forever on the watch, to take advantage of the weak, the simple, and the gentle? And must it be? Father of Mercies! must it needs be, that war should continue to waste the nations! shall the earth be forever a field of blood? Must the peace of private families, and the repose of kingdoms, be eternally disturbed by lust and pride, avarice and ambition, envy and revenge? Blessed God! send forth the Spirit of thy Son into the hearts of men. Prince of Peace! command this troubled ocean into a calm. Spirit of Love! put a full end to bitterness and wrath. Subdue this carnal mind, which is enmity against God. Glorious gospel of salvation! as thou bringest goodwill from God to men, restore good-will to men among themselves. both credit and comfort; but a strife of discontent, impatience, and rebellion against God, must of necessity issue in shame and loss. God, rich in mercy, slow to anger, and of great kindness, has graciously forgiven the murmuring at Horeb, and extracted water from the rock, for the relief of his people. But this wo is no sooner past than another overtakes them. "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.” The transaction recorded here, so simply and uncircumstantially, is mentioned again in Deuteronomy, with many circumstances of aggravation, which greatly increase our detestation of this conduct in Amalek, and explain the deep resentment which a holy and righteous God himself expresses upon the occasion, and which, by a positive statute, he transmits to Israel. "Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; how he met thee by the way and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it."* It is difficult to say whether men suffer most from their own folly, or from the cruelty and injustice of others. We generally find, that when evil from without would, for a while, permit wretched mortals to breathe Amalek, the father of this nation, as we and be at peace, they perversely become self-learn from Genesis xxxvi. 12, was grandson tormentors, and ingeniously contrive sources to Esau, and son to Eliphaz, by a concubine of vexation to themselves. And, which is the greater evil of the two? That, undoubtedly, of which we are the authors to ourselves. We have, then, to encounter an enemy from whom we cannot hope to escape, and whom we are unable to overcome. From a conflict with Amalek, Israel comes off with named Timna. The Amalekites indeed are mentioned much earlier in scripture, even in the days of Abraham when Chederlaomer is represented, with his victorious army, as ravaging all their country. But it is well known that the sacred writers, when treat *Deut. xxv. 17-19. ing of various periods, give appellations to | Why did he join to afflict the miserable, and regions and countries which did not belong to overwhelm the oppressed? "He feared to them till ages afterwards, but by which not God." Why did he meanly attack the they were better known at the time when weaker and more vulnerable part of his ad. the historian wrote. They possessed a large versary, in the hope of safety and impunity? tract of country, extending from the confines" He feared not God." Wherefore, in geneof Idumea to the eastern shore of the Redral, are men subtile, revengeful, cunning, Sea; and from their neighbourhood to, and and selfish?"They fear not God;" they commerce with, Phoenicia, they are by some" harden themselves against him," and yet called Phoenicians. think "to prosper." They "love not their brother whom they have seen," because they are wilfully ignorant of, or hate God, “whom they have not seen." Immediately on their passing through the Red Sea, it behoved the children of Israel to enter into this territory, on their way to Canaan. And probably the paternal relation which subsisted between them and Amalek, encouraged the posterity of Jacob to advance on their way with greater confidence. "It is the land of our brethren through which we are to pass;" would they say one to another. "The heart of Esau himself relented, when he saw his brother Jacob return, encumbered with a train of women and children, and cattle. He forgot his resentments: he became the protector of the man whom he had, in the hour of passion, vowed to destroy. The injury do e him in the matter of the birthright, and of the blessing, he generously forgave. Surely the posterity of Esau, after many generations, will not revive a quarrel which is extinguished and forgotten, first in the reconciliation, and then in the death of the original parties to it. After a servitude so long and so bitter in Egypt, we shall at length find a time and a place to breathe; and the soothings of fraternal love shall console us for the rigours of oppression." Such is the union which Providence has established between all the parts of the natural and of the political body, that the weakness or distress of one member is the infirmity and suffering of the whole. The hindmost and the feeble of Israel are smitten; the foremost and the strong feel and immediately resent it. "And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill, with the rod of God in mine hand." We have here a combination which ought never to be separated, and in which safety and success are ever to be found, namely, the acknowledgment of Heaven, and the use of appointed means, the sword in the hand of Joshua, the rod in that of Moses, the embattled host below in the valley, the intercessor with God, “wrestling" and "making supplication" upon the hill. In vain had Moses prayed if Joshua had not fought. Destitute of "the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man," the Vain expectation! What foe so dreadful skill and courage of the warrior had failed as a brother disaffected! Egypt smote with before the enemy. The rod of God! in how the rod; Amalek smites with the sword; he many different services is it employed! how basely, cruelly seizes the moment of Israel's many various purposes does it answer! It languor, weakness, and dejection, and at- smites the river of Egypt, and it becomes tempts to crush those whom a sanguinary blood. It smites the rock in Horeb, and it tyrant had persecuted, and whom Heaven sends forth a stream of water. It is extenditself had bruised. The cowardice of this ed towards heaven, on the top of the hill, behaviour is equal to the unkindness of it. and Amalek is destroyed. Striking and inHad they boldly appeared at the first, to dis-structive type of that" rod of God's mouth," pute the passage of the Red Sea, and to repel by force of arms the invasion of their country, their conduct, though ungenerous and unkind, had been ingenuous and manly. But, either through fear or policy, they permit Israel to advance, they watch the moment of their difficulty and distress, and, like dastards, steal upon the rear of an army whose front they dared not to oppose. Neither good qualities nor bad are found single in the human breast. And, in the nation whose character is now the object of our censure, we find a combination of the worst qualities of which our nature is capable, all originating in the deficiency of one great principle, which is at the root of all the evil which men commit, "he feared not God." Why did Amalek rake up the ashes of an ancient grudge? "He feared not God." wherewith "he slays the wicked:" of that sword of the Spirit "which is the word of God: of that hammer which breaketh the rock in pieces:" of that gospel, which is "a savour of God in them that believe, and them that perish." Observe how God appoints to every man his station of usefulness and importance. It was not for want either of zeal or courage, that Moses takes his post at a distance on the hill. It is not for want of piety, that Joshua leads on the armies of Israel on the plain. The mistakes and miscarriages of the world arise from the weakness and wickedness of men; at one time overrating their talents, and thrusting themselves forward into situations for which they are wholly unfit; and at another, through timidity shrinking from the duties of that station which Provi |