Israel any longer, to be occupied with God only; but even in death he is contriving the means of doing good to that dearly beloved, that fondly cherished people. As if his heart had relented at the harshness of some of the expressions which fidelity and a sense of duty had extorted from him; like one unwilling to part with them under any semblance of unkindness or displeasure, he again assumes the tender father, tunes his tongue to the law of kindness, buries all resentment of the past, and every thing unpleasant, in the prospects of futurity, in the gentleness and benevolence of friends, who were separating to meet no more. The soul that is at peace with God desires to be at peace with all men; and it is meet that dying breath be sweetened with mercy, forgiveness, and love. Slowly and solemnly as Moses advanced to meet his latter end, would we accompany his steps in his last progress through the beloved tents of Israel, and in his ascent to the hill, from whence he never should return. With a heart like his, overflowing with charity to the whole church of God, and filled with sentiments of peculiar affection towards you, we behold the approach of that hour which is to disperse us, perhaps too for ever. With a blessing on our lips, like him, and O that his God and ours may make it effectual, we are hastening to bid you farewell. The words which I have read are the beginning of the 54th and last parasha, or great section of the law, into which the whole books of Moses were subdivided, for the conveniency of publicly reading them, in conjunction with the prophets every sabbath day: a custom which prevailed in the Jewish church, down to the times of our Saviour and his apostles, as we learn from several passages of the gospel history. Thus Christ himself, "when he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, as his custom was, went into the synagogue, on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor: he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised: to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."* Thus James, in determining the question in the synod of Jerusalem, concerning the necessity of circumcision, says, "Moses of old time hath in every city them Luke iv. 16-21. that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day."* And Paul and Barnabas, when they came to Antioch, in Pisidia, went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."t The first section begins with the opening of the book of Genesis, and goes up to the ninth verse of the sixth chapter, and is called Bereshit, the first word in the Hebrew Bible. The second begins at these words in the sixth chapter, "These are the generations of Noah:" and is thence called Noah, and ends at the beginning of chapter twelfth, which sets out with the call of Abraham, and is therefore styled the section Lec Leca, i. e. "Get thee out," and so of the rest. To bring the whole fifty-four divisions within the compass of the year, they joined two of the shortest into one reading. Thus the whole constitution, both as to civil and sacred things, was publicly rehearsed once every year; so that it was impossible for any decent Israelite to be grossly ignorant of elther the laws, the history, or the religion of his country. The first public lecture was on the Sabbath that followed the feast of tabernacles, and went on till the anniversary of that feast returned. I have mentioned these circumstances for several reasons. I am not ill pleased to have so respectable an example for attempting a mode of instruction which reason and experience convince us to be at once the most pleasant and the most useful. I honour human learning, I admire great talents, I am enchanted with eloquence; but I am persuaded, if saving knowledge be communicated, it is by the quick and powerful energy of God's word coming, not with the allurements of man's wisdom, "but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power." This leads us to express a wonder why the reading of the scriptures by large portions at a time is not universally practised in Christian congregations. Surely there must be a better reason for neglecting it, than that it is enjoined by the canons of the church, and is in general practice in the establishment. The last reason I have at present to render for this digression, if it be thought one, is its affording me an opportunity of earnestly recommending to masters and mistresses of families, the regular and progressive use of the scriptures, within the precincts of their private households, for the instruction of their children and servants. I am well aware that from a diffidence and humility not too severely to be blamed, some younger heads of fami lies are tempted to neglect family worship altogether, because some parts of it they cannot, dare not undertake; that for exam- | words of Moses, at the first glance, convey ple, of addressing God in prayer, as the mouth to us an image inconceivably grand and subof their domestic little church. Let them lime, but at the same time simple, natural, begin with reading aloud the word of God: for this surely they have courage sufficient. They will be brought to pray insensibly; they will soon cease to be ashamed of that which is their highest honour and most glorious privilege. We now return. nations, and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting."* and obvious. Israel was encamped in the plains of Moab, with Jordan and the fertile fields of Canaan directly in view the prospect on the south terminated by the lofty mountains of Teman or Seir; and on the north by mount Paran, while Sinai raised The idea I have formed to myself of "this its awful head, and buried it in the clouds of blessing, wherewith Moses, the man of God, heaven from behind. Moses accordingly blessed the children of Israel before his represents, in the bold imagery of oriental death," how justly I presume not to say, is poetry, the glory of the Lord arising like the this: Moses, having received his final sum- sun in the east, from behind the top of Sinai, mons to prepare for death, feels himself and instantly darting his light from hill to prompted at once by affection and the spirit hill, and increasing in lustre till the whole of prophecy, to take a particular leave of expanse of heaven is filled with it. The every tribe, to bestow a several benediction on prophet Habakkuk has evidently caught the every one by name, and to prepare them one same celestial fire, is filled with the same by one for the conquest of their inheritance, animating object, when he exclaims, "God by giving them prophetically a general no- came from Teman, and the Holy One from tion of their future condition, as constituent mount Paran, Selah. His glory covered the. parts of the commonwealth of Israel, and of heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. the particular lot to be assigned to each, with And his brightness was as the light, he had its corresponding advantages and pursuits. horns coming out of his hand, and there was For this purpose I suppose him making a so- the hiding of his power. Before him went lemn progress through the whole host, going the pestilence, and burning coals went forth from tribe to tribe, from tent to tent, and pour- at his feet. He stood and measured the ing out his soul, as a dying parent, in bless-earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the ings upon his offspring, according to their different characters and conditions. O how unlike these visits of selfishness, pride, ambition, and strife, which the candidates for fame, place, and power, are from time to time, making through a corrupted land! Let us attend his progress, and mark what he says. We find Moses still beginning, proceeding, concluding with God. He sets out on this last awful circuit, with a mind full of the glorious majesty of the great Jehovah. He calls to his own remembrance, and impresses the image of it on the souls of the whole people, that great and dreadful day "when the Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir, unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them." The particular mention of Seir and Paran in this exordium, has given birth to a poor conceit in the Jerusalem Targum, to this purpose, "that God first offered his law, and the protection which it afforded, to the Idumeans, the inhabitants of mount Seir, and the posterity of Esau, but that they rejected it, because it contained this precept, Moses first approaches the tents of the tribe "Thou shalt not kill." That afterwards it of Reuben, and having introduced himself by was tendered to the Ishmaelites, or inhabit- these solemn, striking words, he proceeds to ants of mount Paran, who rejected it because his particular salutation of that tribe." Let it said, "Thou shalt not steal." That then Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men it was proposed to the posterity of Jacob, who be few." Concerning the head of that tribe, immediately replied, "All that the Lord hath his dying father had prophetically denounced, commanded will we do, and be obedient."" Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel;" Without having recourse to a construction so unsupported, forced, and unnatural, the † Deut. xxxiii. 2. * Deut. xxxii. 1. But what are mountains and hills, and their inhabitants? Moses represents the great God as arising in unclouded majesty amidst ten thousand of his holy ones. "Angels, his ministers, that excel in strength," the least of whom "could wield these elements." His red right hand is extended, presenting to the astonished beholder a law, a fiery law, a fire that purifies, a fire that consumes. But the terror of this dreadful appearance is instantly lost, in a display of the grace and mercy which prompted this splendid visit. "Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand; and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words." Here we behold the legislator lost in the friend, and, instead of distractedly, despairingly calling upon "the mountains to fall upon us, and the hills to cover us," we sit down in tranquillity at the feet of our gracious teacher, and every one for himself listens to the language of love. but the blessing of Moses seems to wipe the blot out of the scutcheon, and Reuben seems *Habak. iii. 3-6. † Deut. xxxiii. 3. Deut. xxxiii. 6. restored to his rank in Israel again. Reuben alone of the sons of Jacob pitied Joseph in his distress, and contrived the means of restoring him to his father again. This redeems him and his family from infamy and destruction, and we are disposed to drown the memory of his lewdness, in respect for his tenderness and humanity. wings of inspiration, we rise, with the beloved disciple in vision, to contemplate the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, prevailing to open the sealed book, in the right hand of Him that sits on the throne, and loosing the seven seals thereof. "And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which all the earth." "And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God, kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."* Who stands next on the roll of Jacob's sons? To whom is the second salutation due? Simeon. But ah! we see the curse of a dy-are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into ing father upon him; we see Moses passing by his door without bidding him God speed; we see the blood of the Shechemites, the innocent, credulous Shechemites, lying with an oppressive weight upon his seed; we see a tribe of fifty-nine thousand three hundred in the wilderness of Sinai, melted down and reduced to twenty-two thousand two hundred in the plains of Moab; we see no judge or magistrate in future times springing from his loins; we see him "divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel," and in all this we see the vengeance of a righteous God pursuing a cool and deliberate murderer to utter ruin, and we think of the more dreadful weight of that blood which a hard-hearted race imprecated upon themselves and their children; and which the shame and sufferings of one thousand eight hundred years have not yet expiated. What must the sons of Simeon have felt when their dying leader passed them by; without vouchsafing them a word; to He now approaches the priestly tribe of Levi, find themselves alone unblessed of all the his kinsmen and friends according to the flesh, children of their father's house! Speak and copiously bestows his valedictory beneto me, O merciful Father, in whatever lan- diction upon them, in these remarkable words, guage thou wilt: chide, upbraid, chastise me;" Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with but O pass me not by in silent neglect: cease thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Masnot to reprove me: say not, "Let him alone." The dying prophet passes next to the standard of the tribe of Judah. Judah, destined to empire, increase, and strength, Judah, the father of many princes; the root and offspring of David. “And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah; and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him, and be thou an help to him from his enemies."* These words of Moses send us again to the dying bed of Jacob, and we find both patriarchs holding the same idea concerning this prerogative tribe, strength invincible, triumph over every foe, supreme authority; and we find ourselves led still farther back, to Leah, his mother, in childbirth, bestowing on this her fourth son a name expressive of her personal exultation and triumph; "Judah, praise the Lord," and thence to the infinitely glorious design of Providence, which has swallowed up the transient, private feeling of the individual, in the great and comprehensive view of general compassion and favour, and the source of universal gratitude and praise; and, borne on the *Deut. xxxiii. 7. Thus we behold all that is great and magnificent among men, bringing its glory and honour, and laying it at the feet of Jesus; and all that is past and present lost in the immensity and importance of that which is to come. sah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah: who said unto his father, and to his mother, I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word and kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again."t Levi had been a partaker with Simeon, in shedding the blood of the Shechemites, and had fallen under the same condemnation; but their spirit and zeal in expiating the guilt of the golden calf by the blood of its idolatrous worshippers, has removed the stain, and re stored their own blood again, and the dreadful sentence, "I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel,” as far as it affects them, is from a curse turned into a blessing. They are divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel, but it is honourably to themselves, and usefully to others: as the priests of the Lord, † Deut. xxxiii. 8-11. Rev. v. 7-10. 66 and the instructers of the people. Why may we not suppose Eleazer the high priest, arrayed in his sacerdotal vestments, standing at the head of his tribe to receive the salutation of Moses, and that the appearance of this sacred officer in the splendour of his pontifical garb, might suggest to Moses some of the particulars contained in this blessing, especially the beginning of it? "Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one. Thy Thummim and thy Urim," that is, being interpreted, "thy perfections and thy lights." They were mysteries, of which we have spoken in a former Lecture, put into the high priest's breastplate, and were designed apparently to signify the graces and office of the priesthood, which was committed to Aaron and his seed, till Christ came, who should obtain and exercise an everlasting and unchangeable priesthood, after a more excellent order than that of Aaron. and with Thummim." And it does not ap pear they ever had them more, until by Jesus Christ, our High Priest after the order of Aaron, they were restored in the "light and truth" of the gospel. The blessing upon Levi thus proceeds: "Who said unto his father, and to his mother, I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant."* This is generally understood to express the devotedness of that tribe to the worship and service of God, which laid them under a necessity of abstractedness from the world, and constrained them, when employed in the order of their course, to suppress all appearance of secular concern, such as mourning for the dead and the like. Thus when "Nadab and Abihu perished by fire before the Lord," Aaron and his two surviving sons were expressly forbid to show any signs of sorrow. "Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest ye die." "And Aaron held his peace." The words are by many interpreters supposed particularly to refer to the judgment executed through the zeal of this tribe on their offending brethren 1. They are supposed to be addressed to in the matter of the golden calf, which is thus God himself, and the sense to run thus, "Thy described: "And Moses stood in the gate of Thummin and thy Urim" (O God) be with the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's the man, thy gracious saint, (Aaron and his side? let him come unto me. And all the seed) whom thou temptedst with temptation, sons of Levi gathered themselves together or contendedst with (for his sin) at the wa- unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith ters of Meribah, of which we have the history. the Lord God of Israel, put every man his Numb. xx. "And the Lord spake unto Mo-sword by his side, and go in and out from gate ses 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. This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel strove with the Lord; and he was sanctified in them."* According to the different ideas of the mystery of the Urim and Thummim, and the connexion here established between them, and the temptation at Massah, and the strife at Meribah, various turns and interpretations have been given to the words of Moses. Or, 2dly, they may be addressed to the whole tribe, and with this sense, Thy Thummim and thy Urim (O Levi) be with Aaron and his sons! the holy, chosen, anointed one of thy gracious God, whom thou, in common with the rest of Israel, temptedst in Massah and in the strife at Meribah. to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." And it may perhaps be intended as a warning to the Christian priesthood, that though their profession does not call them wholly to renounce the world, to restrain the workings of natural affection, Or, 3dly, understanding by the "holy one," and cease to be men; yet it does call them to the Christ of God, this will be the sense, Thy a higher degree of heavenly-mindedness, to Thummim and thy Urim (O Levi) is with stricter self-government, to a greater superi(or belongs to) the man thy Holy One, (Mes-ority to worldly attachments and pursuits, to siah, the Christ) the Holy One of God, whom thou temptedst at Massah, and didst strive with at Meribah. In this last interpretation, the weakness, insufficiency, imperfection, and transitoriness of the Levitical priesthood are implied: it retained not long the Urim and Thummim, but lost them in the Babylonish captivity, as we find from Ezra, chap. ii. ver. 63. "And the Tirshatha said unto them, That they should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a priest with Urim ledge. Numb. xx. 12, 13. have no respect of persons in dispensing the bread of life, to " know no man after the flesh," to sit looser than others to the things of time. 66 The next article of their prophet's parting blessing describes their glorious privileges. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt-sacrifice upon thine altar." The priest's lips should keep know and the united characters of teacher and priest in the same person, prefigured and pointed out "the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world."—"The one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus." The great Teacher sent from God, "who spake as never man spake." "God's beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased.” This then is the first duty of their office; to "teach Jacob the judgments of God, and Israel his law." Theirs was to be the distinguished honour of training up every succeeding generation as it arose, in the knowledge of the God of their fathers, in what he had done for them, and what he required of them; of pointing out and inculcating upon them the connexion between their privileges and The conclusion of the benediction is protheir duties, their safety and their obedience, phetic, and descriptive of their reward, their their security and their fidelity. They were inheritance, and security. "Bless, Lord, still to set before the people "good and evil, his substance, and accept the work of his the blessing and the curse," the promises hands: smite through the loins of them that which allured to the one, the threatenings rise against him, and of them that hate him, which deterred from the other. They were that they rise not again."* This is the perunder the necessity, of consequence, of stu- fection of creature happiness; ample providying the law of God, and the history of his sion, and the blessing of the Almighty poured providence themselves, in order to the in- down, and resting upon it-works and labours struction of others; and to exhibit a decent of love cheerfully performed, and graciously conformity, in their own deportment, to what accepted-every foe subdued, and every was written, as a pattern to their fellow citi-ground of fear for ever removed. Here may A task at once painful, dangerous, and we not apply to this tribe in particular, what Moses, in the close, applies to Israel in geneThe second duty of their station was, "toral? Happy art thou, O Levi: who is like put incense before God." That sacred per- unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the fume was emblematical of the prayers, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of praises, and thanksgiving of Israel; and on thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be Levi was conferred the glorious privilege of found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread standing between God and the people, of con- upon their high places."t veying from him to them the dictates of his Such were the functions, the privileges, will, the promises of his grace, the assu- the honours, and the emoluments of the Levirance of his favour and protection; and, as the tical priesthood. They suggest to the Chrismouth of the people, to reconvey to God the tian ministry, the vigilance, diligence, fidelity, effusions of their gratitude, the acknowledg- and zeal which become those "who must ment of their submission and dependence; give account"-the necessity laid upon them their entire confidence in the truth and faith-"to declare the whole counsel of God"—the fulness of God, their entire hope in his mercy. These the sons of Levi were to present before the Lord as incense; and with this sacrifice of praise from the people, the incense of their own grateful acknowledgments would naturally mingle and ascend. zens. honourable. assured support on which they may depend, while they conscientiously aim at doing their duty-the glorious "recompense of reward," which is laid up for “ the good and faithful servant," in that day "when they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firFinally, the blessing pronounced on this mament; and they that turn many to righte distinguished tribe, imposed on them the of ousness, as the stars for ever and ever." May fice of offering up "whole burnt sacrifice the power of such motives be felt, and underupon the altar of God." They not only stood stood by all who bear the sacred and importbetween a gracious God and an indebted peo-ant office, that by them they may be renderple; but a holy and offended God, and a frail, offending people. Hence the necessity of "burnt sacrifice," hence the idea of atonement, hence the shedding of blood for the remission of sin, hence the institution of the Levitical priesthood-"the shadow of good things to come." And thus the daily sacrifice, the intercession of the house of Aaron, ed "steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as they know that their labour is not in vain in the Lord." The farther progress of Moses through the remaining tribes of Israel shall be the subject of the next Lecture. *Deut. xxxiii. 11. Deut. xxxiii. 29. ↑ Dan. xii. 3. |