How astonishing an instance of the obduracy and hardheartedness of this rebellious people! The very day following the awful inflictions, of which we have read, the whole congregation rise as one man, against the servants of the Lord, accusing them, of what they perfectly well knew them to be incapable, viz. of causing the earth to open, and the fire to descend from heaven, for the punishment of the rebels. Moses, therefore, had interceded for them but in vain, for although they had been spared, on the previous occasion, in accordance with his anxious prayer, the Almighty, on this repetition of the offence, gives no warning. The sentence and its execution come together; "the plague has begun!" This was the only signal, the punishment had no forerunner to announce its coming.

So will it be at the end of the world. Now, there is one who "ever liveth to make intercession;" then, as the word is spoken, the blow will fall; and neither the rocks, nor the mountains, shall be able to hide the guilty from the vengeance of God's wrath.

47. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

48. And he stood between the dead and the living ; and the plague was stayed.

49. Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

50. And Aaron returned unto Moses, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

How fearful a slaughter! Fourteen thousand seven hundred of this stiffnecked people, swept off, as in a moment! And yet, had it not been for the merciful interposition of Aaron, this would have been a mere drop in the ocean of God's wrath. How beautiful a type does the head of the Jewish priesthood here afford us, of the great and glorified head of the christian church! Aaron" stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed;" Jesus, as He died on Calvary, might be said by his great atonement, the "one, full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world," to have done the same; and blessed be God, the plague is stayed; for, "There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." As Mediator and as Intercessor, He still stands in the gap, and never shall the plague spot destroy one humble, believing penitent, who looks to Him for cleansing, pardon, and life.

EXPOSITION XXIII.

NUMBERS Xvii. 1—13.

1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod, according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes, according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.

3. And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

4. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

5. And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

6. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

7. And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord, in the tabernacle of witness.

We have seen that the last fearful punishment of the children of Israel was occasioned by a re

bellion, which originated in the desire of the Levites to usurp the office of the priesthood. It was equally probable that every other tribe might, at some time or other, be actuated by the same ambitious feeling; most mercifully, therefore, did it please the Almighty, to give them at once so clear a manifestation of the Divine will upon this point, that they should not only be fully satisfied for the present, but that all possibility of future murmurings, on this head, should be suppressed. Jehovah directs every tribe to be represented by a rod or staff, with the name of each tribe inscribed separately upon each of the staffs; and promises that upon their remaining one night in the tabernacle, the staff of the highly-honoured tribe should bud, blossom, and bear fruit. After this it was impossible, but that all should be fully satisfied what the will of the Lord was concerning them, which they appear before to have affected to doubt; and, accordingly, from the period of this miraculously-marked decision, we hear no more of ambitious men, of other tribes, seeking the priesthood.

8. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness: and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

9. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10. And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

11. And Moses did so as the Lord commanded him, so did he.

12. And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

13. Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Shall we be consumed with dying?

We have here the conclusion of the remarkable and miraculous trial: the twelve rods are taken from the tabernacle; eleven of them remain dry, and leafless, and dead, as when they were placed there, while Aaron's rod alone shows marks of life and fertility, bearing at once, buds, blossoms, and almonds. This decides the point, that from the tribe of Levi, and from that only, should those be taken who were to enjoy the high honour of the Jewish priesthood, and to minister before God in his sanctuary. How simple and beautiful a method of establishing a fact of such deep importance! Henceforth there could be neither rivalry nor jealousy. It had pleased God, thus to demonstrate by whom he