Moses calls a mixed multitude. This is sup- | diffidence of another to be countenanced and posed to have been made up of the produce encouraged; care was to be exercised about of marriages between Israelites and Egyptians; of Egyptians, who, from the miracles which they had seen wrought in favour of Israel, had been determined to follow the fortunes of that people; and of neighbours who, in the ordinary intercourse of mankind, might be brought into contact with them, and who, through fear, interest, or curiosity, might|able; one moment elated with extravagant be induced to follow their camp.

those who were either unable or unwilling to exercise any about themselves. What a charge then was that of Moses and Aaron! bearing on their shoulders the burden of such an assembly; a vast multitude agitated with the ordinary passions of human nature; unarmed, unaccustomed to discipline, untract

hopes, the next depressed with unreasonable fears. The wisdom of a Moses had been unequal to the task, unsupported by the Wisdom which sees all things at one view, and the Power which "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."

Man, with his usual ignorance and haste, would have been for conducting this mighty army directly to Canaan. And no doubt the same Almighty arm which had thus asserted them into liberty, could have led them straight forward to conquest. But, in studying the There is a happy disposition in all the evils history of the divine conduct as ordering and to which our nature and condition are subgoverning the affairs of men, we find it is ject, to find out and to apply their own remecomposed partly of the interpositions of Hea- dy. Necessity always sets invention to ven, and partly of the exertions of men. It work. Invention puts the machine in is not all miracle; that were to encourage tion; and once in motion, every wheel keeps eternal indolence and stupidity in rational its place, exerts its power, performs its office. beings, formed after the image of God, and But here the mighty machine, prepared in to reduce men to mere passive clods of earth; all its parts according to the plan of infinite nor is it all, on the other hand, the effect of wisdom, put together and regulated by the human skill, industry, and diligence; for that hand of almighty power, and conducted by were to resign the government of the world unchangeable truth and faithfulness, could to the frail and the foolish; that were to not vary its motion, could not deviate from weaken the power of religion, which is the its design: and the passage of perhaps four life, the joy, the guide, the support of the millions of people, with their immense posuniverse. But we discover divine interpo- sessions of flocks and herds, and other prosition, to a certain degree, so as to inspire a perty, from Egypt to Canaan, will appear one reasonable confidence in and dependence of those singular phenomena in history, which upon God; and we discern the exertions of no principles of human conduct, no natural men crowned with success through the bless- and ordinary concurrence of events, are able ing of Heaven upon them, and this enforcing to explain: and which must finally be. rethe necessity of bringing out and exercising solved into a wisdom and power preternatuthe powers and faculties of our intellectual ral and divine. Accordingly, we find Pronature. Israel is delivered from Egypt at vidence taking immediately the charge of once, but is introduced into Canaan by de- them; but not in the usual way, not by formgrees. The former, an act of sovereigning a regular discipline, and raising up compower, unmixed with, independent upon human efforts; the latter, the less perceptible operation of Omnipotence, blending itself with, subduing, directing, and promoting the designs and endeavours of reasonable beings, who had a great object in view, and a clear rule to walk by. Thus, in a case of universal importance, the justification and adoption of the sinner, are acts of free, sovereign grace, whereby sin is forgiven, and the right and privileges of sons conferred; whereas, sanctification is the gradual work of the Spirit, supporting us by the way, overcoming our enemies by little and little, and making us "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."

A great multitude of people is always an object of serious attention, and of deep anxiety. Many mouths were to be fed, many humours to be studied, many talents to be employed. Some were to be gained by love, others to be governed by fear; the impetuosity of one was to be repressed, the timidity and

manders and magistrates of unusual address and ability, but declaring by sensible tokens, which were seen, read, and understood of all "I am the Leader and Commander of my people."

But before we proceed to the consideration of this wonderful symbol of the divine presence, we must attend our author, and take notice of a tender and touching circumstance in the departure from Egypt, namely, the removing of the bones of Joseph. That truly great man had been the saviour of his father's house when he was alive, and was now the hope of Israel after he was dead. In all their afflictions, his precious dust had been to them the pledge of deliverance; and now, when that deliverance is come, they bear it with them to the land promised to their forefathers, for burial. Thus respectable and useful, in life and in death, are the wise and the good; thus anxious ought we to be to promote the best interests of mankind, not only while we are yet with them; but to

HISTORY OF MOSES.

leave something behind us that may benefitters, indeed, render the word harnessed, in [LECT. XLV. and instruct after we are seen and heard no the eighteenth verse of the thirtieth chapter, more. Christians, we carry with us, as our armed. But the term in the original is so hope in this wilderness, not the bones of a equivocal, and the learned attempts to deterdeparted deliverer, but the memory of a risen mine its meaning are so unsuccessful, that Saviour. The sacred pledge of our final re- we remain still in the dark about its true demption is deposited, not in the coffin, but meaning. The presumption certainly is, in this precious record-but in the history of that the Israelites were not armed. What facts well known and firmly believed by you- had a nation of shepherds, living by sufferbut in many great and precious promises ance in a foreign land, to do with arms? given unto you. "For if we believe that Would the policy of Egypt have permitted Jesus died and rose again; even so them it? But Moses, the most accurate of histoalso which sleep in Jesus will God bring with rians, takes care to point out a circumstance him." The ashes of the patriarch Joseph which furnishes the first idea of putting arms could not rest in the tomb till Israel came to into the hands of Israel. After the waves of the possession of their promised inheritance; the Red Sea had swallowed up the Egyptian so the Spirit and providence of the great Re- army, their dead bodies with their arms were deemer are in perpetual motion and exercise, miraculously cast on shore, and provided Istill he shall have gathered into one all his rael with armour from their spoils. redeemed unto himself; till the youngest of his sons, the meanest of his daughters, being courage and discipline of his people in the It is evident that God intended to form the glorified, shall take possession of their pur- wilderness; before he tried these upon the chased inheritance, "the kingdom prepared nations whom they were destined to subdue. for them from the foundation of the world." Nay, further, it was evidently his design to Thus then Israel takes his departure; thus settle their whole civil and religious polity, joyfully, thus triumphantly, thus increased; while they were yet in an erratic state, that and "not one sickly or feeble among them;" when they came to Canaan there might be a wonder not inferior to any of the rest. But nothing to do but to take possession, and to all" is of the Lord of Hosts, who is wonder-execute the laws which they had already reful in counsel, and excellent in working."

The plain of Rameses was the first great rendezvous of the Lord's host. They had built, as part of their task work, a city of that name, at the command of Pharaoh. But it was also the name of a region of Egypt elsewhere called Goshen; the same which Joseph chose for the reception of his aged parent; because being situated nearest to Canaan, it diminished the length and fatigue of his journey, and being a grassy country, suited his family's employment, that of shepherds. The nearness to Canaan might accordingly be now again considered as a favourable circumstance to the return of Israel thitherward. If we may credit Philo, the two countries were not above three days' journey distant the one from the other. And certain it is that the patriarchs, encumbered with a convoy laden with corn, easily performed a journey to a more distant part of Egypt, and back again, in the course of not many weeks at most. Moses might therefore have, without much difficulty, conducted the people of his charge to the place of their destination in a very small space of time. But was the distance of place the only difficulty which they had to encounter? How could men inured to slavery, men just escaped from the rod of a tyrannical oppressor, have the courage to meet the prowess and discipline of the warlike nations of Canaan; unprovided with arms for the field, and with military engines for the attack of fortified towns, had they been bold enough to attempt to take possession by force. Some interpre

swarm of people, numerous as the sand upon ceived. And alas, what shall we say? This the sea-shore, with the exception of one or two, and Moses their leader among the rest, thus pompously and powerfully saved, were saved from Egypt, but to die in the wilderness. the church is the care of God. Men die, but the church lives; and O God, is in the sea, and thy path in the "Thy way great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron."*

ward, in the direction of Canaan, their course is Instead then of marching straight northbent eastward, to the great wilderness which bounds Egypt and Arabia Petræa: God himself leading the way, in a most wonderful display of his glorious presence and power, described in the words which I read at the opening of the Lecture. their journey from Succoth, and encamped in "And they took Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them, by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." In this, GoD spake at once to the understanding and to the senses. doubt that the Lord was there? Could any Israelite to open his eyes, whether it were by day or He had but by night, and lo, a thick cloud obscuring the brightness of the one, or a flaming fire dispelling the shades of the other, proclaimed

* Psalm lxxvii. 19.

† Exod. xiii. 20-22.

the dread presence of JEHOVAH. Could any one call in question his kindness, when he saw darkness become a guide, and fire a protector? Durst any one presume to approach too nigh, when dimness impenetrable, and light inaccessible, alternately guarded his pavilion? Was it possible for any heart to fear, when the Most Mighty thus declared, in language more emphatical than can be conveyed by words "Lo, I am for you! Who is he that can, that dare to be against you?”

be sensible of our own darkness is to be partakers of his marvellous light. All that the brightest noon of human reason can discover is, that it is ignorance and folly, when placed in comparison with the wisdom of GOD.

Might not this wonderful pillar prefigure to the ancient church the person and office of the Redeemer of the world? Behold the divine essence wrapped up in, and closely united to a veil of flesh and blood. Behold Deity raising our nature to incorruptibility and glory "in CHRIST, the first-fruits; and afterwards in all that are Christ's at his coming.' Do we not perceive in it, humanity bringing down the divine nature to our bearing and perception: "the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, declaring him to us." "The word made flesh" instructing the ignorant, cheering the disconsolate, directing the wanderer, refreshing the weary; guiding our waking, guarding our sleeping moments; "a partaker of our flesh and blood, that he may be a merciful High-Priest:" declared the Son of God with power; men adoring and submitting; the powers of hell broken and discomfited: the triumph of heaven complete. "The Lord our God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."* Fear not, O Israel, the Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming. in, from this time forth, and even for evermore."t

The appearances of God are suited to the circumstances of his people. Cloud by night would have been to increase the horror, and to multiply the unwholesome damps of that season. Fire by day would have been adding fuel to a flame, already intensely hot, in a burning climate and parched soil. But tempered, adapted, distributed, according to wisdom not capable of error, the peculiar inconvenience of each season is relieved; and the ills of nature are remedied by the dispensations of grace. The cloudy fiery pillar is a manifestation of Deity, suited to a wilderness state. In heaven, a God of love is light, without any darkness at all." In hell a God of implacable wrath is perpetual darkness, without one ray of light. On earth, a God of justice and mercy is darkness and light, in successive order and perfect harmo-" ny. In heaven, he is a flame that irradiates, cheers, and quickens; in hell, a fire still consuming, never to be extinguished; on earth, fire in a cloud, mercy flowing in a spacious channel, judgment restrained. Men can only discover that of God which he is pleased to reveal to them. Whether he is pleased to turn his dark or bright side to us, we are stationed equally at a distance from him. To

HISTORY OF MOSES.

LECTURE XLVI.

'And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.-EXODUS xiv. 21, 22.

In the little benefits which men confer the matter of that kindness shown me, and upon each other, it generally happens that some untoward circumstance insinuates itself, and occasions, to one of the parties at least, mortification, disappointment, or disgust; for nothing human is perfect. A gracious action is frequently resented as an injury, from the ungracious manner in which it is performed. I am charmed with both

the affectionate disposition which prompted it; but alas, it arrived an hour too late! Another prevented my wishes; and I prized not the blessing, because I was not instructed in its value by feeling the want of it. This favour done me is very great; but it is not precisely the thing I looked for; or, it is so clogged with some unpleasant condition.

that I would rather be without it: it affords at first, continued to protect and support me present relief, but will it not involve me them. The strength of Egypt, broken as it in greater difficulties hereafter? Had I fail- was, had been sufficient to force them back. ed in my expectations from this quarter, The wilderness itself had been fatal to them, I should easily have gained my end by ap- without a foe. How easily are the greatest plying to another friend. In a word, there deliverances forgotten; how soon are the is a perpetual something, in the friendly most awful appearances familiarized to the communications of men, which continually mind! The very first threatening of danger mars the worth of what is given and received. effaces from the memory of these Israelites, And no wonder, if we consider that favours all impression of the powerful wonders which are not always granted from affection, nor had just passed before them, and eclipses the accepted with gratitude. But the bounties glory of that cloud which, at that very instant, of Heaven possess every quality that can en- presented itself to their eyes, and overshahance their value, and endear their Author dowed their heads. But, let not self-flattery to a sensible heart. Infinitely valuable in impose upon us, as if we were more faithful themselves, they flow from love. The "good and obedient than they were. It is the mere and perfect gifts, which come down from the deception of vanity and self-love to suppose, Father of lights," are given "liberally, and that "if one were to arise from the dead, we without upbraiding." Exactly what we need, would be persuaded;" that, if we saw a mirathey come precisely at the moment when we cle wrought, we would believe; that, if we want them most, or when they are most bene- heard Christ teach in our streets, we would ficial to us. Worthy of God to bestow, they "forsake all and follow him." The man cannot be unworthy of us to receive. Were he whom the usual appearances of nature do to withhold his gracious aid, in vain should we not move, would soon become insensible to look for relief from any other quarter. Pro- more uncommon phenomena. For, extraor ductive of present satisfaction and joy, his dinary things frequently repeated, are extrabenefits involve us in no future distress, ordinary no longer, and consequently soon shame, or remorse. Serviceable to the body, lose their force. If the daily miracles of they are at the same time improving to the God's mercy and loving-kindness fail to conmind. Important and interesting for time, vince men, what reason is there to hope, they have an influence upon eternity. that mere exertions of power would produce a happier effect? If Christ, speaking by his word and ministering servants, be treated with neglect, is it likely that his person would be held in veneration? If men "hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead" Is it not notorious, that Christ's personal ministrations were slighted, his miracles vili

The gracious interpositions of Jehovah, in behalf of his chosen people, have this peculiar recommendation to our attention, as to that people's grateful observation and acknowledgment-that they were not in the usual course of things; they were the fruits of the constant and unremitting care of a special providence; they were the suspension or alteration of the established laws of nature:fied, his character traduced? they were the operation of a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, sensibly controlling the winds, the waves, and the clouds; and subduing the most ungovernable elements to its purpose. Other parents are endued with transitory affections and attachments, suited to the transitory nature of the trust committed to them. The hen tends her unfledged brood with the vigilance of a dragon and the boldness of a lion. But maternal tenderness and anxiety diminish and expire with the occasion of them, namely, the weakness and inexperience of her young ones. When the son is become a man, paternal care relaxes, and parental authority is at an end. But as the authority of our heavenly Father never ceases, so his bowels of compassion are never restrained; his vigilance is never lulled to rest, his care never suspended; because his offspring is, to the last, impotent, improvident, imperfect.

În vain had Israel, by a series of miracles unparalleled in the annals of mankind, been rescued from Egyptian oppression, had not the same almighty arm which delivered them

Whose conduct is the more absurd and criminal, that of Pharaoh, in pursuing after and attempting to bring back a people who had been a snare and a curse to himself and his kingdom; or that of Israel, in trembling at the approach of an enemy whom God had so often subdued under them? Frail nature looks only to the creature; to surrounding mountains, opposing floods, persecuting foes: hence terror, confusion, and astonishment. But faith eyes the pillar, the residence of divine majesty, and then mountains sink, seas divide, the chariot and horsemen are overthrown. Every passion, when it becomes predominant, renders us silly and unreasonable; and none more so than fear. In danger and distress it is natural, but it is foolish, to impute to another the evils which we fear or feel. It seems to be an alleviation of our own misery, if we can contrive to shift the blame of it upon the shoulders of our neighbour. Hence Moses is loaded with the imputation of a deliberate design of involving his nation in this dire dilemma, between

* Luke xvi. 31.