one single instance wherein this promise failed. We might speak also respecting the happiness of true religion; and draw a parallel between the Jews assembling for their solemn feasts, and Christians universally uniting in the same grateful acknowledgments and heavenly joys. But there are two observations, to which, as arising clearly out of the subject, and as being of singular importance, we would limit your attention:

1. The service of God is of paramount obligation

[We have seen what strong objections might have been made to the ordinance before us, which yet was required punctually to be observed. And we know that carnal reason has much to suggest in opposition to the commands of God, much that is founded in fact and in the experience of mankind: 'If I serve my God according to the requisitions of his word, I shall be forced to deny myself many things that are pleasing to flesh and blood: I shall also be singular, and shall expose myself to the derision and contempt of those who are hostile to true religion: my very friends may turn against me; and I may suffer materially in my temporal interests.' All this, and more than this, is very true: but it affords no reason whatever for disobeying the commands of God. The Jews would doubtless on many occasions have preferred their domestic ease and comfort, or the occupations in which they were engaged, to the fatigue and trouble of a long expensive journey. But the command was positive: and so is ours; it admits of no excuses: we are expressly required to "deny ourselves, to take up our cross daily, and to follow Christ:" and it is on these terms only that we can be his disciples. If called to "forsake father and mother, and houses and lands, for the Gospel's sake," we must forsake, yea and "hate them all," if they stand in competition with Christ, or would draw us from our allegiance to him. We must not love even life itself in comparison of him, but cheerfully sacrifice it at any time, and in any way that our fidelity to him may require. "It is not necessary that I should live," said a great general, "but it is necessary that I should proceed." Thus must the Christian say, 'Tell me not of difficulties, or dangers it is not necessary that I should be rich, or honoured, or even that I should live; but it is necessary that I should obey my God: a heated furnace, or a den of lions, is nothing to me: duty is all. If I die for conscience sake, I rejoice that I am counted worthy to suffer in so good a cause. This was the mind of Paul: "None of these things move me," says he, "neither count I my life dear unto me:" "I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Lord's

sake." O that we might be like him; men of piety, men of principle, men of firmness and decision!]

2. They who serve the Lord shall be saved by him

[The trust which the Jews at those stated seasons reposed in God was never disappointed. Nor shall ours be, though all the hosts both of men and devils were confederate against us. The challenge is justly given us, "Who ever trusted in the Lord, and was confounded?" There is a great fault amongst religious people in relation to this: many are distressing themselves with doubts and fears, Shall I persevere to the end? shall I be saved at last?' A holy caution is doubtless very becoming in every state; but not a slavish fear. Our concern should be to serve God: it is his concern, if I may so speak, to save us. Even from temporal trials he can, and will, protect us, as far as is for our good -As for spiritual and eternal evils, he will assuredly protect us from them. "Who is he that shall harm us, if we be followers of that which is good?" Satan, it is true, will never for a moment relinquish his desire to assault us: that roaring lion will never intermit his wish to devour: but God will be as 66 a wall of fire round about us," and "his grace shall be at all times sufficient for us:" "nor shall any temptation take us beyond what we are able to bear, or without a way to escape from it." "Know ye then, Brethren, in whom ye have believed; that he is able to keep that which you have committed to him." Know that, if only your eyes were opened, you might at this moment see horses of fire and chariots of fire all around you, and an host of angels encamped around you for your protection. Invade not any longer the province of your God. Leave to him the care of preserving you; and confine your solicitude to the serving and honouring of him. This is your duty; it is also your privilege the direction of God himself is this; "Commit your souls to him in well-doing as into the hands of a faithful Creator." Be assured that he will not fail you; and that “He who hath promised, is able also to perform."]

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See a most striking illustration of this truth in Acts xviii. 9—18. To allay Paul's fears, God promised to protect him in a city proverbially abandoned. He preached there eighteen months unmolested. At last a violent assault was made upon him by all the Jews in the city but the judge would take no cognizance of their complaints, and drove them away from his judgment-seat. The Greeks, who had joined with the Jews, being irritated by this conduct, laid hold on Sosthenes, whom they conceived to be a friend of Paul's, and beat him in the very presence of the judge: but Paul, on whose account the clamour was raised, escaped unhurt, and continued in the city a good while longer without any injury whatever; and at last departed from it in peace. So faithful are the promises of God!

CXV.

THE VEIL OF MOSES.

Exod. xxxiv. 35. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. And Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. IT is an established and invariable truth, that "those who honour God shall surely be honoured by him." We have the clearest evidence of this, both in the antediluvian and patriarchal ages. Did Abel honour God by his offering, Enoch by his walk, and Noah by his faithful warning of an ungodly world? they also were blessed with signal manifestations of the divine favour. Did Abraham, Lot, or Job display singular piety? they were as singularly protected, delivered, and exalted by their God. The same we observe of Moses. He was faithful to his God, when all Israel, not excepting Aaron himself, revolted from him; and to him did God vouchsafe so bright a glory, that none of his countrymen were able to fix their eyes upon him; insomuch that he was constrained to put a veil upon his face, in order to facilitate their access to him, and restore his wonted opportunities of conversing with them. This veiling of his face is to be the subject of our present consideration: and we shall notice it in a two-fold view: I. As a kind expedient

The face of Moses shone with a dazzling and overpowering splendour

[He had for forty days and nights been communing with God upon Mount Sinai: and it pleased God, for the confirmation and increase of his authority among the people, to send him down to them with a lustre upon his countenance, that should at once convince them whose servant he was, and whose authority he bare.

At the first sight of him, both Aaron and all the people were affrighted. This was the natural effect of that guilt which they had so recently contracted. They feared that he was sent as an avenger to punish their iniquity. When they found that their organs of sight were too weak to behold the bright effulgence of his glory, they felt how unable they must be to withstand the terror of his arm.

As the brightness of Moses' face was supernatural, so the effect of it on the people was peculiar to that occasion. But there is an awe inspired by the presence of every good man, in proportion to the weight of his character and the eminence of his piety. Herod, though a king, "feared John, because he knew that he was a just and holy man." And Job tells us, that at his presence "the aged rose, and the young men hid themselves."]

To facilitate their access to him, he adopted the expedient mentioned in the text

[He was not conscious of the splendour with which his countenance was irradiated, till their inability to behold him convinced him of it. Nor is it ever found that those who bear much of the divine image are conscious of their own superiority: their minds are fixed on their own defects rather than on their excellencies, and, from their deep views of their remaining corruptions, they are ready to count themselves "less than the least of all saints." When he perceived the effect which the sight of him produced, instead of being elated with the honour conferred upon him, or desiring to employ it for the maintenance of his own authority, he put a veil upon his face to conceal its brightness, and called them to him that he might impart unto them the instructions he had received from God. As often as he returned to commune with his God, he took off the veil, as not either necessary or befitting in the divine presence: but in all his intercourse with the people, he covered his face. On this point many useful thoughts occur; but we shall reserve them for the close of our subject, where they will be more advantageously suggested in a way of practical improvement.]

We pass on to notice this act of Moses, II. As an instructive emblem

Whether Moses himself understood the full signification of his own act, we cannot say it is probable he did not for certain it is, that the prophets in many instances could not see the full scope of their own prophecies. But, whether he understood it or not, we are assured, on infallible authority, that his covering his face with the veil was intended by God to represent,

1. The darkness of that dispensation

[The Mosaic dispensation was "a shadow of good things to come:" but what the substance was, none could exactly ascertain. The very tables which at this time Moses had brought down from God, contained a law, the nature, intent.

or duration of which none of them could understand. They could not discern its spiritual import, but judged of it only by the letter. They thought it a covenant of life; whereas it was not at all designed "to give life," but rather to be "a ministration of condemnation and death." They supposed it was to continue to the end of time; when it was merely given for a season, till the things which it prefigured should be accomplished. Its splendour was veiled from their sight, as was the brightness of Moses' face: and St. Paul informs us, that the expedient to which Moses resorted, was intended to shew, that the law was in itself "glorious," but that "the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of it"."]

2. The blindness of the human mind

[There were in the Jews of those days, and there are at this hour, a blindness of mind, and an obduracy of heart, which render them almost invincibly adverse to the truth of God. We see it, and wonder at it, in them; but are unconscious of it in ourselves, and insensible of it as a matter of personal experience: yet are we, in fact, greater monuments of obduracy than they; because there was a veil over their dispensation, which is removed from ours. Did they continue stiff-necked and rebellious, amidst all the mercies and judgments with which they were visited? so do we: the "god of this world hath blinded us:" "our understanding is darkened;" "we are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in us, and because of the blindness of our hearts:" we "hate the light, and will not come to it, lest our deeds should be reproved." Now this propensity in human nature to reject the truth, and to "account it foolishness," was intended to be marked by this significant action of the Jewish lawgiver. St. Paul explains it in this very way": "Their minds," says he, were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away: even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart."]

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3. The benefit to be expected from their promised Messiah

[The occasional removal of his veil when he went into the presence of his God, shewed, that it was not always to continue on the dispensation, but that at a future period it should be removed, and the dispensation itself" abolished." The Messiah, to whom they were constantly directed to look, as to that promised seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed, was to take away both the foregoing veils; the one, by fulfilling the law in all its parts; and the other, by communicating his Holy Spirit to all his followers. Then the true nature of that c 2 Cor. iii. 14, 15.

a 2 Cor. iii. 7.

b 2 Cor. iii. 13.