2. All-sufficient —
[" The water gushed out of the stricken rock, and flowed like a river ; so that it abundantly supplied the whole camp of Israel, (both men and beasts,) following them in all their jour- neyings for the space of eight and thirty years. And who ever lacked, that has once drunk of the water that Christ gives to his Church and people ? Never did any of them, never shall any, thirst again : for "the water that Christ gives them shall be in them a well of water springing up unto everlasting life b " ]
3. Universallv accessible —
a 1 Cor. x. 4. h John iv. 13, 14.
[The water from the rock flowed to every quarter of the camp ; and the people instantly dug pools for its reception, so that men and cattle were supplied without the least difficulty0. And how free is our access to Christ ; free to all persons, and at all times ! Hear his own invitation, and the invitation of Ins Spirit, of his Church, and of all that know the value of those
living waters d As the vilest murmurers in the camp drank
of that stream, so may even the most flagrant rebels in the
universe drink of thise " Christ has within him the
residue of the Spirit*;" and "pours out that Spirit abundantly g" upon all who call upon him ; upon all, without price h, without parsimony1, and without upbraiding k ]
We may learn from hence —
1. The experience of real penitents —
[Their thirst after the Saviour is urgent and insatiable '
What a blessed sight would it be to behold a whole
congregation as eager in their desires after Christ as the Israelites were after a supply of water for their bodies ! — — — The Lord hasten the season when this thirst shall prevail throughout all the world !]
2. The mercy reserved for them —
[They may feel many painful sensations, and be greatly disquieted for a season : but the promise which God has given them shall surely be realized by all™. ]
c Numb. xxi. 16 — 18. d Rev. xxi. 6, 7. e Ps. lxviii. 18.
f Mai. ii. 15. s Tit. hi. 6. h Isai. lv. 1.
* John vii. 37 — 39. k Jam. i. 5. l Matt. v. 6.
m Isai. xli. 17, 18. and xliii. 20.
xc.
THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS TYPICAL OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.
Exod. xvii. 1 1 . And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel 'prevailed : and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
IT pleases God, in general, to effect his purposes by certain means; yet the very means he uses are, for the most part, such as tend only to illustrate his power, and to lead our minds up to him as the first great Cause of all. But on no occasion has the truth of this observation more manifestly appeared, than in the history now before us, wherein we are informed, that the success of the Israelites in an engagement
90.^ CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE TYPIFIED. \.\.l
with Amalek was made to depend, not on the bravery of the soldiers, or the skill of their commander, but on the holding up of the hands of Moses at a distance from the field of battle.
In discoursing on this remarkable event, we shall consider it as,
I. A typical history —
The whole history of the Israelites, from their de- liverance out of Egypt to their establishment in the land of Canaan, was altogether of a typical nature : but we shall limit our observations to the circum- stances now under our consideration.
We may notice then a typical reference,
1. In the conflicts which the Israelites maintained —
[The Israelites were scarcely come out of Egypt, before they were attacked by the Amalekites, though no provocation had been given on their part. This represented the opposition which the world and Satan make to the true Israelites, as soon as ever they separate themselves from the ungodly, and set their faces towards the promised land. Though they do no- thing to merit persecution, yea, though, in every point of view, they are become more excellent and praiseworthy, and desire nothing but to prosecute their journey peaceably through this dreary wilderness, yet are they hated, reviled, persecuted ; nor can they obtain the inheritance prepared for them, without arming themselves for the combat, and " warring a good warfare."]