god's goodness his glory.
Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee.
NO man can have ever contemplated the interces- sion of Abraham in behalf of Sodom and Gomorrha, without being astonished at the condescension of God, who would permit a worm of the earth so to encroach upon his goodness, and so to make every fresh con- cession a foundation for yet further petitions. Some- what of the same kind we behold in Moses when
528 EXODUS, XXXIII. 18, 19. [ill.
interceding for Israel, when God had threatened to destroy them for worshipping the golden calf. He had, by his importunity, prevailed on God to promise that he would suspend the execution of his judgments on them; and that, though he could no longer vouch- safe to conduct them himself, he would send an angel, who should lead them in safety to the promised land. Having succeeded so far, he prosecuted his work of intercession, till he had prevailed on God yet further to bear with them, and to continue to them his pre- sence and guidance as he had hitherto done. And now, having found Jehovah so infinitely condescend- ing to him when importuned for others, he determined to urge a petition for himself; a petition, which, under any other circumstances, he could never have dared to ask: and it was no less than this, "I be- seech thee, shew me thy glory."
His success in this petition will form the first part of our present subject: and some reflections arising out of that success will close it. Let us notice,
I. His success in this petition —
The petition itself must be first explained — Respecting its import, commentators have differed : some having imagined that it proceeded from weakness and infirmity, as if he had needed further evidence of God's presence and favour. But a due attention to God's reply will remove all doubt respecting the precise meaning of his servant's request. Moses had enjoyed many visible tokens of God's presence : in the burning bush ; in the bright cloud which conducted Israel out of Egypt ; on the burning mount, where he had been admitted into the immediate presence of the Deity; and at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, whither God had descended on purpose to honour him in the sight of all Israel, and " spoken with him face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend a;" Jehovah had appeared to him. How then, after so many manifestations of the divine presence, could he say, " Shew me thy glory ?" I answer, In all those manifestations he had seen only a symbol of the Deity : now therefore he desired a sight of the Deity himself. He knew that the Deity was visibly seen in heaven : and he did not know but that he might also be visibly seen on earth: and therefore he made this the subject of his request.
vcr. 9—11.
111.] god's goodness his glory. 529
God's gracious reply to him shews clearly that this was the thing desired : for he said to Moses, " Thou canst not see my face : for there shall no man see me, and live V Human nature, in its present shape, is incapable of sustaining so bright a vision; as the unprotected eye is of gazing upon the meridian sun. And therefore, whilst God approved of the petition as proceeding from an ardent desire after a more perfect know- ledge of him, he told him that in its full extent it could not be granted ; not because of any want of condescension in the Deity to grant it, but for want of a capacity in Moses himself to sustain it.]
The answer of God to it will be now clear — [" I will make all my goodness pass before thee ; " so that, though the full effulgence of my glory will be veiled, all that can be endured by thee, and that will profitably correspond with thy petition, shall be granted. In respect of the efful- gence of my glory, I will favour thee with such a view of my back parts (for my face thou canst not see) as shall give thee as full a conception of my glory as thou art capable of in thy present state ; and, by an audible voice, will make known to thee my perfections, which thou art more concerned to know, and by an acquaintance with which thy soul will be far more enriched, than it could be by any manifestation of my God- head, however clear or bright ! Accordingly, God put him into a clift of a rock, and covered him there with his hand whilst he was passing by; and then withdrew his hand, that he might have such a distant and mitigated view of his back parts, as might be seen without the utter destruction of the beholder0.