intimated the irresistible efficacy of prayer. But on this occa- sion he forbade him to " speak to him any more of that matter: " yea, he " sicare to Moses, that he should not go over Jordan3." In tliis refusal there was an awful manifestation of the divine displeasure. It was intended as a punishment both for his sin, and for the people's sin ; for God was " wroth with him for their sakes," as well as for his own. To him the punishment was great, as being a painful privation, a heavy disappoint- ment: to them also it was a severe rebuke, inasmuch as they were deprived of a loving father, a powerful intercessor, an ex- perienced governor, and under whom they had succeeded hitherto beyond their most sanguine expectations.
We forbear to notice the typical intent of this dispensation, because we have mentioned it in a former part of this history b: it is in a 'practical aspect only that we now consider it ; and therefore we confine ourselves to such observations as arise from it in that view.]
This refusal however, though absolute, was not unmixed with kindness : as will appear from con- sidering,
II. The mercy with which this judgment was tem- pered—
As God in later ages withheld from Paul, and even from his only dear Son, the blessings which they asked, but gave them what was more expedient under their circumstances0, so now, whilst he denied to Moses an entrance into Canaan, he granted to him,
1 . A sight of the whole land —
[He commanded Moses to go up on Mount Pisgah to view the land ; and from that eminence he shewed him the whole extent of the country from east to west, and from north to south. The sight, we apprehend, was miraculous: because, however great the elevation of the mountain might be, we do not conceive that the places which he saw could be within the visible horizon d. However this might be, we have no doubt but that the sight must have been most gratifying to his mind, because it would be regarded as a pledge of God's fidelity, and a taste at least of those blessings, which Israel was about to enjoy in all their fulness.
But we are persuaded that Moses, notwithstanding he spoke so little about the heavenly world, knew the typical nature of
a Deut. iv. 21. b See Discourse on Numb. xx. 12.
c 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. Luke xxii. 42, 43. with Heb. v. 7. d Deut. xxxiv. 1 — 4.