unknown, untrodden path, we are apt to fear lest we should sink in the deep waters, and never attain the wished-for end. But God has promised to be with us, to " make the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over1," and to bring us in safety to the land that floweth with milk and honey. " When therefore we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need to fear no evil :" yea rather we may rest assured that " God will perfect that winch concerneth us," and " preserve us safely unto his heavenly kingdom."]
Improvement —
1. Let us mark, and bear in remembrance, God's mercies towards us —
[There is not any one who, if he had marked the dispensa- tions of God towards himself, might not find many occasions for erecting monuments to his praise : nor is there any thing which will be more conducive to our comfort ; since every past mercy may be considered as a pledge of future blessings. The Psalmist's mode of arguing may safely be adopted by every child of God : " Thou hast delivered my soul from death : wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before the Lord in the light of the living™? " Set up then within your own bosoms an Eben-ezer, whenever God vouchsafes to favour you with any peculiar deliverances n : then will you have within yourselves a never-failing source of comfort, and an irresistible incentive to " fear the Lord."]
2. Let us endeavour to transmit the knowledge of his goodness to the latest generations —
[We should encourage young people to seek instruction, and should be glad of every thing that may afford us an occasion of making known to them the wonders of redeeming love. The whole scene of God's dispensations towards Israel, from their first deliverance out of Egypt to their final possession of the promised land, was figurative of our redemption by Christ Jesus : and it is worthy of observation, that this was strongly marked at the commencement and conclusion of their journey. The night before they set out from Egypt, they feasted on the paschal lamb : and they entered into Canaan, forty years after- wards, four days before the Passover, that is, precisely on the day when the law required them to set apart the paschal lamb for the approaching festival0. Thus was it intimated to them that our redemption from first to last is the fruit of Christ's sacrifice : on that must we feed in order to obtain deliverance ; and even in heaven itself must we ascribe the glory of our sal- vation " to Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in
1 Isai. li. 9 — 11. m Ps. lvi. 13. n 1 Sam. vii. 12.
0 Compare Exod. xii. 3, 6. with Josh. iv. 19. and v. 10.