mo.nno. might be collected before "the eun waxed hot" (~er. 21). If not collected then. the eubstance melted a.way, o.nd could not be had at all. A lesson, surely, in the first instance, of diligence in bueiness; and secondly, of the advantage of improving morn in~ hours. 'l'he most successful gatherer of manna, whether in the rnaterird, intellectual, o; Rpiritual fields, is he who is up and a.this work early. Albert Barne:; tells us that all his commentaries were due to this habit of rising early in the morning, the whole ,,f th(lm having been written before nine o'clock in the day, and ,vithout encroaching on his proper ministerial duties. 2. On six days of the we,ek only ( ver. 5). God teaches here the lesson of putti11gforward our work on week days, that we may be able to enjoy a Sabbath free from distraction. He puts honour on the ordinance of the Sabbath itself, by requiring that no work be done upon it. III. THE LAW AS TO USE (ver. 19). None of the manna was to be left till the morning. We have here again a double lesson. 1. A lesson against hoarding. God gave to ea.eh person his quantity of manna; and the individual had no right to more. "What excess he had in his gathering ought to have gone to supplement some other person's deficiency. But greed led some of the Israelites to disobey. It would save them trouble to lay by what they did not need, and use it again next day. They might make profit out of it by barter. All such attempts God defeated by ordaining that the manna thus hoarded should breed worms, and grow corrupt. A significant emhlern or the suicidal effects of hoarding generally. Hoarded treasure is never an ultimate benefit to its possessor. It corrupts a.like in his heart and his bands. It breeds worms of care to him, and speedily becomes a. nuisance (cf. Matt. vi. 19, 20). 2. A lesson against distrust. Another motive for laying up the manna would be to provide for the morrow in case of any failnre in the supply. But this was in direct contradiction to God's end in giving the people their manna. day by day, viz., to foster trust, and keep alive their sense of dependence on him. Christ warns us against the spirit of distrust, and of anxiety for the morrow, and teaches us to pray for "daily bread" (Matt. vi. 11, 31). We should not even desire to be independent of God. IV. THE FAILURE OF TIil!:° PEOPLE TO OBSERVE THESE LAWS. They failed at each point. They tried to hoard (ver. 20). They went out to gather on the Sabbath (ver. 27). This showed both disobedience and unbelief, for it.had been distinctly said of the seventh day," in it there shall be none" (ver. 26). What a lesson !-1. Of the sottish insensibility of human nature to God's great acts of goodness. God had miracu- lously supplied their wants, yet so little sensible were they of his goodness-so little did it influence them-that they dec·.ined to obey even the few simple rulL•s he had laid down for the reception and use of his benefits. 2. Of its ineradicable contumacy and self-will (cf. Deut. ix.; and Psalms lxxviii. and cvi.).-J. 0.
Vers. 13-31.-Divine provision for daily need. I. THE Loan's FAITHFULNESS. 1. 'l'heir varied need was met. Flesh as well as bread was gi,en. God gins us richly all things to enjoy. 2. They came in the order and at the time God said they would come. 'l'he evening brought the quails-the morning the mauna. Nothing failed of all that he had promised. 3. 'l'hey were given in abundance. The quails "covered the camp;" of the manna they "had no lack." There is princely bounty with God for all who trust in him. He gives richly, even where he has made no covenant: he fills "men's hearts with food and gladness." How much more then will he bless those whom he has pledged himself to sustain ! II. THE SPIRIT OF THOSE WHO ARE THUS FED FROM Goo's TABLE. 1. They wait on him. 'l'he supply he sends is only for the day, and he is trusted for the days that are to follow. They do not refuse to pass on further upon the wilderness path, becanse they do not see at the beginning all the neetled provision for the way. l. They obev- God's call to toil. (1) 'l'hey "gathered" of it every man according to his eating." (2) 'l'hey did not miss the opportunity God gave them. "When the sun waxed hot it melted;" and they therefore gathered it "in the morning." Be "not slothful in business." III. ISRAEL'S FAITHLESSNESS. 1. In attempting to save themselves from the toil which God commanded, they kept the manna for next day's use in defiance of the commanrl to preserve none of it till the morning (ver. 27). 2. In refusing to rest on the Habbat.Ji. 'I'he contradiction and wilfulness of unbelief: it hoards to be able to abst,tiu E :! 1i2 THE DOOK OF EXODUS. [ en. XVI. 22-30.
from toil, and refuses to obey God's command to rest. 3. Public indifference to the existence of sin. These things were done by a few only; but they called forth no public condemnation or holy fear of God's anger. The Christian community which does not mourn the sin abounding in its midst has itself no living trust in God.- U.