The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 107

true "heart" in th~!'l to do what God commanded _(De~1t. v. 29). Hence their speedy apostasy (eh. xxxu.) The test of true conversion is perseverance (Heb. iii. 11. I John ii. 19). Moses, having received the reply of the people, returned it to Gnd, who' on hearing it, declared his purpose of coming in a thick cloud, and of speakin"' with Moses in the audience of all the people (cf. verse 19). The design was" th~t the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever" (verse 9).-,J. O. Ver. 5.-"My covenant." It may be proper at this stage to indicate briefly the nature of the constituUon under which Israel was placed at Sinai, directing attention to some of the resemblance8 and contrasts between it and the new and better covenant which has since superseded it. The nature of the old covenant, though set in a very clear light in the writings of St. Paul, does not seem to be well understood. Sometimes it is too much assimilated to the New Testament covenant: sometimes it is viewed as totally diverse from it. The truth is, the covenant may be looked at from a number of very different points of view, and according as it is thus regarded, it will present itself under very different aspects. It was a covenant of law; yet under it Israel enjoyed many privi- leges which more properly belong to a state of grace. We should, e.g., greatly miscon- ceive its nature, if, looking only to the tender, almost caressing words of this text, we did not also take into account the manifestations of terror amidst which the law was given from Sinai (verses 16-20), with such other facts as the planting of the st<mes on Mount Ebal (Deut. xxvii. 1-9; Josh. viii. 30--35), and the recital of the blessin~s and curses (Deut. xxvii. 11-26). But we should do the covenant equal injustice if we looked only to the latter class of facts, and did not observe the form,,,r. That Israel's standing under the law was modified by grace is shown : 1. From the fact of grace pre- ceding law; 2. From the employment of a mediator; 3. From the "blood of sprink- ling" at the ratification of the covenant (eh. xxiv.); 4. From the propitiatory arrange- ments subsequently introduced; 5. From the revealed scope and design of the economy; 6. From the actual facts of Israel's history. Keeping in view this double aspect of the covenant of Sinai-that on its inner side it was one of grace, on its outer side one of law-we have to consider its relations to the covenant of the Gospel. I. THE COVENANTS ARE, IN OERTAIN OBVIOUS RESPECTS, STRIKINGLY CONTRASTED. The contrasts in question arise from the particularistic character, the defective spirituality, and the predagogic design, of the older covenant. That which has suc- ceeded it is more inward and spiritual in its nature ; is universal in its scope ; and is made primarily with individuals. Special contrasts are these : 1. The older covenant is more preceptive in its character than the later one. "Tutors and governors" (Gal. iv. 2). 2. It is more concerned with outward rites and ceremonies (Heh. ix. 10). 3. It relies more on penalty and reward as motives. 4. The blessings promised.;are largely temporal. In the new covenant, temporal promises hold a very subordinate place. They are overshadowed by spiritual ones. II. THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF CONTRAST EVEN IN THE BESEMIILA.."',CES BETWEEN THE TWO COVENANTS. Tbe covenants of the law and of the Gospel are alike-I. In requiring that the people of God shall be "an holy people." But the holiness of Israel was made to consist largely in the observance of outward distinctions. It was largely ceremonial. The holiness of the new covenant is purely spiritual. 2. In requiring obedience as the condition of fulfilment of promise. But (1) under the law, life and blessing were attached to obedience in the way of legal reward. The rubric was: "Do this, and thou shalt live" (Rom. x. 5). Under the Gospel, this element is wholly elimin.iteJ. The law having done its work in showing that. "by the deeds of the law there sha.11 no flesh be justified in (God's) sight" (Rom. iii. 20), the bestowal of reward is taken from this ground, and placed explicitly on that of grace. A.ll we receive is for the ~ake of Christ-a fruit of his righteousness. (2) The law, while requiring obedience, did not raise the point of man's ability to render that obedience. But power to render obedience is itself one of the blessings of the new covenant, which thus goes deeper, and includes vastly more than the older one. (3) In general, the Gospel, while ;igreeing with the law in aiming e.t forming a people unto righteousness, takes up the ir,dividual at a riper stage in his roligious development. It assumes that the law has done its work in him-has convinced him of sin, and of his inability to attain to life through legal efforts. It supposes him to be aware of his guilt and danger as a sinner. In this con- 112 TIIE DOOK OF EXODUS. [en. XIX. !i.