unfamiliar Bcenes through which it 1s passing. But these struggles count for litth•, they ar<' nat.nrnl enough, hut they do n"t hinder the eagle in its progress. Patiently calmly, strongly, it rises towards its secure destination. 'l'hese unfamiliar scenes are by-and-by ~o be the frequent pa.th of the now struggling, bewildered eaglet; in due time its own wmgs will appear in them- Sailing with eupreme dominion Through the azore deep of air Paul himself, dazed and she.ken to the very depths of his being on his first dealings with Jesus, had known what it was to be borne on eagle's wings, and he lived to render A. little of the same sort of ministry to the perplexed and desponding Timothy. 'l'he lsraelites had been struggling and unbelieving, as at the Red Sea, at Marah, at the time when the manna was given, and at Rephidim; but in spite of all these, the strong eagle wings of God had borne them onward. Our struggles a.re but e. trifle, if only God has un really in charge. Let us think ever of the eagle wings rather than the ignorant offspring carried thereon. 3. The destinatwn. "I brought you unto myself." Just as the eagle brings its young to a place where without distraction or fear of interruption it can attend to their nourishment e.nd growth. How beautifully God thus turns a.way the thoughts of his people from the desolation of the visible scene I 'l'rue it was a wilderness; emphasis is laid upon this in vers. 1, 2 ; but if we are brought to God, this is more than all that may be barren and cheerless in mere circumstances. The place which men do not care a.bout and where they would not come of their own accord, is the place where God reveals himself gloriously and graciously to his own. Israel will now do well to consider, not what carnal comforts they lack, but what dangers they have escaped, and what Divine possessions they a.re in the way to acquire. To be brought to God in the fullest sense of the word, and to lie comfortably under his protection and nurture, what e. great matter I (Rom. viii. 38, 39). III. So much, then, for what Jehovah has done in the past, and now he turns to the future, ma.king A LARGE PROMISE DEPENDENT ON THE FULFILLING OF BTBICT CONDI- TIONS. He had to bring the people to himself on eagle's wings, because they themselves were helpless to achieve the deliverance and security they needed. And now the time has come for response from them. He has brought them to himself, that being with him they may become his, fully and acceptably. They a.re put into external conditions such as make it possible for them to obey; therefore Jehovah has a right, and does right, to ask them for obedience. He who speaks a.bout Jacob and Israel, cannot but also speak of the ancient covenant, with respect to which the children of Israel must labour earnestly to fulfil their pa.rt. God has already made certain requirements from the people, such as the passover regulations and those concerning the manna. But now his requirements a.re to flow forth in a great continuing stream. He will go on asking, as if asking were never to be at an end; and therefore it is well to start with a i;olcmn preparatory word. As to the prumise itsdf, we notice that it is a promise to a nation-to a whole people. As we see in the next chapter, the conditions are to be aciueved by individue.l obedience : God comes to the individual with his comma.nd- 11,cnts, and says, "Thou." But the promise is for the nation. It is a promise, toe,, ,d1ich seems worded for appreciation in the future rather than in the present, or if in tl,e pres<'nt, only by a few who had been prepared to understand it. Perhaps it may l,e nwst fittingly described e.s a promise to he the stimulus and stay of truly patriotic l,earts. ·wherever there is a man who glories in the race from which he sprang and the laud where be was born, there is one who may be expected to understand the force of :u, appeal like this. No nation could really be more to God than another nation, unless it were a better one. Israel had been made free from Egypt that it might then rise iuto all the tuu•ess of what a nation ought to be; and therefore God sets these great )'<Jssil,ilities before the people. All the earth, he said, was his. He had prove,t his complete control over one much esteemed tract of territory by the confusions and cala1uities he Lad brought into Pharaoh's domains; and there was no nation among 1ucu that Le could not treat in the same fashion. But, if only men will submit, he can u,:i.ke w himself a peculiar people, testifying to his power, not from among humiliations WJJJ;equeut 011 despising Lim, but frc,m tLe heights of glory and blessedness to which en. ux. 1-16.) THF, BOOK OF. EXODUS. 1 l:i
lle lifts thosP who obey him. He mingles in one glorious exprosRion the tlHrnght nf all those blessings which come from the union of true religion and right government. A kingdom of priests is one where harmony and right dealing will be fonnd mnnin~ through all relations, because e.ach member is continually serving God with the grca1; loving, acceptable sacrifice of his own life. God is not really king in any Hociety uf mon, unless each member of that society is fully a priest towards bim.-Y. Vers. 1-6.-'.l'/!e Lord and his people. I. WHO THE PEOPLE 01• Goo ARE. 1. The children of the promise," the house of Jacob," etc., the householr\ of faith. 2. Tl,ey who have experienced deliverance and known God's love: "Ye have seen what I did," etc. 'fhe law the picture of the Gospel: those only can enter into tho covenant of obedience who have known that God has chosen and blessed them. "We love him because he first loved us." II. WHAT THE LORD ABKB OF THEM. 1. True obedience: not a profession, but a life. 2. To keep his covenant: to understand his will, and make that will their law. The whole end of both law and gospel is missed if the life is not laid hold of, if the man is not brought to wear again the image of him who created him. Ill. 'l'HE GLORY Goo WILL GIVE THEM IN THE EARTH. 1. They will be God's best beloved-a peculiar treasure unto him "above all people." Note the true position of God's people. It is not that God cares for them only. He cares for all: "all the ee.rth is mine." They are the choicest of his earthly treasures. 2. They are to be "a kingdom of priests." '!'hey will minister to the nations in the things of God-leading them into his presence, teaching them his will. 3. They will be "a holy nation," a consecrated people. The Spirit's anointing will rest upon them. 4. This threefokl glory the portion of God's people to-day: the knowledge that God has chosen us; our priestly service among our brethren; the unction from on high.-U.