clcclille the offer, and will have an intermecli:uy. Moses, given the same invitatir,n, an,! a witness of the same sights and sounds, not only staiids his ground, but at the on,I dmwR more near. The reasons for the difference would see!::l to be the8e-- I. FEAil, WJIEilE IT IS EXOESSIVE, EXPELS LOT/E, The devils, who h:we no love "hclievo and tremble." Men, who have greatly sinned, and who therefore canrn,t h,,1 1; seeing in God mainly a "consuming fire," and "an avenger to execute wrath," Jose sight of all his gentler attributes, cease to feel that he is their Father, no longer look UjMt him as "merciful and gracious," and consequently no longer have any feeling of love towards him. We cannot love one from whom we expect nothing but punishment. 11. LoVE, WHERE IT IS STRONG, COUNTERACTS FEAR AND MASTERS IT. "The fear ,,f the Lord endureth for ever "-no love of which a creature is capable can altogether cast it out. 'rhe very angels veil their faces before the Lord of Hosts, and feel themselves unworthy to gaze upon the Divine perfections. But where love increases, fear diminishes. Let love grow, and become strong, and glow within the heart like a flame of fire-by degrees fear changes its character, ceases to be a timorous dread, and becomes awe. Awe and love can very well co-exist; and love draws us towards God more than awe keeps us back. Love is glad to have no intermediary-rejoices that it may "go boldly to the throne of grace "-seeks to draw as near as possible to the beloved one-so con- strains fear, that fear ceases to act any longer as a deterrent, is mastered, and held under restraint. "Moses drew near into the thick darkness where God was." The lovini!: soul presses towards God-would "see him face to face "-and "know even as it also is known." HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vets. 18-22.-The terrors of Sinai-their design and their effects. I. THEIi.i DESIGN. 1. Not to slay the people. The people dreaded that if God spoke to them again, they would die (ver. 19). But Moses said-No; this was not the design of the manifestation. "Fear not" (ver. 20). The voice of the law in Scripture, though it is felt in the conscience to be a. voice of death (Rom. vii. 9-11), is not intended to be really so. It is meant to lead to Christ. 2. To prove the people (ver. 20). God gave this awful manifestation, that his fear might ever after be before their faces. They had heard with their own ears the proclamation of the law, and they had seen these terrors. If anything could awaken fear in them-a salutary fear-and keep them from apostasy, these things should. But, alas I terror is a very ineffective instrument of conversion. These Id1aelites soon forgot their terrors, and within forty days were dancing in mad glee round their golden calf ( eh. xx.x.ii.). II. THEm EFFECTS, 1. They inspired the keenest alarm. This is the invariable result ill the sinful breast of any near approach of God. A fear akin to that of the Israelites has often been manifested-(!) In presence of unusual appearances of nature (comets, eclipses, etc.). (2) Under the powerful preaching of the realities of judgmeut. (3) In prospect of death. 2. They awakened the cry for a mediator (ver. 19). However much, under ordinary circumstances, the unbeliever may scout the idea of being indebted to a mediator, it will be strange if there do not come times in his life when he feels that he needs one. Three principles in our nature give birth to this feeling-(!) The sense of weakness and finitude. (2) The sense of sin. (3) The feeling of need. Tlie longing for fellowship with God gives rise to the desire for one to mediate that fellow- ship, to bring it about by making peace. 3. They impelled the self-convicted Israelites to flee from God's presence (vers. 18, 21). This is what will take place at the last judgment. How different with Moses, who had "boldness" to enter even into the thick darkness I The good man need not fear to be anywhere with God-J. 0.
EXPOSITION. Vera. 22-26.-THE Boo& OF THE COVE- three following chapters ( eh. :u.i., x..w and NANT, (chap. xx. ver. 22, to chap. xxii. ver. 23). xxiii.). It appears from eh. xxiv. that these The Decalogue is followed by a series of laws, laws, received by Moses on Sinai, im- civil, social, and religious, which occupy the mediately after the delivery of the ten com- remainder of eh. xx. and the whole of the mandments, were at once committed to :.I 3 THE BOOK OF EXODUS. [en. xx. 22-26.