tho true guide, of courRo, mertns all the loss, prtin and destrnction that come fr, ,rn getting into false ways. But such consequences are not dwelt upon here. 'l'I"' thoughts of the people are mther directed to the sin they would commit by nP~lectin!.( tho intimations or the angel. "My nrtrne is in him." It waH not a mere creature ol Jehovah, which he used for an index. 'fhere was in the guiding-cloud a peculiar manifestation of Jehovah himself, whom the people would neglect if in a fit of self-will they were to turn o.way and follow the superficial intimations of their earthly surrounrl- ings. 'l'he great peril was that of coming under the wrath of God because of dis- obedience. It was only too easy to become used even to the presence of a miraculous cloud. The after conduct of the people shows that the tone of warning here adopted was a wise tone. They were likely to forget how much the presence of the angel domo.nded from them. That angel was there not only in mercy but in authority. To neglect him was to offend him. And because the cloud, in the ordinary circumstances of it, had nothing to terrify, because the penal consequences of neglecting it did not lie on the surface, it was needful to remind the people how much of holy wrath with un- belief and self-reliance lay within this messenger from God. The negligent Israelite needed to be solemnly assured that there was something even worse than mere failure to attain the earthly Canaan. The foreshadowing is here given of that dreadful doom which fell upon brae! shortly after and kept them in the wilderness for forty years. God can turn all the wanderings of the disobedient into a species of imprisonment and punishment from himself. III. THERE IS A MOST INSTRUCTIVE INTIMATION AS TO THE RESULTS OF ACCEPTING THAT GUIDANCE. The very results show how indispensable the guidance is. Enemies and adversaries are in front, and God makes no concealment of the fact. If Israel has had already to deal with Amalekites in the comparative barrenness of the Sinaitic peninsula, what may not be expected when the con.fines of the fertile promised land are reached? That which is to be a good land to Israel, has long been a good land to the nations at present dwelling in it. But though these enemies lie in front,-enemies fighting with all the valour of desperation for their homes and their property,-yet all will prove victorious for Israel, if only Israel acts obediently towards God's angel The enemies of God's people are not great or little in themselves. That which is great at one time may become little at another, a.nd that which is little, great; and all because or the fluctuations in the spirit of faith. In Ex. xvii. we read of Amalekites discom- fited and Jehovah threatening utterly to put out the remeI!lbra.nce of Amalek from under heaven. But turn to Num. xiv. and a very different story has to be told of how the Amalekites smote and discomfited the children of Israel If we would be strong for every conflict and assured of every victory, it must be by a calm looking towards the will of God. The will of God tells the way of God ; and when we meet our enemies in that way all their preparations avail them nothing.-Y.
V ers. 24-33.-The prospect in the promised land. I. Tm: TREATMENT OF ITS FORMEr. occUPANTS. 1. The avoidance of their idolatries. God cautions us against those dangers which we are most likely to overlook. When once the Israelites entered the promise,l land and were fairly settled there, they would show no lack of energy and discrimina- tion in doing their best to guard their temporal possessions. But the most serious dangers are those against which walled cities and great armies are no defence. God coultl easily cut off the idolaters and put Israel in their place; but what about the idolatries? Whether these should also be expelled would depend upon the guard which God's people kept over their own hearts. It is very noticeable that as God takes the thoughts of his people forward to their future habitation, he begins with a solemn caution against idolatry and closes with the same. There is thus a kind of correspondence with the vrder occupied in the Ten Commandments by those against polytheism and image- worship. It was not possible to make mention too often of the subtle perils which lay in the Canaanitish gods. 2. Jehovah's complete defeat and erpulsion of the /01-mer inhabitants. This is indicated in a variety of impressive ways. Only let his people be faithful to him, and Jehovah will go before them as a dread to all who come in contact with them Evidently God would have his people understand that nothing was to be feared from the very (Troatest external resomces available against them. Let enemie:1 threaten and unite a;tl seek allios for and wide. The greater their efforts, the mere TUE nnoK OF EXODUS. (en. xxm. 24-33.