the grievous sin into which ho h,u\ fallen. This, ngain, was a jur\gment. Of a si111iln.r cha.meter was his " removal of Isrncl out of his sight" (2 Kings xvi i. 23) in thP, reigu of Hoshea, and hie "casting of Jerusalem anrl Judah out of his sight" (2 Kiog 8 xxiv. 20), in the roign of Zedekiah. And so, when, at the present day, he ceases i,, make his light shine upon us, withdrawing, as it were, behind a cloud, and no lon2:er shedding the brightness of his radiance upon our souls--it may be, it sometimes is, in judgment. Our sine separate between us and him. They raise the barrier which con- conls him from us. They constitute the cloud which shuts him out from our sight. Ami he judges us for them. Or, the withdrawal ma.y be mo.de- 11. As AN ACT OF MF.RCY. When Jesus "did not many miracles" at Capemaum " because of their unbelief," it was in mercy. When he retired to Galilee, and " walked i:o more in Jewry," it was in mercy. When he spake in parables, "that hearing they might not underst11nd," it w11s in mercy, Our responsibilities are co-ordinate with the light vouchs11fed us; and the more God reveals himself to us, the more he makes his presence manifest, the greater the peril which we incur. Unless his near presence purifies us 11nd spiritu111ises us, it deadens us. Two disciples were the nearest to ,Jesus -one "l11y upon his breast," the other habitually" dipped with him in the dish"- one was "the beloved disciple," the other was "the traitor." In eitner case, the with- drawal is properly regarded- III. As A GROUND FOR SADNESS. "The people mourned when they heard the evil tidings." Justly, for, if it was in mercy, how sad that they should need such a mercy! How sad that to be removed further from God should be a mercy to them ! And, if it was in judgment, how much more sad that their conduct should have brought upon them such a judgment-have caused God to withdraw himself-have led him to punish them by banishment from his near presence! What real satisfaction is there in exist- ence except his presence? Whom have we in heaven but him, or who is there upon earth that we can desire in comparison with him? In him is life ; " in his presence is fulness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore." If we lose him, we lose all; if we are shut out, even for a time, from him, we lose more than we can express. He is to our spirits more than the sun to all material things. "In him we live, and move, and have our being." Happily for us, while we live, we may recover his favour; we may prevail on him once more to " lift up the light of his countenance upon us." Mourning, self-abasement, real heart-felt sorrow for sin will in every case find acceptance with him for his Son's sake, and obtain for us a restoration of the light of his presence.
EXPOSITION. Vers. 7-11.-Tm: FIRST ERECTION OF A camp, erecting it there, a.nd a.t the same time TABERNACLE, The decision of the m11tter still giving it the name of "the tent of meeting " hung in suspense. God had not revoked his (ver. 7). Hither he decreed tha.t a.ll persons threat to withdraw himself a.nd leave the host should come who desired communion with to the conduct of a.n angel. He had merely God (ver. 7), a.nd hither he resorted himself reserved his final decision (ver. 5). Moses was for the same pnrpose (ver. 8). It pleased God anxious. to wrestle with him in prayer until to 11pprove these arrangements ; and to show he obta.ined the reverse.I of this sentence ; but his approve.I by a. visible token. Whenever he could not be always ascending Sinai, when Moses entered the "tent of meeting," the the ca.mp needed his superintending ea.re, pillar of the cloud d=ended from the top of 11nd the ca.mp as yet contained no place of Sinai, a.nd took up its station a.t the door of worship, where II ma.n could pra.y a.nd be the tent (ver. 9), thus securing Moses from secure age.inst disturbs.nee. Moses, under interruption. At the sight the people " wor- these circumstances, with the ta.bemacle in shipped," each at his tent's door, while Moses his mind, bot without leisure to construct it, was privileged to speak with God " face to contrived " for the present distress" a. tem- fa.ce, as II ma.n spee.keth unto his friend " (ver porary ta.berna.cle or tent. He took, e.p- 11 ), Joshua a.ccompa.nied him on the fin1t \la.rently, the tent tha.t ha.d hitherto been his occasion, a.nd remained behind, to guard the DWll, 11nd removed it to a. position notside the teat, when Moses left it (ibid.) 'l'HE DOOK OF EXODUS. [oH. x.xxm. 9-11.