EXPOSITION. Vers. 12-17.-TuE REVOCATION OP TIIE Ver. 14.-Ky praenoe llhaU ro with thee. THREAT OF WTTHDllAWAL. After some days' Literally," My presence shall go uf. "-my own •· \\-rest ling with Ood •· in the" tent of meet- presence, not that of au auge . That for ing:· Moses prayed to know definitely what which Moses had been so earnestly pleading is, seemingly, granted. Ood will go up. I C'.-od had determined on. "Show me thy way," will give thee reet.-i.e. " bring thee to he said (ver. 18)-" Whom wilt thou send with Canaan." (Compare Deut. iii. 20; Heh. iv. 8.) me?·· To this demand, God made the gracious Vers. 15, 16.-And he aaid. Still Moses is reply-'· My presence shall go with thee, and not quite satisfied. God had said-" I will I will give thee rest" (ver. 14). This was give tJuJe rest "-not "I will give you rest." Moses must see distinctly that the people are Slltisfactory, except that it did not distinctly associa.ted with him before he desists. So he include the conduct of the peopl&-it might replies-" If thy presence go not up, carry w be merely a promise to himself. So Moses not ui hence. For wherein shall it be known (vers. 15, 16) requires a more explicit 1111Sur- that and thy peop~ have found grace in thy ance, and, closely a.ssoci&ting the people with sight? Is it not in that thou goest with w ?" The reply in ver. 17 sets his doubt finally at himself, declares that be will not move a step rest. farther, unless God allows the people to find Ver. 16.--So llhall we be aeparated. Bather, grace in his sight, and consenu to "distinguish" "So shall we be dutinguisll6d." God's pre- them by " going up" with them. Then at sence with them would distinguish them from length God yields and gives the assurance- all the other nations of the ea.rth-pla.ce them in a category alone and apart from all others. " I will do this thing also that thou bast Angelic guidance would not have done this ; spoken" (ver. 17)-i.e. "I will go up visibly for even heathen nations bad their protecting with the people and dutingu,uh them." (See angels (Dau. L 18, 20 ; :ri. I). the comment on ver. 16.) Ver. 17.-I will do thia thing also. "I will extend my favour to thy people e.Iso, and V em. 12, IS.--8ee, thou a:,art. M08811 distinguish them, as well as thee, by going up takes advantage of his privilege of speaking with them. I will do this for thy sake, be- as friend with friend. and uses familia.r t.arms cause thou hut found graoe in my Bight." ----" See," he says, "thou hast told me to con- Moses' petition is at last fully granted-the duct the people to Canaan, yet thou hast not threat of withdrawal cancelled-the promise made it clear whom thou wilt send with me. of Dioi-ne guidance and protection renewed If it is to be an angel, lllhat angel? Why not I bow thee by name. It is a supreme favour tbe angel of the original promise ( eh. xxiii. 20 for God to know us by name. It marks " a -28)? Thon hast distinguished me with thy epecmcally penonal relation to God" (Keil) f&vour - Con.aider that thil 1111.tian ii thy The expression is perhaps ta.ken from the people, and extend thy favour to them. At any phrueology of Oriental Courts, where not one rate ah8W me thy way-tell me plainly what in a hundred of the courtiers is known to the thou wilt do." IIUlll8leh b7 ll&IIl.e en. XXXIII. 12-18.) TUE BOOK OF F,XODUS.
HOMILETICS. Vere. 12-11.-Effectual importunity. Our Lord Jesus Christ spake a pamble to sh()w "that men ought always to pra.y and not to faint" (Luke xviii. 1). The present recQr•l ,1, we may be sure, inserted in the Old Testament for the ea.me purpose. God wills t,, be importuned. Not, however, for his own sake, but for ours. He would have tu fervent and persistent in prayer, for the improvement of our characters, the increase ,,f our faith by exercise, the intensifying of our sense of dependence upon him. Especial!, he would have us persistent in intercessory prayer, because we are then exercisin", n,,t only foith, but love; and by incree.sing in love, we advance in resemblance to hi":nsetr. For "God is Lovo." Note, that, to be importuned effectively, God must be im- portuned- 1. WITH FERVOUR. Mere repetition will not do. Cold prayers, repeated day after clay for blessings on ourselves or others, a.re a. mere baUologia,, no more effectual than the involuntary repetitions of a. sta.=ering tongue. God grants nothing to coldness, nothing to mere words, nothing unless it be earnestly desired by a fervid heart. 'l'he Buddhists, in many parts of Asia, erect praying-machines, which are turned by a small windmill, believing that in every revolution of the machine a prayer is offered, and that, after so many turns, Buddha is bound to grant it. As well expect God to respect the requests of a praying-machine, as the utterances of many who languidly repeat the prayers of the Church after the clergyman, or say a set form, with small thought and no heart, morn- ing and evening. It is "the fervent prayer of a righteous man "-nay, even of a sinner -that is " effectual." 11. UNSELFISHLY. Moses postponed his now earnest desire to behold for his own satisfaction God's glory, until he had obtained the restitution of the people to favour. His importunity was for them. Let us importune God for the conversion of our relatives and friends, the forgiveness of their sins, the awakening of their consciences, their per- severance in well-doing, and their final entrance into his glory, and we may feel confident of prevailing with him. But, if we importune him for our own worldly advancement, or even if we ask increase of grace for our own sakes solely or mainly, we must not be surprised if our prayers remain unanswered. "Ye ask and obtain nut, because ye ask amiss." The spirit of sacrifice is reqwred to sanctify prayer. Those who in a. spirit of self-seeking asked to sit on the right hand and left hand of Christ in his kingdom obtained no promise. Our prayers even for our spiritual advancement will scarcely be answered, unless we desire it to promote God's glory, or to help forward the salvation of our fellow-men.