antagonism. It pleased God that his anger against ein and rebellion should be visibly kindled by the complaints of the people ; that his mercy ebould be moved by the prayer of Moses. Thus was signified the eternal purpose of God to show mercy and forgiveness to nll men through the e.tonement of Christ (Rom. viii. 34 ; Heb. vii. 25 ; ix. 24 ; 1 John ii. 1 ; cf. Luke xxiii. 34). And consider again-1. That the very; next plau after Sinai WaJJ Taberalv-a burning. Even so it is but one short journey without a break for sinful roan from tho revelation of the moral l~w to the fires of hell. The law is holy and good ; but sinful man cannot keep it, nor can God suffer it to be broken. Wherefore by the Jaw came death; after the law, condemnation; behind the commandm~nt, fi_ery wrat_h against the transgressors thereof. Thus also the moral law of Chnst without h1a atonement (as some would have it) would only be worse condemnation-a Taberah without o. Moses (Rom. iii. 20; v. 20 a.; vii. 7-13; viii. 1--4). 2. That lua,el would have got no further tkf!,n Tab~rah had they ?Wt had ~ mediator. Even .~? burnings had been our evP..rlastmg portion, except ChrlBt had delivored us (Isa, xxxm. lJ; Mark ix. 44, &c. ; 1 Thess. i. 10).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera. 1, 2.-.A. 811,mmary view of sin and its remedy. I. A CHA.IN OF MOR.Ar. SEQUENCES, containing the following links :-1. The people's sin. The complaints probably various, as may be illustrated from other narratives. 2. Their sin noticed. "The Lord heard it," as he hears every idle word, and reads every sinful thought (see outline on eh. xii. 2). 3. This notice awakens God's anger. By the necessity of his nature, "God is angry with the wicked every day." 4. His anger flamed forth in visible judg1nents. "The fire of the Lord burned among them," for "our God is a consuming fire," either to purge us from our sins, or to destroy us in our sins. 5. These judgments are fatal, "and consumed them" (Pa. lxxvi. 7). For another chain of sequences cf. James i. 14, 15. II. A CHAIN OF REMEDIAL BLESSINGS. 1. God's mercy tempers judgrnent. The fire only destroys "those in the utmost part of the camp" (Ps. ciii. 8-10). 2. The judgments inflicted humble the people, and leo.d them to appeal to Moses. Such judgments are blessings. Servants of God sought for by sinners, or even despisers, in the do.y of trouble (cf. l_se.. lx . 14). 3. Moses, when appealed to, himself appeals to God. We disclaim all power as saviours, but look o.nd point to the one Saviour (Ps. Ix. 11; Acts iii.12). 4. God appealed to in acceptable intercession, turns from the fierceness of bis wrath (Pa. xcix. 6). And the High Priest of sinners, by a mure costly mediation and a prevailing intercession, still interposes for sinners who " come unto God by him" (Rom. viii. 34 ; Heh. Tii. 25).-P. Vera. 1-9.-Murmuring, lusting, and loathing. We have here o. very painful self-revelation. Through prophets and apostles, nnd especially through his Sun, God has said mnny humiliating things of the children of men, but nothing more huruilinting than by their own actions they have written down against themselves. Note- I. A SPIRIT UNAl!P'ECTED DY CHASTISEMENT. The people rnn away from pain, but ~o not cease from lust. They forget the blow of Jehovah almost before the wound 1s h_enled. Nor let us wonder at their stupidity, for this fire of God was only II more rapid and more manifest form of that fire of Divine chastisement which comes in some form to us nil. We treat all po.in ns the Israelites did. As they cried to Moses sowe cry Jo our fellow-men, and make no mention of our sin ngninst God. We neve; stop to thmk of the fire of God as having his anger in it, or a check upon us in our selfish career (Ps. lxxviii.; Tua. i. 2-6; ix.13; Jer. vii. 23-28). II. A SPIRIT UNCHA:<GED DY DENEFITs. So far nA any word or action here shows they might have utterly forgotten everything God had done for them. They d~ recollect the manna, but only to grumble at it and despise it. God had indJed abounded toward them in grace and power, wisdom o.nd prudence, yet not one of all hie doings is remembered to his glory. What then of our state of mind in regard oi 108 THR BOOK OF NUMBERS. [CH. XT. 1--8.