Ver. 10.-Grieving tM Spirit. "But they rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spil'it." Dean Plumptre says, "Here we may note a foreshadowing of the truth of the trim\l personality of the unity of the Godhead, which was afterwards to be revealed. 'l'haL which "vexed" the Holy 8pirit was, in the nature of the case, the unholiness of the people, and this in,.olved a change in the manifestation of the Divine love, which was now compelled to show itself as wrath." I. 'l'HE SPIRIT IS HOLY j EVERYTHING IMPURE WILL GRIEVE HIM. The Bible refers to him as the Hol.y Ghost, the Holy Spirit, as though to sug<rcst to us that it is this attribute of bis character which bears special relation to us, ~nrl his work in us. His aim is our sanctification. All the overcomings of sin, all the removals of hindrances and evils, all the be~towments of peace, are intended to help us toward that great find. Vi1 hen we first go forth into life from a pure home, how grieved we feel at the llSsociation of the scoffer, the swearer, the vicious I To a chaste mind how grievous indelicacy is! So our impurities must grieve the pure Spirit. Our besetting sins must, be they pride, or selfishness, or conceit, or uncharitableness, or the cherishina- of foul thoughts, be a grief and a vexation to him. " II. THE SPIRIT URGES TO ACTIVE WORK FOR GoD j WHERE THERE IS APATHY, I:S-DOLENCE, OR REDELLIOUSKESS, HE IS GRIEVED. Among the Wt'apons of the spiritual warfare we read of the "sword of the Spirit," as though the activity of the Christian depended on the Spirit. The highest attainments of Christian life have been madl3, not by quiet folk, who set themselves only on personal culture, but by active folk, who have gone forth to witness for God, taking their lives in their hands. ·wherever there is shrinking back from active service-which is virtual rebellion-the Spirit is grieved. We are grieved when we see a man with great powers abusing or neglecting to use them. The Spirit would act through our energies, and is checked if we hold our powers bacl!; from him. And we suffer ourselves. The spiritual sluggard's garden will surely be like the natural slug~ard's. Thorns and thistles will spring up anrl riot there. If he would but toil, and sow, and weed, and train, the dews and rains and sunshine would help on his work:. This is the reason of our barrennesR, not that we have had no dews from h·eaven, no Spirit of God with us, but that we have neglected our part of the work, and, ll;thholding our loving obedience and active service, have grieved his Holy Spirit.-R. T.
Vers. 12-14.-The Spirit of God in Moses. "Where is he that put his Holy Spirit in the midst of them?" The shepherds of the flock are Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; bnt the chief reference must be to Moses. "God gave Moses his Holy Spirit, and with him the gift of performing miracles, and leading and teaching the people." The images of these verses may be thus explained. "One might suppose that Israel would have trodden with trembling, uncertain steps, the strange way over the bottom of the sea ou which human foot was never set. But it was not so. Rapidly and surely, as the desert horse goes over the flat smooth desert without tottering, so did they march over that strange, perilon.s road. The image of the cattle descending into the valley is rnry appropriate for marking the arrival of the Israelites in the promised land after journeying in the desert. The prophet thinks of the herds of nomads that must cross a mountain range or plateau in order to reach regions rich in pasture." The Toint to which attention may be profitably directed is, that we usually fix our thoughts on the outward revelations given to Moses, and the actual material things which he was required and stren!!thened to do. And yet there is a secret mystery in Moses which is full of suggesti;n for us, and makes him a model for us of the Divine dealings wiLh us also. God was in Moses, dwelling in him by his Spirit, the impulse and inspiration of all good, true, wise, and loving things. We may, therefore, illustrate from Moses- I. 'l'HE SPIRIT OF GOD FOB UB j 0UB GUARANTEE OF SAFETY. II. THE SPIRIT OF Goo WITH us; OUR CONFIDENCE OF BUFFICIENcY. III. THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN US; OUR INSPIBATION TO ALL GOODNESS. As materials of illustration the following emblems of the Spirit may be helpful. Water: cleansing, fertilizing, refreshing, abundant, freely given. F-ire: purifying, illuminating, searching. Wind: independent, powerful, sensible in its effects, reviving, Oil: healing, comforting, illuminating, consecrating. Bain and dew: fertilizing, ott. Lxtv. 1-12.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 459
refreshing, abundant, imperceptible, penetrating. .A dove: gentle, meek, innocent, forgiving. .A voice: speaking, guiding, warning, teaching. .A aeal: impressing, securing, authenticating.-R. T.