Vers. 24, 25.-Moses relinquishing eartltly advantages. I. THE CRITICAL MOME:!',"T rn EVERY BUMAN LIFE. Moses bas come to manhood, has passed through all the perils of infancy and childhood, perils in which the prudence and courage of others count for the effective safeguards, to find himself at last face to face with the worst perils that can beset a human life. The edict of a tyrant is not so dreadful an evil as the tempta- tions to self-advancement. The h.our of temptation is the hour when all available considerations of duty and interest should be gathered together to fortify the heart. The peril to Moses as an infant was practically nothing; J ehovah's miraculous intervention could come in any moment to shield him. But the peril to Moses as a man was very grnat when the prospect of high rank in the Egyptian court stood right before his eyes. Nay, more; from Moses we may pass to Jesus. Jesus was in no real peril when Herod sent out his band of destroyers to Bethlehem; but in those after years, when he bad to face the prospect of toil and suffering, there was a real peril to his inner man-the prPs- sure of considerations which only the peculiar strength of his nature enabled him to resi,t. II. THE SERVICE OF FAITH IN SUCH A CRITICAL MOMENT. The spirit of the world says, " Look at the position which you at present occupy-a position thousands would give anything to attain." Moses is the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and what more can he have but the kingdom? If he gives up his position, what has he left? Nothing, truly, unless be has had the revelations given to faith. And these revelations we are sure Moses must have had in abundance. If Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, bad revelations of the coming inheritance and glory of their people, is it credible Moses would not also have revelations such as would effectually strip the aspect of the court wherein he lived of all its glitter? When we have the spirit of faith in u.q, the discouragements of the present are dwarfed before the attractions of the future. It is seen that the life of faith has joys beside which the joys of the life of sight are poor indeed. What are the Phare.ohs of Egypt compared with Moses? Mere names. Whereas Moses has contributed to the coming of Christ, that is, to the uplifting and puril'ying of the whole world. When the critical moment camo, the eye of Moses was so purged that he saw where. his·own real interest lay.. He saw.which _w~s the_ better thing for him to choose for his own sake. He saw that, 10 cboosmg affi1ct100 with the people of Gotl, he wRs choo~i11g an exceeding great reward, which would more and more w~nifcst itself as such, 352 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [OH. XI, 1-40.
III. Tm: CO1'~EQDE1''T NEED FOR A OONBTANT CULTIVATION OF FArrH. We know not whPn the critical moment me.y come, therefore we must be ever ready for it. Men must not lea1•e the me.king of weapons for the <le.y of be.Ule. The experience of " lifetime nrnkPs the physician wise and successful in the hour of disease. We must be assirluom in laying up treasures of faith age.inst the day when the persuasions of this world will try us.-Y.