will make MYSELF known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all Mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches, and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold":" and on his death we are told, "there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face 3." When he was in the Mount Sinai it is said of him still more expressly, "The LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend'." In the Mount he received from GOD the revelation of the law, and the patterns of the holy services which the Jews were to offer to God; and so, being favoured with the intimate knowledge of God's counsels, when he came down, his face shone with glory. The Divine majesty was reflected from it, and the people dared not look upon him. "The skin of his face shone while he talked with HIM. And when Aaron and the children of Israel saw Moses, they were afraid to come nigh him." And till he had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face "."

Yet, after all, favoured as he was, Moses saw not the true presence of GOD. Flesh and blood cannot see it. Even when Moses was in the Mount, he was aware that the very fulness of God's glory then revealed to him, was after all but the surface of His infinitude. The more he saw, the deeper and wider did he know that to be which he saw not. He prayed, “If I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that I may know THEE, that I may find grace in Thy sight; and God said, My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest"." Moses was encouraged to ask for further blessings; he said, "I beseech THEE, show me Thy glory." This could not be granted; "Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no man see ME, and live." So, as the greatest privilege which he might attain, Moses was permitted to see the skirts of God's greatness" The LORD passed by in a cloud, and proclaimed the name of the LORD; and Moses made haste, and bowed his head towards the earth, and worshipped"." And it was this sight of the mere apparel in which GOD ALMIGHTY was arrayed, which made his face to shine.

But CHRIST really saw, and ever saw, the face of God, for HE

2 Numb. xii. 6-8.

3 Deut. xxxiv. 10.

Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30. 33. Exod. xxxiii. 13, 14.

4 Exod. xxxiii. 11.

7 Exod. xxxiv. 6. 8.

was no creature of God, but the Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the FATHER. From eternity He was with HIM in glory, as He says HIMSELF, dwelling in the abyss of the infinite greatness of the MOST HIGH. Not for forty days, as Moses on the mount in figure, but for ever and ever was He present as the Counsellor of GOD, as His WORD, in whom He delighted. Such was HE of old; but at the time appointed He came forth from the FATHER, and showed HIMSELF in this external world, first as its Creator, then as its Teacher, the Revealer of secrets, the Mediator, the Off-streaming of God's glory, and the Express Image of His Person. Cloud nor image, emblem nor words, are interposed between the Son and His Eternal FATHER. No language is needed between the FATHER and HIM, who is the very WORD of the FATHER; no knowledge is imparted to HIM, who by His very Nature, and from eternity knows the FATHER, and all that the FATHER knows. Such are His own words, "No man knoweth the SoN but the FATHER, neither knoweth any man the FATHER, save the SON, and he to whomsoever the SON will reveal HIM "." Again HE says, "He that hath seen ME, hath seen the FATHER';" and HE accounts for this when He tells us, that HE and the FATHER are one'; and that He is in the bosom of the FATHER, and so can disclose HIM to mankind, being still in heaven, even while HE was on earth.

8 9

66

was

2

Those who look towards HIM

Accordingly, the Blessed Apostle draws a contrast between Moses and CHRIST to our comfort; "the Law," he says, given by Moses, but grace and truth came by JESUS CHRIST'." In HIM GOD is fully and truly seen, so that He is absolutely the way, and the truth, and the life. All our duties are summed up for us in the message He brings us. for teaching, who worship and obey Hiм, will by degrees see "the light of the knowledge of the glory of GOD in His face," and will be "changed into the same image from glory to glory." And thus it happens that men of the lowest rank and the humblest education may know fully the ways and works of GOD; fully, that is, as man can know them; far better and more truly than the most sagacious man of this world, to whom the Gospel is hid. Religion has a store of wonderful secrets which no one 8 Matt. xi. 27. 1 John x. 30.

9 John xiv. 9.

2 John i. 17.

can communicate to another, and which are most pleasant and delightful to know. "Call on ME," says GOD by the prophet, " and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not of." This is no mere idle boast, but a fact which all who seek GoD will find to be true, though they cannot perhaps clearly express their meaning. Strange truths about ourselves, about GOD, about our duty, about the world, about heaven and hell, new modes of viewing things, discoveries which cannot be put into words, marvellous prospects and thoughts half understood, deep convictions inspiring joy and peace, these are a part of the revelation which CHRIST, the SON of God, brings to those who obey HIM. Moses had much toil to gain from the great GoD some scattered rays of the truth, and that for his personal comfort, not for all Israel; but CHRIST has brought from His FATHER for all of us the full and perfect way of life. Thus He brings grace as well as truth, a most surprising miracle of mercy from the freeness of the gift, as well as a true wisdom from its fulness.

And yet, alas! in spite of all this bounty, men called Christians, and how many! live heartlessly, not caring for the gracious benefit. Look at the world. Men begin life with sinning; they quench the early promise of grace, and defile their souls; they block up the entrances of the spiritual senses by acts of sin, lying and deceit, intemperance, profaneness, or uncleanness,by a foolish and trifling turn of mind,-by neglect of prayer when there is no actual vice, or by an obstinate selfishness. How many are the ways in which men begin to lose sight of GOD!— how many are the fallings away of those who once began well! And then they soon forget that they have really left God; they still think they see His face, though their sins have begun to blind them. Like men who fall asleep, the real prospect still flits before them in their dreams, but out of shape and proportion, discoloured, crowded with all manner of fancies and untruths; and so they proceed in that dream of sin, more or less profound,sometimes rousing, then turning back again for a little more slumber, till death awakens them. Death alone gives lively perceptions to the generality of men, such as they saw it before they began to sin, but more clear and more fearful: but they who are the pure in heart, like Joseph;

who then see the very truth,

or the meek among men, like Moses; or faithful found among the faithless, as Daniel; these men see God all through life in the face of His Eternal SON; and, while the world mocks them, or tries to reason them out of their own real knowledge, they are like Moses on the mount, blessed and hidden,-" hid with CHRIST in GOD," beyond the tumult and idols of the world, and interceding for it.

3. This leads me to mention a third point of resemblance between Moses and CHRIST. Moses was the great intercessor when the Israelites sinned: while he was in the mount, his people corrupted themselves; they set up an idol, and honoured it with feasting and dancing. Then GOD would have cut them off from the land of promise, had not Moses interposed. He said, "LORD, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people? Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people." In this way he gained a respite, and then he renewed his supplications. He said to the people, "Ye have sinned a great sin; but now I will go up unto the LORD: peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin." Then he said to their offended CREATOR, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if THOU wilt, forgive their sin."

Here Moses, as is obvious, shadows out the true Mediator between GoD and man, who is ever at the right hand of God making intercession for us; but the parallel is closer still than appears at first sight. After Moses had said, “If THOU wilt, forgive their sin," he added, "and if not, blot me, I pray THEE, out of Thy book, which THOU hast written." He was taken at his word. Observe, rather than Israel should forfeit the promised land, he here offered to give up his own portion in it, and the exchange was accepted. He was excluded, dying in sight, not in enjoyment of Canaan, while the people went in under Joshua. This was a figure of HIM that was to come. Our SAVIOUR CHRIST died, that we might live: HE consented to lose the light of GOD'S countenance, that we might gain it.

By His cross and passion,

He made atonement for our sins, and bought for us the forgiveness of God. Yet, on the other hand, observe how this history

8 Exod. xxxii. 11.

instructs us, at the same time, in the unspeakable distance between CHRIST and Moses. When Moses said, "Blot me, I pray THEE, Out of Thy book," God did not promise to accept the exchange, but He answered, "Whosoever hath sinned against ME, him will I blot out of My book." Moses was not taken instead of Israel, except in figure. In spite of Moses, the sinful people were plagued and died*, though their children entered the promised land. And again, Moses, after all, suffered for his own sin. True, he was shut out from Canaan.

But why? Not in

spite of his having "done nothing amiss," as the Divine SurFERER on the cross, but because he spake unadvisedly with his lips, when the people provoked him with their murmurings. The meek Moses was provoked to call them rebels, and seemed to arrogate to himself the power and authority which he received from God; and therefore he was punished by dying in the wilderness. But CHRIST was the spotless LAMB of GOD, " who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, HE threatened not, but committed HIMSELF to HIM that judgeth righteously." And His death is meritorious; it has really gained our pardon.

Moreover, it is well to observe how apparently slight a fault it was for which Moses suffered; for this shows us the infinite difference between the best of a sinful race and HIM who was sinless, the least taint of human corruption having in it an unspeakable evil. Moses was the meekest of men, yet it was for one sudden transgression of the rule of meekness that he suffered; all his former gentleness, all his habitual humbleness of mind, availed him nothing. It was unprofitable, and without merit, because it was merely his duty. It could not make up for a single sin, however slight. Thus we see how it would be with us if God were extreme to mark what is done amiss; and thus, on the other hand, we see how supremely holy and pure that SAVIOUR must be whose intercession is meritorious, who has removed from us GOD's anger. None can bring us to HIM but He who came from HIM. HE reveals GOD, and HE cleanses man. The same is our Prophet and our Priest.

We are now approaching the season when we commemorate His

4 Vide Exod. xxxii. 34.