SO. It was a necessity, which Infinite Wisdom and Mercy, looking to the highest good of the race, could not forbid. The surgeon who cuts out a mortifying ulcer, or removes a gangrenous limb acts not from the desire of maiming, but from the necessity of saving. So with the Divine Being in the wars of the Word. They were permissions that abominations might be rooted from the earth, and that the Word of God might be written. The outer Word was thus furnished by material from man, yet divinely directed and arranged, but the inner Word was inscribed within by the finger of God. By reading of Israel's wars, the soldier (and every man is more or less a combatant) may be enchained to the narrative and interested in the Divine Story, until at length the flashes of holy light break through, and he feels there are enemies in himself whom he must conquer. He has a Goliath, some giant lust that defies all his power to subdue; he has also a little David, the divine truth within, which makes use of sacred words of power,--the smooth stones of the brook, with which he strikes the giant on his forehead and he dies. Thus he learns that "we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual wickednesses."-Eph. vi. 12. So his eyes are opened, and he "beholds wondrous things out of the law."-Ps. cxix. 18.

Thus do we own the Word as it descends among us; thus do we behold it achieving its wondrous triumphs among men; and thus is it glorified.

The descent of the Divine Truth, and its cohering with the sensual desires of man, was represented by the water descending from the mountain, into which Moses cast the dust of the shattered parts of the golden calf, ground to powder, and then gave to the people to drink.-Deut. ix. 21.

Divine Truth enters thus blended with human imperfection, but in time it works itself pure, and shews itself as the "water of life," clear as crystal.

The Word thus with two sides, and one side formed of human material, is thus the conjoining medium between heaven and earth. It is written on the outside for the natural man; on the inside for the spiritual man, and for angels.

How strange it is that we should so much have forgotten this great truth! For, how could a revelation be given from God,

and not have a divine side towards Him? How could a revelation be received by man, unless it had a human side towards him? How could it conjoin the two together unless it had somewhat belonging to each?

The book in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne, as seen by John, was written within, and on the back (Rev. v. 1), and was sealed with seven seals, because the true character of the Word can never be opened, until both its inner and its outer meaning are admitted. Without the writing on the outside, it would be unintelligible to man, and would not be accepted by him; without the writing on the inside, it would not lift his contemplations and his aspirations to heaven.

Blessed, then, for ever blessed, be the All-wise, that in forming His Word, He said, "Hew thee out two tables of stone like unto the first." In shape the same, in substance different. But, blessed also be His Holy Name that He was pleased to say "I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables."

When the precepts of the Word have thus been accepted in the heart, they communicate light, experience, and wisdom. They give light as to what the will of the Lord really requires. They are divine lamps, by means of which our defilements are discovered. But they not only disclose our impurities, they also bring to view the goodness of our Lord, the order of His kingdom, the misery of opposing spirits, and opposing states. They reveal, also, the necessity of regeneration, and impart the power to proceed in that holy work. The experience thus acquired is the best of all teachers. Hence, the Psalmist, in that grandest of all the Psalms, the one dedicated to the setting forth of the excellence of the Divine Law, the 119th, exclaims, "O how I love thy law it is my meditation all the day. Thou, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation. Therefore I love thy commands above gold: yea, above fine gold."

Lastly, let us daily pray that the heavenly writing thus forming the spirit and life of the Word, may be transferred to the living tables of our inmost affections, so that the new covenant may be ours, whose terms run thus :-"This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, saying, Know the Lord for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."-Jer. xxvi. 33-34.

SERMON XLVI.

THE LORD SEEN FROM THE CLEFT OF A ROCK.

"And the Lord said, Behold there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”— Ex. xxxiii. 21-23.

:

Faith is the evidence of things unseen, the substance of things hoped for. Faith is the confidence of the heart, so far as it is renewed the quiet trust of love. Faith is calm, reliant, satisfied, resting in the Lord. A beautiful illustration of faith is afforded in the gospel in the case of the centurion who entreated the Lord to heal his servant, who was dear unto him. The Saviour was approaching the house, but the confiding convert sent his friends to say, "I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed." Jesus said, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick."- Luke vii. 6, 7, 9, 10.

Full faith is satisfied all is right, it relies, and is patient. Feeble faith is always wanting to see, wanting to know. Full faith sits at the feet of the Master like Mary; feeble faith like Martha is restless and careful about many things. Thomas would not believe unless he saw and touched, and felt and handled. But the Lord said to him, "Thomas because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, but blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."-John xx. 29. Full faith springs from full love; and love trusts the Being whom it embraces to be all-sufficient for the things it cannot see; being satisfied by what it has seen a thousand times, that it is in the hands of an All-loving Friend.

Feeble faith is never satisfied; it is always running about with its doubts, and fears, and surmises, the confidence of the morning brightness, is altogether gone in the evening shade.

It

is not evidence that is wanting, it is love. things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love believes all Love never faileth. Let us pray then, in all times of depression and difficulty, for more love. We have said faith fails not for want of evidence,

but for want of love.

Nothing can more completely illustrate this than the case of Moses. He had not only seen the wonders in Egypt, but been the instrument of their performance. The Red Sea had parted beneath his rod. The manna had daily come down according to the revelation made to him. He had seen for months the pillar of fire by night. He had seen the glorious appearance of the Lord in the angel of His presence so that it is said the Lord spake unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend. ver. 11. Yet here was Moses expressing distrust, wanting to know who would be chosen to go with him, evidently unsatisfied, and wanting to see more closely the Divine Presence than he had yet seen.

Moses was informed that the naked Divinity could not be seen. "Thou canst not see my face and live for there shall no man see me and live."-ver. 20. And, then, the divine condescension and tenderness to his weakness are shewn, and what the Lord would do is declared, "I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. And I will take away mine hand and thou shalt see my backparts but my face shall not be seen."

We may probably feel great astonishment that Moses should have anything but perfect confidence after the miracles, and wonders of Omnipotence that he had witnessed. We think our own distrust is comparatively excusable. Yet our ignorance alone of the wonders of every-day life; prevents us from being aware that every moment we have been guarded by Omnipotent Love, as completely as were the Israelites. We were helpless when we were born, knew nothing of food, or how to obtain it; but divine care, acting through parents and friends, supplied our every want. We knew nothing of the laws of health, yet we have been nurtured by light, and warmth, and air. We have not had manna descending every day, but we have had a greater variety of food; and is it less wonderful that Omnipotent Love through the seasons, and with every varied influence of weather, through rain and sunshine, wind and calm, should supply us and all earth's millions with daily bread, and transform that bread into bone and flesh, nerve and sinew. Is it not a wonder of mercy and love that keeps our circulation and

secretions in constant motion, moving in ways but faintly known to us, and keeping up their flow in the helplessness of sleep, as well as the enjoyment of wakefulness.

Then what wonders have been wrought in our mental condition! Have we not been brought out of Egypt ? Has not our bondage been broken? Has not our darkness been dispelled again and again? Has not the Word been given and been triumphant in us a thousand times? Has not help come in our difficulties in wonderful ways of which we had never dreamt ? Just as with our earthly food, when it passes from hand, mouth, and stomach, where we know something of it, by a divine chemistry which works wonders, it is transformed by ways surpassing our knowledge into strength and all the marvellous tissues of the body, so is it with our mental food. We masticate it and ruminate upon it, and so far we know something about it, but then it disappears we know not whither; and other views, sentiments, and circumstances hide it in the recesses of the memory, we know not where. But it supports us, it adds to our daily strength, and the sum total of our character. And when we are in strait, and in sorrow; when we are sorely tried, the lessons that have been hidden away come forth, refreshing and strengthening as a healing potion from a cup held by an angel's hand.

With all these experiences of an adorable Providence, why then are we often so anxious, so wishful to see, so unable to confide? Why so much restlessness, and so little faith?

We cannot see the Lord's Providence naked, any more than Moses could see the naked Divinity in the face. Our Heavenly Father allows us to perceive as much as is good for us, more He cannot. He says spiritually to us, as was literally said to Moses. "Behold there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock."

By the "place by me," is meant a state under my protection, -a state in conjunction with me; "and thou shalt stand upon a rock," intimates that the soul's true support is the Rock of the Word of God.

Our Lord alludes to the same Rock when He says, "Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock.' Matt. vii. 24. The same Rock is referred to when it is written, "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings, and hath put a new song into my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord."