enough to make this reply in words; but is it not the language of your hearts and lives?--- Must we not carry this report to God? —— O that you would hearken to God's voice, before it be too lates! But we trust there are some of a better mind amongst us, some who cordially assent to whatever God has been pleased to propose On behalf of them we pray, that God may fix this pious disposition abidingly in their hearts. Happy are we to see the rising purpose to obey God! but we must caution all not to adopt the purpose lightly, or to carry it into execution in a partial or listless manner. The message of God in the text is, "If ye will obey my voice indeed." Our obedience must be sincere, habitual, and unreserved. We must not be satisfied with purposes and resolutions, but must carry them into effect: nothing must divert us, nothing intimidate us, nothing retard us. But let us hold fast the covenant of grace, and uniformly obey the commands of God, and then all the blessings of grace and glory shall be ours-- -] Put their conduct into words. t 1 Chron. xxix. 18. s Jer. xiii. 15-17. XCII. THE GIVING OF THE LAW. Exod. xx. 18, 19. And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. THE law of God was originally written on the heart of man: but by sin it was almost obliterated, so that scarcely any traces of it remained. When therefore it pleased God to separate to himself a peculiar people, who should know his will, and enjoy his presence, and subserve his glory, it was necessary, if we may so speak, that he should republish his law, and record it in some way, which might give it a permanent establishment in the world. This he was pleased to do on Mount Sinai, after having conducted his people thither in safety, and shewn, by the wonders he had wrought, that he was indeed the only true God. What were the particulars of that law, we do not now stop to inquirea: that to which we would draw your attention is, the manner of its promulgation. In the preceding chapter we are informed of all those particulars which are briefly recapitulated in our text. On contemplating that tremendous scene, we are naturally led to inquire, Why did God publish his law in that manner? The answer to this question is important; and will prove highly instructive to us all. He did it, I. To impress their minds with a fear of his Majesty[God is a great God, and greatly to be feared". But though the Israelites had seen ample demonstrations of this in Egypt, they had a very inadequate sense of it upon their minds. Hence arose their murmurings and distrust as often as any fresh difficulty occurred. And what is at the root of all our disobedience? Is it not that "we do not fear that great and fearful name, THE LORD OUR GOD?" To beget in the minds of those whom he was bringing into covenant with himself a just sense of his greatness, he appeared to them in a thick cloud, with thunderings, and lightnings, and the sound of a trumpet most terrific. The effect was produced, insomuch that Moses, though terrified beyond measure himself, was forced to administer comfort and encouragement to them. We find somewhat of a similar effect upon ourselves in a violent tempest: and, if we could realize the scene that was exhibited on Sinai, we should say indeed, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" --] II. To shew them the nature of that dispensation [The dispensation of the law, though suited to the Jews at that time, and even glorious, as a type or figure of the Gospel dispensation, was yet in fact "a ministration of death"." It required perfect obedience to the law, and denounced a curse for every instance of disobedience; and required all the people, not only to accept it, but to approve of it, in that particular view. Who can contemplate such a covenant, and not tremble to have his hopes founded on it? There was indeed much of the Gospel contained in the ceremonial law; and the penitent Israelite found refuge there. But the law published on Sinai was a fiery law," "a ministration of condemnation :" and the terrors which were infused into the people by the thunders of Sinai, fitly represented the terrific nature of that 66 a See Disc. on Rom. iii. 20. ver. 20. d b Deut. x. 17. c Deut. xxviii. 58. e 2 Cor. iii. 7, 9. f Compare Gal. iii. 10. with Deut. xxvii. 26. covenant.-Happy would it be for us, if we availed ourselves of these instructive intimations, to renounce that covenant which consigns us over unto death, and to embrace that better covenant which is revealed to us in the Gospel!] III. To make them feel their need of a Mediator [The people, who but just before had been with difficulty restrained from breaking through the bounds that had been assigned them, were now so alarmed, that they fled from their station, and entreated, that God would no more deliver his commands to them in that way, lest they should die. They desired that Moses might be appointed as a Mediator between God and them, and that all future intimations of God's will should be given them through him. Of the full meaning of their own request they themselves were not aware: for, inasmuch as Moses was a type of Christ, it was, in fact, a desire that Christ might be their Mediator, and that all their intercourse with the Deity might be through Him. This was the construction which God himself put upon it; and in this view he approved of, and applauded it. To the same effect also the Apostle speaks. He tells us that the law was not designed to give us life, but to shew us our need of Christ, and to bring us unto him as our only hope h INFER, 1. How thankful should we be for the Christian covenant! [It is to this that we are come, if we have truly believed in Christ. And oh! how different is our state from those who are yet under the lawi! --Instead of being prohibited from drawing nigh to God, we are permitted and commanded to come unto him. Let us avail ourselves of the blessed privilege, and seek closer fellowship with our God, and brighter views of his glory---] 2. How careful should we be not to revert to the Jewish covenant! [We do, in fact, revert to it, if we seek justification by the law of works. If we do any thing in order to be justified by it, we instantly become debtors to do the whole law.-Let it not then appear to us a light matter to indulge a self-righteous spirit; for if we do, we renounce all hope from the grace of the Gospel, and "Christ, with respect to us, is dead in vain.”] 3. How studiously should we cultivate the fear of God! 8 Compare Deut. v. 27, 28. and xviii. 15-18. h Gal. iii. 24. [Terrible as the appearance and the voice of God were on that occasion, his appearance in the day of judgment will be infinitely more tremendous Knowing therefore the terrors of the Lord, we would persuade you" to turn unto him, ere it be too late. We wish however to produce in you, not a slavish, but a filial fear: that will only drive you from God; and therefore in relation to it we say with Moses, "Fear not:" but this will make you happy in the service and enjoyment of God; and therefore we add, "Let his fear be ever before your faces, that ye sin not1."] 1 ver. 20. ХСІІІ. ON CIRCUMSPECTION. Exod. xxiii. 13. In all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect. IF we were about to prosecute a journey through an extensive forest, where the path was exceeding intricate, where we were in hourly danger of treading upon serpents and scorpions, and where there were declivities so steep and slippery that it was almost impossible but that we must fall down some tremendous precipice, we should feel it necessary to get the best information, and to use the utmost caution in all our way. Such is really our state: in our journey towards heaven we may easily mistake the road; and, even when we are walking in it, we are encompassed with so many dangers, and obstructed by so many difficulties, that we need to exercise continual vigilance and circumspection. Hence, in tender love to us, our heavenly Guide puts us on our guard, and says, "In all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect." In discoursing on these words we shall consider, I. The injunction It is our duty and our happiness to have all our actions conformed to the mind and will of God: but, in order to this, we must attend diligently to the matter, the manner, and the end of them: 1. The matter [Notwithstanding we have the written word, which, when duly followed, will suffice to direct our conduct; yet we must have a very considerable knowledge of the Scriptures, and a well-regulated mind, in order to ascertain clearly the will of God. It not unfrequently happens that one duty seems to interfere with another; as when a work of mercy calls for a violation of the Sabbath, or a command of an earthly parent militates against the command of God. In the former case we are to "prefer mercy before sacrifice:" in the latter, we must "obey God rather than man:" but how to discriminate aright at all times, is very difficult: and a well-intentioned person may grievously err, if he do not bring his actions to the touchstone of God's word, and determine, through grace, to regulate them according to that standarda.] 2. The manner [It is by no means sufficient that the matter of our actions be right, for they may be so debased by the manner of performing them, as to be rendered hateful in the sight of God. Prayer is a duty plainly enjoined: but if it be cold and formal, or offered with an unbelieving heart, it will find no acceptance with God: in vain do persons worship God in such a manner; they shall receive nothing at his hands. Nothing could have been more pleasing to God than David's attempt to bring up the ark to Mount Zion, after it had been at least fifty years in a state of obscurity: but David was inattentive to the manner in which God had appointed the ark to be carried; he put it on a new cart, instead of ordering it to be borne upon the shoulders of the Levites; and therefore God manifested his displeasure against him, and against all the people, by striking Uzza dead upon the spot for presuming to touch the ark d. We ourselves are not satisfied to have our commands obeyed, unless a due attention be paid also to the manner of executing our will; much less therefore will God be pleased, if we be not as studious to 66 serve him acceptably," as to serve him at all.] 3. The end— [Our end or motive in acting determines more than any thing the quality of our actions. Not that a good end will sanctify a bad action; but a bad end will vitiate every action. connected with it. If, for instance, in our religious services we seek the applause of men, we must expect no reward from God: the gratification of our pride and vanity is all the reward that such polluted services can obtain. In the account which is given us of Jehu, we find that the very same action, which was rewarded on account of its outward conformity with God's a Acts xxvi. 9-11. b Matt, xv. 7-9. e Matt. vi. 1—5, 16. Gal. ii. 13. and John xvi. 2. d 1 Chron. xv. 13. |