Parochial and Plain Sermons

DEUT. xviii. 15. "The Zord thl God will raise up uuto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like uato me; udo 2Iin ye shall hear-en."

HE history of hloses is valuable 4o Christians, hOt only as gidng us a pattern of fidelity towards God, of great firmness, and great meekness, but also as affoMing" us a type or figure of our Saviour Christ.:No pmphet arose in Israel like Moses, till Christ came, when the promise in the text was fulfilled—" The Lord thy God," says Moses, " shall raise up unto thee a 1)rophet like unto me:" that was Christ. Now let us consider in what respeets Moses resembled Christ; we shall find that this inquiry is very suitable at this rime of year 1. 1. First, if we survey the general history of the Israelites, we shall find that if is a picture of man's history, as the dispensation of the Gospel displays if fo us, and that in it hoses takes the place of Christ. The I Lent.

Israelites were in the land of strangers, riz. the Eg'yptians they were slaves, hardly tasked, and wreteled, and God broke their bonds, led t.hem out of Egypt, after many perils, to the pronlised land, Canaan, a land flowingwith milk and honey. How elearly this prefigurcs to s thc eondit.ion of the Christian Chureh! We are by nature in a strange country  God was out first Father, and His Presenee out dwelling-plaee: but we were east out of paradise for sinning, and are in a dreary land, a valley of darkness and the shadow of death. We are born in tlais spi4tual Eg'ypt, the land of strangers. Still we bave old reeolleetions about us, and broken traditions, of out original happiness and dignity as freemen. Thoug'hts eome aeross us from time fo time Mich show tlmt we were born for better things tlmn to be slaves; yet by nature slaves wê are, slaves to the Devil. He is out hm'd task-master, as Phal-aoh oppressed the Israelites  so mueh the worse than he, in that his ehains, though we do hot see them, beeome more and more heavy every year. They eling about us and grow; they multiply themselves, they shoot out and spread forth, and eneirele ts, those ehains of sin, with many links, minute but heavy, weighing us down to the eartlb till at last we are mere slaves of the soil, with _an evil husbandry, slaves of that fearfil harvest whieh is • eternal death. Satan is a tyrant over us, and it seems to us useless to rebel. If we attempt it, we are but vverpowered by his huge might, and his oppressive

I o./lroscs tle T3,e of C/irisA. rule, and are ruade twice the children of hell tlm we were belote: we ma.y g'roan and look about,, but we enno fly from his country. Such is out state by nature. But Moses couducted the Israelites from flac house of bondag'e to thcir own land, ff'oto which their fathers had descênded into Egypt. IIc came to them from God, and, armel wifl God's power, he srnote their cruel enemies, lcd flem out of Pharaoh's territory, divided the led Sca, carricd them throug'h if., and af leng'fla broug'ht them to the borders of Canaan. And who is if tha has donc this for us Christians.9 Who but the Eternal Son of God, our Lord and Savioul; whose naine in eonsequenee we bear.9 He has reseued us ff'oto thc arm of him who was stronger than we; and therefore I say in this respect first of all, Christ is a second [oses and a greater. Christ has broken the lOWer of the Devil. He leads us forth on out way, and makes a path through all diffieulties, that we may go forward towards heaven. Most men, who bave deliberately turned their hearts fo seek God, must reeolleet rimes when the view of the diffieulties whieh lay belote them, and of their own weakness, nearly ruade then sink through fear. Then fley were like the children of Israel on the shore of the Red Sea. How boisterous did the waves look! a.nd they eould hot see beyond them; they seemed taken by their enemies as it a net. Pharaoh with his horsemen hurried on to reelaim hi runaway slaves; the Israelites sank down in terror on the sa.nd of the sea-shore; every moment brought death or eaptivity nearer to theln. ïhen it was that [oses said, " 8rand still, and sec the salvation of God." And in like manner has Christ spoken to us. When out hearts thinted within us, when we said o ourselves, " Ilow is it possible that we should attain heaven?'" When we felt how desirable if was fo serve God, but felt keenly the power of temptation; when we aeknowledged in out hearts that God was holv and mos adorable, and obedienee to Ilis will most lov«ly and admirable, and et reeolleeted instances of out past disobedienee, and feared lest ail out l'enewed resolutions to serve Ilim would be broken and swept away by the old Adam as mercilessly as heretofore, and that Satan would regain us, and yct prayed carnestly to God for tIis saving help; thon IIc saved us against our fear, surprising us by the strang«ess of our salvation. This, I say, many a one must recollcct in his own case. I$ happens to Christians hot once, but again and again through lire. Troubles are lightened, trials are surmountcd, fears disappear. ]Vc arc elmbled to do things above our strength by trusting to Christ; wc ovêrcome our most nrgent sins, we surrendcr our most innocent wishes; we eonquer ourselves; we make a wy through the powers of the world, the flesh, and the devil; the waves divide, and our Lord, the great Captain of out salvation, leads us over. Clu'ist, then, is a second [oses, and

 -2 ]lroscs/he T,e of Chris/. greater than he, inasmuch as Christ lcads fl'om hell fo heaven, as Moses lcd the Israelites from E8"ypt fo Canaan. 2.:Next, Christ reveals fo us the will of God, as Moses fo the Israelites. IIe is out Prophet, as well as out Redeemcr.:None vas so favourcd as Moses in this respect: belote Christ came, Moses alone saw God face fo face; ail prophets after him but hcard Ilis volte or saw Ilim i vision. Samucl was eallcd by name, but he knew hot who called him in the dark niht till Eli told him. Isaiah saw the vision of the Scraphim, and heard thcm cry « Holy" belote the Lord; bu if was no heaven that he saw, but fhe mere selnb]alme of the earthly temple in which God dwelt among" the Jews, and clouds filled if. ]3ui Moses in some sense saw God and lived; thus God honoured him. "lf there be a prophet among you," said Almighty God, "I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and vill speak unto him in a dream. Iy servant Moses is hot so, who is faiflful in ail hline house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, eve apparently, and hot in dark speeches, and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold':" and on his death we are told, "there arose hot a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face "." When he was in the Mourir Sinai if is said of him still more expressly, "The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his fi'iend ." In the Mount he received from God the  lIumb, xii. 6—8. « Deut. xxxiv. 10. z Exod. xxxiii. 11.

[oses the T),c of Christ. i 23 revelation of he Law, and the patterns of he holy services whieh file lews were o offer o C-od; and so, being" fivoured with the int.imate knowlede of God's eounsels, when he came down, his face shone with g"lory. OEhe Divine mnjesty was refleeted ff'oto if., and the people dared no* look upon him. "OEhe skin of his face shone while he talked with IIim. And when Aaron and *he ehildren of Israel saw Moses, they were nfi'aid o eome ni.h him." "And fill he had done speaking" with them, he pu a veil on his face ." Ye, after all, favoured as he was, Mooes saw no rue presenee of God. Flesh and blood eanno see i. F.ven when ][oses was in fhe Mouut, he was aware that the very fulness of God's lory then revealed fo him, was afer ail but the surfice of lIis infinitude. The more he saw, the deeper and wider did he know that fo be whieh he saw hot. He prayed, "If I hae round g'raee in Thy sig'ht, show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy siht; and God said, My Presenee shall go with thee, and I will give thee test:." Mïoses was eneouraed fo ask for further blessing, s; he said, "I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory." This conld hOt be g, ranted; "Thou eanst hOt see My face; for thcre shall no man see Me, and live." So, as the g'rea.test privileg'e which he mig-ht attain, Moses was peanitted to see the skirts of God's g'reatness"The Lord passed by in a eloud, and pro-  Exod. xxxlv. 29, 30. 33.  Exod. xxxiii. 13, 14.

:4 Ioses thc 7)¢e of Chl.ist. elaimed the Naine of the Lord; and Ioses mme llaste, ald bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped ." And i was this sigh of the mere apparel in whieh Goal Almight.y was arrayed, which ruade his taee to shine. Bu Chris l'eally saw, and ever saw, the thee of God, for IIe was lin ereaure of God, but the Only-begottea Son, who is iii t.he bosom of tle Father. I,'roln eternity He was with I[im in g'lory,,as I[e says Itimself, dwelliag in the abyss of the infinite greatness of the Ios Iligh. No tbr tbry da3-s,,as Moses on tire moun in tigure, but for ever and ever was I[e 1,resent as the Counsellor of God, as Ilis "Vord, in whom IIe delighted. 8ueh was t[e of old; but at the rime appointed He came forl from the Father, and showed I[imself in this external world, first a.s its Creator, tlen as ifs '_Peaeher, the Revealer of secrets, the Mediator, the Off-strealning of God's glory, and the Express Image of I[is Person. Cloud nor image, emblem nor words, are interposed between the 8on and I[is Eternal ]e'ather.:No language is needed between the ]eat.her and Ilim, who is the very rord of t.he l"ather; no knowledge is imparted to tlim, who by t[is x'ery Nature and from eternity knows the Father, and all that the Father knows. Sueh are tlis owu words, "No man knoweth the Son but the Father, neither knoweth a.ny man the ]e'ather save the Son, and he to "vhomsoever the Son will reveal Him "." Again He says, " He that hath seen Ie bath  Exod. xxxiv. 6. 8. =.1att. xi. 2ï.

71"oscs /hc T.'c of Chrid.   5 seen the ather; '' and IIe accounts for this when tells us, t.ha IIe and the Father are one He is in the bosom of the Father, ami so tan diselose Him fo mankind, bein still in heaven, evcn while He was on earth. Aecordingly, the Blessed Apostle draws a conrast between Moses and Chris fo our comfi»rt; "the Law," he snys, "was given by Moses, bu graee and truth eame by aesus- Chrisa. '' In IIim God is fidly and truly seen, so that He is absolutely the Vay, and the Truh, and the Lire. Ail out duties are summed up for us in the message He briugs us. Those who look owards Ilim for teaehing, who worship and obey Him, will by degrees see "the ligh of the knowledge of the glo W of God in His face," and will be "ehaned into the saine image from glory fo glory." And thus if happens tha men of the lowes elass and the humblest edueation may know fidly the wavs nnd works of God; fully, tha is, as man ean know them; far better and more truly than the mos sagaeious man of this world, o whom the Gospel is hid. Religion has a store of wonderful secrets whieh no one ean eommunieate to another, and whieh are mos pleasau and delightful fo klmw. "Call on Me," says God by the prophet, "and I will answer thee, and show thee grea and mighty things whieh thou knowest no oE" This is no mere idle boas, bu a fae whieh all who seek G od 1 John x]g. 9. = John x. aO. a John i. 17.

will find fo be true, though they canuot perhaps clearly express their meaning. Strange truths about ourselves, about God, a.bout out duty, about the world, about heaven and hel], new modes of viewing things, discoveries which cmmot be put iuto words, marvellous prospects aud thoug'hts half understood, decp convictions nspiring joy and peacc, these are a p;trt of the revelation which Christ, the Sou of God, brings to those who obcy IIim. Moses had much toil to gain from the great God some scattcrcd rays of the truth, and that for his personal comfort, hot for all Israel; but Christ has brought from tIis Father for ail of us the full and pcrfect 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 truc wisdom from its fulness. And yet, alas! in spite of all this bounty, men called Christians, and how naany! lire heartlêssly, hot cal'ing for tire gracious benefit. Look at the world. Men begin life with sinning; t.hey queneh the early promise of grace, and defile tiroir souls; they bloek up the entrances of the spiritual senses by aets of sin, lyin and deceit, intemperanee, profimeness, or uneleanness,— by a foolish and trifling turn of mind,—by neglect of pra.yer when there is no actual viee,—or by an obstinate selfishness. IIow many are the ways in whieh men begin to lose sight of God!—how many are the fMlings away of those who once began well! Aad then they soon forger that they have really left God; they still think they sec His face, though their sins have begua to blind them. Like mon who fall asleep, the real prospect still flits before them la their dreams, but out of shape and proportion, discoloured, crowdêd with all manner of fancies and untruths; and so they proceed in that dream of sin, more or less profound,—somelimes rousing, the turning back again for a little more slumber, till death awakcns thcm. Dcath alone gives lively perceptions to the generality of men, who then see the very truth, such as they saw if before they began fo sin, but more clear and more fearful: but they who are the pure in heart, like Joseph; or the lneek among men, like Moses; or faithful fouud among the faithless, as Daniel; these men sec God ail through lire in the face of tlis Eternal Son; and, while the world mocks them, or tries fo reason them out of their own real knowledge, they are like Moses on the mouut, blessed and hidden, "hid with Christ in God," beyond the tumult and idols of the world, and interceding for if. 3. This leads me fo mention  third point of resemblance between AIoses and Christ.:Moses was the great intercessor when the Israelites sinned: while he was in the mount, his ieople corrupted themselves; they set up an idol, and honoured it with feasting and d,neîng. Then God would bave eut them off ri'oto the land of promise, had hot hoses interposed. /-Ie said, " Lord, why doth Thy wrath wmx hot against Thy

  8 Aloscs t/e Tyl)e of Christ. people? Turn from OEhy tierce wrath, and repent of thls evil agains hy people 1.,, In his way he gained  respi, and then he renewed his supplications. Ue snid fo le people, " Ye lmve sinned a grea sin; bu now I will go up unto tle Lord: peradventure I slmll make an atonemen for vour sin." hen he said fo their offended Creator, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and Imve made them gods of gold. Ye now, if OEhon wilt., forgive their sin." Ilere Ioses, as is obvious, shMows ou the true Mediator beween God and man, who is ever a the righ hand of God making intercession for us; bu the parMlel is eloser still than appears a firs sigh. After [oses had said, "If hon wilt, forgive their sin," he added, "and if not, blo me, I pray OEhee, ou of OEhy book, which Thou hnst written." He was taken at his word. Observe, rather than Israel should forfei the promised land, he here offered to give up his own portion in i, and the exehange was aceepted. He was exeluded, dying in siId, hot in enjoyment of Canaan, while the people wen in under Joshna. This was a fiure of Him tllat was to corne. Out Saviour Chris died, that we might live: He eonsented to lose the light of God's eountenanee, that we might gain it. By His cross and passion, He ruade atonement for out sins, and bought for us the forgiveness of God. Yet, on the other hand, obser'e how this history insruets us, at the  Exod. xxxii. 11.

[oscs zame rime, in the unspeakable distance between Chris and Moses. When Moses zaid, "]3lot me, I pray OEhee, out of OEhy book," God did not promise fo aeeep the exchang'e, but He answered, "Whosover hath sinned ag'ainst Me, him will I blot out of My book." M?oses was not takcn instead o" Israel, exccpt in figure. In spire of ][oses, the sinful peoplc were plagued and died though their children entered the promised land. And again, Moses, after all, suffe'ed for his own sin. True, he was shut out ff-oto Canaan. spire of his having" "done nothing amiss," as the Divine Sufferer on the cross, but because he spake unadvisedly with his lips, when the people provoked him with their murmurings. The meek Moses was provoked fo eall tllem rebels, and seemed fo arrogate fo himself the power and authority which he reccived from God; and therefore he was punished by dying" in thc wilderness. Christ was *che spotless Lamb of God, "who, when Ho -as reviled, reviled hot again; when He suffered, He threatened hot., but committed Himself fo tIim tllat judgeth righteously." And His death is meritorious; if has really gained our pardon. Moreover, i is well fo observe how apparently sligh a fault if was for which Moses suffered; for this shows us the infinite differenee between the best of a sinful race and Him who was sinless,—the least taint of human corruption having" in i an unspeakable evil.  Vide Exod. xxxii. 34.

 30 3[os«s th« T)c of C/ris/. 3ffoses was the Ineekes of men, ye i was for one suddcn fransgression of the rule o meekness fla he suFered; all his former gentleness, ail his habitual humbleness of mind, availed him nothin. If was unprofitable, and withou merit, because if was mercly his duty. I could hot make u 1) for a sing'le sin, howcvcr slight. Thus we sec hov if would be with us if God wcre extreme fo mark what is donc amiss: and thus, on the other hand, wc sec how suprcmcly holy and pure tha Saviour mus be whose intercession is meritorious, who has removcd ff'oto us God's aner. None can bring us to tlim bu tIe who came from IIim. He reveals God, and He e]eanses man. The same is our Prophet and out Priest.. We are now approaehing the season when we commemorate tIis deat.h upola the cross: we are enterin upon the mos holy season of flac whole year. May we approaeh i th holy hearts May we renew out rcsolutions of leading  ]ife of obedience fo His comnmndments, and may e have the graec fo seal out good relutions a His mos saered Supper, in which "" $esus Chris is evidcnfly se forth erueified among us." I Js useless fo naake resolves withou comin to Him for aid to keep them; and it is useless coming to His table withou earnes and hearty resolves; i is provoking God "to plgue us with divers diseases, and sundry kinds of death." Bu what shall be said of those who do neither fle one nor he other,who neither vow

Aroscs ire Type of C'ist. obedienee, nor eome fo Him for raee?—who deliberately after they ha'ce known the truth—who review their sins in rime past in a reekless hard-hearted way, or put them aside out of their thoug, hts—who ean bear to jest about them, fo speak of them fo others lmblushing'ly, or even to boas of them, and fo detennine on sinning, ag, ain,—who think of repenting".af some future day, and resolve on oing their own w.a.y now, trusting, to chance for reeoneiliation with God, as if were hot a marrer fo be ve\r anxious about? This state of mind bring, s upon man a judg, ment heavier tlmn all the pl,aues of Egypt,a judment eompared with whieh that darkness whieh eould be felL is as the sun's brihtness, and the t.hurders,and bail are as the sereue sky, the wrath to eome. Awake, then, my brethren, with this season, to your God, wlm now snmmons you from His cross and tomb. Put aside the sin that doth so easily beset you, and be ye holy even as He is holy. Stand ready to surfer with Him, should if be needful, that you may fise tog, et.her with Him. He e,an make bitter thilgs sweet fo you, and hard w,ays easy, if you bave but the heart to desire Him fo do so. He enn change the Law into the GOSl0el. He ean, for lX[oses, give you Himself. He ean write the Law on your hearts,,and thereby take away tlie h,and-writing that is,agains you, even tlie old eurse whieh by nature you inherit. He bas donc this for many in rime laS. He does if for many af all rimes.

 3?. 7roscs/hc Tyc of Chris/. Why should IIe not do if for you? Why should you be left out? Whv should vou hot enter into IIis rest? Why should you hot sec IIis glory? O, whv should you be blotted out ri-oto Ilis book.9