which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words." We are told that Moses, and those appointed to accompany him, went up the mountain and saw the God of Israel, and were able to describe his throne. Jesus hath assured us, "no man hath seen God at any time." Therefore, we must take the assertion that they saw the God of Israel in a limited sense, and make this conclusion: that it pleased the Almighty to reveal as much of his celestial glory to these favoured men, as their faculties were able to endure. The text says: 66 They saw God, and did eat and drink;" or, as we may interpret it, they saw this celestial glory, and yet survived. Happy men! 'twas not the glory of the world-'twas not the breath of human fame, nor the glitter of mammon's shrine, nor the lustre of earthly beauty, made to bloom and die-nor aught, which the world calls bright, whose glory filled your hearts: no; for ye knew by blessed experience, that "the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another!"

And now Moses, and Joshua, his attendant, go up into the mount of God-the former commands the elders to tarry for them, and if any question should arise, they are to take counsel of Aaron and Hur, whom he leaves with them. "The glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and a cloud covered it six days." What an awful six days, whilst the servant of the most high God waits for his word. The seventh day, Jehovah calls to Moses out of the cloud. The sight of his glory was to the people below like devouring fire. Thus did the Lord condescend to awake the mental energies, and impress the imaginations of a people naturally stupid, careless, and earthly, and arouse their spirits to celestial things.

We feel ourselves, as our imaginations attempt to accompany the servant of God in his audience with the Deity, that a cloud covers the mountain —that we are indeed of the number of the people who look on from afar. Sinai is covered with a cloud, but glory be to him who has invited us to look by faith "to mount Zion, the city of the living God,"-where we reverently hope no cloud shall hide from our vision the Father who sent his Son, to call all men unto him."

From the twenty-fifth to the end of the thirty-first chapter, we have particular directions given for the building and adorning of the Tabernacle. We may be sometimes inclined to ask, why the directions should be so very minute-but we make this answer: It was the object of the Lord to keep this people employed on the

outward, until their minds should, by degrees, become enlightened, and they be able to comprehend the truth which Christ was to reveal. "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit, and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him."

CHAPTER XXXII.

This is a grievous chapter. In vain the miracles-in vain the blessings in vain the terrors of the LORD. The people are a foolish people; and Aaron a weak and unworthy representative of his brother. We have even here in this sad history one bright spot. Moses pleads with God, like Abraham, for the doomed cities -Moses pleads for the people. Is it not thus the Saviour pleads for guilty men? In vain Jehovah sets before the heart of his servant the honors he will heap upon himself-no; there is no honor dear to his soul but the salvation of that people, for whose sake, at God's command, he left his quiet home-gave up his domestic joys-forsook the simple flocks he had guided on the mountain side-encountered the wrath of Pharaoh-the insolence of his officers, and the murmurings and ingratitude of those whom the LORD had guided by his hand. No; he cannot give them upthey are entwined with his every thought-his every care. "And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people?-Wherefore should the Egyptians say for mischief did he bring them out to slay them in the mountains."

In the tenth verse we read that the LORD had said: I will make of thee a great nation." But no promise made to himself alone can bring him consolation. He pleads again for the people-he returns to them and represents to them how great has been their sin-and now, behold him once more before the LORD making intercession for them. "Yet not, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written." Such is the powerful pleading of this generous and unselfish friend. But, let us attend to the reply. "And the LORD said unto Moses: Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." Is there any doctrine of substitution here?

Dublin.

M. B.

One longing thought alone to thee was given : Come, spirit-friend! I feel that thou art near

Thy presence breathes for me a soul through Heaven!

OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF PRESBYTERIANISM, IN IRELAND.

BY THE REV. H. MONTGOMERY, LL. D.

(Continued from No. V. Vol. II. page 175.)

THE expulsion of the enlightened Ministers and Congregations of the Presbytery of Antrim suggests several considerations, deserving the attention both of the advocates and the opponents of Christian Truth and Religious Liberty.

1. It supplies a striking illustration of the tendency of authoritative Creeds to produce enmity, dissension, and hypocrisy. Previously to the imposition of The Westminster Confession, in the year 1705, the General Synod of Ulster was a united, tolerant, and prosperous Church-gradually extending its bounds and influence, by the zeal, the piety, and the charity, both of its ministers and people. No sooner, however, was a human Creed enforced, in place of its former infallible Standard of Faith and Duty, the Word of God, than jealousies, contentions, and alienations sprung up, in miserable abundance. Many honest men who sincerely believed the Doctrines of The Confession, began to entertain conscientious scruples with regard to the right of enforcing them upon others; and the expression of their doubts upon this subject, immediately subjected them to accusations of heresy, on the part of their less tolerant and less scrupulous brethren. These accusations were retorted by counter-charges of ignorance and illiberality; and, in the end, the several contending parties endeavoured to enlist the laity on their respective sides-so that bitter feelings and acrimonious language speedily infested the entire church. Nor was this all: the doctrines of the Westminster Confession, as well as the propriety of enforcing subscription, were eventually brought under discussion; and whilst none had yet the courage and integrity expressly to deny their truth, many threw out hints, and conjectures, and doubts, which materially tended to undermine their authority. On the contrary, the more zealous Calvinists became furious controversialists, to the utter neglect of all moral preaching, and the timid, of sentiments more liberal, were compelled to follow in their train, in order to escape the destructive imputation of heterodoxy! The few who had the honesty and courage, to stem the torrent, were exposed to every species of obloquy-the minds of their own people were poisoned-neighbouring pulpits were shut against them-they lived in the midst of unceasing annoyance-and their families were threatened with destitution.

In the

first instance, the Calvinistic clergy inflamed the minds of the laity, in order to strengthen their own side by popular support; but, in doing this, they called an influence into action which they had no power to control, and which eventually forced them to adopt measures which, in their hearts, they abhorred. Such were the first-fruits of subscription to a human creed, in Ulster-hatred, contention, hypocrisy, and time-serving, amongst the clergyblind and bitter bigotry amongst the people-an utter forgetful. ness of the true objects of Christian preaching—and the diffusion of unhallowed enmity throughout the entire mass of society! But such are the consequences that have always flowed from the presumptuous interference of fallible men, with the prerogative of God, and the dictates of conscience: and, were it not for the human partitions which arrogant mortals have erected to separate the followers of the same benevolent Master, and the human interests connected with the keeping up of those sinful barriers, I firmly believe that men would no more annoy and injure each other on account of a diversity of religious opinions, than for a difference of stature or complexion.

2. The proceedings of the General Synod, which resulted in the separation of the Presbytery of Antrim, appear to have been specially inconsistent and reprehensible, when it is considered that they commenced in the year 1720-whilst the ink was scarcely dry on the pen with which George I. had signed a noble act of parliament, granting complete toleration to themselves. Previously to the year 1719, no species of dissent from the established church was permitted by law. All dissenting worship was merely held by the forbearance of the civil authorities-all persons attending it were liable to heavy pains and penalties-and all religions property dedicated to such purposes was subject to confiscation. The friends of the Presbyterians justly and successfully remonstrated against this state of the law, and received from the liberality of their sovereign, a more enlarged toleration than they had ventured to solicit. And, yet these very men, on the instant the chains of slavery were struck from their own limbs, basely and inconsistently began to forge fetters for their brethren. Ay, and worse than this-they actually made bolts and bars to confine themselves and their children, and their children's children, within the dungeon of Calvinism, and endeavoured to stop every loop-hole and crevice, at which the light of truth and liberty might have been admitted. One is astonished and shocked, that such anomalies