with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and a mightier than they.

13 And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them,) 14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou, Lord, art among this people; that thou, Lord, art seen face to face; and thy cloud standeth over them; and that thou goest before them, by day-time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now, if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations, which have heard the fame of thee, will speak, saying, 16 because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt, even until now. 20 And the Lord said, I have pardoned, according to thy word: 21 but as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Note. How earnestly and importunately Moses here reasons the matter with the Lord, and the Lord is not only not offended, but is well pleased, and grants his prayer! The honour and glory of God are always a plea that may be strongly urged in our

prayers, as Moses does it here. All that God does is for his own glory, whether he spares or punishes.

Moses regarding Korah. Answered forthwith.

Numbers xvi.-15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the Lord, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

Note. It is well, when in a controversy, we can, with a clear conscience, seek to engage God on our side.

Moses and Aaron for the congregation. Answered immediately.

Numbers xvi.-19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the congregation. 20 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 21 separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation ?

Note.-There be those who would separate themselves from us, from whom we may not separate ourselves, but continue to seek their good by prayer and acts of kindness.

Israel regarding king Arad. Answered immediately. Numbers xxi.—And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came

by the way of the spies, then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. 2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. 3 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities and he called the name of the place Hormah.

Note. We ought not to be discouraged or be set a-murmuring, when trials or losses in things temporal or spiritual come upon us; but they should make us feel and own, like the Israelites, our weakness, and send us to God in prayer for help and deliverance. And we should resolve that what we get in answer to our prayers, should be employed for the glory of God.

Moses regarding the fiery serpents. Answered immediately. Numbers xxi.-6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned; for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Note. The people murmured against Moses, and Moses prayed for the people. This was being likeminded with the Lord, who, when he had brought the people to a sense of their sin in murmuring against him, straightway, in answer to Moses' prayer, sent them healing and deliverance.

How placable God is towards the convinced, humbled sinner who thinks that he is perishing! How simple and effectual the remedy provided! A believing look at Christ on the cross, and there is healing and life.

Moses for a successor.

Answered immediately.

Numbers xxvii.-15 And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, 16 Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

18 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; 19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. 20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. 22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded

him and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge; as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Note.-God approves of a prudent care for the right ordering of matters in which we are concerned, after we have been removed from this world by death. And in trying to make arrangements for the future, we should spread all the matters in prayer before God, and ask direction from him.

DEUTERONOMY.

The Israelites excluded from Canaan. Refused. Deuteronomy i.-41 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the Lord, we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill. 42 And the Lord said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. 43 So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and went presumptuously up into the hill. 44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. 45 And ye returned, and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto