NUMBERS, X. 33-36.

33 And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days' journey and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting-place for them.

34 And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.

35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.

36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.

WHEN the children of Israel rested from their journeying, the place of the ark was, as we learn from a former chapter, in the midst of the camp; but we see from this passage that when they moved forward it went before them, in token of the fact that God is the Leader of His people, and as a lesson to us all that we ever dutifully follow the steps of the true Ark, our blessed Saviour, in lowliness, meekness, and charity.

The place of the cloud was specially over the ark, but it is supposed that it extended itself, so as to be a shadow from the heat to the whole people on their march over those burning sands.

The Prayer of Moses.

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So is God's grace not only sufficient,' but seasonable it adapts itself to our special wants and difficulties, just as the cloud which gave light by night, thus supplied a shadow from the heat by day.

How interesting is it to know from this Scripture the very prayer which Moses was accustomed to say daily when the ark set forward, and every evening when it rested. It is with unceasing prayer and continual praise that the Church of God ever moves onward to the heavenly Canaan, and we could not doubt that this was foreshown in the practice of the ancient Church when journeying through the wilderness. But it is very interesting to know not only this fact, but also the very prayers which were used. And you will observe that the prayer was the same from day to day. It was not what is called extemporaneous prayer, that is to say, such prayer as a man may utter from the impulse of the moment and under the spur, so to speak, of excited feelings without having thought beforehand what petitions he is about to offer, and what are the words most suitable to express his wants with reverence and childlike trust. Such prayers may be well meant and in a sense sincere : but assuredly they are not after the pattern of the prayers which we are taught to imitate. Moses did not seek to excite the feelings, far less to please

1 2 Cor. xii. 9.

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The Prayer of Moses.

the fancy of the people by the prayers which he daily offered; but as their daily wants were the same, he expressed the desire of his heart in the same simple but most reverent words day by day; and if any people complain of the Church of England for using the same form from day to day and year to year, varied indeed at each holy season, but still, so to speak cast in the same mould, they may reflect on what is told us in this chapter of the practice of Moses, the inspired servant of God, with whom God spake as with a friend in some mysterious sense face to face.

And then it is surely most interesting to observe that the prayer of Moses has been repeated in the Church of God ever since. 'Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered.' We find it at the opening of Psalm lxviii. That is to say, the Divine Psalmist, when composing the hymn which was to be used as the ark was carried up to its place in the Temple, looked back to the march of God's Church through the wilderness, and found no more suitable words with which to begin his inspired anthem than those which Moses had used daily when the ark set forward: 'Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered.' And so when we say that noble psalm (one of the psalms appointed for Whit Sunday) we should think that for more than three thousand years at least, that prayer has been used in the Church of God; and while we say the words

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in which Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among such as call upon His name,' have poured out their hearts, the words which apostles, prophets, and martyrs have used in their addresses to the throne of grace, we should examine whether we say them both 'with the spirit and with the understanding?' 2

The prayer teaches us to desire above all things the triumph of the truth, the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom, the scattering of the power of darkness. No prayer can be more suitable than this as a daily prayer, 'Let God arise;' so we say, 'Raise up, O God, Thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us ;' and 'Let Thine enemies be scattered.' Let the power of sin and Satan be broken, and the old serpent be trampled under foot! And then, how beautiful is the evening prayer: 'Return, O Lord, to the many thousands of Israel;' return to those who by their sins may have provoked Thee to withdraw from them, and from whom Thou art now far off. Return to those who need Thy protection during the perils of the night, and specially against the powers of darkness. Return to the many thousands of Thy people in all parts of the world, whether lonely and solitary, or surrounded by family blessings, whether afflicted or prosperous, whether tempted or free from special temptation. Return 1 Ps. xcix. 6. 2 1 Cor. xiv. 15.

to them to bless, and succour, and strengthen, and enable them! Return (we may each of us say) to me, who have deserved too much that Thou shouldest stand, as it were, afar off;' yet now return with Thy forgiving mercy and Thy preventing grace, and Thy holy peace and comfort! May we never go forth to the trials and temptations of our daily march without such prayers as these; may we never lay our head upon our pillow without thus imploring the presence and protection of our heavenly Father, the presence of His spirit with our spirit, and that we may rest under the shadow of His wings.