pretending that they knew not what had become of him, but in reality "disrelishing a purely spiritual worship," the Israelites prefer their request to Aaron, "to make them gods who should go before them," and even clamorously demand of him a compliance with their wishes. And to a demand, so unnatural and Heaven-daring, what does the associate of Moses reply? Does he remonstrate? Filled with grief and dismay, does he chide? Does he denounce the judgment of Heaven upon them? Perhaps so, in the first instance, although the sacred narrative accords to him no such extenuating merit. But, if so, at length, he yields; the minister of religion becomes an accessory to gross and insulting idolatry; and he, who should have guarded the divine honor at the sacrifice of his life, himself fashions a molten calf, and superintends the sacrifice offered unto the dumb and senseless idol.

Thus, in the very sight of the most awful and sublime manifestations of the divine power and glory; Sinai's summit still invested with the symbols of the divine presence, and Moses still with God on the mount, this people, whom God had rescued from a bondage of centuries, and cruel as it had been long; whom he had conducted through the channels of the sea; whom he had fed, and was still feeding with bread from heaven; whose thirst he was slaking with water, which rolled by their side as they journeyed; this people, thus rescued, fed, clothed, preserved by a constant miracle, are bowing down to a senseless idol! Who could have thought it?

God's eye is upon them, and it kindles with holy indignation. "Go, get thee down," says he to Moses, "for thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves." God speaks as if this people had forfeited all right longer to be considered his people, and as if he was about to cast them off. And why should he longer bear with them? Why not now, in view of this strange and wanton violation of their covenant, write upon them, "Lo-Ammi, Thou art not my people !"

Moses is ready to descend, to interpose and prevent, if possible, the continuance of this infatuated and monstrous idolatry; when God again addresses him. "This is a stiff-necked people; now, therefore, let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation."

Does God then forbid his servant to pray for them? May he not intercede? Moses had attempted no mediation; had offered no supplication. But it is apparent that God feels that if he should cry, as he might cry, he would prevail. "The words which seem to forbid, are really intended,” says a commentator, "to encourage Moses in his suit. They are not, indeed, a positive command to him to pray in behalf of Israel; but they indicate what it was that would stay the divine hand; and were equivalent to saying, "If you intercede for them, my hands are tied, and I cannot execute the deserved vengeance." Blessed power of prayer! "Able, after a sort," as Trapp says, "to transfuse a palsy into the hand of Omnipotence."

But the proposal of God to Moses--will he surmount that? "I will make of thee a great nation." Oh! thou man of God, what a trial of thy spirit! What an appeal to the ambition, which may be latent in thy heart! Thou offered the occupation of the high and exalted station of Abraham! Thou to become the father of the faithful! Canaan thine inheritance, and thine the blessings of that covenant, which in future years, will give through the line of thy posterity a Savior to the world!

Will Moses, in view of such personal interest; such promised honors; will he pray?

What a delightful exhibition does he give of the magnanimity and benevolence of his heart! Pray!he not pray? See how he seizes the first favorable moment to throw himself, in all the ardor of earnest and importunate entreaty, into the breach. Why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy

people," &c.

"The prayer of Moses on this occasion contains a threefold plea; (1.) That God would not reflect upon his own wisdom, by so soon destroying what he had employed so much power to preserve. (2.) That he would not give advantage to the Egyptians to glory over the ruin of a race whom they so much hated. (3.) That he would remember his covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The second of these arguments he prosecutes in the passage before us, and in doing so shows that he had the glory of God quite as much at heart as the welfare of Israel. Aware that the eyes and the tongues of Egypt, and the surrounding nations, were intent on finding matter of malicious triumph over a people so signally delivered from bondage, so miraculously sustained, so wondrously conducted, he would at all hazards preclude every ground and occasion upon which the divine glory could be blemished in the estimate of his enemies. Should the chosen people now, after such illustrious displays of divine power in their behalf, perish under the stroke of deserved wrath, what would be more natural than that fickleness or impotence should be imputed to their covenant God, and thus his holy name be blasphemed on every side? All that had been thus far done would go for nothing, and to human appearance the Most High would 'disgrace the throne of his glory.' But this was a consequence which the pious heart of Moses could not endure to contemplate, and therefore is he so emphatic in urging the question, 'what will the Egyptians say?"

But the great argument of all is the promise made to the fathers. "To the fulfillment of this promise the veracity of God would have been pledged, had it been given simply in the form of a plain declaration; but there was more than this; it was a promise confirmed by an oath, and an oath sworn by himself, than whom he could swear by no greater. Consequently nothing could be conceived more binding by which the honor of divine truth could be engaged to the per

formance of its stipulations. It is as if he had said, 'Lord, if thy people be now destroyed, shall not thy promise fail for evermore? And shall their unbelief be allowed to make thy truth of none effect? God forbid.'"

If there was ever a case in which prayer might have failed, was it not this? Who could expect the Lord to be propitiated towards a people so ungrateful; so insulting; so rebellious! Yet Moses prevails. And we have the divine attestation to the prevalence of his prayer; for the Psalmist declares, "he would have destroyed them, had not Moses, his chosen, stood before him in the breach."-Ps. 106. 23.

Wonderful the efficacy of prayer! And wonderful the forbearance and condescension of God!

EXODUS.

SECOND PRAYER OF MOSES.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin: and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: Behold, mine angel shall go before thee:-Ex. xxxii. 30-34.

WE have seen Moses prevail with God in the mount, to forego "the evil which he thought to do unto his people." His request being granted, he descends the mountain, and approaches the scene of mirth and idolatry. There stood the "molten calf," the monument of folly and madness; and there was the festive dance of God's chosen people around it; the evidence of impiety and rebellion.

It was a sight for which, meek as the man of God was, and apprised as he had been of what was transpiring in the camp of Israel, he was ill prepared. There was such an

abuse of divine goodness; there was such an insult upon the divine majesty; such a stain cast upon the divine glory, that we may well imagine that a holy indignation fired the bosom of Moses. The sequel proves the supposition true. He had borne from the mount "the tables of the testimony;" the workmanship of God; "hewn," as Jewish tradition would have it, "out of the sapphire of the throne of his glory;" these, so sacred, considering their origin, and still more sacred, viewed as containing the imperative law of Jehovah ; these, Moses dashes like a potter's vessel to the ground, in the sight of all Israel. It savored of rashness in appearance, but a divine impulse doubtless actuated him. It was a significant action, denoting that from the covenant, which his people had so sacrilegiously violated, God might justly consider himself released.

Hope, however, sprung to the bosom of Moses, and immediately he addresses himself to the emergency. The idol god is reduced to powder, which is mingled with water, and the people compelled to drink it. Aaron is summoned to account for the weak and guilty part he had taken in the transaction, which he attempts rather to explain, than to justify. The Levites are called to vindicate the divine honor, by putting to the sword neighbor, friend, relative; whosoever is found in open defiance in the camp. They enter upon the painful commission, and before night-fall three thousand pallid corpses upon the field proclaim how fearful it is to give an idol the place of the living God.

Thus the sullied honor of God is vindicated; the reproachful idolatry of his people condemned. But so deeply is the heart of Moses affected, that he must bewail before the Lord the wickedness and ingratitude of the people, and again lay before him the subject of their forgiveness. Accordingly he retires to prostrate himself before the mercy-seat. In tones of impassioned and pathetic eloquence he breaks forth: "Oh! this people have sinned a great sin!" He knew it; he felt it