in these verses. Perhaps, because few things can be imagined more difficult, than, under their peculiar circumstances, such implicit obedience must have been; perhaps, also, when we consider how large a portion of the forty years they must have been absolutely stationary, strongly to proclaim to us the importance of the truth so beautifully expressed by our great poet,

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They also serve, who only stand and wait.'

How painful must it have been to the Israelite, full of energy and ardour, longing to be pressing forward through the dangers and trials of the wilderness, to the enjoyments of the promised land, day after day to cast a wistful glance upon the tabernacle, and see the cloud still stationary, and week after week, and month after month, look in vain for its removal! How trying is it oftentimes to the Christian minister, to be desirous, like the Israelite, of partaking of the toils and labours, themselves the pleasures and joys of the journey, and yet to be held back by providential hindrances, from all participation in them! How still more trying to the advanced and aged Christian, who can say with the apostle, " I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand;" and who can feel with that same apostle," that he had rather depart and be with

Christ," still to be called upon to linger in this house of clay, still to stand in watchfulness and prayer for the moving of the pillar!

What a much larger measure of grace does it require under almost every circumstance to wait for God than to work for God! And yet, however laudable be our zeal, there are times in which patience is more laudable; and the highest attainment of the most active, ardent, indefatigable Christian will be found in simple waiting for God, and upon God, until the pillar of fire and cloud shall once more beckon him onward, or upward. Happy, indeed, is he who, during the trying and tedious interval, has learnt to say from his heart,

"Sweet to lie passive in God's hands
And know no will but his."

EXPOSITION V.

[Here may be read the ten first verses of chap. x.]

NUMBERS X. 11-32.

11. And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.

.

12. And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai: and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran,

The Israelites had now been encamped, for about a twelvemonth, before Mount Sinai, and as we read, in the last chapter, that all the congregation were to partake of the passover in the first month of the second year, while the unclean were to wait until the sixteenth day of the second month, it seems as if the time for the breaking up of the encampment was appointed with a merciful reference to these latter, that none might be excluded from the grand festival, and that the armies of Israel should not march, until all were able to join them. Greatly, no doubt, had the Israelites longed for this removal, and yet, after all, it was only from wilderness to wilderness from Sinai to Paran; nothing better could they expect, and nothing better shall we ever find, in the removes of earth. An exchange of evils is the utmost we can hope for, until we reach the land from which evil is excluded.

[Here may be read from verse 13, to verse 28, inclusive.]

29. And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it

you come thou with us, and we will do thee good : for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.

30. And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.

Observe, here, the kindness and family affection manifested by Moses. How striking is it, that there is scarcely a patriarch or a prophet, of whose family any mention whatever is made who does not supply us with some beautiful instance of this christian grace. Moses, although

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reigning as a king in Jeshurum," feels as deeply interested in the welfare of his brother-inlaw, as if he had none beyond his own little circle to care for. "Come thou with us and we will do thee good," are the words of his affectionate entreaty. Hobab rejects it, upon the strong plea of his ties and of his kindred in his native land. But Moses, like a man deeply in earnest for the spiritual and temporal advantages of his relative, for we cannot doubt that both were included, thus continues.

31. And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.

32. And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.

It is evident, that Moses could have no need

of Hobab to act as eyes to the Israelites to point out when they should encamp and when they should march, for all this, as we have seen, was to be determined by the Almighty himself. The view, therefore, which Calvin takes of the passage is probably the true one; "Leave us not, I pray thee, but come and share with us in the promised land, for, therefore, hast thou known our encampment in the wilderness, and hast been to us instead of eyes; and we cannot make thee amends for sharing with us in our hardships, unless thou go with us to Canaan."

At any rate, it is evident that Moses was not repulsed by a first refusal, and there is reason to believe, although it is not recorded, that this second appeal was successful, for we find the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, mentioned in the book of Judges as dwelling among the people.*

Is it possible to read such an incident, without a deep feeling of humiliation and self-condemnation? Was Moses so earnest, so resolute, so strongly bent upon carrying with him all, over whom he possessed the slightest influence, or to whom he was in any degree united in the bonds of affection and relationship, to the promised land? And how have we felt, how do we feel, who also hope that "we are journeying to * Judges i. 16.