and corrupt minds, which having solemnized, they intended to leave Sinai, and either to march back to Egypt, or forwards to Canaan.

66

When multitudes unite in any project, however rational, or however absurd, they soon find themselves in want of a leader; accordingly the Israelites tumultuously gathered themselves round Aaron, saying, Up, make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him." Strange stupidity and perverseness! that while the wonders of the Red-sea and of Marah were fresh in their memories, while the pillar of cloud and of fire were still before their eyes, while they daily fed upon bread from heaven, and water from the rock, they could forget God their Saviour, and ascribe their deliverance from Egypt, first to the man Moses, and afterwards to the idol, the work of their own hands: yet such is human nature! Who that shares it can find reason for pride? Surprising as was the conduct of the people in general, that of Aaron, the saint of the Lord, was still more so. complied with their absurd and impious suggestion, demanded of them the ear-rings and other orna ments which they had acquired as the spoil of Egypt, and partly by means of a mould, and partly of a graving tool, he fashioned the golden mass into the shape of a calf or ox, probably in imitation of what they had seen worshipped in Egypt. With this the people were mightily pleased, and though probably but a rude

VOL. I.

T

He

representation even of a beast, (for there had not been time, even for an accomplished artist to have brought it to any thing like perfection,) they considered it as a very proper similitude of the God, or gods, who brought them out of Egypt; and with strange inconsistency mingling the professed worship of Jehovah with their stupid idolatry, they proclaimed a feast unto the Lord. The people were already acquainted with the uses of burnt-offerings and peaceofferings, which they readily brought in great abundance; and having offered sacrifices to the image of the calf, they proceeded to feast upon the remainder of the oblations, and were engaged in mirth and diversions, probably in yet more gross excesses, when surprised by the return of Moses. The cry of their wickedness, the very thought of their iniquity, could not escape the ear, the discernment, of Him by whom thoughts and actions are weighed; and Moses, long before the sound of Israel's odious revels could reach his ear, had received intimations of their guilt. The tables of the law had already been committed to him, that he might go down from the mount and deliver them to the people; but at length his departure was urged in langauge which implied that the people had cast off Jehovah as their God and deliverer from Egypt, and which left Moses to infer that Jehovah also had rejected them. Moses, it should seem, was preparing to intercede for them, when the Divine Being proceeded to say, "Let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and

that I may consume them, and make of thee a great nation." Amazing! as if Omnipotence itself could not proceed in executing deserved vengeance upon the rebels, if stayed by earnest and believing intercession. Such honour has God been pleased to put upon the prayers of his people; and thus, that which seemed to forbid, in reality encouraged the prayer of Moses. The proposal of passing over to Moses the promises which Israel had forfeited, was evidently intended to prove and manifest the sincerity and fervour of his love to the people, and the extent of his disinterestedness.

Instead of at all alluding to this proposal, or neglecting to pray for the people, Moses interceded with intense earnestness and agony of mind; yet not attempting to palliate or excuse their sin, but pleading the glory of the Divine perfections, as interested in the event, for should Jehovah fail of his promises, or destroy his people, the nations, and especially the Egyptians, who had witnessed the previous wonders wrought on their behalf, and who were acquainted with the promises made to them, would impeach the justice, goodness, and veracity of God. This regard to the divine honour was well pleasing to the Lord, who graciously intimated to Moses his design of sparing the people, whom before He had seemed determined to destroy. In condescension to human weakness, it is said, "The Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people ;" for we cannot conceive of a change of conduct, in any individual, pro

ceeding from any other cause than a change of mind. The Divine Being is of one mind; and known unto Him are all his works, from the beginning to the end; He will not alter his purpose, and it is only as the aspect of His dispensations towards His crea tures (which is the external discovery of his purpose) may vary, that any expression cau with propriety be applied, that indicates change or repentance. Every good thought and desire proceed from God; and when the hearts of His people are set upon those things that are agreeable to His will, and promotive of His glory, He is pleased to render their earnestness and prayers the very means of bringing about the desires of their hearts. Thus we are strikingly taught what to pray for, how to pray, what pleas to urge, and whence to deduce encouragement for persevering in our supplications. During the forty days Joshua, the attendant of Moses, had waited for his master below the summit of the mount, yet far removed from the people: he was probably fed with manna, and spent the time in holy meditation; thus he escaped the temptation to sin which would have assailed him in the camp, and the distress of witnessing Israel's transgression. As they approached the camp, Joshua heard the noise of the shouting; Moses, although apprized of the cause, did not, it appears, inform him of the people's sin; but when they came near, within full sight of the camp, "Moses's anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the

mount." We are not to suppose this to have been a rash sally of passion, but a significant action, probably arising from a divine suggestion, and at once expressive of Moses' grief and abhorrence at Israel's crime, and intimating that the covenant was broken, and that the people lay exposed to the severest vengeance of God.

Moses then proceeded to deal with the idol and the people in such a manner as should render the former as contemptible a thing as possible in the sight of its stupid worshippers, and as should be likely to awaken the people to a sense of their guilt, and lead them to expect its fatal effects in bringing a curse upon all their comforts: he "took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel to drink of it ;" and so effectually were they overawed by the presence of Moses, that they seem not to have attempted any resistance when he took away their idol to destroy it, and subjected them to discipline so degrading. Nothing makes a man so cowardly and contemptible as sin; and those who sin with a high hand, and in proud defiance of the divine laws, are generally brought into the very dust of degradation, under the Divine chastisements. It is well when those chastisements prove the means of producing real humiliation and genuine repentance. Aaron, on being appealed to by Moses respecting the part he had taken in this senseless idolatry, made surely the