not tell. This is somewhat worthy of notice. If John's baptism was under the law, that none of these scribes who were writers and expounders of the law, and the chief priests who officiated in the practical part of the law, and the elders, who were rulers in Israel, could not give a definite answer to this question; think ye, they were not acquainted with the law enough, to know what it contained? Why did they not say (when Christ asked them whence it was) it is under the law? The only reason that can be assigned is, because they found no precept. Hence they, were compelled to say, we cannot tell; or bring themselves under the rebuke of, why do you not believe on him? I think where we have no warrant, we had better say we cannot tell, than to say we can, when we can produce no evidence. I think a man would be on as safe ground to possess a farm without a warrantee deed, as a principle, without a Thus saith the Lord.

Now after the fulness of the law was given on Mount Sinai, they tarried a long time at the mount in preparing the tabernacle, and when it was finished and reared up, on the same day the cloud covered the tabernacle, and at evening there was as the appearance of fire until the morning on the tabernacle. After this, it appears that they commenced the practical part of the law, by eating the passover in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, and on the fourteenth day of the month at even, which was the beginning of months, as the first month in the year to them after they had received the fulness of the law.

So Christ commanded his disciples after they had received the full commission of the gospel, to tarry in Jerusalem until ye be endowed with power from on high. Then he gave them a parting blessing in Bethany, and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Thus the spiritual tabernacle, that is, with man, was prepared, and when the day of pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place (or in other words, all the boards of the tabernacle were completely put together, and raised up,) then suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, or in other words, the cloud or pillar of fire rested on the tabernacle ;) and they were filled with the Holy Ghost. and began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance; and then we find them to commence the work with power, and great things were done in the name of the holy child Jesus. And they celebrated the holy supper by breaking bread from house to house: but notwithstanding all this, the fetters of the old covenant were not yet all left behind; for Peter must be taught by a vision, that unto

the Gentiles also was granted repentance unto life. Thus, reader, you will find it is a long journey through the wilderness.

SECTION SEVENTH.

The next thing to be noticed is the wilderness of Paran,where the rock was smitten twice. Now the ancient name of this wilderness was called Paran, when the son of the bond woman dwelt there. See Genesis xxi. 21. And by Moses called Kadesh. And the desert of Zin is in the same wilderness, as saith Moses, Numbers xxxiii. 36. And they removed from Eziongeber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh. Now, it appears, they came into the wilderness of Paran the next year after the rock was smitten in Horeb, and the same year Moses sent out the spies, so they went up and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin, and returned after forty days, and came to Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel unto the wilderness of Paran to Kadesh; and from the time the rock was smitten in Horeb, to the time the rock was smitten twice in Kadesh, is twenty years; and from the time the rock was smitten in Horeb to the time they drank of the well Beer thirty-nine years; so as the historian saith, the water came from the rock for the thirty-nine years' supply of the Hebrews. I think we have no account of their obtaining water from any other place in this space of time, though literally there appears to be two rocks, and it was necessary there should be, in order to represent Christ as the circumstance required. just as much as it was necessary there should be two tables of stone.

Now when the spies had returned, and ten of them brought an evil report of the land, the whole congregation rebelled and turned with their hearts into Egypt, and the wrath of God was kindled against them; and had not Moses interceded, they must have been immediately cut off: but by virtue of his intercession they were not all consumed, yet the plague began, and there died of them fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides them that died about the matter of Korah: but Aaron burnt incense before the Lord, and the plague was stayed, that they were not immediately cut off. But all the old fathers (save Caleb and Joshua who brought the truth) where detained in the wilderness during life, while God declared, that the young tribes born in the wilderness should be heirs to the land. (Reader, let me give you a timely caution here, while you are attached to the old covenant of works, how you look over into the glorious gospel which is salvation by grace alone, and bring an evil report of this glorious doctrine and publish it to the world: lest you, and all that believe your report, be detained in the wilderness during life.) Now the separation between the old and young

tribes, is to be explained more clearly when the rock in Kadesh is smitten twice. Here, reader, you may learn that it is one thing to open the way of salvation, and it is another to reveal the way opened. And it is abundantly evident that this rock represented Christ, and being twice smitten, shews us that he was not only smitten to satisfy the holy law and open the way of salvation: but he was smitten that he might open a door whereby he might bring his people out from under the covenant of works into gospel liberty, as he saith, John x. 3. To him the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. Here, Peter, when he viewed the rock smitten twice, learnt that unto the Gentiles also was granted repentance unto life. And Timothy gets the information how to be a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth; for this view of the Rock leads the mind to notice the old tribes, in consequence of transgression, detained in the wilderness during life; while the young tribes become heir to the promise, or to draw the dividing line between the law and the gospel, or the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, as saith the apostle, for if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

SECTION EIGHTH.

I shall pass in the next place to notice their journey from mount Hor to compass the land of Edom where the people spake against God and against Moses and said, there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread. In consequence of which God sent fiery serpents amongst them, and they bit the people, and the cure by the brazen serpent.

Now whether the people yet had a supply of water from the rock, and despised it as they did the manna, that I shall leave, but let that be as it will, a murmuring spirit God will judge. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much of Israel died, but God provided a remedy, viz. that Moses should make 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.

Now although the sentence was passed against the old tribes in Kadesh, that their carcases should fall in the wilderness, yet forty years is pointed out from the time they came out of Egypt to nurse their little ones, and then the separation shall take place. I have often thought this subject has suffered much wrong both by ancient and modern explanation; for this figure is commonly taken in this way: In the first place to represent the state of mankind by the fall, as bit with the fiery serpent,

to wit, the devil, whereby they are dead in trespasses and sins; and in the next place, that Christ as represented by the brazen serpent being raised on the pole of the gospel; and sinners that are bitten, by looking to Christ are healed. Now the first existing difficulty that appears in this explanation, is that those persons here bitten were previously and figuratively regenerated in the Red Sea: the second is the impropriety of a dead and blind man's looking to Christ. I am ready to think that if the eyes of the blind are not first opened, (notwithstanding Christ being raised on the pole of the gospel) they would die with the bite. But inasmuch as this kind of explanation has nothing to do with the figure in this place, I shall endeavour to give the reader a concise statement of the subject, for the Jewish church were not only God's chosen people, but had in a figurative sense passed through regeneration, and had received the law from God on Sinai mount, and in this place he taught them his righteous judgments in consequence of sin, or transgression of that law which they had received, and the only remedy to which they must appeal.

It will be remembered that this people had sinned by murmuring against God, and against Moses, and the fiery serpents were sent as a judgment upon them for their sin, and as hath been observed, Zion shall be redeemed with judgment; therefore, this judgment was sent to humble them and bring them at his feet, in humble repentance: but in a gospel sense we are not in a particular manner to expect temporal judgments, because of transgression, though itbe God's prerogative to send them, and to sanctify them to us, as he saith, all things shall work together for good to them that love God. But we are to expect spiritual judgments, and God in his wisdom knows best what shall terminate for his great Name's glory, and be suitable to humble his creatures; and if we, for want of suitable attention to the word, are left to embrace an error, we bring ourselves under censure, he may justly leave us to the buffetings of Satan, and so become more and more engrossed until it has entirely blinded the eyes of the understanding; so that we become dead to the liberty of the gospel, and form a part of that class that the apostle speaks of, that through fear of death are all their life time subject to bondage. Or if the case be such as to be guilty of fraud or bringing an accusation without a cause, or even neglect of known duty it is taking a step on the enemy's ground, and that is sin, and God will visit the transgressor with his rod, and these chastising strokes is laid upon us to humble us, and teach us the necessity of looking to Christ by faith and repentance, as⚫ the only remedy to cleanse the guilt of sin. I shall now leave the reader to judge for himself on this comment, and pass on.

SECTION NINTH.

In the next place I shall notice their journey from Edom to Arnon between Moab and Ammon, being about thirty-nine years after the rock was smote in Horeb, the Lord gave them water from the well called Beer.

Now when they had experienced this sore judgment from God, by being bitten with fiery serpents, they became penitent and acknowledged their sin to Moses, and wished him to intercede with God in their behalf; and so the wrath of God was turned from them, and he dealt with them in mercy, not only by healing the bite of the serpents, but gave them water from this well.

I shall be short on this subject, for the light has in a good degree been given. Suffice it to say, we learn that in case of repentance, the Lord favors his people with the smiles of his countenance and free pardon of sin, and grants them the water of life from the spiritual well-the Lord Jesus Christ.

SECTION TENTH.

In the next place I shall take a view of Moses on mount Pisgah. When Moses was about to close his testimony, he gave the people a peculiar charge, and said, set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do all the words of this law; for it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life, and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. And the Lord spake unto Moses that self-same day, saying, get thee up into this mount. And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho, and from this mount the Lord shewed him all the land, but said,

thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses died there in the land of Moab, but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

Now as it hath been observed that figures must change according to the place they are required to fill, (for when God converses with us, by figures, it is like our conversing with one that is deaf and dumb, by signs, and the signs must be placed in a different attitude, in order to communicate different things, so that they may be understood;) so God said to Moses, Thou shalt be to Aaron instead of God, and as he stood between God and the people, he filled the place of a mediator. Again; we find Moses to have the rod of God in his hand, and authorised to use it, which rod was evidently a type of the divine law, and with it