Now, although the same thought | sad, and during the night he did had come to the other father, he not sleep. The next day, on his had not dwelt upon it, "for," said return to the fields, he said to himhe, "God, who knows all, will also self, "I wish to see this poor watch over me, and over my wife, mother's little ones. Several, withand over my children." And this out doubt, have already perished." one lived peacefully, while the first So he crept towards the bush, and, did not enjoy an instant of rest or looking in, he saw the little ones in of inward joy. good health; not one seemed to have suffered.

One day as he was working in the fields, sad and cast down on account of his fear, he saw some birds enter a bush, fly out again, and then soon come back again. Having approached the place, he saw two nests placed side by side, and in each one several little birds, newly hatched and still without feathers. And when he returned to his work, from time to time he raised his eyes and watched these birds, who went and came, bearing food to their little ones.

Astonished at this, he hid himself to observe what happened. And after a while he heard a light cry, and saw the second mother bearing in haste the food that she had gathered, and she distributed it to all the little ones impartially; and there was enough for all, and the orphans were not abandoned in their misery. And the father who had distrusted Providence, recounted in the evening to the other father what he had seen. And the other said to him, "Why make yourself uneasy? God never abandons His children. His love has secrets that we know not of. Let us believe, let us hope, let us love, and let us pursue our way in peace. If I die At this sight, the man who was before you, you will be the father working felt his soul more troubled of my children; if you die before than before. 66 "For," thought he, me, I will be the father of yours. "the death of the mother is the And if we both die before they bedeath of the children. Mine have come of age to provide for their neonly me to depend on; what will cessities, they will have for their become of them if I fail them? "father the Father who is in the And all the day he was gloomy and heavens."

Now, at the moment when one of the mothers was returning with her beak full, a vulture seized it, bore it upward, while the poor bird, struggling vainly under its grasp, uttered piercing cries.

INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF MOSES.

BY THE REV. G. SHORT, B.A.

IV. PHINEHAS AND CHRIST.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace."-Num. xxv. 10-12.

THE Conduct of Phinehas was bold and intrepid. We will not say that it is one never to be repeated, even in Christian times. Under some circumstances it may be expedient, in this way, "that one man should die for the people." But it is hardly fit we should hold up the act of

Phinehas, as it was held up in the parliamentary wars, for the admiration and imitation of posterity. Phinehas's justification lay in the extraordinary guilt and shamelessness of those concerned, in the provokingly atrocious character of their sins, and in the exceeding great danger of the moral pestilence spreading. May we not add that as a priest of the most High he was probably under an afflatus from the Lord to do the deed he did? At any rate there are other lessons to be taught by the history besides those of religious zeal.

We are strikingly reminded here of the great evangelical atonement : its occasion, its accomplishment, and its result. There are resemblances to be noticed.

1. With regard to the occasion, we are told that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Jehovah is not a Being of "weak pities," incapable of moral resentment, or to whom all morality is a question of neutral tint; nor yet is He an easy, good-natured kind of Being, who will allow judgment to go by default, and laws to be honoured more in the breach than in the observance, as long as He is undisturbed. It is true we must be careful and not impute to the divine Being the perturbations, passions, weak irritabilities, or reckless and vindictive feelings common to men; as well as be careful, in submitting His attributes to the prism of our imperfect thought, to remember that His character is gloriously complete. There are none of those sharp divisions which our poor logic represents. Not only is His mercy a righteous mercy, but His righteousness a merciful righteousness; His holiness a pitying holiness; His very vengeance (to speak after the manner of men, and we always speak after the manner of men when we speak of the attributes of the most High) is delayed to the longest possible time, and is a reluctant vengeance. But, then, ought we to forget that there is such a thing as vengeance, or, as we prefer to call it, retribution? In the Old Testament He is described in terms of the most reverential awe. He is "the terrible God that keepeth covenant; "He will not at all acquit the wicked; " He "reserveth wrath for his enemies," and "taketh vengeance on his adversaries." "Who," says the prophet Nahum, "can stand before His indignation ?" In the New Testament He is represented similarly. Indeed! in the face of Jesus we see the treasured love of His heart breaking forth in a way it is impossible to exaggerate; but we see much besides. We talk of gentle Jesus, loving Jesus, tender Jesus, and frame to ourselves a kind of manhood for the Son of man that is weary, delicate, almost feminine in its character; but how far this is from correct let the Record show. More than once it is said He looked around upon the Jews with anger; and in the whole Bible there is hardly anything so stern as the fearful curses He pronounced on those wretched Pharisees. If there is any figure that is used more frequently than another to describe both His character and His mission, it is, "the Lamb; but then, to show that even this must not be misunderstood, we read of "the wrath of the Lamb." As if wrath were but inverted love, and the gentleness, tender

ness, and meekness of God's own Lamb could be inflamed, and could give place to wrath. No doubt of it; only the wrath of God is different from man's, it is a calm and holy energy seeking the restoration of the offender by the destruction of the offence.

2. With regard to the object accomplished the resemblance also holds good. What was that object? "To turn away the wrath of God." I know the objection to representing the anger of Almighty God as appeased by the interposition of Jesus. The Scriptures universally describe this interposition as originating in the love of God: "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." It was not to make God merciful that Jesus Christ came; it was because God was merciful. At the same time, would that mercy have ever been expressed if Jesus Christ had not come? Would the divine law have been vindicated, and penalty arrested, and pardon made possible, if Jesus Christ had not come ? How many of us at this moment would have been the peaceful possessors of a sense of divine favour and the rejoicing expectants of everlasting glory if it had not been for the work of Christ? Literally, none. Nor must that work of our dear Redeemer be toned down into one of sympathy, moral influence, self-abnegation, or selfsacrifice on His part; drawing us up and lifting us to the same sublime level as Himself. The work of Christ had, indeed, a man-ward aspect; but it had a God-ward aspect too. Account for it as we may or as we may not, there were real obstacles in the way of our salvation. We may not be able to explain the process of saving mercy any more than the sick man can the principles on which he is cured. Our poor theories may be pitifully inharmonious, partial, and untrue; that is not the question. Christ is described as doing something beyond merely influencing us. "He gave himself a ransom for us; "He bore away our sin; "He became a curse for us; "He is our "propitiation."

And of all the saved on earth as well as those in heaven there is not one who will not point to Christ and say, He is that to me without which there is no pardon, no peace, no blessing, no restoration to my God and Father, or prospect of heaven!

All this was wonderfully prefigured in the olden dispensation, not only by the daily sacrifice, by the representative character of the sons of Levi, by the most expressive typical rites such as the scapegoat and the Passover; but also by the great and good who sustained special relations, and discharged important offices. There is a system of prefiguration in nature; and so in reference to this great world-redemption. It was not fit that so wonderful a work should burst upon the world without notice or preparation. Accordingly, prophets, priests, and kings, great men and sometimes little men, were sent beforehand as heralds to proclaim the advent of King Jesus. Christianity was but the culmination of a long succession of previous events and persons; and among those sent to announce its coming, perhaps in respects feebly and imperfectly, was the great man of our text. 3. The resemblance holds good as to the result. God promised

some

Phinehas His "covenant of peace." As to the word "covenant," there is not a more precious word in the volume of Inspiration. It suggests to us thoughts of love, peace, and security, distinctly made known and definitely assured. It assures us of heaven, not by the voice of nature, or by the conclusions of science, or by attainments in virtue, but by the promise and oath of a covenant-keeping God. It guarantees the fact that God has made ample promises, embracing the most varied blessings, and extending through time and eternity. It indeed involves stipulations, both on our part and His; stipulations on our part which we might not be able to perform, but for which He has engaged to give us strength; stipulations on His part which shall most faithfully be kept. And now what have we to fear?" Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died." Whence can disturbance come ? Not from within for whereas there used to be internal anarchy-love against fear and fear against love, affection pointing one way and judgment pointing another, the will set on objects which were adverse to God's will, an upbraiding conscience threatening us with the consequences if we followed it-now it is all different, all is a beautifully going mechanism, love and fear and judgment and will and conscience and the Word of God all acting in harmony, and as great a difference from former things now prevailing as between forces in antagonism and forces at rest. God-ward there is peace, and man-ward there is peace; our bitter feeling to Him laid aside, and His reconciling love assuring us in Christ. All hostility is lulled to rest. The forces of nature are at peace with us; the ways of Providence are peace. There is nothing in God's empire but means peace, in life, death, within, without, toward man, toward God; peace under any and every circumstance such as He only can give who said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

So much for resemblances. There are many and important differences between Phinehas and Christ.

1. With respect to the amount of sacrifice involved in these interpositions. What was there of self-sacrifice in the atonement of Phinehas? At least there was nothing beyond the pain of witnessing the degradation and immorality of his countrymen, and the risk there was in slaying people so eminent in condition. How different was it with Christ! Is it true that the highest suffer most? that whereas a narrow spirit presents but a small target for misfortune, "the stamp of rank in nature is capacity for pain"? If so, what must Christ have suffered! Who can gauge the distance, or measure the varied woes, which such voluntary descent contained? We stand aghast at the physical anguish, we recoil at the shame; but the sufferings of the Redeemer were of a deeper nature. Like the disciples in the garden, we are only permitted to go a certain distance with the suffering Messiah. Into the dark shadow of that grief it is impossible for us to penetrate. But we can go a little way. You and I with our blunted

moral susceptibility and our narrow mental range would, notwithstanding, feel it unutterably repulsive to herd with certain characters. And there are those of us who would not read an impure book for any consideration. Now judge what it must be for one so pure as Jesus to associate with men and be associated with men bad as any we are acquainted with; and to read men's hearts worse than any printed book ever written. On the pure surface of His spirit the very breath of sin would have contracted a stain. Never one so pure as He! Yet He was numbered with transgressors. Not only was content to share their misfortunes, but was accounted a moral leper, not only participated in all the ills our flesh is heir to, but humbled Himself to the death of the cross.

And He, the Lord of men and angels, the adored of the heavenly host, the brightness of the Father's glory and express image of His person

2. With respect to previously entertained thought and purpose. The act of Phinehas was the result of a momentary impulse. From the nature of the circumstances, however long their abominations had continued, he could not long have meditated the deed. It was the shamelessness of Zimri's act which roused his wrath and fire. How different was it vith Jesus! No advantage was taken by His Father of a momentary enthusiasm. It was not an impulse; it was a long, an incalculably long entertained purpose. In the far back ages of eternity, He said, "Lo! I come, I delight to do Thy will, O God!" He came to die. It was the end and object of His existence. No mere accident, as when a man loses his life crossing a stream; no unexpected demand in the prosecution of a high emprise; no compulsory termination of a career which he would, if He could, have prevented; but the voluntary, deliberate, and eternal purpose of His heart. A resolve older than the hills; it goes back to unbeginning ages. "In the beginning was the Word.' Even then "His delights were with the sons of men." "the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world."

He was

Think of that, men and brethren. Are you surprised when you see Him setting His face like a flint to go up to Jerusalem with the full knowledge of all that will befall Him there? Are you surprised when you find Him with the glorified representatives of former economies, talking of the decease He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem? or when at earlier stages you see Him waiving aside all opportunities He had of averting such an end, and, unflagging, pressing on to His death as a kind of goal? You may go back much farther than that; the thread with the scarlet line runs through the woof of all previous dispensations. All through the ages one increasing purpose runs." The death

66

of Christ is the centre of history; the focus to which all previous events tend; the source whence the greatest of modern influences emanate. 3. Lastly, there is a difference in the spirit animating the atonements of Phinehas and Christ. If you were asked what was the predominant feature of the one, you would perhaps say a bold, fierce will; of the