"again of water and of the Spirit." As in the waters of the Red Sea the Ifraelites were "bap"tifed unto Mofes ;" fo we are "baptifed into "Jefus Chrift, buried with him by baptifm un"to death, that we may walk in newness of "life 8." We are "buried with him in baptifm, "wherein alfo we are rifen with him, through the faith of the operation of God h." 66 The Ifraelites were called to live by faith as to their daily fupport in the wildernefs. We have already feen, that they were miraculously fed. But this is not all that deferves our attention here. They had their food from day to day. Except for the fabbath, they were never to referve any of their manna for the next day. They were to depend on the fame almighty hand which fed them to-day, to supply them to-morrow. While this teaches us a conftant dependence on our heavenly Father even for temporal fupport, and illuftrates the folly and ingratitude of indulging anxious thoughts; it especially exhibits the manner in which we are called to lead our spiritual life. That grace, which we have received today, will not fuffice for to-morrow. It will be as useless as the manna, that was kept over-night, which "bred worms and ftunk." The moment we truft to grace already received, through our corruption it breeds the filthy worm of spiritual pride; and this will caufe all our exercife to fend forth "a ftinking favour." Like the Ifraelites, every day muft we look to heaven for another fhower g Rom. vi. 3, 4 h Col. ii. 12. i Exod. xvi. 19. fhower of the fpiritual manna. In this fenfe, must we fupplicate our Father for "our daily bread." We must not think to feed on Chrift in us; but look by faith for "that bread which cometh "down from heaven," which still cometh in the difpenfation of the word, and in the renewed communications of his Spirit. Thus will our ftrength be" renewed day by day." The promise points out no other courfe; "As thy days, fo fhall thy ftrength be." 66 How were the Ifraelites called to terminate their fojourning in the wildernefs? It was in a way fimilar to that in which it was begun. In leaving Egypt they had paffed through the Red Sea; and they could not enter the promifed land, without paffing through Jordan. In both cafes, it was neceffary that they should "believe in JE"HOVAH." This teaches us how the Chriftian finishes his courfe in this wilderness. It is just as he begun it, by faith. What is faid of the Patriarchs, applies to all true Chriftians: "Thefe all "died in faith ." The Ifraelites might not enter Jordan, till the ark of the covenant went before them. As foon as the priests, who bare it, touched the waters with the foles of their feet, Jordan was divided, and its waters flood on heaps'. Now, it is only by the eye of faith, fixed on Jefus, who is both our New-Teftament ark and prieft, that we can fafely enter into Jordan. It is our confolation, that he hath gone into the terrible river of death, and paffed through before us. This alone k Heb. xi. 13. 1 Josh. iii. 11. 13. 66 66 alone can make our paffage fafe. The eye of faith must be directed to Jefus, as "the living One, "who was made dead m," that he might deliver us both from the power, and from the fear of death. Through his death, indeed, we have the moft ample ground of affurance that death can do us no injury. He hath not only gone through Jordan before us, but he paffes through it with every true Ifraelite. God expreffes his promife of deliverance to his fpiritual Ifrael, by an evident allufion to the great temporal deliverances wrought for his ancient people, at the Red Sea, and at Jordan: "When thou paffeft through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they fhall not overflow thee." Although death fhould feem to be armed with many terrors, we have no reafon to be afraid. It was the will of God, that at the very time that his people had to pafs through Jordan, it fhould overflow all its banks. But when it made the moft threatening appearance, it was juft as eafy for him to dry up its waters, as if they had been confined in their ordinary channel. This very circumftance affords ground for a moft comfortable promife: " Surely in the floods of great waters they "fhall not come nigh unto him P." It was because the LORD had taken to himself the character of a Redeemer, that he did not fuffer Ifrael to perish in the Red Sea, or by the fwellings of Jordan and his Church has the most ample fecu rity, m Rev. i. 18. n Ifa. xliii. 2. o Josh. iii. 15. rity, from his ftill fuftaining the fame character, only in a more exalted fenfe. Does he fay to her, "When thou paffeft through the waters I will be "with thee," what is the reafon? "For I am the "LORD thy God, the Holy One of Ifrael thy Sa"viour." He calls to remembrance the former difplays of his power and love, as an argument for renewed difplays of the fame kind; "I gave 66 Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for "thee. Since thou waft precious in my fight, "thou hast been honourable, and I have loved "thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and "people for thy life 9." What was the fecurity given to the Ifraelites for the poffeffion of Canaan? It was the promise of their God. How were they to conquer a people more numerous and ftronger than themselves, and defended by "cities walled to heaven?" To faith alone was victory exhibited. The deftruction of Jericho, upon the entrance of Ifrael into the promised land, was merely a prelude of the means by which they were to obtain victory." By "faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they "were compaffed about feven days." Hence we learn, how we are to obtain poffeffion of the heavenly Canaan, and to be victorious over all our ene▾ mies. It is only by faith: and thus we shall be "more than conquerors."-But on this part of the subject we mean to offer a few thoughts afterwards. q Ifa. xliii. 2.-5. XIV. In r Heb. xi. 30. 66 XIV. In the hiftory of the Ifraelites, we have a moft affecting account of their multiplied murmurings and rebellions, and a most striking display of divine longfuffering. They had feen all the wonderful works of God in Egypt. Yet "they provoked him at the fea, at the Red Sea s." They contemptuously faid to his fervant Mofes ; "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast "thou taken us away to die in the wilderness ." They had fcarcely paffed through the Red Sea, ere they murmured for want of bread, faying to Mofes and Aaron, "Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, "when we fat by the flesh-pots, and did eat bread "to the full for ye have brought us forth unto "this wilderness, to kill this whole affembly with 66 hunger "." So carnal were the hearts of this people, that they reckoned the lot of heathens preferable to theirs. In the madness of their rebellion, they feem willing to die by the immediate ftroke of divine vengeance, if they might die with a full belly. God gave them "bread "from heaven;" but fo far were they from being fatisfied, that their "foul lothed that light "bread "." They wished for water; and when they found it, they murmured because it was bitter w. They afterwards murmured for flesh. They murmured against Mofes and Aaron, because of the peculiar honour God had conferred on them y. God gave the most fignal evidence of his indignation, by making the earth to open and fwalVOL. I. Bb low Píal. cvi. 7. t Exod. xiv. II. u Exod xvi. 3. v Num. xxi. 5. y Num. xvi. 1.-3. |