the accepted time; behold, now is the day of falvation."* "Return, ye backfliding children, and I will heal your backflidings; behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is falvation looked for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the falvation of Ifrael."+

*

2 Cor. vi. 2.

+ Jer. ii. 22, 23

Hiftory

History of Mofes.

LECTURE VI.

DEUTERONOMY i. 3

And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Mofes fpake into the children of Ifrael, according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them.

"Where is that thrift, that avarice of time,
O glorious avarice! thought of death infpires ?"

YOUNG.

BEHOLD this honourable thrift, this glorious avarice, exemplified in that moft amiable and excellent of mankind, Mofes, the man of God, who has condefcended to be fo long our inftructor and our guide. He is now in the laft month of his earthly exiftence; he is "ready to be offered up; the time of his departure is at hand;" and an illustrious inftance his laft days exhibits of how much may be done in a little time. Within the compafs of that month, that little month, all the words of this book were spoken in the ears of all Ifrael, and were committed to writing. The decree, the irreverfible decree had gone forth, he knew that he muft die; he therefore fets himself to redeem the time, and feeing his days are now few, not one of them shall be spent in vain.

The

The tide which carried him along to the world of spirits, is haftening to finish our course, to add us to the number of thofe who were, but are no more. Another month, a little month, must close our review of the life and writings of Mofes. A ftill fhorter period may close our worldly career; and when we part, it is to meet no more, till "the dead, fmall and great, ftand before God." Let us then feize the moments as they fly, and redeem our time. Let us drink into the spirit of Mofes, and learn of him how to live, and how to die.

er.

We see here a man living cheerfully, living ufefully to the laft. Two different and indeed oppofite feelings are apt to betray men into the fame practical error, that of miffpending their time, and neglecting their opportunities-the confidence of living long on the one hand-the near prospect of death on the othWhat we imagine it is in our power to do when we please, we are in great danger of never doing at all; and we feel the remorfe of occafion forever loft, ere we are well awake from the dream of a season continually at our difpofal; and it is but too common, when thus overtaken, difconcerted and confufed, to give up our work in defpair. Having much to do, and the time being fhort, we fit down, and lament our folly, and do nothing. Prefumption betrays us to-day, diffidence and defpondency deftroy us to

morrow.

But in the last weeks of Mofes's life we discover nothing of the indecent hurry of a man confcious of neglect, and eager to repair it. He neither runs nor loiters; but walks with the fteadiness and dignity of one whose strength is as his day; who has a labour prescribed, and ability to perform it. In his youth we have a pattern of generofity, and public fpirit, and courage, and greatnefs of mind; in his manhood, of wifdom, of diligence, of perfeverance, of fidelity; and now in his old age, of calmnefs, of devotion, of fuperiority to the world, of heavenly mindednefs.

Obferve

Obferve the excellency of his spirit, at this period, a little more particularly. He fet a proper value upon life. He defired its continuance, with the feelings natural to a man, he prized it as the gift of God, as the precious feafon of acting for God, of obferving and improving the ways of his providence, of doing good to men, of preparation for eternity. He prayed for its prolongation, without fearing its end; and he thereby reproves that rafhness which expofes life to unneceffary danger, that intemperance which wastes and fhortens, that indolence and liftlefsness which diffipate it; and that vice and impiety which clothe death with terror.

In Moses we have a bright example of genuine patriotifm. That moft refpectable quality appeared in him early, and fhone moft confpicuoufly at the last. "When he was come to years, he refused to be called the fon of Pharaoh's daughter: choofing rather to fuffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of fin for a feafon."* For Ifrael's fake he was willing to encounter a thousand dangers, to endure a thousand hardships. For them he braved the wrath of a king, facrificed his eafe, confented to be blotted out of God's book. For them he laboured, fafted, prayed; in their fervice was his life spent, and his dying breath was poured out in pronouncing bleffings upon them. If it went well with Ifrael, no matter what became of himself. Their unkindness and ingratitude excited no refentment in his breaft. When they rebelled he was grieved, when they were threatened he trembled, when they fuffered he bled, when they were healed he rejoiced. O how his temper and conduct reprove that pride, which perpetually aims at aggrandizing itfelf, which must have every thing bend and yield to it, which is ready to facrifice thoufands to its own humour or advantage; that selfishness which grafps all, fets every thing to fale, and refufes to be afhamed.

The

*Heb. xi. 24, 25.

The generofity and difintereftednefs of Mofes eminently adorned the clofe of his life. He was a father, and had all the feelings of that tender relation. It was natural for him to wifh and expect that his fons fhould be distinguished after his death, fhould be the heirs of his honour, fhould fucceed to his authority. An ordinary man would have been difpofed to employ the power which he poffeffed to build up, to enrich, to ennoble his own family: but the will of God. was declared. Jofhua was the choice of Heaven; Joshua his fervant, one of another family, another tribe. In the appointment Mofes rejoices, he adopts Joshua as his fon, as his affociate; fees him rife with complacency, puts his honour upon him: and thereby expofes to fhame that littleness of foul which envioufly repreffes rifing merit, that vice of age which can difcern nothing wife and good in the young; that tenacioufnefs of power which would communicate no advantage with another.

What anxiety does the good man discover that Ifrael fhould act wifely, and go on profperously af ter his death! There is no end to his admonitions and inftructions. By word, by writing, by infinuation, by authority, in the spirit of meekness, of love, of parental care, he cautions, he warns, he remonftrates. Men naturally love to be miffed, to be inquired after, to be longed for; but it was the delight of Mofes in his departing moments, that his place was already fupplied, that the congregation would not mifs their leader, that Joshua fhould happily accomplish what he had happily begun. Selfish men enjoy the profpect of the diforder and mifchief which their departure may occafion. Mofes forefaw the revolt of Ifrael after his decease, and it was the grief and bitterness of his heart.

In Mofes we have an inftructive inftance of that continuance in well-doing, that perfeverance unto the end, which finds a duty for every day, for every hour; which accounts nothing done fo long as any thing remains to be done, which cheerfully fpends and is

VOL. V.

F

spent