expreffion ftrongly intimates the near relation in which he stood connected with them, his tender compaffion toward them, and his deep concern for their welfare in all their troubles. It alfo indicates his conftant readiness to relieve them from their diftreffes on every proper occafion, after the end was effected for which they were fent. In all the afflictions of Ifrael, fuch were the kind compaffions of God, who poffeffes power and inclination to help and deliver his people, as far as compatible with the infinite perfections of his nature, that he is reprefented as feeling for them, and ready to embrace the earlieft opportunity of refcuing them from evil-How refreshing the confolation contained in the words we have been confidering-how reviving the thought to the people of God, when in trouble, that they have the pity and fympathy of an omnipotent friend, who commiferates the afflicted in all their sufferings and forrows! And the angel of his prefence faved them. From this defignation it is evident, that the illuftrious perfon here mentioned, to whom is attributed the falvation and fupport of Ifrael, muft in fome fenfe be distinct from Jehovah, whose messenger he is, whilft the operations afcribed to him plainly fhew, that he is poffeffed of the perfections of Deity, which the following circumftances fully confirm. The Lord God being determined to bring forth the children of Ifrael from fervitude in Egypt, the angel of the Lord appeared in a flame of fire, out of the midft of a bush, to Mofes, whom he appointed to be their leader, and faid, 'I am the God of thy fathers *,' &c. The perfon who rescued the Ifraelites from bondage was the angel of God, who went before the camp of Ifrael, in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night t. And after the promulgation of the law from mount Sinai, Jehovah informed that people, Exod. xxiii. 20 • Behold 1 fend an angel before thee,' &c. This is he, (faid the firft Chriftian 'martyr Stephen) who fpake to Mofes at mount 'Sinai, 'Sinai, and to our fathers, who received the lively 'oracles to give unto us *. Of him Isaiah faith, that he faved the people of Ifrael from the dangers, evils, and enemies wherewith they were encompaffed.That in his love and pity be redeemed them from the miferable condition to which they were reduced. When almost ready to perish, through the cruel hardfhips they fuftained, he brought them forth from the furnace of affliction, and rescued them from the terrible calamities whereby they were oppreffed. Indeed their falvation could not have proceeded from any other fource than his love and pity, who redeemed their great progenitor, the patriarch Jacob, from all evil t. To the fame angel thould be afcribed the praise of the redemption of his pofterity, who is the Son of God, infinitely fuperior to all the other angels, the Redeemer, and the avenger of the Church, the Light, the Holy One of Ifrael, their Saviour and Lord, who, under the new economy of grace, is called the Brightness of the Father's glory .'-The fame caufes which operated to effect their redemption, ftill induce him to beftow deliverance on his chofen people, and to confer upon us all the mercies we receive. Let the redeemed of the Lord fay fo, whom he hath refcued from the hand of the enemy, and led forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation §. He bare them, and carried them all the days of old. When ready to be overborne and preffed down by the grievous calamities they fuftained, incapable of fupporting themselves, and greatly in need of his friendly aid, he stepped in to their relief. He fuftained them in their feveral exigencies; he fupported their minds; he put ftrength into them, whereby they were upheld and kept from fainting.-He carried them. This expreffion may be confidered as an advance on the former, and may denote, that he not only fuftained them, but fortified their minds and comforted. comforted their hearts under their fufferings and forrows, thereby giving them remarkable proofs of his kindness and care, which are thus celebrated by Mofes *: The Lord your God, who goeth before you, he fhall fight for you,' &c. Are there not fome of you, my hearers, who have enjoyed this high privilege? What then fhall you render unto the Lord for the difplays of his love, care, and faithfulnefs? In humble dependence on his grace, act with vigour in his fervice, and labour to abound in every good work, to the glory of God your Saviour. 10. ¶ But they rebelled, and vexed his holy fpirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. The ungrateful conduct of the Ifraelites, for the important benefits they received from God, with the fevere punishment which they fuffered on that account, is here defcribed in ftrong terms. Instead of being thankful and obedient to their liberal benefactor, they were most undutiful and rebellious, according to the teftimony of Mofes and the prophets. How explicit the charge brought against them by their leader and legiflator, in these words, Remem⚫ber, and forget not how thou provokedft the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, un'til ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord *. When the Lord God fent his fervant Ezekiel to speak unto them, he told him, I ⚫fend thee to the children of Ifrael, to a rebellious ⚫ nation, that hath rebelled against me t. They were uniformly hard-hearted, and obftinately perfifted in the most enormous tranfgreffions. At three different periods, however, did they more grievously revolt from God, and acted in daring oppofition to his authority; namely, in the days of Mofes, who thus addressed them, * Deut. i. 30, 31. + Deut. ix. 7. + Ezek. ii. 3. them: You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you. Their condu& in this refpect became again most notorious in the period prior to the captivity at Babylon, when they mocked the meffengers of God, defpifed his words, and mifufed his prophets, as it is written t. Nor was: their behaviour lefs criminal at the time the gospel was published by Jefus Chrift and his apoftles, and there was a large effufion of the Holy Ghoft; for then they put away from them the word of God, and judged themfelves unworthy of everlasting life t. By thus acting in direct oppofition to the will of God They vexed bis holy Spirit, who in the Old Teftament is called the Spirit of Jehovah, the good Spirit of God, the Spirit of grace, and by feveral other names, in reference to his special agency, and the effects he produces. His peculiar work is to foretel, by his fervants, future events relative to the Church, as he did of old by Mofes and the prophets; and to demonftrate, by infalible figns and wonders, the truths which he reveals to those who are inspired by him. In accomplishing the falvation of men, he convinces them of fin; he enlightens their minds; he purifies their hearts; he elevates their affections to divine objects; he restrains them from evil, and furnishes them for the practice of that which is good; he endows with knowledge, wisdom, love, and confidence; and adminifters comfort to the afflicted and dejected. This holy Spirit was given to the children of Ifrael, under the former economy, that he might inftruct them, as was acknowledged by good: Nehemiah §. Far from cherishing his benign influence, and fub. mitting to his falutary inftructions, they vexed and grieved him. The expreffion alludes to the uneafinefs and forrow felt by a kind friend, when he obferves his counfels and admonitions rejected by those in whom he is deeply interested. In reference to this well known circumftance, our prophet affirms, that the holy Spirit, was grieved by the pofterity of Abraham, +2 Chron. xxxvi. 16. 5 Chap. ix. 20. *Deut.. vii. 2 Abraham, who were ungrateful for his benefits, who ftubbornly refifted his authority, and, by obftinate impenitence, infidelity, and difobedience, rejected his convictions and counfels. To this odious conduct they were shamefully addicted. Notwithstanding they faw his works, and received his mercies, they grieved him forty years in the defart. Afterward, when the Lord God teftified against them by his Spirit; they would not give ear *. The fame heavy charge, brought against them by Ifaiah, was renewed by Stephen before his death, who thus accused them: Ye ftiff-necked and uncircumcifed in heart and ears, ye do always refift the Holy Ghoft; as your fathers did, fo do yet-Beware of grieving the Holy Spirit, either by omiffion of duty or commiffion of fin. Take heed that you counteract not his gracious influence, who is a Spirit of light and love, of holiness and confolation, and fo provoke him to depart from you. Liften to his kind fuggeftions, his faithful admonitions, and falutary inftructions, who intends, by his various operations, to refine you from the drofs of corruption, and to form you into the Divine refemblance. Therefore he was turned to be their enemy, &c. This tremendous judgment was inflicted on the defcendants of Ifrael, for their having vexed the Holy Spirit. He who in former times had acted toward them as a kind friend, was fo highly difpleafed at their contemptuous conduct, that he deferted them, and deprived them of thofe important benefits wherewith they had been favoured. He withdrew the Divine light that had fhone upon them, and left them under the power of darkness, in blindness of mind and hardness of heart. He made them hear, in place of the word of life and falvation, terrible denunciations of dreadful calamities, and made his judgments to go forth as the light. He withheld from them his reviving, ftrengthening, and comforting communications, and fuffered their minds to be filled with confternation and terror, fo that, as Mofes |