DISCOURSE XIII.

THE TABLES OF TESTIMONY.

EXODUS XXxi. 18.

And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

AMONG the holy things enumerated by St. Paul, as placed within the vail, were the tables of the covenant which God made with Israel. Heb. ix. 4. These were

deposited in the sacred ark or chest, and encompassed on every side by the outspread wings of the cherubim of glory. They differ from the book of the law in its fulness of ceremonial requirement, named by the same apostle in Heb. ix. 19; inasmuch as the two tables contained simply the ten words or commandments of the moral law written by the finger of the Lord himself, and recording therein that rule of judgment and of government applicable alike unto all times and unto all circumstances of mankind. Both the moral and the ceremonial law, however, were parts of one grand revelation unto Israel; and although unto the rest of mankind, the observances of the ceremonial law have ceased in their operation, yet do the priesthood and the

atonement of Jesus Christ stand us in their stead; and the method of escape from judicial penalty is thereby shown to be alike in every age to every child of man. The law called moral can never be dispensed with, and the law of sacrifice alone opens a way of escape for the guilty transgressor of it.

The Church of England has justly and properly declared, in its seventh Article, that the Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for, both in the Old and New Testament, everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man. This sentiment is in beautiful accordance with the inspired testimony, which represents the Lord Jesus Christ in the characteristic emblem of a lamb slain both before the foundation of the world and since the foundation of the world; 1 Pet. i. 20, and Rev. xiii. 8: before the foundation of the world, as the fore-ordained provision in the eternal purpose, for mankind's defection; and since the foundation of the world, that no child of transgression might want a plea for mercy at the footstool of the everlasting throne. Hence, it cannot be too much to affirm, that no sinner of the human race has been, or is, or can be, justified with God, but through the precious blood-shedding of Jesus Christ. Anticipatively or retrospectively, salvation must necessarily centre in the cross of Calvary. It is there the attributes of Deity commingle in gracious harmony, and thence it is that those attributes will radiate in glory throughout the universe.

There is no subject of theology of greater importance towards the formation of really spiritual and gracious character in man, than the nature and use of the moral commandments of the Almighty. The right explication of these commandments is of the utmost consequence,

as affecting both the truth of God and the salvation of his people. It is because they are so little understood in their spirit and felt in their purity, that, therefore, so much mistake in character and in a just appreciation of the Gospel prevails. May we then be enabled, by the only infallible Teacher of divine truth, rightly to open this sacred matter to you, and so, by gracious consequence, to induce stability in the Christian hope, and grateful feelings of admiration and of confidence towards that High and Holy One, who, while he could not give us an imperfect law, or lower the requirements of his righteousness in adaptation to our lapsed condition, has, nevertheless, opened a way, wonderful in all its provisions, for our deliverance from the curse of the law, and which will ultimately crown that law itself with unfailing glory and honour.

We will

I. Notice a few of the general circumstances with which the Tables were delivered: And II. State more particularly some of the uses which the Law subserves.

In noticing

I. A few of the circumstances wherewith the Law was delivered,

The first thing claiming our attention is, The surpassing splendour of the scene witnessed in mount Sinai. Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel, saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet, as it were, a paved work of a

sapphire-stone, and, as it were, the body of heaven in his clearness. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. Ex. xxiv. 10-17. We find a very similar vision of the Divine effulgence recorded in Ezek. i. 26; in both instances particular mention is made of the sapphire-stone, as being peculiarly illustrative of the manifested glory of God. In Revelation iv. 3, the figure is changed from the sapphire to the jasper and sardine stone. This is remarkable, and indicative, we conceive, of Deity, before and subsequent to the incarnation. Previous to the incarnation, the God of glory is seen as the burning sapphire; there was, indeed, the likeness of the appearance of a man in the prophet's vision, but this likeness was so involved in the appearance of the glory of Jehovah, that its features could be but dimly discerned: whereas, after the incarnation, he was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone; literally, a stone-jasper and a sardine: altogether, his aspect resembled the combination of a jasper and a sardine. In the former state it was the beaming forth of that glorious Nature which dwells in light uncreate and inaccessible; but still in the form of anticipative manhood: in the latter, it is that same glory embodied and presented to our faith in the Son of Mary. For, be it remarked, the sardine is the colour of flesh, or a blood-red colour; but the jasper is clear as crystal, Rev. xxi. 4: the two, therefore, blended and united, present unto our faith the aspect of flesh, shining in the light of godhead glory-the body of heaven in his clearness, presented in the human face or person of Jesus Christ. Thus we can understand how the incarnate Son can be at once the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person. Heb. i. 3. The

God of Israel in mount Sinai, and the Son of man in the mount Tabor, are the Divine and the human natures brought into wonderful conjunction in Jesus Christ. If you will compare Ex. xxiv. and Matt. xvii., we think that you will see, under the anointing of the Holy One, a remarkable coincidence and accordance in the appearance of God to Moses, and the transfiguration of Jesus before Peter, James, and John: the sapphirebrilliance, if we may so say, of the one appearance, will be found tinged with the sardine redness of the other; and both conjointly will awaken your admiration of that glorious Personage by whom the law was both delivered and obeyed.

A second circumstance worthy of our observation, as attending the delivery of the law, is, it was given by the hands of a Mediator. The law was ordained, says St. Paul, by angels in the hand of a Mediator; Gal. iii. 19: angels attending its delivery, and the law itself being intrusted to the hand or care of Moses for due administration in Israel. In like manner, St. Paul moreover declares, unto the Christian Israel, Ye are come unto the mount Zion.... unto Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant. Heb. xii. 24. Hence, when the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they removed and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness(through excess of splendour, dark)—where God was. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, All the words which the Lord