stillness of the situation, that they have imagined themselves in the presence-chamber of the Almighty. But I think the scenes among which Moses now spent his time were equally grand, equally solemn, equally inspiring; nay, they were in some respects grander, more solemn, and more inspiring than the ocean in its noblest moods. It is no great stretch of imagination to suppose, that when God appeared to him in the bush, he was musing alone at eventide, while the flock rested near at hand. Round about him lay a number of barren, rocky eminences, which gave the scenery a wild, dreary aspect. Right before him the mount of God reared its lofty head, crowned with the last lingering rays of the setting sun. One star after another made its appearance in the sky, as the twilight gathered strength and the shades of night advanced. The voices of nature were hushed, silence reigned supreme; but the silence seemed to be audible, seemed to grow more and more eloquent, seemed to speak in solemn tones of man's littleness and God's greatness, of the insignificance of time and the enduring grandeur of eternity.

"And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed." There is an apparent discrepancy-a seeming contradiction

between this statement and that in the fourth verse, for it is said there that it was "God" who "called unto him out of the midst of the bush." But the discrepancy or contradiction admits of a very simple explanation. The "angel of the LORD" in the first statement, and "God" in the second, are the same, for the word "angel" in this case does not mean any created intelligence, but merely the visible symbol of God's presence. The word "angel signifies a messenger, and is used in Scripture to describe an office, rather than any particular order of beings. It is applied to the heavenly host, as in the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is applied to Christian ministers, as in the Book of Revelation. It is applied to impersonal agents, such as winds, pestilences, and remarkable dispensations; as in the case of the destruction of the Assyrians by an angel, where the angel means a fatal wind; and in the case of the havoc wrought among the people whom David had numbered by an angel, where the angel means a terrible pestilence; and in the case of the death of Herod by the stroke of an angel, where the angel means a loathsome disease. Thus the medium which God employs to accomplish His will, or to reveal Himself to men, is called a messenger or an angel, whether that medium be personal or impersonal, a heavenly being or an earthly power.

"The LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire."

We are

This appearance deserves special notice. told that our God is a consuming fire, that He dwelleth in light which no man can approach unto, that He covereth himself with light as with a garment. These expressions, no doubt, refer to the shekinah or the usual symbol of the Divine presence among men.

I

I would recommend you to examine for yourselves the various passages of Scripture where this symbolical presence, the shekinah, is mentioned. think you would find it a very interesting and a very profitable exercise. I can only make a passing reference at present to a few instances. The shekinah appeared in paradise; for when Adam and Eve were driven thence, there were placed at the east end of the garden cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. The shekinah appeared in the wilderness; for when the children of Israel sojourned there, the Lord led them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire. The shekinah appeared in the tabernacle; for upon the ark of the covenant a light shone between the cherubim, and filled the place with glory. And it was the shekinah which appeared to Moses in the bush; for the bush burned with fire, and was not consumed.

Very awful was the sight upon which Moses now gazed, very solemn were the feelings which filled his

breast.

Repulsed and yet attracted, trembling and yet charmed, he stood rivetted to the spot, and said, "I will now turn aside, and see this great sight." The Lord saw him, saw his inward fear, saw his earnest longing to understand the vision; therefore, He called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses." And he said, "Here am I." And the Lord said, "Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." In the East men show their respect, reverence, homage, by uncovering their feet, as we do by uncovering our heads; they take off their shoes when we should take off our hats; both acts have precisely the same meaning. Moreover, the Lord said, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Though Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were dead, yet they lived; God was yet their God, and God's covenant with them would yet be fulfilled. "And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God." Though he was God's servant, still he was a sinner; the presence of infinite purity could not less than reveal to him his own sinfulness, so that instead of brightening up with joy, he only quailed with

terror.

Let us learn from this scene, my friends, how to conduct ourselves in God's presence. Of course,

God is present everywhere, He pervades the whole universe, He fills the infinitude of being; we are never in this sense out of His presence, and our conduct should therefore be an habitual recognition of this solemn fact. Still there are times and places in which we come into God's special presence. When we open God's book, and meditate upon its contents, and endeavour to profit in the study of it, His presence breathes in every page, and speaks words of mercy, warning, and encouragement to our souls. When we retire to our closets, to make known our wants to God, to confess our many faults, to seek renewing grace, His presence fills the place, and makes it holy ground. When we assemble ourselves together in God's house, to present our united worship at His footstool, to preach and hear the glorious truths of the Gospel, then His presence is in our midst, like the shekinah of old, which shone between the cherubim in the Holy of holies. With what reverence, what humility, what godly fear, ought we then to engage in these important exercises! Ah! my friends, it makes one sad to think, how men can treat their Bible as if it were mere trash; how men can repeat their prayers, as if they were useless forms; how men can hear the Gospel, as if it were a worthless tale! Their wandering look, their hollow smile, their lazy attitude, prove that they come to