January 28

THE image is parental. In another part of this book the reference is to a parent bird : "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings, so the Lord alone did lead him." Here the allusion is to a human parent, and it is worthy of remark, how often the allusion is made in the Scriptures. Thus, to mention a few of them: "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." "I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." "If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, who is in heaven, give good gifts to them that ask him?" The softer sex is also adduced, and maternal tenderness supplies feeling as well as thought. "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you." "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, she may forget; yet will not I forget thee."

Observe the image which Moses here employs. It regards a child, a young child. It is too weak to go alone, it is borne. The father is here mentioned, not the mother, for the action of bearing requires strength, rather than tenderness. The mother may have been dead. When one parent is called to supply the place of both, an increase of care and kindness becomes necessary, and is soon felt. Imagine, therefore, an Israelite, deprived, in his journey through the wilderness, of the companion of his life, perhaps as soon as she had brought him forth a son, perhaps in consequence of it. The child, thus bereaved, is endeared by the decease of the mother, and he takes it, and bears it. How? Sometimes in his arms, and often in his bosom. How? Tenderly, softly, now pressing it to his lips—now soothing its cries—now lulling it to repose—feeding it, defending it, supplying all its wants!

All this God does in reality, and infinitely more. What is the goodness, the gentleness, the care of the tenderest being on earth, compared with the disposition and kindness of God towards his people? When an image is applied to God, we must separate from it all its imperfections. A father may be unable to defend a child. He is sometimes absent from it. He cannot be always awake, and inspecting it. He may be ignorant of the cause of its complaint. He may not know what is good for it. He may decline in affection, and become heedless and negligent. He may become cruel, and abandon his charge. But nothing of all this can apply to Him, who bears us in all the way that we go.

Yea, we must not only strip the image of imperfection when we apply it to God, but we must attach to it divinity. Every human relation, however complete, is yet finite in its exercise and excellence, but his attributes are infinite. His love passeth knowledge. "He is able to do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think."

Well, hast thou seen, in the wilderness, how the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went? Let the sight affect your admiration, and induce you to exclaim, "Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" We talk of condescension, yet what is the difference between one creature and another, one worm and another? But what is God? What are we? how mean, unworthy, guilty!

Let it draw forth your gratitude, and call upon your soul, and all that is within you, to bless his holy name. " To him that led his people in the wilderness ; for his mercy endureth for ever."

—Let it encourage you.

You are not yet come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you ; but he is with you in the way, and with you as your father, engaged to do all that such a relationship requires. He has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Reason from the past to the future, and, "because he has been your help, therefore under the shadow of his wings rejoice." Let him be Your example. Job was a father to the poor, not a tyrant, or an overseer. Be kind, as well as bountiful. "Be ye followers of God." In him the fatherless findeth mercy ;" let. him find it in you also. "Be ye merciful, even as your Father which is in heaven is merciful.'' Recommend him to others, and say to them, " Come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord bath spoken good concerning Israel." Oh, that the young, who are entering this wilderness world, would place themselves under his care, and beseech him to be the guide of their youth. Oh, that the bereaved would think of him, who can more than repair the losses which make them bleed. "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up."