XIV.

THE CHOICE OF MOSES.

PART III.

HEBREWS xi, 24-26.

"WHATSOEVER is born of God," says St. John, "overcometh the world." Now the portion of Holy Scripture which we are considering records a threefold victory over the world, which Moses by faith obtained. He overcame the allurements of worldly honor; "refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter." He overcame the temptations of worldly pleasure; "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." And he overcame, lastly, the powerful attractions of worldly wealth esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt."

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In two former discourses on this passage I have endeavored to illustrate,

I. The duty to which Moses was called; namely, the abandonment of Pharaoh's court; and,

II. The sacrifices and sufferings which that duty involved. In this discourse I shall proceed to set before you,

III. The cheerful resolution with which he performed this most difficult duty; and,

IV. The considerations on which that resolution was founded.

III. The cheerful resolution of this man of God is forcibly expressed by the apostle. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. It is not improbable that, when saluted

as a prince of Egypt, he disclaimed that eminent honor, and avowed himself an Israelite. At least, he refused it virtually and by his actions; visiting his brethren in their affliction, espousing their quarrel, and openly connecting himself with them. It is next added, that he chose rather to suffer affliction than to enjoy pleasure. He was not compelled to suffer; he was under no necessity of abandoning the enjoyments of the court. The whole matter was submitted to his voluntary election, and he decidedly chose the suffering in preference to the enjoyment. Finally, he esteemed reproach greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. He seriously and firmly believed that obedience was not only his duty, but his interest. He not merely submitted to reproach, but regarded it as riches, greater riches, not only than all the treasures of Pharaoh, but than all the treasures of all Egypt.

It may be observed that the piety of Moses, thus recorded, was rational, cordial, practical, and permanent.

1. It was rational. It proceeded from a convinced judgment and an enlightened understanding. It was not the rash result of childish indiscretion and inexperience, or of youthful ardor and impetuosity; for his choice was formed, as we are expressly told, when he was come to years, capable of examining and weighing the consequences of his conduct, and when he had long commanded full opportunity of becoming acquainted with all possible advantages of the station which he then occupied. Nor was it the result of misanthropy or discontent; of spleen, sullenness, or caprice. He had maturely considered the whole question, and counted the cost of obedience. His eyes were open to the sacrifices which he must make, and to the sufferings which he must encounter. His resolution was therefore the result of deliberation and of conviction. Herein we must imitate the example of Moses, if we mean to be steadfast and constant in our profession. This is one particular which usually distinguishes the hallowed fire of persevering piety from the momentary blaze of enthusiasm. The former is the religion of the understanding, as well as of the passions; and he who enjoys it can give a reason of the hope that is in him.

2. It was cordial. It implied the decided preference of his affections, as well as of his judgment, and the fixed determination of his will. He not only judged the way of duty to be the right way, but he approved, loved, and chose it. Without this, a merely speculative conviction, however true and rational, is of little value. In order to the existence and exercise of genuine piety, the life of grace and the power of love must be added to the light of truth. To right opinions must succeed holy dispositions, that our obedience, like that of Moses, may be the homage of the heart.

3. It was practical. It influenced and governed his conduct. He actually left the court in consequence of it, and openly associated with the despised Hebrews. He did not content himself with secret convictions, and internal emotions and attachments, in favor of that which was right and good; but, as it is said of Caleb, he followed the Lord fully. What was clearly seen to be his duty, he resolutely set himself to perform. He made those internal convictions which were sacredly impressed upon his judgment and conscience the rule of his actions, and was solicitous to reduce them to practice in all their extent. While God thus wrought in him, he was determined to be a worker together with the Most High. Brethren, examine your religion by this test. You do not rightly esteem Christ, unless for his sake you have actually left your dearest sins, and parted with your most beloved idols; unless you have counted all things but loss, that you may win Christ, and be found in him. It is not enough to see and acknowledge the vanity of the world. It is not enough to declaim against it in words. You must renounce it in fact. You must not substitute convictions or impressions for practical godliness. The former are God's good work in you; the latter is your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope, which you are to fulfill after him.* The former must issue in the latter, or they will only aggravate your guilt. Convictions disobeyed and light rejected, the Holy Ghost grieved, quenched, and resisted, what can be more ungrateful or provoking? To see clearly, and at times to feel strongly,

* Old marginal reading, Numbers xiv, 24, for "hath followed me fully.”

the evil of sin and the emptiness of the creature, and yet in practice to cleave to sin, and prefer the creature to the Creator, what can be more inconsistent or more dangerous? "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous." (1 John iii, 7.)

4. It was permanent. It was not a transient principle, thoughtlessly adopted and as thoughtlessly abandoned; but a settled and habitual temper of mind. Having once fixed his esteem where duty and conscience required that it should be fixed, Moses continued with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord, and to the people of the Lord. Having made his deliberate choice, he perseveringly adhered to it. Now, though I do by no means think or say that the permanence of a religious profession is essentially necessary to prove its original sincerity, yet, beyond all controversy, unless it be permanent, as well as sincere, it cannot be finally crowned. "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Not only in the commencement of our Christian course, but to the very latest period of it, shall we find it needful to maintain the spirit of sacrifice and of self-denial, if we aspire to obtain at last the crown of righteousness.

Such are the obvious characters of the piety of Moses. Such is the rational, cordial, practical, and persevering decision to which he was divinely led on the critical occasion to which the text refers. That we may persuade you to an imitation of that piety, let us examine,

IV. The considerations on which it was founded.

It appears to be intimated in the text that there were at least five considerations which materially influenced his decision.

1. He considered that the enjoyments which he was called to abandon, if retained in opposition to that call, would have been pleasures of sin. Under this general phrase we must include,

(1.) All those pleasures which are sinful in their own nature, which involve some gross transgression of the holy law of God. Such are the pleasures of the glutton, the drunkard, and the

debauchee; of which, and of the like, the apostle says, “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them." (Ephesians v, 6, 7.)

(2.) Pleasures which, though in themselves allowable and lawful, can, under certain circumstances, be no longer enjoyed by us without some violation or sinful neglect of known duty. Of this kind, principally, as I apprehend, were the pleasures which Moses renounced. The ease and plenty, the comforts and gratifications, which he had previously enjoyed with perfect innocence, as the gifts of providential bounty, would have become pleasures of sin if he had still retained them after it was made known to him to be the will of God that he should quit the place and station to which they were attached. To continue longer in Pharaoh's court would have been to live in sin; and to one who lives in sin all enjoyment connected with that state of sin is clearly unlawful. "Unto the "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure." (Titus i, 15.) Thus wealth, procured or enjoyed at the expense of duty, is sinful wealth; honor, if the result of unholy efforts or sinful compliances, is sinful honor; and pleasure, if found in the way of disobedience to God, is sinful pleasure.

These views had, doubtless, much weight in the mind of Moses. Sin he accounted to be the greatest of evils; and, since he could not have the enjoyments in question and a good conscience too, he hesitated not which to prefer. Contemplating sin in its essential nature as implying rebellion against God, and in its never-failing consequences as surely connected with misery, he felt it better to suffer than to disobey. He was bold enough to be poor, to be despised and reproached; he would have been bold enough to die: but he was not bold enough to sin. He chose rather to lose his earthly comforts than to risk the loss of the Divine favor, the loss of heaven, the loss of his soul.

2. This choice was prompted by considering, further, that the pleasures to be renounced were not only sinful, but tran