Alush

“And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.’”

“I WILL cause you to pass under the rod, and I will compel you into the bond of the covenant, saith the Lord.’’ (Ezek. xx. 37.) In these words, the Lord expresses a holy displeasure and indignation against his people, who had forsaken him, but which, it is evident from verse 41, was attended with blessed effects: ‘* I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.” God is able to tame the unruliness of men, not only in his anger, but also in his grace. He knows how to bring down those that exalt themselves, so as to make them assume a very different tone, and to raise up those that lie humbled in the dust, so desponding and comfortless, that one sigh expels another, and one tear flows into another, that neither of them know themselves any longer.

The Lord leads his people first in one way, and ti.eii in another, and commands first the south wind and then the north wind to blow upon his garden, “that the spices thereof may flow out.”

This is particularly evident from the various encampments of the children of Israel, with the consideration of which, under the divine assistance, we shall now proceed; and may the Lord refresh us by his word!

Moses informs us, that the children of Israel removed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush, which was only a short distance from thence. This place of encampment is not noticed elsewhere, nor does any thing remarkable appear to have occurred there suitable for communication. Thus there are also many things in christian experience, which are not adapted for being made public; some things would be found too profound, and others too exalted to be duly comprehended and applied by those who have not experienced any thing of a similar nature. Hence, how wisely and prudently does Paul express himself regarding a certain suffering which he had to endure, and which he calls a thorn in the flesh and the buffetings of Satan. The Shepherd and Bishop of our souls leads some individuals in such a manner, as if he commanded them to go and publish it in the ten cities; but others as though he told them to tell no one of it Some persons have an amiable, others an edifying frankness in relating their good and evil, their sufferings and their consolations. But there may also be those, whose tongues are held from speaking, and to whom utterance is denied. It may likewise happen, that the individual himself does not comprehend the matter, and is obliged to leave both his temporal and spiritual concerns to the Lord.

We have also to premise, that though this station deviated, still more than the previous one, from the direct road to Canaan, yet, if the Israelites had been permitted to enter upon the latter, they would soon have been able to reach the promised land. We must likewise observe, that their route afterwards deviated no longer, but leads from thence by way of Rephidim and Sinai, as from an angle, directly across to Canaan. This is pleasing intelligence. Happy is he who does not always deviate from the right way, until a miserable death overtakes him! But happier still is he, who arrives at a turning-point, in which he turns away from the world, sin, and vanity, to God and Jesus Christ! But every one must arrive at such a turning-point in his life, in order that it may be well with him, and the earlier it occurs the better. All believers arrive at Alush. Although it may sometimes seem dark and dubious around them, and although this state may last for a considerable time, yet at length it turns out gloriously. Joseph was cast into prison; Jonah into the whale’s belly; Job degraded to sit on a dunghill; Christ the Lord condemned to the accursed tree; and Israel to Alush: but at length a marvellous change is experienced. Happy is he who has reason to hope for such a glorious reversion with respect to his own person!

Consolatory is the prospect, that from Alush the path leads to Canaan, although in a slanting direction. But do not reckon upon this, or you will miscalculate: reflect, that the thirty-first encampment lies at no great distance from this, which is only the ninth; so that, after the lapse of several years, the Israelites had retrograded again as far as they had advanced. And all this way the Lord led them, that it might be made known what was in their hearts, in order that he might humble them, and afterwards do them good.

How highly do young and inexperienced Christians frequently think of themselves, and what expectations they have of what they will in -future effect, and what they will still become! How boldly they open their mouths at Pihahiroth, as if they were masters in Israel, and as if wisdom would die with them! The growth of the Christian is spiritual, and therefore singular. “When I am weak, then am I strong,” says the Apostle: “He must increase, but I must decrease,” says the Baptist. He that imagines himself something, whilst he is nothing, deceiveth himself; and ‘* let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” He brings to nought that which is, and scatters the proud in the imaginations of their hearts; but he fills the hungry with good things, and raises up the needy from the dust. If we look to the route of the children of Israel, we shall find that once they had even to cross the very way by which they had formerly travelled. What is man,’* exclaims Job, (chap. vii. 18.) “that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?” Certainly, the Christian must be destined to something great, since it is necessary for him to undergo such a tedious and strange preparation; although the path of every one may not be so winding and circuitous.

Finally, we observe, that the people were still wandering in the wilderness of Sin. Before, it was the desert of Etham — hard gravelly soil; now, the wilderness of Sin — thorns and briers. Can we feel surprised that the thorns should occasionally tear and prick us I Happy is he, who, when meeting with thorns on his

G 4

ALUSH.

path, first, penitentially calls to mind his sins, and humbles and abases himself on account of them; and secondly, remembers the thorns with which our Redeemer was crowned, when he became a curse for us, “that we might be redeemed by him from the curse of the law;” who thankfully receives every blessing as merited for him by his Saviour, and who really regards this world as a wilderness of Sin, in which he girds up the loins of his mind, that the thorns may not tear his garments, nor delay his progress, and hopes to the end for the grace that shall be revealed to him at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Let us be like those who are passing through a waste-howling wilderness, and who seek a better country.

Let us now attend to the interpretation of the word Alush. It means to knead or leaven. After the rough usage in Dophkah, we might have supposed the next would have been a more agreeable station; but your own judgment will decide, whether the being kneaded is any thing pleasant. It is, however, necessary and ^jseful, since it serves to bind the whole mass completely together, to make it pliant and plastic, to cause it to cleave firmly together, so that the leaven equally pervades the mass in every part. Without this process, one part would be too moist, another too dry; the one be leavened and rise too much, the other too little. The word is also rendered by a mass of people.

We must here consider the children of Israel as the dough, in which leaven, or a principle of life, has been Introduced from some other quarter, which must pervade the whole mass, whilst the latter must be kneaded, and, by this process, amalgamate closely with itself, and with the vital principle; thus becoming fitted to receive the form and figure designed to be given to it, without crumbling into pieces.

Wo know that in Scripture the term leaven is used in a two-fold sense. It has partly an evil signification, when it is said, “purge out the old leaven.” This old leaven has reference more particularly to original sin, innate corruption — that inward motive and source of all evil, which manifests itself in the flowers of evil thoughts, inclinations, and desires, in the leaves of evil words and gestures, and in the fruit of evil actions. This leaven so penetrates the whole mass of human nature, that Paul says, ‘* In my flesh dwelleth no good thing;” and Isaiah, ‘’ from the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness.” How this leaven is to be expelled from us is the question; and yet it must be done. Christ says, “make the tree good:” this must precede; ‘* the fruit will then be good.” But Paul says, “Be a leaven of sincerity and truth.” The thing is not accomplished by a grave external deportment, however laudable and estimable that may be in other respects. “Old things must pass away; all things must become new.”

But how, and by what means, is this evil principle eradicated from human nature? Human efforts cannot accomplish it; it is effected by regeneration. Even as original evil pervades us b)’ means of our natural birth, so must the opposite principle be imparted to us by a birth from God. That which is by this means infused into the heart is called Spirit, even as the former is termed flesh. But we may take a still higher standing and say, that Christ himself, as the new principle of life, must be born in us; and then also, as Paul writes to the Galatians, “be formed in us;” so that we become perfectly amalgamated with him, and he more and more completely pervade, shine through, operate in, and live through our whole being, and, according to his promise and his prayer, become one with us, and we with him, so as to be perfect in one. (John xvii. 23.)

There are also a variety of amalgamations in their several stages of good and evil. We have already mentioned the worst, which is, that our nature and sin are so kneaded together, as to form but one mass; so that sin is even termed in Scripture, “the old man.” And how dreadful is it to think at the same time, that Satan carries on his work in the children of disobedience, which all men are by nature! Besides this, how easily does a mass or crowd of people assemble in defence of vanity and sin!

The christian church also encamps at Alush in an evil sense, when persons of all descriptions join themselves to it, induced by temporal advantage, which they expect to reap from it, and, with their unrenewed hearts, bring with them heathenish vices. This is a disease from which we still suffer. If we look at the mass of those who call themselves Christians, what do we see but a rude, perverse, ignorant, unbelieving, and disobedient multitude, differing very little from the heathen in their manner, or even inferior to them; for, with the exception of gross idolatry, and that which is immediately connected with it, where is the heathenish vice which is not practised by Christians? Thus it ought not to be; but every one that names the name of Christ ought to depart from all iniquity.

The truths that are preached also, suffer a similar decline, since human wit and ordinances of men are

ALusn. 135

so mingled with them, that congregations and their preachers will no longer hear sound doctrine, but take an open and decisive part against it.

There are also individuals, who anfialgamate the service of God and the world, and seek to serve these two irreconcileable masters at the -same time. They halt between two opinions, receive as much from religion as suits their purpose, and as much of the world as pleases them. One doctrine they accept, another they reject; obey one command, and refuse obedience to another. These are amalgamations, and this is an Alush, where the true Christian will not be found lingering.

Those amalgamations are also to be dreaded, in which men mingle their own wisdom, or rather their folly, with the wisdom of God; and their chaff with the pure wheat of the divine Word; as likewise that lukewarmness, which Christ expressly reproves in the angel of the church of Laodicea, in which the individual is neither cold nor hot, but a mixture of both. Law and gospel are there mingled together; free-will and grace, and an empty, plausible tolerance, which leaves every one to believe what he pleases, with the exception of the vivifying truths of the gospel.

But there are many well-disposed and pious individuals, who show that they have not yet been at Alush, nor hitherto duly kneaded- and compounded. In some, a premature and fleshy zeal manifests itself, which seeks, as it were by compulsion, to instruct and convert others. Thus the disciples wished fire to fall from heaven on the Samaritans. In others, some particular tenet holds too prominent a part, and forms something heterogeneous. Some will only hear of sanctification, others only of justification; some of duties, others of human inabilities; some are so spiritual as to fall into a contempt of the preaching of the divine Word, and the holy sacraments; others, again, cling too closely to the letter. Many have such a strict self-selected form, that they reject every thing which does not fit into it, use a particular mode of speech, and feel a dislike to every other, though it may express the same thing; whilst, at the same time, they incessantly bring up some particular doctrine, even if it be only for the purpose of dispute. In short, truths are often rent asunder which belong together: too much importance is attached to one, too little to another; which is not therefore as it ought to be. They are like a mass which is not yet kneaded, and is therefore not brought to the same consistency in all its parts. Such characters must one day encamp at Alush, to be properly kneaded, and the case will then be very different with them.

Let us also make a few observations on this subject, with respect to that which is good and needful in it.

And we remark, first, that no genuine Christian rests satisfied with the first commencements of religion. He does not think himself to have attained to the whole of what may be experienced, when he has had some little insight afforded him into his corruption, and into the truths of salvation. This does not satisfy him, nor does he immediately think “this is all.” Certain, however, it is, that a new convert, particularly when his repentance has been deep, and the consolation and assurance of the forgiveness of sins has been very powerfully and pervadingly experienced, may probably imagine that he has escaped every thing. But this state may be compared with the loud exultation at Rameses, which is only the first station, and is succeeded by thirty-nine

Others, and lastly by Jordan, the stream of judgment. It is much better for such a one to think meanly of himself. Such a sentiment will be found useful. Believe sincerely that thou art as yet little or nothing; that thy views and experience are still very insignificant; and that the work must still be much deepened; if not, thou wilt grossly err, even as thos do, who suppose they are something, without being able to add, with Paul, “By the grace of God.” The Corinthians were full, and the Laodiceans said, ‘* We are rich.” But Jesus reproves the latter, and his Apostle the former.

We are, so to speak, a mass of meal, which figure our Lord employs when speaking of the kingdom of God. In order to make this meal edible, the woman — that is, the Holy Spirit, this mother of all the children that are born of God — must put a little leaven into it, until the whole mass be leavened; on which account it must be kneaded together with it. This leaven is Christ himself, ‘* who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,” who is light, life, and truth — who is all to us. A real marriage and union must take place between him and our souls, which commences in conversion, is continued in sanctification, and completed in glorification. When an individual, through the mercy-of God, in the power of the Holy Ghost, has attained to this union with Christ, Paul justly says, “We possess a treasure, although in earthen vessels.” The soul thus becomes a partaker of Christ, has passed from death unto life, is rich, yea, perfect in him; or, as Paul says, is become one spirit with him, being planted together with him: and he then points out the inestimable fellowship with Christ in his suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Rom. vi.

Yet still, this great Apostle says, “Not as if I had already attained,” and desires to know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, that he may become conformable to- his death, and attain to the resurrection of the dead. (Phil. iii. 10 and II.) With Christ, a light has entered into the soul; but this light must increasingly pervade it, until it becomes light in the Lord. A life has entered into the soul, which life must penetrate it more and more, so that the individual may be able to say, ‘* Now I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Wisdom is in such a character; but he must be more and more filled by it, so that it may be said of him,. “Ye know all things, for ye have the unction of the Holy One.” Perfection is in him, and all ought to come to the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God, and become perfect men, according to the measure of the perfect stature of Christ, and grow up in all things unto him who is the head, even Christ. The Lord speaks of the eating of his flesh and the drinking of his blood, signifying thereby the closest union of the soul with him, from whence the most blissful consequences must necessarily result.

This is, therefore, the object and the aim; it points us to something excellent. But what a path that is, which leads to this aim! The idea of kneading does not indicate any thing agreeable to nature even as the thing itself is no easy work. Thus the children of Israel were obliged to tread and knead the clay, when compelled to make bricks. But now they were, so to speak, themselves the clav, and obliged to let themselves be

ALUSII. ]3i)

kneaded and trodden upon. What must have been their feelings? Just about to form their encampment and retire to rest, when the cloudy pillar rises and compels them to depart again, perhaps even at midnight, in order to settle at some place a few miles further off. Now they are in want of bread, and then again of water. God says, by the prophet Isaiah, (chap. xli. 25) ‘* I have raised up one from the north — he shall call upon my name; and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.” What else does this mean, than that he will humble them, to show them that they are of nothing, and that their work is vanity, as it is said in the immediate context. Ezekiel says still more expressively, “Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it to him,” (chap. xxi. 25 — 27.)

By the process of kneading, the whole mass becomes closely compacted with itself and with the leaven, thus forming a whole, whilst losing its own natural quality and assuming a different one. Thus all true Christians are one body, of which Christ is the head. One spirit animates them all, proceeding from Christ into them. ‘* One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is ove- all, and through all, and in you all.” Self must be more and more put away, in order to make room for Christ, that it may be said, “Not I, but Christ in me.” Love must surround all as with a firm bond, and all that is discordant fall away more and more, until we become, as the primitive believers at Jerusalem, one heart and one soul. But the soul must, in particular, become more and more closely united to Christ, and cleave to him by faith; and he that is thus joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

Certainly, a thorough kneading is requisite before self be completely trodden down, and love gain the pre-eminence. Yet it is even now visible amongst true Christians, however defectively exhibited.

But woe unto those, who, as obstinately impenitent, fall under the awful feet of God, so that he passes over them as on clay, and as enemies who are made his footstool! Whilst, blessed are they, who are so kneaded with the leaven of sincerity and truth, as to become inseparably united, as a new mass, with Christ and his church, into one whole. Then, if their path be strange, its end will be glorious. Eventually, sorrow and sighing must flee away; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.