"And that Rock was Christ."-1 CORINTHIANS, X. 4.

Ir is a fact which we have on record in the sacred Scrip tures, that there were two rocks, both of which gave forth water in the wilderness to supply the needs of the multitudes who were passing through the desert. Some have supposed that the Apostle Paul stated that there was only one rock; whereas, on carefully reading what he says, you will see that he merely observed, they "did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ." Whatever that rock might be of which the tribes of Israel drank, they all drank the same; there were not two rocks at one time; they all drank of the same rock which followed them, whichever of the two rocks it might be; and that rock, referring to either as you please, was Christ. Whether you regard the first rock of Horeb, or the second rock of Kadesh, both were types of Jesus Christ. Some may hint, that if there were two rocks there may be two Christs. By no means, my friends. There was a fresh scape-goat every day of atonement, but that does not imply that there is to be a new Christ every year. A lamb was to be offered every morning and every evening, but who would infer from this that there were as many Christs as lambs. So, if there have been two rocks, there have been two types of Christ in as many different characters. We may say, bot of the rock Rephidim and the rock Kadesh, “And that Rick was Christ." Understand, there were two rocks, but not two rocks at a time; and, therefore, they did all drink of the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the same spiritual Rock, "and that Rock was Christ."

Our object will be to show you that both the rocks were most eminent types of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who, being smitten, gives forth water for the refreshing of his people, and who follows them all the desert through with his refreshing floods. Let me trouble you to turn to the first passage, which we will endeavor to explain, in the 17th of Exodus. I shall not tarry even for a moment to hint at the various views of Jesus Christ in which he might be regarded as a rock, as being immutable, remaining constantly in the same position, as being a refuge from the stormy wind and tempest, or as being the place where all those who love him are hidden from the storms of avenging justice. That does not happen to be the subject to which I invite your attention. The subject is not Christ as a rock, but Christ as a rock in the wilderness, from which the water gushes out.

Permit me now to request an attentive perusal of the following Scripture :

"And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, and our children, and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb: and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?"-EXODUS, xvii. 1–7.

THIS FIRST ROCK WAS CHRIST PERSONAL. In the first place, we remark, that the rock of Rephidim, or Horeb, was a remarkable type of Christ FROM THE FACT OF ITS It is called Horeb; and on referring to the dictionary

NAME.

of names you will find that the word "Horeb" signifies "bar. renness;" it is also called Rephidim, which signifies "beds of rest." Now, it is remarkable that these two names should belong to one rock; but both titles may be well applied to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

First, he was the Rock of Horeb: that is to say, he was a rock in a barren and dry land. Isaiah prophesied of him, that he should be a "root out of a dry ground," and So he was. He came out of a family which, although once royal, was then almost extinct. His father and his mother were but common people, of the tradesmen class; the glories of the royal line of David had been forgotten among the people; nevertheless, out of it came Jesus Christ, the man "chosen out of the people," that he might be exalted to be ruler over God's chosen Israel. Isaiah said, "When we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." If any one had looked upon the steep and rugged sides of Horeb, .covered with thorn-brakes and bushes, he would never have dreamed that there could be concealed within so stubborn a rock a flood of water sufficient to supply the wants of multitudes. He would have held up his hands in astonishment, and exclaimed: "Is it possible? You may dig water out of barren sand, but I can not suppose it possible that even God himself could fetch water out of that adamantine rock." looking on Jesus, the Jews said: "Can he be the Saviour long foretold to usher in the age of gold? Can he be the Messiah? He, the carpenter's son? Can this be he who comes to redeem us from our oppressors, and to found a kingdom which shall never have an end? Is this the Jesus who is to come down like rain upon the mown grass, and as showers that water the earth ?" They could not expect salvation from him he seemed to be a rock of barrenness, and they would not allow that he could become the Savic ur of a mighty nation; that he could be one from whose riven side should flow healing streams of blood and water to wash and purify his children.

So,

Mark, also, the other name-Rephidim, or the beds of rest. Doth not this title sweetly apply to the Lord? Although he be indeed as Horeb to his enemies, yet is he not a very

Rephidiin to his friends? He said himself, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ;" and he does give us rest. We should little expect to find rest upon a rock, but there is no rest elsewhere. We may rest upon the soft down of earth, but we shall find it to be hard for our heads at the day of judgment. We may pile up for ourselves stately mansions of our own works, and hope there to find rest; but there is no rest save that which remaineth for the people of God. Jesus to us is our only rest—the only one needed, and the only one possible. My dear friends, are you now regarding Christ as Horeb, that is, waste and barren; or can you look upon him as your Rephidim-your rest? Can you say, "Lord, thou hast been our dwellingplace in all generations ?" Canst thou, like John, put thy head upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus? Canst thou say that thou hast believed and hast entered into rest? If so, then thou art a true child of God, and thou may est rejoice that he who had no comeliness, is comely to thee; and he who seemed to be every thing save what men expecte 1, is to thee all thy salvation, and all thy desire.

It may be fanciful, perhaps, to refer to these names, but I had rather discover too much in God's word than find too little in it. The names seem to me extremely significant, and, therefore, I have mentioned them both as applicable to Jesus Christ.

Notice, in the next place, that this rock, like our Saviour, GAVE FORTH NO WATER TILL IT WAS SMITTEN. Our Lord Jesus was no Saviour except as he was smitten; for he could not save man unless by his death. It is true that patriarchs as cended to heaven before our Saviour died, but it was by the foresight of his death. If any of us shall be privileged to behold the city of the Most High in glory, we can only enter there through his agonies. I can have no trust for my eternal salvation in the simple man Christ Jesus, or even in the God over all blessed forever. It is not Christ who is my salvation, unless I put with it his cross; it is Christ on Calvary who redeems my soul. Had he still abode in heaven, sitting on his lofty throne, he could never have been the ransom of the human race. With all the mighty love of his heart, he could

never have redeemed unless he had been "smitten of God and afflicted." He was our Saviour from before all worlds, viewed so in the eternal covenant; but it was because he was looked upon as the smitten Saviour, slain before the foundation of the world. There is no hope for thee, my friend, any where but in the smitten Jesus. Thou mayest bow down to worship his exalted head, but that exalted head can not save thee apart from the thorn-crowned brow. Thou mayest go to the Christ who grasps the scepter, but remember, Christ with the scepter could not be thy Saviour unless he had been first Christ with the nail. Thou mayest approach Christ whose robes are clouds of glory, but remember, he who is clothed in splendor could not have been thy Redeemer unless he had first of all been clothed in the scarlet of mockery, and brought forth with the infamous ecce homo, "Behold the man." It is Christ the sufferer who redeems us. The rock yields no water till it is smitten, and so the Saviour yields no salvation until he is slain. Learn, then, believer, in all thy contemplations of thy Saviour, to consider him as the Smitten One, for it is thus, despised and afflicted, with the scars of vengeance on him—it is thus he becomes thy Redeemer, and the giver of salvation to the ends of the earth.

Notice, again, this rock must be smitten in a peculiar manner; it must be SMITTEN WITH THE ROD OF THE LAWGIVER, or else no water will come forth. So our Saviour Jesus Christ was smitten with the sword of the lawgiver on earth, and by the rod of his great Father, the lawgiver in heaver. None but Moses might smite the rock, for he was king in Jeshurun, and as God in the midst of the people. So with our Saviour. It is true the Roman nailed him to the tree; it is true the Jew dragged him to death; but it is equally true that it was his Father who did it all. It is a great fact that man slew the Saviour, but it is a great fact that God slew him too. Who was it said, "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow ?" The prophet tells us, when he adds, "saith the Lord." It was God who delivered up his Son for us all, and who will now also with him freely give us all things. Christ had been no Redeemer unless his Father had smitten him. There would have been no acceptable sao