I. What was implied in the reward to which he had respect. II. That he was truly disinterested in seeking that reward. I. Let us consider what was implied in that reward to which Moses had respect.

1. The glory of God was implied in it. He knew that God meant to glorify himself by fulfilling his promise to Abraham, and delivering his seed from the house of bondage, and putting them in possession of the land of Canaan. In bringing about this event, God would necessarily display his power, his sovereignty, his justice, his mercy and his faithfulness. Moses expected that the glory of God would be displayed in the eyes of all the nations of the earth, if he should lead the children of Israel from Egypt to the land of promise, by his instrumentality. Accordingly, he undertook the great and arduous task of conducting the chosen people of God to their promised inheritance, from a supreme regard to the divine glory. He desired to be instrumental of promoting the glory of God, in the view of a stupid, idolatrous and degenerate world. And in doing this he placed his highest happiness, and enjoyed an ample reward. All the while he was bearing the messages of God to Pharaoh, working miracles by divine power and authority, and transmitting the divine laws to Israel, he saw and enjoyed the glory of God; which he esteemed more precious than all the glories and treasures of Egypt. Besides, Moses expected to promote the glory of God through all future generations, by leading his people to the place where he had determined to establish his church and maintain his cause, amidst a frowning and opposing world.

2. The good of his nation was another thing implied in the reward to which Moses had respect. He knew that God chose the seed of Abraham for his peculiar people, whom he designed to set at the head of all the nations of the earth, and distinguish by the most signal temporal and spiritual favors. This was a great and noble object, simply considered. To form three millions of people into a regular and harmonious kingdom, give them the best civil and religious institutions, and prepare them for the enjoyment of the greatest temporal and spiritual blessings, was worthy of the greatest efforts of the Jewish lawgiver. Moses saw this end in all its magnitude and importance, and took a peculiar satisfaction in contemplating the future peace and prosperity of the people of God. It was to gratify this benevolent feeling towards his people, that God permitted him, just before he left the world, to go up to the top of Mount Pisgah and take a fair, full and rapturous view of that paradisaical spot, where the chosen tribes were to fix their residence, and enjoy the peculiar smiles of heaven. As a man,

and especially as a prophet, Moses had very clear and extensive views of the great interests of his nation, which he highly valued, and took peculiar pleasure in promoting. He must, therefore, have had respect to this, as a recompense of reward for his labors and sufferings with the people of God. Besides,

3. He had reason to expect a distinguished mansion in heaven, to which he had a proper respect. His own future and eternal happiness was a truly important and desirable object. All the world would say that Moses stood entitled to a superior seat among the faithful servants of God; and that he himself ought to have desired to be near, as well as like to God, in the kingdom of glory; or to be placed in a situation in which he might behold the brightest displays of the divine perfections. This we know he desired before he died. He said to God, "I beseech thee show me thy glory." Who can say that this was an improper desire and request? But if he might desire and beseech God to show him his glory in this life, why might he not as reasonably desire to be rewarded in heaven, by peculiar manifestations of the same glory? Moses had a right to regard his own future and eternal happiness according to its worth, and to seek to promote it in the way God required him to do it. This was, by leaving Egypt, giving up all his earthly prospects, and performing the duties of his self denying and arduous office. In the discharge of these duties, he had a right to derive courage and consolation in the prospect of that eternal and unfading crown of glory, which God had laid up as a reward for all his faithful servants. I now proceed to show,

II. That Moses was truly disinterested in seeking the reward set before him. This is a point of importance to establish; for if he was mercenary and selfish in having respect to a reward in all his conduct, it will be difficult to show the necessity of ever exercising disinterested love. And there are many who deny the existence of any such thing as truly disinterested benevolence. But if it can be made to appear that Moses was disinterested in acting under the influence of a future and eternal reward, then the doctrine of disinterested love will be confirmed by his conduct, as well as by that of many other good men, whose characters are recorded by the sacred writers for the instruction of mankind in all future ages. There are but two kinds of love, which are morally and essentially different; and these are interested and disinterested love. Interested love is selfish, and leads a man to seek his own interest, because it is his own. Disinterested love is pure benevolence towards God and all his creatures, and leads men to seek the good of all intelligent and unintelligent creatures, accord

ing to their capacity, weight and importance in the scale of being. These two kinds of love are essentially different from, and opposite to each other, in their nature and tendency. Now it is easy to perceive that every moral agent must always act either selfishly or benevolently in every instance of his conduct. This must have been the case in respect to Moses. His respect to the recompense of the reward must have flowed either from selfishness or benevolence. And, of course, if it can be shown that he was not selfish in his views and feelings, we must conclude that he was disinterested. But if we look into his conduct, we shall find abundant reason to think that he was not selfish and mercenary in the general course of his life. Here, then, I would observe,

1. He does not appear to have been selfish by his conduct. This was such as plainly manifested pure, disinterested love to God and man. The apostle says, that when he was come to years, he "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." This is a plain and beautiful description of a truly disinterested man. Had he been governed by selfish and mercenary motives, would he not have been fond of being esteemed the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and considered as one of the royal family? Would he not have chosen to avoid being known as related to, and connected with, a poor, despised people in bondage? Would he not have preferred living in a prince's court, to spending his days in a dreary wilderness, with an outcast nation? Is it possible to account for the general course of his conduct, from the time he entered upon the stage of life to his dying day, upon selfish principles? Certainly the whole series of his conduct discovers a pure, benevolent heart. But there are particular instances, in which his disinterested spirit was more illustriously displayed. One was, when he risked his life in defence of the life of one of his own nation. Another was, when God called him to take the direction of his people and lead them to Canaan. He was so far from desiring the office, that he begged to be excused, and entreated God to appoint some other person in his room. There was one other instance of his disinterestedness, still more striking. God proposed destroying his rebellious people for refusing to prosecute their journey through the wilderness, and making of him a great nation. But this flattering proposal, instead of exciting any selfish feelings, moved his compassion for his people, and filled his mouth with arguments in pleading for their forgiveness and preservation. He entreated God to spare them, though he

should blot him out of his book. I might mention his meekness and patience under his burdens and trials, and amidst the unjust murmurs and complaints of the discontented multitude. But enough has been said to show that he manifested, through the course of his long life, a spirit of pure, disinterested love. He had the fairest opportunities to discover true benevolence, and he improved those opportunities to act out his benevolent heart. And this affords a very strong presumptive evidence, that his respect to the recompense of reward flowed from the most pure and proper motives. motives. We can hardly conceive that a selfish principle should so long and so uniformly put on such striking appearances of disinterested love.

2. If Moses had been selfish in having respect to the recompense of reward, his conduct would not have been virtuous and pleasing to God. There is no virtue in selfishness. God never required men to feel and express this spirit; but, in all his precepts and commands, has always required them to feel and express pure, disinterested love. His law, which was given by Moses, and which is called the law of Moses, requires nothing but disinterested love. So Moses explained his own law to the people, just before his death. He said, "Now these are the commandments, the statutes and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it." After this, he explains all these precepts as requiring pure, holy love. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." According to this interpretation, all the precepts of the law are comprised in love. And our Saviour explained the law in the same sense, to one who wished to know its first and great commandment. "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." If the law of Moses required nothing but pure, disinterested love, then he did not in the least degree obey his own law, nor do any thing acceptable to God, if he had a selfish mercenary view to the recompense of reward. But we find by his history that he did obey and please God, and receive peculiar tokens of his favor. God hearkened to the voice of his supplications and intercessions from time to time. He spake to him face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend. In answer to his request, he showed him his glory. When he was opposed and reviled, God pleaded his cause and justified his conduct. "And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among

you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold; Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" And it is recorded of him after his death, that "there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face." Now, if Moses had been selfish in all his conduct, would he have met with such marks of the divine approbation, and been exhibited to all future ages as one of the greatest prophets and friends to God? This is altogether incredible. Hence we are constrained to believe that he had respect to the recompense of reward, from pure, benevolent motives, which were pleasing to God.

3. If Moses had not sought a recompense of reward from pure and holy motives, he would not have been admitted to heaven. Though God might have spoken of him according to his external conduct, and directed his character to be exhibited to future ages as an example worthy of imitation, if he had been inwardly selfish, yet we know he could not have been admitted to heaven with an unholy, selfish heart. But we find that God actually received him into the mansions of the blessed at his death. This we learn from the account of Christ's transfiguration on Mount Tabor. "Jesus taketh Peter, James and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; - And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias, talking with him." It is apparent from this, that Moses not only had respect to the recompense of reward, but actually obtained it. God not only approved of his character and conduct while living, but amply rewarded him after his death, by admitting him into his immediate presence, and employing him to attend the divine Redeemer on a most solemn and glorious occasion. But who can suppose that God, who looketh on the heart and not on the outward appearance, would thus approve and reward Moses by distinguishing marks of his favor among the spirits of just men made perfect, if he had not been truly virtuous and holy in seeking a future reward? Had Moses been as selfish as the Israelites were at the side of the Red Sea, and when they refused to go to Canaan, would he not have perished with them in the wilderness? His admission into heaven, therefore, puts it beyond a possibility of doubt, that he was habitually governed by supreme love to God, in both his private and public conduct. I must add,

4. That holy love, or true benevolence, would naturally lead