far more solemn one: "Abraham
lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off." "The Place," the
mountain of myrrh, or of bitterness, chosen to fulfil to all the seed
of Abraham, far off and near, the inner meaning of promise regarded in
that vow: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh
mine help." And the fourth is the delivery of the law on Sinai. It
seemed then to the monks that the mountains were appointed by their
Maker to be to man refuges from judgment, signs of redemption, and
altars of sanctification and obedience; and they saw them afterwards
connected, in the manner the most touching and gracious, with the
death, after his task had been accomplished, of the first anointed
Priest; the death, in like manner, of the first inspired Lawgiver; and
lastly, with the assumption of His office, by the Eternal Priest,
Lawgiver, and Saviour.

[35] With reference to the choice of mountain dwellings by the greater
monastic orders.

Observe the connection of these three events. Although the _time_ of
the deaths of Aaron and Moses was hastened by God's displeasure, we
have not, it seems to me, the slightest warrant for concluding that
the _manner_ of their deaths was intended to be grievous or
dishonourable to them. Far from this, it cannot, I think, be doubted
that in the denial of the permission to enter the Promised Land, the
whole punishment of their sin was included; and that, as far as
regarded the manner of their deaths, it must have been appointed for
them by their Master, in all tenderness and love, and with the full
purpose of ennobling the close of their service upon the earth. It
might have seemed to _us_ more honourable that both should have been
permitted to die beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle, the
congregation of Israel watching by their side; and all whom they loved
gathered together to receive the last message from the lips of the
meek lawgiver, and the last blessing from the prayer of the anointed
priest. But it was not thus they were permitted to die. Try to realize
that going forth of Aaron from the midst of the congregation. He who
had so often done sacrifice for their sin, going forth now to offer up
his own spirit. He who had stood among them between the dead and the
living, and had seen the eyes of all that great multitude turned to
him, that by his intercession their breath might yet be drawn a moment
more, going forth now to meet the angel of death face to face, and
delive