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 that only  he  who  fears  God  can  have  any  true  happiness  on  earth,  and for this  reason  St.  Paul  says:  “Glory  and  honour  and  peace  to  every one that  worketh  good”  (Rom.  2,  10);  but  all  the  same  we  Christians ought not  to  serve  God  for  earthly  rewards,  but  for  those  which  are' imperishable and  eternal. We ought  to  love  God  for  His  own  sake (independently of  all  rewards  and  punishments),  because  He  is  infinitely worthy of  love. The law  of  the  New  Testament  is  more  perfect  than the law  of  the  Old  Testament. Moses pointed  to  the  New  Covenant, for, in  his  parting  discourse,  he  gave  utterance  to

5. the  seventh  promise  of  the  Messias.  He  foretold  to  his  people that one  day  another  prophet  should  rise  in  their  midst,  who  also would institute  a Covenant: “The  Lord  will  raise  up  to  thee  a prophet of thy  nation,  and  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me. Him thou  shalt hear.” Who  is  this  prophet? Jesus Christ,  who  was  a Prophet  like  to Moses;  for,  firstly,  He  instituted  the  New  Covenant  as  Moses  had  instituted the  Old;  and  secondly,  He  foretold  the  future  as  Moses  did, proclaiming the  divine  law. (See chapter  XXXVII,  in  what  way  Moses was  a type  of  our  Lord,  and  also  New  Testament,  chapter  XXXVII, where  Moses  appears  at  the  Transfiguration.)

The threefold  office  of  Christ.  Moses’  prophecy  about  the Redeemer points  to  the  prophetical  office  of  our  Lord. Balaam’s prophecy points  to  His  kingly  office: and  the  typical  brazen  serpent  pointed to His  priestly  office,  by  foreshowing  that  the  Divine  Saviour  would  be sacrificed  on  the  Cross,  and  would  heal  our  sins.

Look back  at  Moses'  great  virtues, his  living  faith,  his  firm  confidence in  God,  his  burning  zeal  for  God’s  honour,  his  patience,  humility, piety,  gentleness,  fortitude,  and  love  of  his  people. Think of his  blessed  death  at  the  end  of  his  laborious  life  spent  in  the  service of God. He is  now  great  in  heaven,  and  we  on  earth  venerate  him as one  of  the  best  and  noblest  of  men.

Our pilgrimage  to  heaven. The  forty  years’  wandering  of  the Israelites in  the  desert  is  a sensible  type  of  our  pilgrimage  to  the promised land  of  heaven. The passage  of  the  Red  Sea  delivered  the Israelites from  the  bondage  of  Egypt: we  must  pass  through  the  waters of Baptism  to  be  freed  from  the  bondage  of  sin. The Israelites  wended their weary  and  perilous  way  through  the  desert  to  the  Promised  Land: our road  to  heaven  is  also  wearisome,  and  many  are  the  enemies  that we meet  on  the  way  (“Narrow  is  the  gate,  and  strait  is  the  way  which leadeth  to  life.”  New  Test.  XXI). The Lord  God  Himself,  going  before them, showed  the  Israelites  the  way:  Jesus  has  gone  before  us  and  has, by word  and  example,  shown  us  the  way  to  heaven. God fed  them with manna: Jesus  feeds  and  strengthens  our  souls  with  the  true  Bread from heaven,  His  Sacred  Body  and  Blood. The Israelites  strove  and fought and  conquered  only  by  the  help  and  protection  of  God:  we too,  in  our  fight  against  the  enemies  of  our  salvation,  must  seek  God’s