catalogue, or number of those that shall be saved--wherein Moses does
not express what he thought might be done, but rather wisheth, if it
were possible, that God would accept of him as a sacrifice in their
stead, and by his destruction and annihilation, prevent so great a
mischief to them." *

* Vid. Concordance, under BLOT.

Docr. S. Clark expresseth his sense of the passage to nearly the same
effect.

Did Moses then ask to be made an expiatory sacrifice for the sin of
Israel! Or did he solemnly ask of God what he knew to be so
unreasonable that it could not be granted!

There is no hint in the account given of this affair, that Moses
entertained a thought of being accepted in Israel's stead. He did not
ask to suffer _that they might escape_--he prayed _to be blotted out
of God's book_, if his people could not be forgiven--_If thou wilt,
forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book
which thou hast written_.

Mr. Pool considers Moses as praying to be annihilated that Israel
might be pardoned! "Blot me out of the book of life--out of the
catalogue, or number of those that shall be saved. I suppose Moses
doth not wish his eternal damnation, because that state would imply
both wickedness in himself and dishonor to God; but his
annihilation, or utter lose of this life, and that to come, and all
the happiness of both of them. Nor doth Moses simply desire this, but
only comparatively expresseth his singular zeal for God's glory, and