greater, and of a lesser magnitude; but in all it is manifest, both from the uniformity and continuance of their splendour, that they are upheld in their orbits by the power of God, and irradiated with the beams of the Sun of Righteousness : in a word, holiness is an essential part of the deliverance itself; and therefore must exist in every member of the Church of Christ. Deliverance, in this view, is most desirable : yet is its value greatly enhanced by,]
III. Its ultimate effect —
Here the reference to the restoration of the Jews, especially as connected with the destruction of all their enemies, is more marked : " The House of Jacob shall possess their possessions ;" every tribe having the portion peculiarly allotted to themd. That they will vanquish all who oppose them, and finally be established in the quiet possession of their own land, is so plain, that it cannot reasonably admit a doubt6
But there is vet a higher sense in which the
prophecy shall be fulfilled. The land of Canaan was typical of a far nobler inheritance, which all the House of Jacob shall possess.
Believers " do now enter into rest" —
[Our blessed Lord promised rest unto all who should come to him weary and heavy-laden with their sins : and this rest he now bestows : and the Canaan which the Israelites entered into, is but a shadow of it. That " land indeed flowed with milk and honey :" but who can tell what delicious repasts are provided for the soul that believes in Christ ? Who but He who possesses " the white stone, can tell the name that is written on itf?" Who can adequately inform us what the peace of God is, or what " the joy of faith?" The one, we are told, passeth understanding ; and the other is altogether un- utterable. These, with a multitude of other blessings, are even now the believer's portion ; and he so enters into the possession of them, as to be able to defy all his enemies to rob him of the enjoyment of them?g It was not the power of their enemies, but the greatness of their sins, that expelled the Jewish people from their land : nor shall any enemy be able to prevail against us, if only we are faithful to ourselves. And, happily for us, that stability is ensured to us by God himself, who " will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able;
d ver. 18—20.
e See Jer. xxx. 3, 10, 18, 19. and xlvi. 27. Zech. xii. G — 9.
f Rev. ii. 17. 8 Rom. viii. 35—39.