VIII. THAT THE TWO TRIBES WHICH ASKED, AND TUE BALD' TBIB.U: WHICH llEEMS TO HAYE TAKEN WITHOUT ASKING, OBTAINED TBIUB INBEBITANC.U: WHERE TREY WillHED TO HA ,E IT ; and they were not cast out of the chosen people, nor treated with disdain. Ei-en so a great multitude of Christians remain distinctly and deliberately below the leYel and outside the pale (eo to speak) of the true Chrietio.n life as portrayed in the Gospels and Epistles. Their life and conversation is in fact governed half by the gospel, and half by the precepts o.nd fashions of the world. Yet they are Christians, and, however greo.t their danger and unsatisfactory thoir position, they are not and cannot be separated from the Church of God. Consider more particularly, as to the petition of the two triba- l. THAT IT WAS PARTLY POSITIVE-" let this fand be given unto thy servants;" PARTLY NEGATIVE-" bring us not over this Jordan." Here we have the attraction of a life of apparent freedom and enjoyment, the repulsion of a concentrated effort, and of a life apparently limited and uninteresting, II. THAT TUE CONQUESTS ALREADY lllA.DE l\lIGHT SEEM THE NATURAL CONCLUSION OF THEIR LONG JOURNEYING AND WAITING. Why should they go further and perhaps fare worse? Here we have the secret of much imperfect religious life. Many stop far short of a thorough-going obedience because they have advanced far enough to feel themselves safe from judgment, a.nd at rest from stings of conscience, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven ; and they have no mind (because they see no necessity) to go any further in the onward path. Ill. THAT THE TWO TRIBES, BECAUSE THEY HAD DETERMINED TO REMAIN WHERE THEY WERE, .A.SSlJMED THAT THEY RAD DIVINE AUTHORITY TO DO 80: "Our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan." Here we have that confidence which Christian people constantly express, that they are not called to "go on unto perfection." Other people have their own vocation, bat it is given unto them to lead a life less strict and Jess devout because business, or society, or their own disposition requires it1 i. e. because they choose to. Consider again, as to Moses' treatmem of their petiJ:ion,- 1. Tll.A.T HE JUDGED THEM HA.RSBLY A.ND UNFAIBLY 1 AS II!' THEY IUD BEEN WILFUL REBELS AGAINST Goo AND COWARDLY BETRAYERS 011' THEIR BRETHREN, which was not s.t all the case. Even so those who have the interests of God's kingdom very much at heart are always tempted to judge too harshly thos·e who show a want of earnest- ness and of forwardness, and to cast them out s.s unprincipled ; whereas in fact there is often very much to thank God for in their character and conduct. . ll. Tll.A.T HAVING THlJS PUT HIMSELF IN THE WRONG, BE COULD NOT TARE UP THE TBUE GROUND OF BElll0NSTRANCE, i. e. the injury they would entail upon themselves. Even so to condemn imperfect Christiana altogether is to prevent any e:ffecti ve appeal to their own highest interests and truest ambitions. Ill. THAT WHAT MOSES DID EllO'r WAS AN ASSlJBANCE 'l'HAT THEY WOULD NOT A.BAND0N NOB WEAKEN THEIR JlBETHBEN PRESSING ON. Even BO we have a right to require that those who are not willing themselves to go all lengths with Christ shall at least not hinder nor discourage those who are willing and are trying. Here is the crying evil and sin of our degenerate Christianity, that it not only falls short of the gospel standard, but practically sets up a standard of its own, and utterly discourages any attempt to rise above it; and this is certainly that wickedness against God and man which Moses mistakenly charged on the two tribes. IV. THAT TBE EVIDENT l'0LICY 011' MOSES WAS TO UNITE THE TRIBES WHICH BE- MAlNED BEYOND JORDAN BY AS HA.NY TIEB A8 POSSIBLE TO 'I'BJI REST. Even so it is our wisdom to unite all Christian people, especially those who are lukewarm, in common enterprises for good, and in common labours for the Church, so that they may not be more separated from one another than is unavoidable. Consider again, on the words," bring us not over this Jordan "-1. That II this Jordan" is the accepted figure of the narrow stream of death, which divides ue from the promised land wherein God dwelleth. 2. That the trans-Jordanio territory rep:esente the less perfect holiness of life lwre as contrasted with the more P.e~ect holiness of life tliere. 3. That this saying, therefore, represents the shrinking OH, XXXII, 1-42.] THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 419
which so many feel from that death which is the gate of true life, and their desire to remain amid the familiar and congenial scenes of this world. 4. That this saying, although very natural (since this life is sweet, and death awful, and the land beyond unknown), is certainly due to a want of faith (since the kingdom prepared for us is th':lre, not here), and betrays a certuin presumption, since as long as we live here we are in danger of separntion from God. 5. That we justify the saying on the ground that life here is holy (as indeed it is), not sufficiently remembering that life there is holier, and that we are only here on the march with a view to crossing Jordan and reaching the true rest. 6. That however good may be the land on this side, "Jerusalem,'' the place which God bath chosen, the centre of Israel's life and happi• ness, is beyond Jordan. "Absent from the body," "present with the Lord."
Consider again, on the words, "be sure your sin will find you out "-1. That it is indeed true, as the heathen witnessed in many remarkable ways. "Nemesis" is a fact. 2. That it is not what Moses meant to say ; rather, "Ye will recognise your sin when it overtakes you." 3. That men fail to recognise their sin at the time; often, that it is a sin at nll; generaJly, how great a sin it is in deed. 4. Then when it overtakes them in its consequences, then they see it in its true light. The awfulness of sin is not due to its awful consequences, but it is manifested by them. 5. That the particular sin against which Moses warned them was the sin of selfishly deserting their brethren, and thereby discouraging and enfeebling them. And this is 11 sin as great as it is common, the dis11strous consequences of which are most s11dly evident.