The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 147

remain among us-the reproach of intemperance, the scandalous opium traffic by which the rennue of India is largely supported, our commercial dishonesty, and all the other reproaches of our age. Against these must the Church of Christ gird on l1Pr nrmour, and never cease to wage a conflict, until the promised day shall come, when " the eart.h shall be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Ilut one caution must be borne in mind. When we buckle on onr arnwnr afresh to contend against om· enemies, we must first cross our Jordan. We must solemn!:,, that is, sever omselves from the wayward and wandering past. Like Daniel (chap. ix.), we must" speak, and pray, and confess our sin, al).d the sin of our people." And then we must solemnly renew our covena.nt, our broken covennnt. "ith God. Then may we advance without fear to the attack, and if J csns he our leader, the battle may be long, but we cannot fail to have victory in the end. II. ISRAEL JS A TYPE OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL IN THE SAME WARFARE. Just as in the case of the Church, so in the case of the individual, must there be the moment of conversion, the settled and deliberate resolve to break with the past, and the pr.ssage. under the guidance of the ark of the covenant, the law of Goil, and the conscience, the sign of His presence in the heart, into the condition of fellowship ..,_-ir.h God. Then must come the solemn renewal of the covenant, the circumcision of t.lle beart, the mortifying of the flesh, the cutting off even those innocent enjoy- ments which have been found dangerous in times past, through the weakness of the flesh. Then the feast by faith upon the flesh and blood of the true Paschal Lamb, the making memorial of our deliverance through Him from a cruel bondage, and then we must prepare for the assault. Nor need we fear defeat. Satan trembles when he sees us determined. His heart melts within him as he sees us advancing under the leadership of Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, and as long as we are resolut.e in the strife, the victory is secure. Yet it is not always won in the same manner. Some sins fall like Jericho, by the might of prayer. Some, like Ai. when evil has obtained a lodgment within, are 'only ·overcome after a shameful humiliation, repaired by a firm determination to put away the secret defilement. Others, like the rest of the cities which Joshua destroyed, will only succumb after a determined and persevering resistance. But the result is the same in the end. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper," if thou art onl:, steadfast in following wherever Jesus leads. "Terrible as an army is she who cometh up out of the wilderness, leaning on the arm of her beloved." Ill. 'iC\"oRLDLY WISDOM MUST BE LAID ASIDE WHEN WE HAVE TO, BATTLE WITH SIX. l\othing could be more foolish, humanly speaking, than for Joshua to have ordered a general circumcision of the children of Israel at this time. Simeon and LeYi (Gen. xxxiv. 25) had taken advantage of this moment to overcome the She· cl1emites. And, leaving God out of the question, if the inhabitants of the land had descended upon the Israelites at the moment of their helplessness, they would have Leen sure of an easy victory. But these Israelites were under the protection of Gou. He could have worked another miracle to protect them from their enemies, as easily as He had brought them over Jordan. But He worked no miracle this time. He inspired terror into the minds of the inhabitants of Qanaan, so that they dare not attack them. They were quite eafe under His protection, as long as they obeyed His voice. This shoulu teach us- I. Not to slight the meanB of grace. " Circumcision is nothing· and uncircum- cision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." And yet it is equally tn1e that he who refused to be circumcised as God hail commanded him, "that soul" was to be "cut off from his people." So in these clays, those who '' forsake the assembling of themselves together," who make light of Christian Laptism, who neglect the Lord's Supper, who treat with disdain the ordinances set up Ly lawful authority in the Church, who kick at authority and despise reproof, shall not be unpunished. i. Not to combat sin with worldly weapons. Such maxims ~s "honesty is the best policy," and other similar ones which put the practice of virtue upon grounds of sncce6s in this life and worldly convenience, will always fail us at the critical CH. V, 1-9.] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 83 ~ - - --- · - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -