' I. HE Wno APPEARED WAS T:UE SoN OF Goo. This ~~ems tbo most probable conclusion from the foregoing notes, as also from the fact that Divine worship was paid to Him by His own command (cf. Rev. xix. 10; xxii. 8, 9). The Son of God was ever the link of communication between God and the external world. By Him God created it ; through Him He bas been for ever pleased to deal with it ; He revealed tile final dispensation of God's will to it; He shall come again to judge it. Under the patriarchs and the law He temporarily assumes a visible shape to com- municate God's purposes to man; under the gospel He eternally rdains the visible form of man to save the world. He was the Angel of the Old Covenant; He is no less the Angel or Messenger of the New. And by His Spirit He still reveals God's will to man, though no longer by means of a visible form. And thus the con- tinuity of God's dealings with man is preserved. It is "one God who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircnmcision through faith ; " one God who bas adopted the same means throughout, yet with ever-increasing efficiency, to bring man back to bis obedience. II. HE APPEARED WHEN JOSHUA HAD BEEN CAREFUL TO OBEY Goo's C0)DIANDS. "To him that bath shall be given." Joshua had been careful to restore the broken covenant between Israel and Jehovah. He had then ordered a general celebration of the great Israelitish national festival. And having thus discharged his religious, ho was now int~nt upon his worldly, duties, both ofwhlch he performed with an equal devotion to God's commands. He was, doubtless, now either reconnoitring the city, or lost in reflection how he should best capture it. Then appears the Captain of the Lord's host, and gives him full directions for his task. So to the Christian warrior against sin will the Son of God appear, and direct him in his task, when •he has duly sought the Lord in the appointed ordinances of religion, and is seriously addressing himself to the task of battling with sin. III. JOSHUA IS SURPRISED, BUT NOT DISMAYED, BY HIS APPEA&l.NCE. He was in the way of duty, and he had been bidden (eh. i. 6, 9) to "be of good courage." Therefore he boldly questions the apparition, prepared to welcome him, if be pro·rnd to be a friend, to do battle with him if he turned out to be an enemy. God's dis- pensations often come to us in such Joubtful guise that we are compelled to ques- tion with them. But whereas men are generally apt to be terrified when " beneath a frowning Providence'' God" hides a smiling face,'' the boldness of Joshua should be our example. "The Lord is on_my side, I will not fear what man doeth unto me" (Psa. cxviii. 6), should be the perpetual attitude of the Christian. Thus the true Joshua set His face as a flint to go up to Jerusalem (Mark x. 32; Luke ix. 51), careless of the dangers that awaited Him there. So when opposition or distress come upon us because of our religion, WG should not fear. It is the Captain of the Lord's host come to aid us in our assault on some stronghold of sin. If we boldly go up to Him and question Him, He will tell us who He is. IV, JOSHUA IS COMMANDED TO DO REVERENCE TO Hrn WHO APPEARS TO HIM. The removal of the shoe from the foot, on entering a holy place, was in 01·der that nothing that defi:ed should be brought in (see Rev. xxi. 27). So when Jesus ap- pears to us to give us instructions concerning any great struggle the.t is impending over us, we must "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us," and devote ourselves with single heart to the work that we have in hand. Tilere must be no secondary motives, no worldly ambitions, no desire of gain or applause, cleaving to us as we buckle to our taek. What these bring in their train we see in the case of Ai. In awe of the Divine Presence, and that we may duly receive the Divine commands, we must recognise the fact that we are on holy ground, and that God requires of us an absolute devotion to His will.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera. 13-15.-The captain of the ho~t._ As Moses, 0:3- entering ?1:1 his mis- sion was favoured with a marvellous D1vme mamfostat10n (Exod. ill. 1-6), so with Joshua, now th11t be is about to make his first onslaught on the stronghohls of THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. LCH. v. 18-11!,