u10nt, doo.th. Mark specifically its mischiefs. 1. Isrnel was damaged. In the Lwo nttaclrn on Ai rendered necessary by this sin, many lives were lost needlessly. The heart of the people was discouraged, and the eaccess of their enterprise imperilled. 2. 'l'hen there is the probable corruption of the man's family, the digging and hilling being hanlly possible without their knowledge. It is an awful penalty of a purent's sin that it tends so directly and strongly to corrnpt the children. Let ns see that those whom Goel has given us be not harmed by what they see in ns. 3. It involves all his family in the penalty of death. The law of Moses was explicit that the child shoulcl not be put to death for the father's sin. But here-whether because the family had been partakers of his crime, or because that crime was one of terrible presumptuousness-the family share his fate. Whatever the reason, it reminds us of the fact that God" visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those that hate him, and shows mercy unto thousands [of generations] of them that love him and keep his commandments." Here the parent's fault involves the family in rain. Such is too often the case. Let us guard against the possibility of it. 4. It costs him his own life : he is stoned to death. La.ta repentance perhaps letting him make a fairer start in the other world, but not availing to prolong his existence here. How dearly he paid for his silver and his gold I How commonly men do this ; how much they pa1t with to get what sometimes only hurts them when they gain it! Let not greed be our ruin. Be generous in self-protection, if from no higher motive. Only goodness is wisdom, and they consult worst for their own advantage that seek to farther it with craft or with impiety.-G. Ver. 26.-Bin punished. I. A TERRI11LE PUNISHMENT, Acha.n is stoned to death, and his goods are then burnt with fire. He lost not only that which he had stolen, but even his own property, and above all his life. Such is the sinnet"s mis- reckoning ! 1. The laws of God have their sanctions annexed. Sin is follow~d by its peen- liar immediate effects, which are a punishment in themselves, and thera are besides the retribution awards of the Legislator. Achan must have felt a gnawing and a fire within him as soon as the evil deed was done ; but this was only preliminary to the pain of detection and subsequent penalty of stoning. It is not well with the wicked even in this world, and we cannot forget the hints of the Bible respecting stripes to be inflicted in the world to come. 2. This nwrrative is intended to impress us with a deep sense of the evil of sin. God speaks to us solemnly respecting the deserts of sin. So swift a retribution could not but act as a warning to the Israelites, and the record of it may serve the same purpose with respect to ourselves. If Jehovah seemed stern for a season, He dealt in real kindness with the peopl~, for surely it was expedient for one family to die, rather than that the whole nation should be disobedient and suffer extinc- tion. 3. Seldom does the sinner suffer alone. Achan's family lost their lives also. Perhaps they had connived at hie theft. " By one man sin enteretl into the worhl, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men." If we are reckless of our own interests, let us not cruelly blight the prospects of others. II. THE SIDE OF THE DIVINE CHARACTER HERE REVEALED. He is shown to be a jealous God, hating sin, and taking vengeance upon those who disregard His precepts. " The fierceness of God's anger" may not be such a pleasant object of contemplation as the ~xceeding riches of the love of God, but it is good for us to think of it in connection with evil, and is part of our notion of e. perfect character. The meek and lowly Jesus could kindle into holy indignation at the sight of the hypocrisy and oppression of the scribes and Pharisees, e,ncl a cloud of brightness that has no element of fire is n':)t the representation given in Scriptlll'e of the appearance of God. Daniel so.w: "a fiery stream, which issued and came forth from before" the Ancient of days. III. THE COMFORTING ASPECTS OF OUR THEME. 1. We are not informed of Achan'$ final destiny, and this thought may alleviate the difficulty which some 132 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [cH. VIII, 1-20.
minds feel. Tempted as we a.re to disbelieve the genuineness of forced confessions and late repentance, it may be tha,t Acha,n wa,s sincere, a,nd God chastised the flesh that the spirit might be saved. His death WI\B necessary for example's se,ke, e,nd the burning of the bodies e,nd the hea,ping them with stones e,ll indice,ted the horrid nature of sin which, like a leprosy, frets inward till all be consumed. But the offender himself may have been saved "so as by fire ; " and eternal life was purchased at the exl?ense of temporal d?ath. God gra,nt, however, the,t we me,y live the life and so die the death, of the nghteons. 2. The g'osz,el o:tfers of mercy stand out ~ sti'l.k~g c~ntrast to t~e seveiity ?f the ancient dispensation. " If we confess our sins, he IS faithful and JUBt to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse ns from all unrighteousness. ''-·A,