Ver. 15.-God's commandment and man's faithfulness. I. GoD's COlDIAND· MENT IS ENDURING. The co=andment to Moses is transmitted to Joshua. God's will is changeless. What is right is right eternally. We must not regai·d God's laws as obsolete when they are ancient. The precepts of the Bible are not the less binding upon us because they are old (Pea, cxix. 160; Isa. xl. 8), Nevertheless (a) what God co=ands relative to certain circumstances will be modified if those circumstances are changed; (b) a larger commandment coming later exonerates from the observance of the details of a smaller co=andment when these are by their nature preparatory to the larger. Thus the larger Christian law of love frees us from the narrower preparatory law of ordinances (Rom. xiii. 10). II. FAITHFULNESS TO GOD CONSISTS IN SERVING GOD IN OBEDIENCE TO ALL Hl!l COMMANDS us. (1) Faithfulness is shown in devotion to God. Moses and Joshua regarded themselves as God's servants. The Christian is not to live for self, but for Christ (Rom. xiv. 8). (2) This devotion must be exercised in active service. Belief, religious feeling, and acts of worship will not satisfy God. We are called to do His will (Matt. vii. 24-27). (8) Faithful service is obedient service. We must not simply work for God, but work for God in His way, doing His will, and fulfilling His co=andments. Self-will is fatal to the merit of the most zealous service. Much of our most devoted service is spent in serving God according to our own will instead of simply doing His will (Psa. xl. 8; John vi. 88). (4) Perfect fidelity requires obedience in all things. We are tempted to choose our favourite command- ments for obedience, and to neglect others. Some are not obvious ; we should search for them. Some are difficult ; we should seek specio.l strength to do them. Some are dangerous ; we should be brave and firm before them. Some ai-e dis- tasteful; we should sacrifice our feelings to God's will. (5) Perfect fidelity will' make us endeavour to secure the fulfilment of God's commandments by others when we cannot accomplish all ourselves. Moses transmitted the commandment to Joshua. We should think more of the execution of the work than of the honour of the agent. Jealousy sometimes leads us to refuse sympathy for a good work if we cannot do it ourselves. (6) The justifying grace of God in Christ does not free us from the obligation of perfect fidelity. No man is perfectly faithful. As Chris- tians, we are accepted by God, not on account of om fidelity, but for the sake of Christ and through the mercy of God. But the receipt of God's forgiving grace brings upon us the greater obligation to be faithful to Him in the futme (Rom. vi. 1). (7) The liberty of the gospel does not exonerate us from the duty of fidelity. We are freed from the bondage of the letter of the law that we may obey the spirit of it. We are delivered from the legal servitude of fear that we may serve the better in the" sweet lawlessness of love" (Rom. viii. 8, 4).-W. F. A. Ver. 20.-Hearts hardened by God. I. WHEN Goo HARDENS A MAN'S HEART IT IB BECAUSE IlIS CHARACTER IS SUCH AS TO TURN GoD's RIGHTEOUS ACTION TO THIS RESULT, The same act of Providence which hardens one heart softens another. Prosperity will harden one in selfish, worldly sat!sfact_ion, and softe1;1 another to grateful devotion and active benevolence. Ad_versity will harden one rn dis_content and unbelief while it softens another to pemtence and trust. The experience of life will deaden the spiritual insights of one, and quicken that of another. The 198 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [cH. xi. 1-28,
effects of God's work with us is thus largely detenniried by the condition of our own minds. God never hardens a man's hea1·t except through his own abuse of pro,idential actions and spiritual influences which nm kindly and wholesome in themsel,es, and prove themseh-es so to those who receive them aright (Matt. xiii. 11-15). II. Gou HARDEKS A MAN'S HEART NOT BEFORE, BUT AFTER, HE HAS SINNED. The Canaanites had hardened their hearts in sin bl)fore God hardened them for judg- ment.. God never predisposes a man to sin, nor does He harden a me,n in sin against any desire for amendment. _The Divine • .,rdeniug of the heart is not a cause of ,in but a fruit of it. III. Goo DOES NOT HARDEN A MAN'S HEART so MUCH BY MAKING THE WILL STUB· BORK AS BY BLIKDING THE EYES TO PRESENT DANGER AND FUTURE CALAMITY. The Canaanites were not made more wicked, they were only rendered blind to their danger and doom, so that they resisted where resistance was hopeless, and attempted to make no te11ns with the invader. When a man will not repent in obedience to conscience, it may be best that he should not find a means of escaping punishment through Lhe exercise of prudence. So long as conscience is blind it is better for all moral purposes that prudence also should be blind. Note, however, as 11, warn\ng, while sin tends to blind us to its approaching pwiishment, we nre not the less in danger because we feel a sense of security. IY. WHEN THE CONSCIENCE IS DEAD TO Gon's LAW IT MAY BE WELL THAT THE IKTELLECT SHOULD BE BLIND TO HIS TRUTH. It is better not to receive the truth into the intellect than to hold it with a disobedient heart. Otherwise (1) we shall misunder.stand,.abuse, and misapply it; (2) we shall deceive ourselves by supposing we ru-e the better for knowing what is good altllough we do not practise it; and (3) we shall be less susceptible to the influence of truth-when it comes at the right moment to re'l'eal otir guilt and direct the way to redemption. Christ expressly said that He spoke in parables that they who were in e. wrong condition of heart to benefit by His teaching might not receive it to their hurt and its dishonour (Matt. :xiii. 13).-W. F. A.