HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-Life ending and the work not done, The rest of the land from war, then (eh. xii. 23), was not that of final and completed victory. It was only a tempo- rary truce. The whole land was not yet in the -possession of Israel, but enough of it was subdued to prove God's absolute sovereignty over it. And now rest is needful to review the field and secure the ends that have been so far gained. Joshua is too old any longer to curry on the strife, but there is a work that he can clo, and which must be done, before he is gathered to his fathers-the division of the land which in the Divine purpose, if not as an accomplished fact, is alreacly Israel's inheritance. Note here- I. THE HONOURED ENDING OF A LIFE OF NOBLE DEVOTION TO TUE SERVICE OF Go D. There is no Divine approval of Joshua's fidelity actually expressed here, but the spirit of it seems plainly to breathe through these words. It is as if God said to him, " Thou art old ; thy work of life is done-done faithfully and well-now rest; review thy path of service; gather up the fruits of it ; set thy last seal to the truth of My word of promise, and enter into thy reward." Old age has great dignity and beauty in it when it crowns a life of earnest practical godliness. " The hoary head is a crown of glory, &c." (Prov. xvi. 31). Like the rich glow of autumn when the fielcls have yielded their precious store to the hancl of the 1·eaper, am1 the song of harvest-home is sung; like the golden sunset closing a day of mingled brightness and gloom, giving assurance of a glorious rising in the world beyond; such is the halo that surrounds the head of one of God's veterans. Think of the moral gran- deur of the Apostle Paul's position when, in view of his past life-work, und iu prospect of its etemnl issues, he could say, "I am now 1·eady to be offered, and the wme of my departure is at ha!ld, I have fought a good fight," &c. (2 Tim. iv. 6-8). 222 THE BOOK OF JOSlIUA. [ea. xm. 1-83.
Such honour, in theii: measure, have all those who consecrate their days with whole-hearted de,rotion to the service of the Lord. II. 'rHE FAILURE OF THE LONGEST AND THE NOBLEST LIFE COMPLETELY TO FULFIL ITS OWN HIGH AIMS. " There yet remaineth very much land to be possessed."' This is not said in reproach of Joshua. He ha(l accomplished the work to which God had called him_ But it reminds us that, however rich a human life may be in the fmits of practical devotion, it is after all but a conti-ibution towrm~ the full _working out of the Divine purpose-small, feeble, fragmentary mdeed 111 companson with the grandem of God's providential plan. Great as may be the Yictories it lu~s. ach~eved, it leav~s " muc\i land yet to be possessed." More- oYer, the noblest spmt fails to reach its own ideal, the most fruitful life fails to realise its ovvn aspirations. Human life at the best is but a tale half told 1 a sona that dies away into silence when only a few timid notes have sounded. It is but: beginning, in which the foundation is laid of works that it is left to other hands to furnish, and purposes are born that find elsewhere their actual unfolding. How many a man in dying has had a painful sense of having fallen far short, not only ?f the dn-iner_ possibilities of his life, but _even of the realisation of the hopes that mspll"ed lum m lus earlier years. There is always a touch of sadness in the autumn gleam. " The clouds that gather round the setting sun Do take a sober colouring from an eye That hath kept watch o'er man's mortality;" because they remind us of the brevity of our life-day, and reflect the vanishing glory of so many of its fairest dreams. Full as it may have been of high endeaYour and grand achievement, how much remains undone I " There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." This is.capable of many applica- tions. (1) As regards science. Marvellous as its progress has been, how many uncliscovered secrets has Nature still locked up in her bosom! (2) As regards the p1·actical uses of life. God he.s made man " to have dominion over the works of His hands ; " but what vast resources of the material world still remain un·- utilised in His service! (3) As regards personal spiritual development. The best of us fall sadly short of the Scripture standard of character. When good men die, bow far off still appears to theI!l •the goal of Divine perfection-like the horizon that see= to recede and widen and become :rpore unapproachably glorious as we reach forth towares it. (4) As regards the progress and consummation of th~ kingdoin of God among men. Its triumphs thus far have b_een very wonderful, but bow much remains yet to be done! How far as yet are the kingdoms of this world from having become "the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ" I How small the circle of light as compared with the vast outlying realms of darkness ! colllparati-rnly few of those wbo profess the faith of Christ, knowing anything of the living power of it, two-thirds of the human race being still heathen. IIL-THE STEADFASTNESS OF THE DIVINE PURPOSE, in spite of the decay, one after another, of the instruments by which it is accomplished. Much land remains to be possessed, an<l it shall be possessed though Joshua pass away from the scene of conflict. " Them will I drive out from before the children of Israel (ver. 6). God raises up men to take their particular part in His great work, some more prominent, some less, but He iE independent alike of all. The fall of His heroes on the field of l,attle in no way checks the onward march of the great unseen Captain of the host to final victory. All true leaders in the holy war point us, alike in their life and in their death, to Him whose presence is never withdrawn, whose years fail not, whose eye never becomes dim, whose force is never abated. In following their faith, and considering how their ,; conversation'' ended, let us not forget that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever" (Heh. xiii. 7,s 1.--w.
Ver. 1.--0ld age. The most active servant of God may be overtaken by old age Lefore he has completed what he believes to be the task of his life, - This fa.et suggests ve.rio-us. reflections. an. xm. 1-88.] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 223