Ver. 68.-l11vincible Jebcsites. The failure of the men of Judah to conquer the J ebusites is illustrative of the failures men too co=only encounter in the attempt to accomplish the aims of life. I. No MAN PERFECTLY SUCCEEDS IN THE TASK OF HIS LIFE. If a man is satisfied that he bas accomplished all his aims, this is a proof that those aims were low. We are. bound to aim at the highest though we never reach it. The most successful life is still a broken life. Like the rainbow with half the arch melted away, like the waterfall blown into mist before it reaches the ground, like the bfrd's song cut short by the storm, life's work ends ragged and unfinished. Wben failure ariRes from the magnitude of the task, we are free from blame if we have laboured our best e.t it. But it is usually aggravated by our indolence, cowardice, and culpable weak- ness. Only Christ bas pe1fectly succeeded (John xvii. 4). We need a higher ,iew of the requirements of duty, a deeper conviction of our own past failure, more trust in God's power to help us, more consecration of soul and earnest, self-sacrificing effort. II. No CHRISTIAN WHILE IN THIS WORLD PERFECTLY SUCCEEDS IN EXPELLING HIS SINS. The Christian life is a warfare with sin. Though God par,lons sin immediately on our repentance and faith in Cln·ist, e.ncl gives us gra~e with which to conquer it, He requires us to fight against it. The war is not decided by one battle. It is a life-long conflict. He who claims to have completely conquered is deceiving himself (1 J oho i. 8). This is a fact, but one to cause she.me, for it is not 0, physical necessity. We ought to conquer all sin, and in Christ we have the means for this perfect victory. III. THE CONQUEST OF THE WORLD FOB CIIRIST IS SLOW, The Jebusites were not completely subdued till the days of David (2 Sam. v. 6, 7). Christian mission work proceeds slowly. Strongholcls of sin, of heathenism, of unLelief, of workUi- ness still seem invincible. (1) This fact should not shake our faith in the tn1th of Christ, for it was predicted while ultimate triumph was promised (l\latt. xiii. 31, 82). (2) It should convince us of om· own want of faithfulness. Christ bas en- ·trusted the extension of His gospel to His Church. It is to the shame of the Church that she is so remiss iu carrying out her great mission. IV. No EARTHLY INHERITANCE IS WITHOUT ITS DISADVANTAGES, Canaan 'l'"US 11ot paradise. The lancl flowing with milk and honey also brought forth thorns and THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [OH, XV, 1-88.·
briars. ,T emsalem,. the fu~e _capital of the land, was the last place to be subdued. So ""e. find sometlung amiss m the Y~ry core of life. This is owing (1) partly to our failmo to make the best use of tins world, and (2) partly to the fact that God has ginn us natm-es too great for any earthly satisfaction. Therefore we must expert disappointment here. The perfect inheritance is reserved for the next world.-W. F. A. Yer. 63.-Fail1we. "'e haYe hei-e the first hint of the incompleteness of Israel's conquest of the land._ T_he effects of this failure fully to carry out the Divine com- mand m the extermmat1on of the heathen were very manifest afterwards in the moral _and social life of the people. " Their whole subsequent history, down to the captn-1ty, was colom-ed by the wars, by the customs, by the contagion of Phcenician arn1 Canaanite rites, to which, for good or evil, they were henceforth exposed" (Stanley). "They could not take Jerusalem.'' The reason lay in themselves. The fault was their own. They had not enough faith, and of the courage that ~prings from faith. If they bad had more of the spirit of their great leader in them they would not thus ha,e quailed before their foes, or left the work half finished. The historic fact finds its analogue in the moral and spiritual life· of men. It suggests-I. THE FEEBLENESS THAT IS THE RESULT OF FAITHLESSNESS. Want of power is in ,arious ways coupled in Scripture with want of faith. There were times when Christ could not do mighty works among the people " because of their unbelief" (Matt. xiii. 58; Mark vi. 5). The disciples could not cure the lunatic child "because of their unbelief" (Matt. xvii. 20). Peter could no longer walk on the water when he began to doubt (Matt. xiv. 31). As the Jews" could not enter in " to the land of promise "because of their unbelief," so may we fail to secure our inheritance in God's everlasting rest (Heb. iii. 19; iv. 1-14). These examples suggest that faithlessness is weakness, inasmuch as (1) it severs the soul from the Dime fou.ntain of strength ; (2) it obscures the soul's vision of those spiritual realities which are the inspiration of all high and holy endeavour; (3) it robs the soul of all firm standing in the hope of the eternal future. That must be a source of fatal weakness to a man which thu.s disconnects him from the higher interests of his being and leaves him at the mercy of things " seen and temporal.'' "All things are possible to him that believeth." To him that believeth not, nothing, great or good, is possible in this world. II. THE ILL EFFECTS OF SUCH MORAL FEEBLENESS. The results of Israel's failure to exterminate the Canaanites are typical of conditions only too common in the moral life of men. The delay it involved in the settlement of the State- politically, ecclesiastically ; the perpetual unrest ; the national disgrace ; the cor- ruption of the national life by the contagion of idolatry ; the reproach cast on the name of Jehovah among the nations-all these have their resemblance in the penalties of moral failure. 1. Penonal dishonour. When a man has not the courag to face and combat tLe evils of his own heart and life, or that confront him in the world without, he generally falls into the shame of some kind of base compromise. He deals sophis- tically with his own conscience, suppresses the nobler impulses of hi~ natur~, belies the essential principles of bis religious faith, disowns the bond of his allegiance to Christ. No greater dishonour possible to a man than this. • 2. Spiritual degeneracy. As an enfeebled body is liable to the infection of disease, so moral laxity leaves men a prey to the destroyer. Corrupting influences readily take effect upon them. The gates are open, the sentinelis asleep, no wonder the foe enters and takes possession of the citadel. " From him that hath not shall be taken away," &c. (Matt. xiii. 12). 3. Hxaggeration of opposin_q difficulties. The sense of moral weakness and falseness conjures up obstacles in the path of duty or endeavour that do not really exist. High moral excellence seems impossible to him who is content to grovel. The faithless heart always "sees a lion in the way.'' "The wise and active conquer difficulties 13y daring to attempt them. Sloth and folly OH. XVI. 1-10.] THE BOO!{ OF JOSHl:A. 25't