The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 361

then, as in 11,ll other ea.ses, the majority should have the power of ca1·rying out their opiniom. while the minority should have perfect freedom individually to hold and lo propagate theirs. Recognising God and His claims, the policy and laws of R lRnd would be more elevated in their tone. Is the question one of war, om English pRrliament should ask, What would God have us do? and should do it. On snch qnestions as Sunday trading, the demoralising traffic in strong drinlr, religions edncntion, or laws of marriage, the State could not without gravo harm omit religious considerations from its grounds of action; on the contrary, it ought to pince them in the forefront, and iu all such questions adopt as its course that which. in its jndgmeut, most accords with the will of God, and most furthers the spiritual a.s well as temporal benefit of man. If it believes God's will to be revealed in the Bible, it should appeal to and boldly follow the teaching l11id down there. ~o desire to keep sacred things from irreverent handling should be per- mitted to di,·orce legislation from religion. No undue regard for sensibilities of a mino1~ty should keep the majority from acting according to its highest views, so long as the freedom of the minority is unimpaired. Without religion government degenemtes into a thing of police and sanitation; and is apt to become mean in its tone. reckless in its principles, and adverse to the nation's real good. III. En:RY PATRIOT SHOULD SEEK FOR HIS COUNTRY THE DIFFUSION OF TRUE RELIGIOK. In what way this is to be done is a grave question. But if we aim at the right end, probably not much harm results from endeavouring to reach it in va1~ous ways. In Moses' time God ruled that the best way was a Church establish- ment. Expedient then, it seems to the writer inexpedJient (not unlawful) now. He mentions a few out of many grounds. -(I) Christianity, as being a more spiritual system, is much less dependent on external support than Judaism was. (21 There the order of precedence was Church before State; the whole nation being a theocracy, the law of Moses the statute book. While this was the order, the Church was free to carry out its mission in allegiance to God. In almost every modern union of Church and State the Church has had to purchase State support by a serious sacrifice of its spiritual self-government and freedom of action. (3) There is an absence of the harmonious, united feeling which alone makes a national Church a possibility. (4) The wealth of the nation, and its religious interest, are so great that it can easily provide for the effective maintenance of all Christian actinties, without needing anything beyond the freewill offerings of the })eople. On such grounds it is suggested that a Church establishment is to-de.y inexpedient. But, if a national provision of religious ordinance is inexpedient, a )Jl'OYision of religious ordinance throughout the land should be made in some other way; and it behoves every lover of his God and of his country to consecrate wealth and give labour to secure in every co=unity a house of God, and to put within reach of all the preaching of the gospel of Christ. A church of Christ in e.ery village, training children, consecrating youth, supporting manhood, glorifyincr age, the home of gentle charities, a quiet resting-place, where all learn io lo,·e :ach other beneath the smile of God, is a provision on which God would smile, and by which man would be highly blessed; and feeling this, every true patriot will take every means and make every sacrifice to secure that something, thus answering to a tribe of Levi, shall in our land diffuse the i=easurable aclrnutages of religious truth and united worship. Let all strive to establish, by the consecrntion of their gifts and labours, the Church of Christ more firmly in our natiye land.-G. Yer. 45.-The record of God's faithfulness. A beautiful little word, recording a nation's experience, and one adopted as the correct statement of the experience of multitudes that none can number I Look at it, and observe first- I. Gon SPEAKS GOOD THINGS TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. "Good things," i.e., "of its future: "exceeding great and precious promises-words on which He causes us to hope." Man lives not in the present only. The past clings to him; the future presses on him. Especially this future-near and further I Our bliss comes cl..tidiy from its hopes, our sorrows from its fears. With the present it is easy to 08, XKl. 1-46.] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA.