HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Yer. 30.-A misu-11.de1·standing. Rarely do we find such au insto,uoe of miscon• ception as is here recounted. The two and a ho,lf tribes, whose territory lay to the ·1rnst of Jordo,n, had act,ed with the highest honour. During the five or six years occupied in the conquest of their land, they had voluntarily accepted the task of fighting-11,nd fighting in the van in all the battles of Israel. When they leave a complet.ed task behind them, they return laden with spoil : rich in the gratitude of their brethren; solemnly blessed by Joshua. And yet within a few weeks, all t!Jei.r brethren-including those of their own tribes who had settled to the west of Jordan -are up in arms, ready to ext.erminate them. All this change is brought about by one of the most deplorable things in life--A MISUNDERSTANDING. Such things happen still, and it may illustrate and remove some of them if we observe the course of this. In the misunderstanding before us, we observe, first- I. THE INNOCENT CAUSE. The two and a half tribes were, as they explain, solicitous to keep in llllity with Israel The possibility of their being treo,ted as outsiders weighed on them. The erection of an altar precisely the same in pattern with that in the tabernacle struck them as a means of embodying a testimony that they had enjoyed the same access to the sanctuary with their brethren on the west of J orda.n. By weighty precepts, Moses had forbidden any multiplication of alta;rs. One God, one worship, one people, was to be the rule : Levites in every tribe, sacrifice only in the central consecrated spot. They were alive to the sin of schism, P.nd the wickedness of seceding from their people, and the thought of it does not cuter Llieir minds. They would ha"\"e acted more wisely if they had consulted the priests fu-st. explaining their desire and purpose. But their very innocence makes them neglect to take precautions against being misunderstood. So far from desiring to break, they are solicitous to keep the unity of Israel. And the o,ltar whicl.i tlieir Lretlrren think will destroy was erected by them to keep it. Yet they are misunderstood. So shall we be, and so will others be by us. There is hardly a word we can speak but can carry two meanings, or an act we can do but can carry two aspects. And if we attempt by the avoidance of speech or action to escape misunderstanding the endeavour will be in vain. At the same time, the fact that a large proportion-say 75 per cent.-of misunderstandings have an innocent cause should set us on our guard against the next thing we observe here, viz.- II. A HASTY CONSTRUCTION PUT UPON IT, How discreditable was this haste to assume that the worst explanation was the truest! If any po,rt of the community had proved their patriotism, brotherliness, their honour, and their faith, it was these unselfah warriors who had laboured so generously for the general well-being. But haste always lea"\"es its fair judgment at home. It argues from its fears, its temper, itE prejudice, its suspicions. Judgment being a slow-moving thing, that does not come to conclusions quick enough for its purpose. And so here, instantly. there is put upon this act the construction that it evinces a purpose of secession, first, from tlie religion, and, next, from the people of Israel. Israel is not the only co=unity disposed to hasty and harsh constructions. There is in all of us a vile readiness to believe the worst of men; a certain disposition to chuckle over tho discovery of what seems a fault; an evil suspicion, arrogating to itself peculiar wisdom, suggests ·always that the worst ,·iew mutit be µ-ue, Observe here, the hasty consiruotion is Olt, XXII, 1-84.J THE BOOK OF JOSHUA.
not only mist11ken but utterly mist11ken. H hns conclnded the very opposite of the truth. And our l111sty constructions 11re not more accurate. Let us be on onr guiml. 'fhe truth m11y be the very opposite of wh11t on the firnt blush it appears to be. Whn.t seems presumptuous n.nd unholy may spring from the deepest devout- ness. Observe thirdly- . Ill. A BENBIDL~ INQUIRY. Phinehas, the high priest, and the ten princes of the mno o.ncl 11 ho.If tribes o.re sent first of all to ask, " What trespass is this that ye have c?~mitted?" Some cooler heo.ds and calmer hearts have suggested that befon· CIVIi wo.r be entered on there should be, at least, an explanation smwht. None ca,n cavil o.t a suggestion so prudent and pertinent. The best men for ;uch a task i.re sent, not with ·wen.pon8 of war, but with words of peace-words still hasty and suspicious, but yet spoken in love and with a desire for the right. Then, for the fh-st time, the two n.nd a half tribes learn the evil construction which might be put on their deed. And the surprise with which they receive the accnsation, conYince all of their innocence of the things of which tbeywere accused. The ~imple inquiry was all that was necessary to get the most perfect satisfaction. How many mis- understandings would at once be killed if men bad just the courage to ask a question I But the suspicion which hastily concludes the worst is generally wedded to the cowardice which dare not ask if it8 conclusions are right, and so misunder- standings endure. If in a friend there is that which pains you, ask himself why he does it. Let the inquiry be a respectful one. Let the priestly anrl princely pa,-t of your nature make it. Let it be direct and full. Let no fear of being suspected to be yourself uncharitable permit you to be uncharitable. " If thy brother sin against thee, go and tell him his fault, between thee and him alone." If there was more of the ;nanliness that would expostulate, there would be more of the saintliness that could forgive. Lastly, observe that the inquiry leads to- IV. A HAPPY TERM~ATION. There was every probability of the misunderstanding having a most disastrous termination. What would have been the issue of such a war? To crush a third part of Israel, and that the most warlike portion, would probably have cost the lives of another third ; and the remnant surviving would at once have been at tlie mercy of the remnants of the Canaanite still sm·- viving, and able to form strong alliances with Phrenician a,nd Philistine neigh- bours. The extinction of lsrael neither more nor less trembled on the verge of probability thi·ough this misunderstanding. Blessed are the peacemakers. The inquiry elicits the most satisfactory facts. The momentary doubt of their brethren's good faith passes away. Their confidence in their faith and patriotism is resumed; for many, many centmies mutual suspicion is destroyed, and Israel on both sides of Jordan is an undivided people. A little wisdom, a little delay in speech or action until knowledge becomes certainty, a brotherly approach to those who have offended us, might bring our most hopeless misunderstandings to the same satisfactory end.-G.