Apecial application in the gospel economy, in which everything is made to depencl upon th_e birth. !'f~t only should the covenant with God be concluded by each new genera.tion of Clmetrnne, but 1t needs to be ratified by every individtrnl for himself ap~rt. ~2) "~hey pr~sent~d ~hemeelvee before God," it _is said, on this solemn clay. It 1s before Him and m Hrn sight that the great pledge 1s to be taken which ma.rks o_ur entrance i_nto His co~enant of grace. We !'tave not to do with His representa- tives, the m1111slers of His Church, nor even with the Church itself but with Him. Let us rise _a.hove n.ll that is hu_man, and let _us coI?e into the very presence of God when we yield ourselves to Him a.nd to Hie service. (3) In this solemn meetin.,. between Israel a.nd Israel's God, to renew their covenant, it ia God who leads th; w11y by re?alli_ng to His people the glorious manifestations of His love in choosing them, dehvermg_ them fro~ the_ bondage of Egyyt, bringing them through the desert, and malnng them vwtonoue over the nat10ns of Canaan. All is of His mercy; His free grace is the basis of reconciliation. It is the offended one who makes the first advance. "He first loved us," says St. John (1 John iv. 18). (4) Preventing grace does not nullify human freedom. God proposes, invites, beseeches, and in His very entreaty there is a. virtue which enables us to responcl to Him. But we must 1·espond, we must decide for ourselves, it must be our free act. The question is put in the most categorical form to the people of Israel : " If it seem evil to you to serve the Lo1·d, choose ye this day whom ye will serve " (ver. 15). " The people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods." "And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye ha,e chosen you the Lord to serve Him. And they said, We are witnesses" (ver. 22). This decisive dialogue ought to pass between every individual soul and God. Its form may differ, but in substance it is always the same. "Lovest thou Me?" says Christ to Peter, on the shores of the Lake of Tiberias. "Yea, Lord, Thou knowest tllat I love Thee" (John xxi. 15). It is the interchange of this question and answer which seals the covenant between the soul and Christ. Woe to those who forsake the good way after having once chosen it I "If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, thore remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking-for of judgment" (Heh. x. 26, 27).-E. DE P. Vers. 1-13.-Review of Providence. I. IT IS WELL TO REVIEW THE P.l.ST, (1) The life which is wholly occupied with the present is necessarily superficial. Recollection and anticipation broaden and deepen life. Tlley are essential to the consciousness of personal identity. Memory retains possession of the pa.stand thus enriches life. The past is not wholly gone; it lives in memory; it li'l"es in its effects ; it will be called up for judgment. (2) A review of the past shoulcl make us (a) grateful for the goodness of God, (b) hwmble in the consciousness of our own failings, (c) wise from the lessons of experience, and (d) diligent to redeem tlle time which yet remains. II. No REVIEW OF THE PAST IS COMPLETE WHICH DOES NOT RECOGNISE THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. Tlle chief value of biblical history is in the fact tllat it clearly indi- cates the action of God in human :i,ffairs. (1) The llighest histo1·ical study is that whicll sea.relies for "God in llistory." To do this is to trace events to tlleir first cause, to see the connecting ideas of unity which bind all things together, and to follow out the course of all changing movements towards tllei.i· destined en,l. (2) We may see indications of the a.ctive presence of Goel in history and in prirnte life by noting (a) material and spiritual good things enjoyed; (b) providential deliver- ances in trouble ; (c) solemn acts of judgment; (d) good thougllts and deeds which all have their origin in God, the source of all good, and (e) the general onward and upward movement of mo.nkincr. (3) Let us practically apply the duty of noting God's a.ction in human affai.i-s to national history, chw·ch history, and private experience. Ill. A RIGHT REVIEW OF Goo's ACTION IN THE PAST WILL SHOW THAT THIS IS CHARACTERISED BY GOODNESS AND MERCY. We single out striking calamities for diffirulties to the doctrine of Providence. We slloulcl remember that these a.re striking just because tlley a.re exceptional. We are often tempted to fix upon the THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [en. xxn·. 1-28.
troubles Rnd neglect the mercies of the past. A fair review of the whole will show that the blessrngs infinitely outnumber the distresses. (1) Such 0, re,view should stimulate gratitude. It is most ungrateful to be receiving innumerable blessings e,-ery day of our lives and rarely to recognise the Hand from which they come, while we complain that others are not added, or mm·mm· if any cease. (2) Such e. :enew should increase our confidence and hope. God is ch,mgeless. As He has been He will be. " Hitherto the Lord bath helped us." Three.tening clouds have burst in beneficent showers. Deliverance has come when all seemed hopeless. Let us believe that the same will be in the future, and press forward to dark and uncertain days with more assurance of faith. IV. THE GOODNESS OF GOD IN HISTORY WILL BE CHIEFLY SEEN IN THE PROMOTION OF THE HIGHEST HUMAN PROGRESS. History in the main is the story of the progress of mankind. This was the case with Joshua's review of Jewish history. It showed progress from idolatry to the worship, of the true God, from slavery to liberty, from poverty to a great possession, from homeless wandering to a happy, peaceful, settled life. Thus God is always leading us upwards from darkness to light, from bonde,ge to liberty, from ignorance, superstition, sin, and misery to the golden age of the futw·e (Rom. nii. 19-23).-W. F. A.