Yer. rn.-Thc d(tficulti~s of God's se1·vicc. l. THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES IN THE SERVICE OF Goo. All are freely il1vited to serve God ; all may find ready access to God; there i~ no need for d_elay, all may co1;11e at once and without waiting to be worthy of Him ; after commg through Chnst, the yoke is easy and the burden lig-1,t.. Yet there are difficulties. Sin and self and the world must be sacrificed• God cannot be served with a dinded heart, hence .complete devotion must be at'. t&ined: the senice itself involves spiritual endeavours and tasks and battles before which the strongest fa.ii. It is impossible to serve God in our own strengtl~. We can only serve Him aright bec~use_ wha_t is impossible with men is possible with God : 1.e., we can only serve Him m His strength and through the inspiration of His Spi1it. II. THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE SERVICE OF GOD ARISE FROM THE DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR CHARACTER AND Hrs. God does not willingly make His service hard ; it would not be hard if we were not sinful. It is difficult while we have evil habits e.nd affections lingering about us, and it is impossible so long as we cling to these voluntarily. (1) God is holy, therefore He cannot accept service which is tainted with che1ished sin (we must distinguish between cherished sin which makes acceptable sernce impossible, and resisted sin which hinders, but does not utterly pre-,.ent, such service). (2) God is jealous, therefore He will not accept divided sen·ice. Israel must choose either the service of the Lord or the worship of the heathen gods. Both cannot be embraced. We must choose. So long as we give one-half of our heart to the world or to sin God will not accept the other he.lf. (8) God is, in some respects, unforgiving. He forgives the worst sins of the worst men on repentance ; but whilst the least sin is cherished God cannot forgive it. No tilne will soften His resentment. Hence if we come to His service with evil knowingly in our hearts, He cannot overlook it and accept us. III. IT IS WELL !rO CONSIDER THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE SERVICE OF Goo. Israel was too ready he.stily to accept God's service without considering all that it involved. If difficulties exist they must be faced. It is best to count the cost before making choice 1Luke xiv. 28). Those representations of the gospel which are confined to invitations and promises, and ignore the call to repentance and to sacrifice for Christ, are false and unjust. Christ would have the new disciple face the cross (Luke xiv. 27). Such considerations should not deter us from the choice of God's service. They should make us (1) careful to compa:re both sides of the question till we see how immensely the obligations and advantages of religion outweigh the difficulties, (2) humble and free from boasting and presumption, and (8) wholly dependent on the help of Christ to make us worthy of His service, to give us strength to serve, and to make our service acceptable /Phil. iv. 18).-W. F. A. Yers. 21-25.-TM covenant. I. THE TERMS OF THE COVENANT. It was to bind the people to their promise to renounce the old life o( sin and idolatry, and_ to enter upon and remain in the true service of God. Nations are proud of protecting treaties, constitutional pledges, charters of liberty, &c. No nation ever took a more important covenant than this. The chief question for all ofus is whether we will live for the world or for God. The gospel brings to us a new covenant. The promises are greater, the terms are more light. Yet we must choose and resolve 11nd yield ourselves in submission to it if we would enjoy the advantages its offers. This covenant has two sides. God pledges His blessings, but we must pledge our devotion. His is the infinitely greater part. Yet if we fail in ours God's promises of blessing no longer apply. II. THE OBJECTS OF THE COVENANT. (1) It was to preserve the memory of the CH. XXIV, 1-28.] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 3G7
pleclge. Men mak~ resolu~ions in f?Omenta of exaltation which they are apt t 0 forget when the feelmgs which gave rise to them have subsicled. Yet it is just then that they ar~ most necessary. They are not needed when they are freely made, because tho =pulse to resolve would carry out the action without the resolution. Their real va_lue is for those ~easons of trial and service when the lack of a strong spontaneous impulse makes rt necessary to fall back on some fixed principle. (2) It was to secure the execution of the pledge. It is easy to promise. The difficulty lies in the performance. God is only mocked with the devotion of the sanctnary which is not followed by the service of the daily life. Hence we need to preserve and carry the high impulses of worship into the work of the world. Many men live two lives, and the life of the Sunday has no bearing on that of the week-day. We should use all means to bring religion into life. III. THE FORM O"!' THE COVE_NANT. (1) There was an appeal to memory. The people were to be "'.'1tnesses agarnst themselves. We should treasure in the memory and often call to .mmd the thoughts of our seasons of spiritual elevation. (2) There was a written record. Writing remains unchanged with the varying moods of men. It may be well to write our higher thoughts and deeper resolves for our own subse- quent private meditation. 'l'he New Testament is a written covenant. (3) There was a memorial stone. This would be always visible. So the covenant would be often called to mind. ,ve often need to have our memories refreshed and our thoughts called back to the great practical truths of Christianity. Hence the utility of preaching not only new ideas, but truths that all of us know, and yet that all need to be reminded of, and to have often brought before us for practical application. The stone would not lose its value as it became old and familiar. Truth does not grow feeble with age, nor is it the less important because it is the more familiar. -W.F.A.