Vers. 4, 5.-The great commandment. I. THE GROUND OF IT. A just view of God. 'l'he view given in ver. 4 is a.s comprehensive as it is_ sublime. It embraces two parts mutually complementary. 1. God's absoluteness and unity-" Jehovah one." 2. God'.• personal relation to Israel,-" Your God." The two are combined : 3. In the covenant name-" Jehovah." This, on the one hand, denotes God as the Eternal-the ever- living, the self-existent, and therefore self-consistent One. On the other, it gathers into its rich significance the love, and truth, and faithfulness of centuries of gracious reve- lation. It will not awaken love to God to think of him merely a.s absolute Deity. h is the discovery of what else is contained in the Divine essence ; a.hove all, the reve- lation of his love, grace, and covenant-keeping faithfulness, which attracts affection. Whilo, without the revelation of God a.s one and absolute-exclusive, self-subsisti'lg Deity-it would be impossible to raise the demand for love to the requisite moral height. In Jesus Christ the revelation of God reaches its highest point. Only the Son could reveal him in the fulness of his glory and love. II. THE HEIGHT OF IT. It requires not merely that God should be loved, but loved with all the powers of our being, and with all the energy of .these powers. 1. With clear intelligence-" mind" (Matt. xxii. 37; Mark xii. 33). 2. With undivided affe~- tion-" heart." 3. With entire self-surrender-" soul." 4. With strenuous energy- " might." The right view of God is obviously presupposed in the command to love him. The command would be unmeaning as addressed to a polytheist, a. pantheist, an a.gnostic, or even to a. deist disbelieving in revelation. But this view of God bein~ given, the demand, as obviously, could not be placed lower. God as Crea.tor and Saviour cannot accept a. place in our affections lower than the supreme one. He will have this or none. It is due to our morally perverted state that this demand should ever be felt by us to be unreasonable. Pure beings would not feel it to be so. They would delight in the exercise of love to God, and find it natural and easy. The angels, Christ, the just made perfect, love the lt'ather thus. Nor ought the height of this demand unduly to discourage us. Love to God is truly .begotten, though not yet perfected, in every heart which has ma.de choice of God as its supreme Portion, and cleaves to him with constancy. God has the ruling place in such a. heart, and it needs but growth to raise our love to its required puri_ty and vigour. What is left unat- tained on earth will be attained in heaven.-J. 0. Yers. 6-9, 20-25,!._The religious education of children. A matter much insisted on in these addresses (cf. eh. xi. 18-22). We learn- I. 'l'HAT THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IS Goo's WAY OF PERPETUATIXG VITAL RELIGION. \Vithout this, religion would soon die out; with it, a holy seed will be kept up in times of greatest declension. II. THAT THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF CHILDREN DEVOLVES PRIMARILY 0~ THE PARENT. The Church, Sunday schools, etc., may assist, but nothing can relieve the parent from this duty, or compensate for his neglect of it (Eph. vi. 4; 2 Tim. i. 5). III. 'l'HAT THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IS TO BE CONDUCTED WITH GREAT CARE AND FAITHFULNESS. 1. Very diligently (ver. 7). It is to be gone about most painstakingly and systematically. "In thine house, ~nd whe~ th~u wal_kest by t(ie way, and when t\10u licst down, and when thou r1sest up. '!here 1s need lur 132 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY.· [en. vr. l-25.
specific tenching at regular times, but the text indicates a broader view of this part <>f r~rentnl duty. An element pervading the whole life, blending with all occupa• ti011, insinuRt,ing its pleas1111t influence in all our intercourse with our children, 2. Ycry particula.rly (vcrs. 21-25). A specimen is given of the careful instructior, parents are to study to impart. 3. Taking adoantage of a child's natural curiosity ( nr. 21 ). The principle of curiosity is strong in children. It early manifests itself in reference to religion. The Bible, wi~h its ~clightful variety of story, parable, pro,·erb, etc., is peculiarly adapted for the rnstructlon of the young.--J. O. Vers. S, 9.-God's words to be valued. The usages to which allusion is made suggest- 1. 'l'HE ncTY OF A HIGH VALUATION OF Goo's COMMANDS, Only precepts highly valued would be treated as described. II. 'l'HE KECESSITY OF TAKING MEANS TO SECURE THE KEEPING OF Goo's COMMAND· ME!\"l'S I!\ REMEMBRANCE. "re may keep the injunction in spirit: 1. By frequent read- ing of Scripture (I's. i. 2; cxix._ 11-16). 2. By frequent converse with others (Mal. iii. Hi). 3. By frequent recalling of God's words to our thoughts (Heb. ii. 3). 4. By the use of such expedients as experience suggests-a privately marked Bible, etc. III. THE IMPORTANCE OF CARRYING Goo's COMMANDMENTS INTO EVERY DETAIL OF LIFE. Hands, eyes, doorposts, etc.-our working, seeing, home occupations, etc.--J. O.