The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 208

2. Though the facts, comprised in the birth, cross-be&ring, resurrection, and ascension of onr Lord ,l ems Christ, did not occur in our times, yet the evidence thereof has come down tu us in unbroken line, and with unimpaired force. 3. The meaning of these facts is <'Hll be! ter known now t.him it was at the moment of their occurrence; for their sig- nificance bns been recorded for us in books which have survived fire and flood, and have reached us in all their integrity. 4. There are other sets of facts connected therewith of which we are witnesses, ,iz. that the gospel of Christ has been the power of God unto sah·ntion to those who belie,e it, and that believers therein are the guardians of it, holdin~ it in trnst for others. 5. Those thusguardingthefaith ofChristnrcthepresent "comn'onwealth of lsrnel;" taking the place in this economy of the Israel of old. They are not indeed visibly one now as in ancient days. But they form a host a hundredfold more numerous, ranged under differing names, yet guarding the ancient faith. G. Those Churches which are faithful to their acknowledged mission, prolon" their dnys in the land; ·while those which, either in faith or life, are less loyal and true to their God, die out, and "the candlestick is removed out of its place." 7. Thi~ law of Church life is a perpetual declaration of God's jealousy for his honour. "In proportion to their faithfulness or unfaithfulness,'' says a. modern writer, "particular Chu,ches o,ercome the world, or are overcome by the world." Thus God shows his care for these supreme facts of !)Ur faith, by sayiug to Churches, "If you guard them, you live ; if you guard them not, you die." Jn the great redemption which is in Christ Jesus, God has broken the fetters which bound man. In his watchful jealousy, be will bring honour to the Church which holds forth and acts out his redemption, and will bring shame to one which represses it, weakens it, or turns the grace of God into lasci,iousness. Just as our God cared not for Israel to remain a nation unless they presen·ed bis honour unimpaired, so he cares not for the continued existence of any Cburch, unless it is "earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints." 8. "While, however, the claim and demand of God upon the fidelity of his Israel now is as strong as ever, yea stronger, the mode in which that claim is presented is vastly more tender than in ancient days. In the Epistles to the seven Churches we have a kind of appeal to the Christian Israel, analogous to this of Moses to the Hebrew Israel. But, in lieu of the thunder, trembling, and flame of Sinai, we have the pathos and love of Geth- semane and Calvary. Can we resist such appeals as those which Christ presents? Can we consent to keep back from man the cross, with all its fulness of meaning; or fail to respond to it by intensest love and closest obedience? May our once suffering and now glorified Lord make us faithful, and keep us so till death! Vers. 10-17.-The order of nature subservient to moral purposes. (For information concerning methods of irrigation in Egypt, see the Ei:position, and works on the subject.) Moses here reminds the people: 1. 'l'hat the land of Canaan would not require artificial irrigation, as that of Egypt had done; that it was a la.nd specially cared for by God, who ga,e it the early rain after the sowing, and the latter rain before the harvest; so that there would be no occasion for them to put forth the same kind of labour that had been performed in the land of their bondage. 2.- That if they were obedien: and true to their vows, the fruitfulness of Canaan would be ensured through the contmuance of the early and the latter rain. 3. But that if they allowed themselves to be seduced to the service of other gods, the Lord's wrath would be kindled, the heaven would be shut up, the rain would be withheld, aud so from want of sustenance the people would perish. Now, it is evident that this is one of those passages with which what is called "modern thought" ventures specially to come in conflict. We do not now concern ourselves with any physical theory of the working of nature which the Hebrews may have had. Moses did not give them any. It was not his province, whir.h was simply t(, teach them the moral and spiritual laws uuder which they were placed; to show them that these were such as to subserve their training in righteousness, and that nature itself was so regulated by Jehovah, as to be a most important factor in the educational forces which were at work on their behalf. The series of thoughts here given opens up a most important theme for pulpit teaching; viz. The order of nature Bubserviertt to moral purposes. 1. LET US INDICATE THE MAIN THOUGHTS WHICH ABE CONTAINED IN TIIIB PASSAGE, 1. The sending of rain from heaven is ;an act of God (Jer. xiv. 22). This is a trut~  cu. xt. 1-32.J THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 199