the 1;1i~st of thee, of thy ?rcth_ren, like unt_o me." Ench of _these phrases is emphatic, 11nd 1s mlended as the ant1tl,es1s to the not10n of overwhelmmg force. The meanin" of Moses is twofold. 1. '!'hero shall be from time to time a prophet sent to y"ou through whom you may hear the voice of God. 2. There shall be hereafter a rrrcat Prophet, who shall be to you as the living Voice of God; but he shall he al,;" of your brethren, like unto me." '\Ve know how true both are. There was from time to time a line of prophets who spake for God. There has come to earth a Prophet greater than all beside. They always pointed onward to another; he, never, snve as a. heavenly gift from him was by him held in reserve, even the gift of the Holy Ghost. Thus (Jod has come into communion with our race, to reveal his mind and will. !If. NEW MESSAGES, COMING IN A WAY 80 SUITED TO US, FROM 80 C0NDESCENDIXG A Goo, BRING THEIR OWN AUTHORITY WITH THEM, (Ver. Hl.) The message is not to be set at nought because the voice which speaks it is but human. If a prophet speaks only what the Lord hath spoken, though he may be a weak and frail instrument, though the burden of his message may be almost more than he can bear, yet, being borne along by the Holy Ghost to utter such words, they come with Divine authority. "The treast.re is put into earthen vessels ; " but though the vessel is earthy, the treasure is Divine. JV, THIS AUTHORITY REACHES ITS CLIMAX IN THE MIXISTRY OF TIIE LORD JESliS CHRIST. Such, surely, is the import of the scene known as "the Transfi;curation "(Jlatt. xvii.). Moses and Elias are there-the representatives of the Law and the prophets. '!'hey speak of the decease which Christ should accomplish at Jerusalem. Presently they vanish from the spot, and no one is left with the disciples save" Jesus only." Then a voice out of the cloud said, "Hear him." In Acts iii. 20-26, we have the Apostle Peter's application of the very passage before us to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Prophet to whom all the rest did point. (See also Heh. i. 1-31; and for New Testament teaching as to the authority of Christ, and the importance of hearing and obeying him, see Heh. ii., ix., x.) So full is the revelation of God by Christ, that it is not only a revelation through him, but in him(John i. 1-18). From these four principles involved in the paragraph, there are four inferences which may be safely and profitably drawn. 1. If the voice of God speaks to us suitably am! adequately through the medium of human voices, then it is utterly needless for us to seek information and light by any forced attempts at gaining messages from the invisible world (see preceding Homily). 2. We are here furnished with a test as t,, what is trnly a Divine message or no. There is, in fact, a twofold test. It is partly moral and partly physical. (1) Partly moral (ver. 22," When," etc.). It is as if Moses said, "You only require a guide in case a 'prophet speaketh in the Name of the Lord,' for if he does not, you know what to do (cf. eh. xiii.). If he speaks in the name of other gods, you must reject him at once." Note: Any supposed message from God which violates the dictates of enlightened reason and conscience, must be set aside. (2) Partly physical. If a prophet speaks in the Name of the Lord, they are then to watch and see if the thing comes to pass ; and if not, then they may be sure that the prophet is a mere pretender; "he bath spoken presumptuously." 3. Here is an antidote to fear, "Thou shalt not be afo1id of him." What is the connection between this and the preceding? Is it not this? Suppose that the "prophet" declares that this or that is about to happen, do not give way to excitement and alarm. Follow the voice of God, of which you are sure, and obey that, and come what will, all is well with you. You can afford to do this; "Study to be quiet, and to do your own business," an,! , whether what the prophet declares come to pass or no, you are sure to be safe, if you have maintained unswerving loyalty to God. Nothing can harm you. So with us under the New Testament dispensation. Many allix dates to this or that. We heed them not. We have but to" wait for the Son of God from heaven." -!. TlJJ reception of the Divine message is a part of that obedience which every man owes to high Heaven. Its acceptance is not merely the adoption of a number of opinions. Oh no I Opinions are one thing, convictions are another. A man "holds" opinions, but convictions "hold" a man. His conscience is held fast in their grip. Even so i, is with those who receive the words of the living God as their gui,le through life to immortality. 'l.'heir whole being is held firmly in their strong yet loving and ten,ler hold. A sceptic once said to the writer, "I tell you candidly, that if I wanteu to pcint out the best specimens of humanity, I should point to some of your way of thinkiny." 310 THE noott. OF DEUTERONOMY. (en. xvm. 1-22.
Sn he rnt it, "<1f your wny of thinking." How little docs the outsider or unbeliever <lr<'am 01' t.he 1101,l the Father's words have on us I Our whole being takes shape and outl0ok fn,m tht>m. Om fenlty to him whom we know and love supremely, mnkes "the lnw of his mouth to be better to us tbnn thousands of gold and silver."