The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 326

in his flight. le tbe situation of the sinner out of Obrist any less peri!,ms? "Th~ wrnth of God abideth on him" (John iii. 36), The sword of just.ice is unsheathed ngainst him, Whither shall he flco to escape his danger? Concealment may have been possible from the avenger of blood, but it is not possible from God. Nor will any other refuge than Christ avail. The man in shipwreck, who scorns to avail himself of the lifeboat, but prefers to cling to the solitary hulk, filling with water, and doomed soon to go to the bottom, is not more certain of his fate than is the transgressor of God's Law, rejecting Christ, letting his day of grace slip past, and clinging vainly to his own ri!!;hteousness or to any other mocking hope. "Neither is there salvation in any other," etc. (Acts iv. 12). II. A VIVID PICTURE OF THE SECURITY OF THE REFUGE PROVIDED rn CHRIST. In Christ, our Saviour, God bas provided a secure and accessible refuge for the sinner. Here again there is a point of contrast as strongly marked as is the feature of resem- blance. 'l'he refuge city was, after all, only a refuge for the innocent. The manslayer may have been rash and careless, and in that sense blameworthy, but be was not a wilful murderer. For the deliberate murderer there was no asylum (vers. 11-14). He was to be taken even from God's altar, and put to death (Exod. xxi. 14). In this respect the gospel presents features different from the refuge of the Law. It is true that even in Christ there is no refuge for sinners wedded to their sins. If murderers may come to him, it is no longer with murderous, impenitent, unbelieving hearts. But, on the other hand, of those who tum to him in penitence, there is none whose sins are so black that the Saviour will not take him in. The guiltiest and most red-handed may wash in his blood, and be cleansed from their stains (1 John i. 7). This is the peculiarity of the gospel that as, on the one band, it proclaims the absolute need of salvation to those who may think themselves too good for it; so, on the other, it holds out welcome to those who might be tempted to think themselves too bad for it. There is none beyond the pale of God's mercy save he who puts himself beyond it by his own unbelief. Christ is a Refuge for sinners: 1. In virtue of the offices he sustains. 2. In virtue of the work he has accomplished. 3. In virtue of the position he occupies- appearing in heaven in the presence of God for us. In him believers are safe. They are freed from condemnation (Rom. viii. 1). They are justi£ed-saved from guilt and wrath-under Divine protection, and certain of acquittal in the judgment (Rom. v. 1, 9, 10; viii. 31-39). They" have a. strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks" (Isa. xxvi. 1). . III. A VIVID PICTURE OF THE SIMPLICITY OF THE WAY OF SALVATION. The way to the city of refuge was direct and plain. The roads were kept in good repair. A suffi- cient number of cities was provided to make the refuge readily accessible from every part of the land. It was God's desire that men should reach the refuge, and every facility was afforded them for doing so which the case admitted of. How fit an image of the simplicity and directness of the gospel method of salvation through faith in Christ! "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts xvi. 31). "It is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed" (Rom. iv. 16). Faith includes the three ideas of believing in, accepting of, and resting in Christ. Doubtless, to some, faith seems anything but easy. Carrying with it the surrender of the heart to Christ, it is, in one view of it, the hardest of all conditions. But it is hard only to those who love sin more than they desire salvation. The soul that sees the evil of its sin, and has a deep desire to escape from it and to be reconciled to God, will never cease to wonder at the simplicity of the way by which its 1alvation is secured, lV. A.N ILLUSTRATION OF THE NECESSITY OF ABIDING IN CHRIST FOB SALVATION. The runnslayer had to abide in the city till the high priest's death. If he went beyond it he was liable to be slain (Numb. xxxv. 25-29). Our High Priest never dies, and we must abide in our city if we would be safe (John xv. 4; Col. i. 23; Heb. iii. 14; x. 38, 39). The conclusion of the whole is, the duty of availing ourselves at once of this Refuge "set before us" (Heb, vi. 18).-J. 0. Ver. 14.-Removing the landmark. 1. A dishonest act. 2. A deceitful act. 3. A covetous act, 4, An injurious act. Nothing would as a rule be more keenly resented than this mean attempt to rob the owner of land of a bit of his ancient possession. -J.O, 82-4 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [oH, XIX, 1-21,