The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 347

proved unAAfc, society cannot plead "Not guilty." Locally, it must be allocated, and so tlw city nearest the victim has the crime imputed to it. 'l'he sense of guilt is distributed territorially, and the elders, or representatives of the people, are required to clear themselves by the special rite here described. Sin has thus wider relations than to the individual who has committed it. It may lie at the door of a city, or of a neighbourhood, and in their collective capacity they may be required to deal with it. TI. THE DISTRICT THUS GUILTY THROUGH IMPUTATION IS MOST PROPERLY SUMMONED TO A RELIGIOUS SERVICE. It is surely a. matter for general humiliation that such a crime could be secretly committed, and the murderer escape. It should lead to special religious exercises. It would be a very seemly thing if neighbourhoods where great crimes ha,-e gone nndiscovered were to unit<i in supplicating God's mercy, in view of the guilt thus contracted. JII. A WAY OF DELIVERANCE FROM THE IMPUTED GUILT IS GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED. It consisred of the following elements. 1. '1:he vwlent deat~ ?f an innocent and full-blooded animal. The cruel killing, of the heifer was a repct1t1on of the tragedy, and was well fitted to bring its guilt before them. Thus was a sense of sin deepened. 2. Its shed blood was carried away on the s•rface of the never-failing stream. In this beautifu1, poetic way, the providential removal of innocent blood, did God convey the idea of removing the guilt from the district concerned. 3. Over the heif<"I' so slain the elders were to wash their hands and protest their innocency. In this way the most solemn sanctions were associated with their plea of ":Kot guilty." 4. And they were further to intercede for the removal of the imputation against Israel. Only afrer this minute ritual had been gone through was the assurauce of foririveness pronounced by the priest. JY. lN THIS WAY WE DISCOVER A TYPIFICATION OF THE PARDON PROVIDED DY CHRIST. .And here we do well to notice, as facts incapable of dispute- !. 'l'hat people who are inuocent have often to incur imputation along with the guilty. The children of evil-doers incur an evil repure, although they may be perfectly inno- cent. It is a law of society as at present constituted-the innocent are grouped with the gnilty. 2. Jesus Christ is One who has voluntarily accepted of the imputation of sin, though innocent, and suffered in consequence. Just as the innocent heifer was paraded with the guilty district, and alone suffered because of the committed and undiscovered sin, so Jesus takes up his position in the sad procession, and is the selected, yet voluntary, Tictim. 3. The Holy Spirit, as a perennial stream, carries the sense and sight of blood- guiltiness away. For, without the Spirit's help, the shed blood of Jesus might only increase human guilt; with his help it takes all the guilt away. 4. Those who wish pardon nw,st not be too proud to ask fo1· it. " If we confess· our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrigh- teowmess." So have we the gospel vividly 'presented to us.-R. M. E. Vers. 10-14.-Through love to liberty. We have here a regulation or law of war. Captives might be sold as slaves, hut through love they might reach the position of e. wife in a Jewish household, and if she did not please her conqueror, then she was to be made free again. So that the possible fa.te of the captive was "through love to liberty." I. LOVE TS THE BEST CURE FOR THE ILLS OF WAB. The men were to be slain: women might b<l kept as a prey (eh. xx. 14). It was a blessed issue when the conqueror was himself conquered by his capti 1•e. Then slavery was over, and love brought liberty. The passion of hate had given place to the passion of love. 'l'he better time had come. II. BuT THE PASSION MUST BE SUBJECT TO WISE RESTRAINT. .A month's mourning is allowed the beauLiful captive, during which her person is sacred in the house of her captor. She bids farewell to her relations, whether living or dead, for she is going to be the wife of a Jew; and her intended husband has time to think quietly over his passion of love, and to see whether it is last-ing or no. Olt. nt. 1-23.J TllE BOOK or DEUTERONOMY. 347