'11-icked (llfal. ii. 2). How does God tum the curse Into a blessing? 1. Directly 'by tmbstit.uting a blessing for a curse, The curse is not merely not allowed to take effect for harm, but God puts a blessing in its stead. A Divine law of compensation comes into operation. 'l'he wicked is punished, and the object of his unrighteous hatred consoled and rewarded, by the curse being read backward, and made a reason for con- ferring blessing. 'l'he very curses of the wicked are thus a means of entichment to tho good. Balaam's curses were thus changed into blessings (Numb. xxiii., xxiv.). 2. Pro- Yidentially, by overruling the designs of evil men for their own confusion, and fm· his people's good. ·we have examples in the histories of Joseph (Gen. l. 20), of Mordecai and the Jews (Esth. vi.-x.), of Daniel (Dan. vi.). The persecutions of the Church have thus been overruled for the extension of the gospel (Acts xi. 19). 'l'he hi"'hest example is the crucifixion of Christ (Acts iii. 13-19). 3. Spiritually, by tuming°out- ward a_{ilictions into means of spiritual good, (1) Afflictions humble, cliasten, purify (Job xiii. 4, 5; r~. cxix. n). (2) God can turn afflictions into sources of comfort and joy, into occasions of higher glory to himself, into means of salvation and glory to the saint (Acts x.i. 25; Rom. v. 3; 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10; iv. 17; Phil. i. 19). (3) God can overrule even punishment of sin for our ultimate good. Levi (Gen. xlix. 7).-J, O. , Yers. 9-14.-Purity in the camp. The camp was to be free from: 1. More.I pollution (ver. 9). 2. Ceremonial pollution (vers. 10, 11). 3. Natural pollution (vers. 12, 13)-llL Henry. 'l'his, because God was in its midst. He was there to work for their deliverance and for the confusion of their enemies. We are taught- I. 'l'HAT MILITARY LIFE IS NO EX0USE Fon LAXITY IN MORALS, OH FOR A LOWERKD ST.U."DARD OF PROPRIETY IN CONDUCT. The opposite opinion too commonly prevails. Immoralities are winked at in soldiers and sailors which would uot be tolerated in ordinary society; nay, are sometimes half justified as a necessity of their situation. "-hen public opinion is in this easy state, we cannot wonder tliat the individuals them- selves are not very strict about their behaviour. They find .Acts passed, e.g. to protect them in their evil courses, and they naturally suppose that they have a kind of sanction for their immorality. Officers do not always set the men the best example. 'l'his is in every sense to be deplored. Immorality does not change its nature in the barrack-room or on the march. Bather, when" the host goes forth" we should try to put away from us "every wicked thing." Only then can we confidently expect God's presence to go with us, or look to him for aid in battle. Compare Carlyle's account of Cromwell's army (' Cromwell,' vol. ii., at end), and the "prayer-meeting" of the leaders. See also Baillie's account of the encampwent of the Scotch Covenanters at Dunse Law (' Letters,' i. 211 ). II. THAT PUil.ITY 18 REQUIRED IN THE CAMP OF THE CHUROB, IF HEn WARFARE IS TO BE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOlll'PLISHED. In spiritual conflicts, above all, we must look to spiritual conditions. The Church is an army of Christ. She is organized for aggressive and defensive warfare. Her only'bope of success lies in the presence of the Lord with her. But can she hope for this presence if she is not careful to maintain her internal purity? 'l'rue, she has no commission to search the heart, and must be content to allow tares to mingle with the wheat (Matt. xiii. 24-31). But it is within her province, in the exercise of discipline, to remove obvious scandals, and by rebuke and censure, as well as by positive teaching and persuasion, to keep down worldliness, irrcligion, and sensuality, when these make their appearance in her midst. She on"'bt to pray, labour, and use her authority for the maintenanco of her purity. 'Ihe purer she is internally the more resistless will she be in her assaults on evil with• out.-J. 0. Vers. 15-23.- Various precepts. No very close connection exists between th,:i pre- cepts in these verses, yet they are variously related, and suggest by their juxtaposition lesson,s of importance. We have- I. A WORD SPOKEN IN THE INTERESTS OF LIBERTY. (Vers. 15, 16.) 1. The fugitive slave is not to be given back to his master. The case is that of a slave escaping from a heathen master. 'l'he spirit of the Mosaic Law is wholly opposed to slavery. This precept anticipates our own law, that a slave setting foot on British territory is frei:. 2. 1£.very encouragement is to be given him to settle in ~he la~d. • Ile is no~ w be err. um. 1-25.] 'l'HE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY,
oppressed or treated with unkindness, but is to be allowed to seUle where he pleases, The holy land was thus a true asylum for the oppressed. II, A BLOW STRU0K AT LEWDNESS. (Vers. 17, 18.) The lawgiver alone so far aswe know, among ancient nations, lays his axe at the root of this great evil. He refnses to it the least toleration. He is right. The prevalence of lewdness in a. land b\ic,hts and 0 withers everything good. It sa.ps the ma.nhood of the nation, destroys its Jove of liberty (2 Pet, ii. 19), airns religion to hypocrisy (Matt. xxiii. 25-29), kills humane feeling, dissolves domestic ties, and degrades the wretched victim of it to the lowest point of brutishness- "It hardens e.' within, And petrifies the feeling I " BUBNB.