The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 425

Yer. 9.-Esta.bl,~hed. Probation, in the case of the faithful, ends in establishment. If Israel would keep the commandments, God would "perfect, stablish, strengthen settle" them as "an holy people'' to himself, and so confirm the promises made to th~ fathers. A like promise to the Church and to Christians (Acts xvi. 6; Rom. i. 11; Col. ii. 7; Heb. xiii. 9; 1 Pet. v. 10; 2 Pet. i. 12). Establishment is: 1. Unto holi- ness. 2. A result of God naming his Name upon his people (ver. 12, Hebrew), i.e. dw<'lling with them, and revealing his attributes in saYing:, sanctifying, blessing, and exalting them. 3. The reward of fidelity. 4. A proof of God's fidelity. God "bath sworn" to fulfil his word (Heb. vi. 17, 18; cf. 1 Cor. i. 9; Phil. i. 6).-J. 0. Yer. 10.-The woi-ld afraid ef the godly. I. GoD's PEOPLE CALLED BY ms NAME. God calls or names his Name upon them, i.e. distinguishes, owns, chooses, recognizes them as his, by dwelling among them (2 Cor. iii. 16), by causing his blessing to rest npon them, by answering their prayers, by favouring their cause, by establishin"' their work (Ps. xc. 13-17). "God is love" (1 John iv. 8). His "Name" exprcsse~ pre-eminently that attribute of his character (Exod. xxx.iv. 6, 7). It can, therefore he revealed only upon or in relation to his own people. ' II. }l°o:MINAL A1'.'D REAL CALLING. "They are not all Israel which are of Israel" (Rom. ix. 6). Real, as distinguished from nominal, saints are marked: I. By obedience to the Divine commands (ver. 9; Matt. vii. 22). 2. By separation from the world (2 Cor. vii. l 7, 18). 3. By the power of holiness dwelling in them. 4. By manifold tokens of the Divine favour. 'l'hus the world "sees" them to be what they are (Acts iv. 13). . III. 'l'HoSE KNOWN TO DE CALLED BY GoD'B NAME ARE FEARED. Worldly men fear them. They fear the holiness that resides in them. They fear their prayers. They fear their power with God. They feel that there dwells in them a. Presence whom tbey have every reason to dread (Acts ii. 43).-J. 0. Yer. 13.-Moral gravitation. In studying the histories of the good men of the Bible, we notice how, notwithstanding the numerous causes which act adversely to their fo1tunes, the constant tendency of their piety is to lift them upwards. A law is none the less a law because other laws come in to interfere with, modify, rnspend, or counteract its operation. A cork or other light body may be pushed under water, but the law of its nature is to rise to the top. Violence may abnormally depress the righteous man's fortunes, but the "law" of piety is to elevate them. Min"'le lighter and heavier bodies in water, and tbe heavier gradually sink, while the lighter mount surfacewards. So piety, both from its own nature and by the blessing of God upon it, tends to raise a man in favour and influence, and gradually to improve his fortunes; while ungodliness as in,·ariably drags him down. '!.'he good man gains '"'round· his enemies lose it. He mounts to be the head, and they sink to be the tail. He is uppermost; they are undermost. Illustrate from the histories of J~seJ?h, David, Daniel It is the same to-day. .AI. years advance, the good man grows ID mfluence; ~lowly but surely overcomes his first difficulties; is trusted, sought after, looked up to; rises in social position; ultimately occupies the seats of honour; while those who started life with him, but took a different course, ~adually lose their advantages,'fall one by one out of rank, and are driven to the wall (cf. Prov. iv. 8; xiii. 22, etc.).-J. 0. Vers. 15-48.-7'1.e curse. Like the blessing, the curse is a reality. It cleaves to the sinner, pnrsues him, hunts him down, ruins and slays him (ver. 45). Does some one say, "An exploded superstition"? If so, it is a superstition in the belief of which mankind has shown itself singularly unanimous. View its reality as attested: I. By conscience. The criminal cannot divest himself of the belief that avenging powers are following on his track. 2. By experience. "Rarely," says Horace," has Punishment, though lame, failed to overtake the criminal fleeing before her." Greek tragedy rests ~u an induction froin the f~tB of li!e. 3. By m'!Jthologg. It was IP. conviction, truv on. XXVIII. 1-68,] '1'1-IE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 437