Vcrs. 14, 15, 23.-7'7,e ojficfrrl i11veslit1m of Josl,ua. It was fitting that a public transfcrC'll('C of authority should be made from Moses to Joshua. 'l'he nobleness of J\foscs comes prominently into view. As John said of Jesus, so substantially Moses Baid of Joshua, "He mnst increase, bnt I must decrease." I. THE OCCASION, 'l'he occasion had an aspect of mournfulness. Moses was about to <lie ; nevertheless, no tinge of grief is in his words. He contemplates the event with calm serenity. His chief concern is a competent successor. 'l'he good of others was ~till Moses' uppermost <lcsire. Promptly he rcspon<lcd to the Divine call. II. 'l'IIE PLACE. God had appointed the meeting to tako place in the tabernacle. All great enkrprises should be comecrated in the sanctuary. • Hero we touch tho fountain head of effectual blessing. God has engaged to be found by us here. "This is mv rest for eYcr: bere will I dwell! " III. THE APPEARANCE. "The Lord appeared in a pillar of a cloud." So ineffably <lazzlinc: is the nafrve glory of God, that no mortal eye can look upon it. ,ve should he bli~Hkd by the excess of light. In accommodation to human weakness, God tempers Im lmghtness by an attendant cloud. Such was the form in which he was pleased to appear upon the mercy-scat. Such was the mode of his manifestation on the Mount of Transfiguration. In our present imperfect state we need the intervention of the cloud. IV. THE CHARGE. God's charge came to Joshua through human lips, yet none tho kss was it _God_'s charge: We must sup_pose that Joshu_a was lacking that susceptibility or soul winch 1s essential for the hearmg of God'~ voice. Some can hear that voice direct; some can hear it only through transmission of others' speech. God's charge and Moses' charge were one," Be strong and of a good courage." What God commands, God first gives. Says he to men, '' Here is my entrusted strength : use it well! Moro is ready as soon as it is needed." Best of all, he adds, "I will be with thee."-D. , ers. 16-22, 29.-Tlie last precaution against idolatry. We cannot trace into all its ramifications the subtle influence of a good man's life. If it does not accomplish all that he has desired, it often achieves more than he imagines. It operates in directions he had not designed. 'l'he presence of a good man will often repress an eYil which he cannot eradicate. All the faith and piety of Moses had hardly restrained the people from idohtry; his removal will be the loosening of the flood-gates which !,ad held in check the wayward passion. We have in this paragraph- • I. Gon's FORECAST OF IsRAEL's FUTURE SIN. "This people will rise up, and go a-whoring after the gods of the strangers" (vcr. 16). Moses himself had surmised this result. ,vith hidden sorrow, he had observed the base tendencies of the people towards idolatrv. As he forecast the time when warfare should cease, and the tribes should find th~mselves among the relics of idols, he trembled for the result. And now this surmise on his part was confirmed by a revelation from God. It is now a foreseen reality: "They will forsake me, and break my covenant." Worldly success and self• indulgence would lead to impiety. Yet this foreknowledge of Israel's certain sin did not deter God from promising to Joshua military success, nor did it deter God from usincr all practical measures to dissuade from sin. We conclude that God sees it best to c~ploy all remedial measures, even when it is known that in the chief end they will fail. II. WE llAVE Gon's A:t.'NOUNCEMENT OF CONSEQUENT CALAMITY. "My anger shall bc kindled against them, . . . and I will forsake them." The series of evils that would spring from idolatry is vivi~ly set before the~; and no ~ther motive c_an be ~onjectured for this than a generous desire to deter from sm. Love 1s more conspicuous m portray• ing the certain miseries of misconduct, than in promising the rewards of obedience. The former duty is done with personal painfulness; the latter is a delight. And not only will the severity of the punishment be keenly felt, but the people will also apprehend tbe reason of the calamity. 'fhey will trace it up to God's displeasure; yet will they not repent. Men are woefully blind to the iron force of sinful habit. 'l'o• .!lay it is a silken thread; to-morrow it is an iron chain. III. Goo's LAST EXPEDIENT TO PREVEN'l' SIN. Moses, the servant of God, was about to die; but his death was to be a sleep, and he should die with a song in his mouth. At first sight, it seems a strange expedient as a deterrent from sin. But the iittention was, that by the sweet and flowiJag sounds of rhythm, the main facts of God's (JII, XXXII, 1-52,j nrn IlOOK OF DEUTE110XOMY.
covenant might be lrnpt vividly e.live in the people's memory. In the abRence of printing, and cheap circulations of written documents, poetic forms will Jive when prose is quite forgotten. God condescends to employ every posHible method by which a sense of religions duty might be preserved and perpetuated. The song woulrl live by the action of known law, when the foll sense would be ignored. Thus the song of Moses, "familiar in their mouths as a household word," would be an abiding witness ngninst thorn. Saitl God, "It shall not be forgotten." By such gracious methods tho Most High would win men unto obedience and life. The mightiest power is in genLle- oess, If this fails, a.II fail~. - D.
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