Vere. 6-14.- Ungrateful men interro~·ated. In almost every clause of this paragraph there is some specific allusion, for the elucidation of which the reader will refer to the Exposition. The commentary of Dr. Jameson thereon is very valuable. Our aim is strictly homiletic. The central words around which the preacher's expository thoughts may gather are these-" Do ye thus requite the Lord?" Three maia lines of illus- tration are suggested. J. HERE IS A flEIIEARSAL OF THE DIVINE LOVING-KINDNESS AND TENDER MERCIER. 1. 'fhere is the mercy of redemption. "Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee?" 2. There is the mercy of Divine choice of Israel as a people. "Rath he not mat!c thee, and established thee?" (see also vers. 7, 8). 3. There is Divine leadershi1•• "He led him about," etc. 4. '!'here is Divine guanlianshir. "He kept him as th,, apple of his eye." 5~ There is Divine help and training of the most tenrler kind. A wonderful description is given thereof in ver. 11. 6. There is abundant Di vine provision for the wants of the ransomed ones (vers. 13, 14). Each one of these six points may be enlarged upon, as applicable to present gospel blessings and providential mercies. II. HERE IB A STRANGE RESPONSE TO SUCH ABOUNDINGS OF MERCY. The burden of Moses here is not unlike that of a far later prophet, even Isaiah (see Isa. i. 2-n. The moan of many of God's prophets has been the :same ever since; it is so now. The contrast between God's bounty and man's perversity causes a grief almost too heavy to be borne. Here are at least five cowplaints. 1. They are corrupt. 2. They are perverse, or false. 3. They are crooked, twisted. 4. They are foolish, not acting as reasonable men. 5. Instead of being like his children, they are a spot upon them-a stain (see Hebrew). The question may fairly be asked, Who are they of whom similar complaints may be made now? We reply: 1. Those who profess to be the people of God, and who show no signs whatever that their profession is real. 2. Those of God's children who are but half-hearted in their love and zeal. 3. Those who are ready with lip-service, but are grievously defective in Christian morality. 4. Those who have neither yielrled themselves to God nor yet made any profession thereof. Of all such, similar complaints may be made to those here laid against Israel of old. III. HERE rs A REASONABLE QUESTION. It is, indeed, a reproachful one. And if ever the servants of God now take it up and apply it to the heart and conscience of their hearers, it should be done with the utmost tenderness, even unto tears; remembering, on t.he one hand, how infinitely greater the mercies of God are now, compared with aught that Moses knew; and also considering themselves, how often they have been as ungrateful Israel of old, and that, if it had not been for almighty grace, would have been ungrateful still. 'fhe solemn and sorrowful interrogative-" Do ye thus requite the Loni? "-may be pressed home in a series of cumulative inquiries. It may be asked : 1. Is this the natural return for mercief so great? 2. Do not such love and care demand a holy and grateful life? 3. Can any reason whatever Justify so poor a response as God has yet received? 4. Have men no remorse in the review of the contrast between God's mercies and their sin? 5. Should not remorse lead on to repenta1.ce 1 6. And shall not this penitent life begin now P It is quite certain that, though God is long-suffering, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,'' he will not always allow his mercies to be thus trifled with (see Amos. iv.). But why, why should men compel us to present thus" the terrors of the Lord"? He would rather win by love. J udgment is "his strange work."
Vers. 15-18.-God provoked to Jealousy by an u.nfaitlifi,l people. (On the whole subject of "anthropomorphism," which is alleged against the Old Testament represen- tations of the Divine Being, see the Homily on vers. 1-4 of this chapter, and also Homily on eh. iv. 21-24). 'l'his paragraph is a continuation of the same theme as that touched on in preceding verses. It not only sets forth the waywardness of the people retrospectively, but also prospectively. In fact, it is more of a prophetic forecast than otherwise. Moses sees the people in the enjoyment of all the blessings of 606 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [on, XXXII, 1--62,