G0rl.'s provirl.ence; he looks onward, and, with tlie seer's eye, he beholds them In the pr0misc<l lanil, tlicir wanilerings over, and their marches hither and thither exchanged fnr a Rcttlcd life in a land of plenty and of delight. There they are prospering nhundantly; and if they only used their prosperity nright they would bo doubly hlcsscd, even with that hles~ing which "maketh rich, and lie addcth no sorrow there- with." But. alas! how diffe,ent is the picture here drawn I .And how precisely did the after-reality answer thereto! There is in these 't'erses a logical order of thought, in the 5kctch given, first, of Israel's downward course j and then, of the effect of that on the relations between them and their God. I. HERE IS A GRIEVOUS PICTURE OF srrntTUAL DEGENERATION IN TIIE MIDST OF WORLDLY PROSPERITY. There are four steps in the descent. 1. Prosperity generates wilfulness, and a resistance to the Divine claims. H men can have their own way entire!~·, for a while, and secure precisely their own ends, such success, if not sanctified, will but create a self-will and self-assertion stronger than ever. "Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked." The restraints of duty, conscience, God, will be irksome, and will provoke to resistance. Men will "kick against the pricks." 2. .Another stacre will surely follow on. The irritation which was at first felt will subside, and inscn:J- bility will steal over the soul. "Thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick." Stubborn obstinacy without the former stings of conscience. "Past feeling." The terrible symptom of a moral and spiritual paralysis! 3. 'l'o this there will follow a third stage. "He forsook God . . . and lightly esteemed the Rock of bis salvation." Here there sets in a thinking lightly of God altogether, and a forsaking of him. How tme is the picture here given to the actual progress of sin in the soul everywhere! 4. 'l'o this succeeds not only neglect of God, but the substitution of olher gods ( vet's. 16, 17) ! '!'his actually came about (see Jer. ii., specially vcr. 13). The heart of man must have a supreme object of love; and if God be not enthroned in the heart, some rival will be seated there. ~ote-How very little all possible worldly good can do for a man unless there is a process of spiritual renewal and culture going on, which will enable him to sanctify all to the highest purposes! Yea, more. If worldly prosperity is not ~anctified to God and by him, it will be as a dead weight upon the spirit. It will engender, first resist- ance, then deadness, tben estrangement, then idolatry ! This is the sure and certain effect of an accumulation of worldly good, when its possessor is not led by Divine grace to use it wisely and piously. It is an evil much to be lamented that so many glory in the accumulation of things, while neglecting the culture and education of their souls. Wliy, even in common life, there are no more awkward, ungainly, and impracticable beings than those who have grown rich while negiccting to educate themselves. They ha't'c acquired a prodigious strength of self-will, without the knowledge of self-govern- ment. .And of all men in the world, they are of the least use to their generation. Il. HERE IS A STRANGE EFFECT OF SUCII DEGENERACY ON TIIE DIVINE IlEING. " They provoked him to jealousy" (see remark in "anthropomorphism," ut supra, and aiso Homily on eh. iv. 24-). Of all the attributes or epithets applied to God, there is no one wl,ich endears him to us more than this: "jealousy" I What does it mean? 1. That God has a heart of love. 2. That his love yearns to be reciprocated. 3. 'l'hat the reciprocation of love f0r which he yearns is the whole undivided love of our hearts. 4-. That if such devoted love is not accorded to him, he feels wronged. Ii. 'l'hat if supreme love is bestowed on any other than God, his holy love is outraged; his pure indignation is "jealousy." .And consider bow great the wrong is which is thu~ com- mitted against a graciou~ God. What would an earthly father think if his children, wl,o lived on his bounty, thought only of eating and drinking, and cared not for him? What if the cLildren thought more of their toys than of their father? Ought l,e not to be jealous? Would he-could he be a good father, and not be jealous? • Surely not. It is easy to apply this in such a case. Christ teaches us to learn of the l,eavenly Father by means of earthly ones. Consider, moreover, (1) the wrong doll(, to God, (2) the misplacement of thirigs, (3) the injustice and injury done to uurselves, and (4-) the injurious elfoct of wealth, brought about by such misuse of God's benefits. lli. Two I.NQUIDIEB CANNOT BUT SUGGEST THEMSELVES. 1. How may such evil be 9uarded agai.mt, '!'his question supposes that the evil has not yet been fallen into, 011. :xxxn. 1-52.] THE IlOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 607
"Prevcnlion is better than cure." (1) Let us regard ourselves as of infinitely more moment than our possessions, What we are is beyonrl measure of moro concern than what we have. Our culture for eternity is of the first importance. (2) Let us from the outset of life regard God as the Author of all good, ancl as therefore havincr the first claim on our regard. (3) Let us cultivate the devotional habit of rcceivi~g all our tempornl comfort8 ns from God, If we hnve used means to secure them, he it is who has given us the means to use; who has given us the power to use them, and who has made thoso means a success. (4) Let us seek wisdom from above to hallow all onr good for God, and to" honour the Loni with our substance, an<l with the firstfruits of all our increa5e" (see Homily on eh. xiv. 22), (5) Conscious of the deceitfulness of the human heart, let us entreat our God to fill us with the power of the Spirit, as well as to 6 ive us providential mercies, 'l'hen, the first will ensure the sanctification of the second. 'l'he larger our possessions, the more we need of the Spirit of God, to ensure their becoming a blessing, and to prevent their becoming a snare. 2. lju:e have fallen into such evil, how may we be recovered therefrom 1 (1) Let the very suggestion that a spiritual paralysis may have stolen over the soul, startle us into the inquiry, Is this the case with us? (2) Let us inquire ~olemnly, "Whnt shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole 'll"Orld, and forfeit his life?" (3) Let us repent before Gud of the wrong we have done to him in seeking from creature comforts the joy which he a.lone can give, (4) Taught by long and sad experience how a. perverted nature may pervert all things, let us implore his renewing and sanctifying grace to enlighten onr understandings, to regulate our affections, to monld our will, to empower and transform our life. If God fills us by his grace, then will earthly good be sanctifieJ. Our God will be our richest joy of all, and every worldly comfort will yield us double joy, when hallowed by him and for him.