Vers. 19-25.-.An unfaitlifiil people provoked to fealou.sy by God. This paragraph is the antithesis of the preceding one. In form the expressions are archaic. 'l'he principles undel'lyiug these ancient forms of expression are for all the ages. In fact, there are few of the Old Testament passages which are more pointedly referred to in the New 'l'estament; and none, the principles of which are more frequently reproduced. 'fhe various clauses are seriati:m explained in the Exposition. 'iVe "propose but to develop the ma.in thought, which is indicated in the heading of this Homily. Its . contents a.re fourfold. 1. God was provoked to jealousy by his people choosing a. no-God instead of him, 2. The time would come when he would, as a punishment to Israel, choose a. no-people instead of them. 3. Those who had been exalted in privilege should be deprived of their privileges, and should pass through the bitterest sorrows. 4. At the thought of their privileges passing a.way from them, and passing on to others, Israel should be provoked to jealousy. Now, it would be a most instructive and impressive exercise to compare what is here said by God in his Word with that which actually came to pass. What does history say? Does it not confirm Moses at every point? 'l'be facts of history are fhese- 1. The people of Israel did fall away from the God of their fathers, and bring upon themselves the remonstrance of prophet after prophet, and were made in the course of God's providence to suffer sorrow upon sorrow. 2. The time did come when the kingdom of God passed away from them, and when they were no longer, as they once had been, the favoured people. 3. That kingdom of God passed over to the Gentiles. 4. At its so passing over, the Jews were exceedingly jealous and angry. 5. So much so was this the case, that Paul makes use of the fact in arguments to quicken both the Jew and the Gentile, as the case may be. The following passages of Scripture should be carefully compared together, bearing as they do alike on tho history, tho principles involved therein, and their everlasting application :-Rom. x. 19; Matt. viii. 11, 12 ; xx.i. 31, 43; Acts xiii. 46; Rom. ix. 30-32; xi. 11; Hos. i. 10 (hitter part); Rom. ix. 25, 26; 1 Pet. ii. 10; Eph. ii. 11- 13; Rom, xi. 13-25. From nil which several all-important truths of permanent significance may be clearly deduced nnd powerfully applied.. I. 'l'HESE ARE TIMES OF GREAT RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGE WITH us. True, we are not exclusively a favoured rnce, in the same sense ns was Israel of old. But our advantages 508 THE BOOK OF DEUTtRONOMY. [ell, :txxn. 1--62,
Rre not less because cithcrs shnrc them with us. "'c have all that Israel ever had, and '"~~tly more. "'I'he kingdom of God is come unto us." 'l'he "wonl of faith II is nigh us, in our mouth and in our heart We arc bidden to "Behold Lhe Lamb of God, which takct.h away the sin of the world," etc. IJ. lF THESE PRIVILEGES REMAIN UNIMPROVED, OUR NEGLEOT TIIEREOF WILL IB A GRIEVOUS srn IN THE EYE OF Goo. \Ve have but to read the Epistle to lho Hebrews in ordC'r to find such an argument ns this repeatedly presented, though iu varying forms: If the Law of Moses was trifled wilh by any one, they did not escape punish- ment. Ilut Jesus Christ is greater than Moses. By as much as he is greater than Moses, by so much arc the siu and danger of ncglcctiug him greater than those of neglecting the la\\'gi,cr of old. III. DOTH Cnur:c1rns AND NATIONS HAVE A DAY OF PRODATION GRANTED THEM, })Ullf"G WfIJCH THEIR PRIVILEGES ARE CONTINUED. (See Isa. xlix. 8; 2 Cor. vi. 2; Luke xiii. 6-9; Ilev. ii. 5, 21; Luke xix. 42-44.) .An unending probation is granted to no one. 1V. IF THE PEillOD OF PROBATION PASSES BY UNIMPBOVED1 OUR PRIVILEGES WILL DE TAKE'- AWAY FROM t,S, V. 0TIIER LANDS A~D OTHER PEOPLES ABE BEADY, YEA, EAGER TO RECEIVE THE LIGHT WHICH SOME APPRECIATE SO LITTLE. VI. MAKY, MAJ!-'"Y WTI.L COME FROM I.ESS FAVOURED LANDS AND FROM LESS CULTURED RACES, Al!-'D WILL STEP Th'TO THE KINGDOM OF llEAVEN AND BE SAVED; while many of the children of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. Hear what our Lord says to the Pharisees : " The publicans and harlots will go into the kingdom of God before you."