remnrks npply to sinners-despising the gracious overturea which God makes to them with 11.ll tho favours, temporal 11.nd spiritual, he has actually shown them and ce.reerin;0 on to their eterne.l ruin. "0 foolish people and unwise! "-J. O. ' Ver. 8.-Theworld ru7erlfor the benefit of the Ohurch. What this verse asserts iH th11t in the providential distribution of the nations, and assignment to tbern of their special territories, respect was had from tho beginning to the provision of a snitahle dwclling-placo for the chosen race. Our subject is-The government of the world con- ducted with a view to the interests of the Ohurch. I. A TRUTH FREQUENTLY TAUGHT IN ScmPTURE. Both by facts of history, and by express statement. Israel's position brought it into contact, not only with petty neighbouring states, but with the mightiest empires of East and West. These appear in Scripture only .as they affect the chosen race, but it is then made manifest how entirely their movements a.re directed and controlled by Divine providence. And the centre of God's purvoses is always Israel. "For your sake," says God," I have sent to Babylonia, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, wbose cry is in the ships" (Isa. xliii. 14; cf. vers. 3, 4). Is Egypt visited with famines-with scarce years and good years? The design is the working out of a certain plan in the chain of God's appointments for Israel. Is a. Cyrus raised up in Persia? God saith of him, "He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure," etc. (Isa. xliv. 28). So is it throughout. Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, Rome, appear in all their relations with Israel a.s ministers of the Divine will, as simple executors of the Divine purposes, and their power is strictly limited by their commission. In harmony with this prophetic teaching are the express testimonies of the Epistles (e.g. Rom. viii. 28; Eph. i. 20-23; iii. 9-11). (1) Nature, (2) history, are ruled for the benefit of the Church. II. A TRUTH IN ITSELF REASONABLE. Once admit the goal of history to be the establishment on earth of a universal spiritual kingdom-a. gathering together in one of all things with Christ as Head (Eph. i. 10), and it is certain that herein must lie the key to all historical developments, the explanation of all arrangements and movements of Divine providence. 'l'he centre of interest must_ always be that portion of the race with which for the time being the kingdom of God is identified. "Just as, in tracing the course of a stream, not the huge morasses nor the vast stagnant pools on either side would delay us: we should not, because of their extent, count them the river, but recognize that as such, though it were the slenderest thread, in which an onward movement might be discerned; so is it here. Egypt and Assyrfa and Babylon were but the vast stagnant morasses on either side of the river; the Man in whose seed the whole earth should be blessed, he a.nu his family were the little stream in which the life and onward movement of the world were to be traced. . . . 'l'hey belong not to history, least of all to sacred history, those Babels, those cities of con- fusion, those huge pens into which by force and fraud the early hunters of men, the Nimrods and Sesostrises, drove and compelled their fellows . . . where no faith existed but in the blind powers of nature and the brute forces_of the natural man" (Archbishop Trench). III. A TRUTII FRAUGHT TO THE CmracH WITH COlllFOBT AND ENCOUR.I.GEMIDi"T. 1. When the powers of the world are threatening. 2. In times of internal decay. 3. Under long-continued trials.-J. 0. Vers. 10-14-.-.A panorama of grace. How Israel was found, led, taught, kept. I. WHERE Goo FOUND Hllll. (Ver. 10.) Partly metaphorical-the state of Israel in Eaypt beina likened to that of a man perishing in the desert; partly literal-it being in°the desert. that God found the people when he took them into covenant. An image of the helpless and hopeless condition of the sinner. Cut off from life, without shelter, provision, resting-place, or final home. II. How Goo DEALT WITII Hilll. (Vers. 10, 11.) Tha.t Israel was kept ii:. ~he wilderness so long was his own fault. But grace overruled the discipline fo~ good. The long sojourn in the desert me.de Israel's case, also, a better type of our own. There are ends to be served by this sojourn (John xvii. 15). God showed himself: 1, Condescending to Israel's feebleness (Hos. xi. 3, 4). 2. Mindful of his ignorance. 618 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [olt. XXXII, 1-62,
"Tn~trnrted him." 3. Watchful of his safety. "Kept him." 4. CRrcfnl of hie tmi11i11g (wr. 11). The love and solicitude implied in such phrnscs Rs, "kept him ae tbe apple of his eye" (ver. 10), and" as an eagle stirreth up,'' etc. (ver. 11), specially de~en·e notice. 'l'he apple of the eye is II sensitive part, which we protect with the utmost care, and from the slightest injuries. (On the eagle, see below.) Ill. WmTHER Gon CO'.!.'DUCTED HIM. (Vcrs. 13, 14.) 'l'o a land of plenty and rest.. Made his defence the munitions of rocks. Provided him ,vith all that heart could desire. So does God bring the believer to a large and wealthy place-a place of "fulness of joy," of richest satisfactions, of most perfect delights. Spiritually, even here, where the most unpropitious circumstances yield him unexpected blessings. Eternally and in perfected form hereafter. Note: God alone did all this for Israel, (ver. 12).--J. 0.
Ver. 11.-Tlie eagle. "The description is of a female eagle exciting her young ones in teaching them to fly, and afterwards guarding with the greatest care lest the weak 8hould receive harm" (Gescnius). In this picture of the eagle's treatment of her young, note- I. HER AIM. She aims at teaching them self-reliance. It is not God's wish that his children should go in leading-strings. They must be trained to prompt, fearless, scE-rcliant action. Tbis was an aim of the discipline of the wilderness. Our action is to be in a spirit of dependence, but it is to be active, not passive dependence. II. HER METHOD. She stirs up her nest. She does not leave her brood to the ignoble ease they would perhaps prefer. So God rouses his people to action by making their place uneasy for thetn. By placing them •in trying situations, by removing comforts, by the stimulus of necessity, by the sharp provocation of afflictions, he goads them to think, act, and put forth the powers that are in them. It is not for the good ofChrist-ians that they should have too much comfort. III. HEn CARE. 'l'he experiment is not carried to the point of allowing the young to hurt themselves. She hovers over them, supports them on the tip of her wings, etc. God tries us, but not beyond onr strength.-J. 0.