Vere. 26-29,-The incomparable Saviour. In finishing the blessing of the pco1,lr, Moses cannot refrain from bursting into a tribute of admiration for him who h;id brought them thus far. He speaks of God's incomparable excellency, and how happy Israel was in relying upon his power. "\V c shall notice the two thoughts in this order as cause and effect. I. THE INCOMPARABLE EXCELLENCY OF Goo. This is brought out in several particulars. And: 1. God is incomparably excellent in himself. He "rideth upon the heaven in his help, and in his excellency on the sky." The reference is believed to be to the Shechinah cloud, which passed in calm majesty along the upper heavens to indicate to Israel, or" Jesburuu," as Israel is here called, the way they should take. In no more beautiful way could God's essential sovereignty be brought out. He moves in calm majesty among the spheres, the Ruler because Maker of them all. No one can for a. moment be compared with him. 2. God is incomparably excellent as the Saviour of his people. Israel experienced his help in the deliverance from Egypt, in the pilgrimage to Palestine, and they were about to experience still further fa,our in the success of the invasion. The language is most beautiful by which all this is conveyed. "'l'he eternal God is thy Refuge;" to him who dwells in the et,rnities and who orders their processions, the difficulties of time must be as nothing. "Underneath are the everlasting arms," no wealiness ever overtaking arms which are full of everlasting strength. " He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them." Now, in all this we h11ve a figure of the salvation which God extends still to men. (I) He delivers us from the bondage of sin ; (2) he justifies us freely from all things; (3) be sanctifies us by his Spirit ; ( 4) he protects and delivers us from all our enemies. II. THE CONSEQUENT HAPPINESS OF ISRAEL. What distinguishes Israel and renders them a happy people is the possession of such an incomparable Saviour. It is not in Israel themselves, but in their God, that 1,he cause of their happiness dwells. Auel it THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [oH, XXXIII, 1-20,
is W<'ll to remember this. 1. Frames and.feelings are no pi·oper foundation for our spiri/1'.al c?nfiden~•. Anxious souls prolong t_heir anxiety nnd postpone their peace by <'Xce~s1ve introspection. Instead of occupymg themselves with the incomparnblo excellency of their Saviour, they occupy themselves with the incomparable vileness of their own hearts. No prnce and joy can come from within. 2, The changeless Saviour is a true Foundation for our confidence and hope. It is "Jesus Christ the same ycstmday, to-day, and for _e_vor," in whom we are asked to confide. H;has every exccllcn~y which our necess1t1es demand. Ho has the atonement and tho sympathy and the mtercessory powers we nec,l to free us from deserved penalties and fit us for undesen·ed blessing. 8. We stand in consequence as an expectant people awaiting ou1· e11tra1 1 ce to the land of pi·omise. For it is to be noticed that Israel were not only happy in their experience, but happy also in their hopes. They were about to enter the promised land. There they were to dwell safely alone, like the heavenly state where" the wicked cen~e from troubling and the_ weary are at rest." 'fhey are to have plenty of corn and ~·me, as the redeemed have m heaven, where they eat angels' food and drink the new wme of the kmgdom. They are to dwell under the fertilizing dews of heaven, :is the redeemed shall under the benedictions of God. In hope, then, Israel was happy : and we too may "rejoice in hope of the glory of God."-R. M. E.
Vers. 1-5.-The Godlike act of blessiug. Moses is finely described as "the man of God." Among his contemporaries there was no man who bore so much of the Divine image. In character, in office, in deed, he was eminently Godlike. As his earthly lifo drew to a close, the real man came more fully into view. Death is a clever unveiler of a man-it strips off shams and masks, it discovers the reality. Like his great Anti type, Moses forgets himself in the crisis of death, and concerns himself about others. .AJ; his hours are few, he will crowd into them as many acts of blessing as he can. It is .in the power of one man to bless many. This is Godlike. I. BLESSIKG CAN C;OME TO M.EN ONLY THROUGH THE CHANNELS OF LAW, It is useless to wish a man some good fortune, unless he is prepared to follow the lines along which !!ood fortune comes. It is useless to wish a man health, while we know that he is ~vedded to the wine-cup. The only real blessing we can confer is to put men into connection with God's channels of blessing. The man who unveils to us the lnw of God respecting the expansion of steam, confers real blessing on the race. Similarly, the man who reveals to us the law, or method, through which God's favour flows to sinners, imparts solid blessing. Respecting blessing, God is the only primal Source, but men can be subordinate agents in distributing it. "Order is Heaven's first law;" and, in blessing others, we must observe God's order of procedure. Submission to law is an essential condition of blessing. Il. BLESSING TO MEN HAS ALWAYS DEEN THE PURPOSE OF GOD'S SUBLIMEST MANI- FESTATIONS. Desiring to bless the tribes, Moses at once reverted to Sinai, and to God's gr:111d plan for blessing men. Heart and soul, Moses was a legislator. He saw the grandeur, the eternity, the utility of Law. The "ruling passion was strong in death." The splendid manifestation of God's majesty at Sinai again passed before the eye of memory. All tho~e splendours of royal state were destined to illustrate the intrinsic majesty of Law. That magnificent retinue of consecrated ones illustrated t~e nati 1·e glory of the Divine Law. 'l'hat entire epiphany of God culminated in this sirrnificant act: "from his right hand went a fiery Law "-a Divine force to soften, melt, p~ify, and consume. Those honoured beings that fouud a place in the retinue of God received that exaltation and that office by virtue of submission to Law; "they sat d~wn at thy feet." 'l'o reveal to men his Law is a Divine equivalent for largest blessmg. God's Law i6 the outcome of his love. The spriug and motive of this stately display of Law is deep and generous love. "Yea, he loved the people." IIL To BLESS MEN, THROUGH THEIR OBSERVANCE OF LAW, IS THE AMBITION OF EVERY REAL KING. God is supreme Sovereign of all intelligent beings. The supre~e Monarch manifests irrepressible desire to bless his subjects. Amidst impressive solemnities, he declares that blessing can only come through the channels of righteous Law. Moses, too, is a subordinate king-king in Jeshurun-God's vicegerent. Moses, too, desires to bites the people. His life had been spent in their interests. E~en during the forty years he spent as a shepherd in Midian, he was undergoing preparation Oil, XXXIII, 1-29,] THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 559