And thus, looking within and around me, I ever renew (With that stoop of the soul which, in bending, upraises it too) The submission of Man's nothing-perfect to God's AllComplete, As by each new obeisance in spirit I climb to His feet." All's love, but all's law. The seers are always the singers. I have already referred to one of George Matheson's hymns. Let us not miss the strength of that hymn, while we glory in its tenderness. "O Love, that will not let me go." Do not let us sing that as though love only knew the method of a tender caress. We must sing all the hymn if we would know what the first line means. "O Love, that will not let me go, "O Light, that followest all my way, yield my flickering torch to l'hee; My heart restores its borrowed ray, "O Joy, that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee; That morn shall tearless be. "O Cross, that liftest up my head, I lay in dust life's glory dead, Love, then, is law gripping me, binding me to the cross, compelling me to lay life's glory in the dust of death, and so ensuring the blossoming of red life. The first appeal of the book is to love of God. It is objected that love cannot be commanded. That is true. Love is born when least expected. We love, because He first loved. On the other hand, love can be refused. We may not love, even though He first loves. The message then is, "Harden not your heart." Do not blind yourself to God's love. Detect it in the rainbow and in the rain, in the cross and in the red life that blossoms from the ground. Having detected it, answer it. The final appeal of Deuter onomy shows how love is answered. It is by obedience. In answer to love, and in the power of love, obey. There is a reflex action in this sacred matter. To obey in answer to love is to come to love the One obeyed; and so more per fectly to obey, out of more perfect love. A THE PERMANENT VALUES 1. "Jehovah is a Man of War" i. Its Reason. His perpetual War with Sin. a. The Extermination of the Canaanites. 1. After Probation. Gen. xv. 16, xviii., xix. 2. Because of Corruption. Lev. xviii. 24, 25, 27. b. His dealing with His Own. ii. Its Instruments. a. Men loyal to Him. b. The Forces of the Universe. ii. Its Methods. a. Restraint of natural Powers, within the Bounds of His Government. b. Restraint of the Lust of a conquering Army. II. "The Just shall live by Faith" i. Acceptance of the Standard of God's Holiness. ii. Abandonment to the Government of God's Will. iii. Achievement in the Strength of God's Might. B THE LIVING MESSAGE I. "Jehovah is a Man of War The Foe of Sin to-day as ever. Personal. Social. Civic. National. II. "The Just shall live by Faith " Personally. Relatively. To exercise righteous in fluence, and produce the result of righteous conditions, faith is nec essary. THE MESSAGE OF JOSHUA T HE second division of the Hebrew fell into two sections. The first was called The Earlier Prophets, and comprised Joshua, Judges, I. and II., Samuel, and I. and II. Kings. In some arrangements the book of Ruth was included with that of Joshua. In others it was counted as one of the five rolls constituting the Hagiographa, or book of Psalms. The placing of the historical books of the Old Testament in the division known as The Prophets indicated the fact that they were considered to be prophetic in the full sense of the word. History is prophetic in that it has a teaching value. read from the true standpoint is to observe the method of God, and to learn the principles of human life. To The book of Joshua is a link between the death of Moses and the death of Joshua, and covers a period of from forty-five to fifty years in the history of the ancient people. Joshua was born in slavery, and the first years of his life were spent |