_Love the Lord thy God, and keep His charge._ ON THE IMPERFECTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT RELIGION In the expression, “the love of God,” are comprehended admiration of Him, and delight in meditating upon Him, reverence towards Him, desire of His approbation, and a fear of offending Him, gratitude... [ Continue Reading ]
_And what He did unto Dathan and Abiram._ THE SPIRIT OF REVOLUTION Moses recalls the revolt against his authority in the wilderness. It took place in conjunction with the revolt of Korah (Numbers 17:1). The point which Moses emphasises is the revolt against Divinely constituted authority, and the r... [ Continue Reading ]
_Not as the land of Egypt._ CANAAN ON EARTH Egypt is typical of the condition of the children of God while they are in bondage to the law of sin. There they are made to work unceasingly, without wages or profit, but continually subject to pains. The coming up out of Egypt is the type of the delive... [ Continue Reading ]
_Take heed. .. that your heart be not deceived._ RELIGION NO HUMBUG I. Let us not be deceived in our ideas about God. 1. Let us not be deceived in thinking that our heavenly Father is partly good and partly bad. 2. Let not your heart be deceived in thinking that God cannot pardon the one who supp... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lay up these my words._ THE FOUR PLACES IN WHICH A GOOD MALE KEEPS GOD’S TRUTH The four places are here: heart, soul, hand, head; or put it another way: there are two departments of the religious life--first, the truth of God, the reality of religion revealed in us, that is in the heart and soul;... [ Continue Reading ]
_Teach them your children._ RELIGIOUS EDUCATION I. This is the simplest notion of education, for undoubtedly he is perfectly educated who is taught all the will of God concerning him, and enabled through life to execute it. And he is not well educated who does not know the will of God, or, knowing... [ Continue Reading ]
_A blessing and a curse._ TWO MOUNTAINS Mount Ebal, we are told, “is a barren, stony, and arid crag”; so would God “smite the apostates with barrenness, hunger, and misery.” Gerizim was “covered with luxuriant verdure, streams of running water and cool and shady groves;” so would God “bless the fa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye shall pass over Jordan._ JORDAN AND CANAAN TYPICAL OF DEATH AND HEAVEN I. The anticipated inheritance. 1. A land of promise. 2. A land of abundance. 3. A holy land. 4. A land of rest. 5. Permanence of residence. 6. A land freely given. II. The manner of possession. 1. The streams of Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
_Observe to do._ OBEDIENCE TO THE DIVINE COMMANDS I. It is a breach of the injunction in the text for any man to substitute any contrivance or invention of his own, in the room of that which God hath prescribed in His worship, when such prescription is plain and express. II. By virtue of the inju... [ Continue Reading ]