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shipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:

27. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:

28. And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.

29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

This concluding remark of Moses, is a most striking and a deeply important and instructive one. He seems, as it were, overcome with the painful prospect which burst upon his prophetic vision, when he saw this vast people, over whom he had ruled for forty years, and fed, and clothed, and guided by miracle, wandering in some far distant age, as sheep without a shepherd, a flock scattered upon the mountains. He feels the difficulty of reconciling such a result with such a cost; such a poor and degrading conclusion, with such an expensive and splendid road to lead to it. But he checks the rising aspiration to know more than God had seen fit to teach him with the humble and beautiful observation, " The secret things belong unto the Lord." They are

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his property, at the disposal solely of his sovereign will, and no man may ask the potter why he so mouldeth the clay? or reason with his Maker, "Why hast thou made me thus ?" Well does Moses add, "But those things which are revealed, belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Blessed inheritance of God's children, in all ages! His revealed word! We want nothing better, and nothing more. It is for us, and for our children, aye for the youngest and feeblest of them, for there is "milk for babes," as well as meat for strong men. Blessed be God for all that He has condescended to reveal to us now, and blessed be his holy Name for all that He has promised we shall "know hereafter." Let us not attempt to reconcile those apparent contradictions of which, by our own confession, we can now see but so small a portion. As well might we attempt to put together a disjointed map, when some parts of it are wanting. Let us wait patiently, and prayerfully, and faithfully, for the time, when all will be made plain, when "we shall see as we are seen, and know even as we ourselves are known."

EXPOSITION LXV.

DEUTERONOMY XXX. 1-20.

1. And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee,

2. And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

3. That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.

4. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:

5. And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

We have lately been reading the blessings and the curses of Israel, but these were not all; bitter and overwhelming as the latter appeared, we

find that our heavenly Father had yet one blessing in store after the cup of his vengeance was poured forth. We are here told expressly, "When all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse which I have set before thee," then, even then, if they returned unto the Lord their God, He would still once more return unto them. How affecting is it to trace, in all God's dealings with this people, his astonishing forbearance and tender mercy! It seemed impossible, at the close of the last chapter, that there could be anything of mercy yet in reserve; all appeared concluded in the terrible malediction that they should be " rooted out of the land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation; the threatenings of God seemed thus, as it were, to be wound up, and to leave "no room for repentance, although they sought it earnestly and with tears." But it was not so. Our heavenly Father is always even better than his word. A way was still open for the penitent and returning Israelite; the gate of mercy is never closed, so long as there is one broken and contrite heart desirous to seek it, and one trembling hand willing to knock. But let us examine still further, what was required of those who were anxious to be again received unto the favour of their God.

6. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

7. And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.

8. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.

9. And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:

10. If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

11. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

13. Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

14. But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

15. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

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