these words were added, was to keep alive in the mind of every true Israelite, the unfulfilled prediction delivered by Moses himself, when he declared, "The Lord said unto me, I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."* Nothing could be more natural, than that the Israelites should wish to interpret this of Joshua, upon whom they had seen Moses solemnly lay hands, and on whom the Spirit of wisdom had descended. It was, therefore, most important that this mistake, if it existed, should be corrected, and at any rate, the possibility of it prevented; this was effectually done by the declaration before us, in which the writer (whether Joshua or not, is of little consequence) solemnly asserts that no such prophet had the Lord then raised up. No, it remained for after days and happier times to witness the fulfilment of this and all the other prophecies which pointed to the coming of that Messiah, of whom Moses was but a feeble type. Deep, indeed, and heartfelt, should be our gratitude that our lot had been cast under a dispensation in which all has been realized, all * Deut. xviii. 17, 18, 19. fulfilled; the "Prophet like unto" Moses, but infinitely his superior, has been raised up, and has done for us what Moses could not do for the Israelites, viz. opened a way into the promised land; and as our great forerunner, as the apostle declares," for us entered in thither himself." Let us see, then, that we neglect not Him that speaketh from heaven; or, as we are here assured, God" will require it of us." Let us be careful that we suffer nothing to stand between us and this Divine Leader, and least of all that we allow anything to occupy his place. Sacraments, ordinances, churches, are only good, inasmuch as they lead us to Christ; and not only useless, but infinitely worse than useless, when they incline us to rest satisfied in themselves, or to substitute anything for union with Him, our living Head, and communion, through Him, with the Father of our spirits. May it please God, at this time more especially, to carry home this great and blessed truth to the hearts of his people; may the Lord Jesus Christ be made unto each and all of us, " Wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption;" may He, indeed, be to us, "All in all," for life, for death, for time, and for eternity. And may God of his infinite mercy grant that neither learning, nor authority, a desire for a fanciful and unat tainable unity, nor a respect for some who ought "not so to have learned Christ," may be permitted to turn us back to those "weak and beggarly elements," which for centuries misled and enslaved the world. THE END. LONDON: G. J. PALMER, PRINTER, SAVOY STREET, STRAND. PUBLISHED BY J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILLY. (OPPOSITE THE ALBANY.) Second Edition. A FAMILY EXPOSITION of the PENTATEUCH. VOLS. I. and II. containing GENESIS to LEVITICUS. Fifteenth Edition. 2 NINE LECTURES upon the HISTORY of SAINT PETER. 12mo. price 4s. 6d. cloth. Fifteenth Edition. 3. EIGHT LECTURES on the HISTORY of JACOB. 12mo. price 4s. 6d. cloth. Ninth Edition. 4. TWELVE LECTURES on the HISTORY of ABRAHAM. 12mo. price 5s. 6d. cloth. Eighth Edition. 5. TWELVE LECTURES on the HISTORY of ST. PAUL. Part I. 12mo. price 5s. 6d. cloth. Seventh Edition. 6. HISTORY of SAINT PAUL. Part II. 12mo price 5s. 6d. cloth. Eighth Edition. 7. LECTURES upon the HISTORY of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. Part I. 12mo. price 5s. 6d. cloth. |