SERMON LII.

MOSES APPOINTING JOSHUA HIS SUCCESSOR.

"And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."-Deut. xxxi., 7, 8.

The scenes associated with the closing life of Moses, as described in the divine history, are singularly sublime and impressive.

By the training and vicissitudes of forty years in the Arabian desert, under the divine direction, they had attained order, discipline, and confidence. One generation had passed. A young host familiar with divine protection had taken the place of the fearful multitude which had quitted Egypt, demoralized in the house of bondage. Emboldened by many a victory, by the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire at their head, they would be elated also by their approach to the promised land, by the fertile country, and the glorious mountains of Moab. Arranged in admirable order, marshalled under their organized leaders, as they left the rude wild pastures of the desert, and came into the fair plains on which they stood, we can well imagine their imposing majesty. The neighbouring nations trembled, yet Israel only repelled assailants. They encamped like a lion at rest, and felt that the Lord their God was with them, and the shout of a king was amongst them.

Moses, their aged leader was yet at their head, one hundred and twenty years old, but he was about to quit them. Before their assembled hosts, with their elders and priests about him, he recounted the chief points in their history, in which he and their fathers and themselves had been actors, gave them the most solemn advice, and appointed his successor to lead them when he was no more with them.

He gave Joshua himself a charge in the sight of all Israel, and in the terms of our text. Perhaps there has been no scene in all

history more impressive and sublime, than that scene on the plain of Moab, with Pisgah, Nebo, Abarim before them, and Jordan in the distance, and the aged Moses at the head of his rescued people, giving them his dying charge. It was a great thing for them. It was a lesson to endure for ages. It is a great thing for us. It may afford us lessons to endure for ever. Let us contemplate our lessons.

The law in all things was a shadow of good things to come. The two leaders of the natural Israel, Moses and Joshua, were the symbols of the two leaders of the spiritual Israel, the letter and the spirit, outward religion and inward religion, law and love. We are led out of Egypt by Moses; we are led into Canaan by Joshua.

Jesus

"The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.” Himself leads us in rooting out the evils of the heart, and giving us the peace that passes all understanding. Joshua is the Hebrew for Jesus.

Moses, then, represents the Word while it is an external force reforming us: Joshua represents the Word in its spirit and life regenerating us. The one brings us to Canaan, the other takes us in. Moses fights with and subdues our outward sins. Joshua conquers and removes our inward lusts.

Moses had led and disciplined the hosts of Israel, and been the means of overcoming every foe that had endangered the people in Egypt and the country outside of but approaching to Canaan. The law held in sincerity and fear will conquer our outward sins for us. "The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul." "Let them hear Moses and the prophets," said our Lord, "if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead."

deed."

When led and strengthened by the Word, even in its letter, the soul can be led out of its Egypt, can be made free from its outer sins, and be blessed by a freedom such as it never knew before. "If the truth shall make you free, you shall be free in"Fools because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."-Ps. cvii. 17-20.

The Word gives light to discern our sins; it warns, it animates, it cheers, it consoles, it directs, it trains, it feeds the soul with manna to strengthen it. The Word thus far, and in this

respect, is our Moses. Even the gospel, while it is understood and accepted in the letter only, is a Moses. The Lord with us teaches and trains us, but the Lord in us is the hope of glory. The Lord is indeed our All in all. But when He is in our memory and our intellect, He is Moses. When He is victorious in the heart, He is Joshua. He never leaves us, but when as Moses He is about to disappear, He gives the inspiriting charge to Joshua which we find in the words of our text. Joshua had been with Moses all the time of the Israelitish pilgrimage, but in a subordinate position. The spirit of the Word is with the letter always, though in the earlier movements of our spiritual life, little seen; but later it comes up to view, and takes the leadership: the earthly dies, and the spiritual rises.

Let us notice, especially, the animating words addressed to Joshua on his taking the leadership. They impress us like the sound of a trumpet. "Be strong and of good courage. The Lord, he it is that doth go before thee, He will be with thee. He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."

Literally, the cheering tones of this charge were intended to fortify Israel and the new leader, in view of the multiplied dangers which they would soon have to face. There were seven nations to root out, gigantic foes to encounter and subdue. The Amorites of the mountains entrenched in their strongholds; the Canaanites of the plains and valleys, with numerous chariots and trained hosts of footmen. Both Moses and Joshua were aware of the severe difficulties to be encountered, but there was no disposition to flinch or fail in their work, but only to fortify themselves to be faithful and true. They knew the Lord was with them, and that was enough. They never dreamt of substituting believing for doing. They went right before them, saying, "The Lord he it is that doth go before thee. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." It is one of the saddest signs of the present day, that among Christians, there is so strong a disposition to avoid the work of interior regeneration. There is a spiritual cowardice which is deeply to be lamented, as it leads to the work of the Lord being done deceitfully, and it brings dishonour on Him who is the Mighty God. From all sides one hears the craven sound,-you cannot keep the commandments; you cannot become pure in heart; your work is not to root out your bosom sins; you are not to strive against evil tempers, evil lusts and evil passions; you are not TO DO ANYTHING, but believe that Christ has done everything for you.

Not so was it Moses encouraged Joshua. "Thou must go with this people unto the land," he said, "which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it."

Heaven is to be won within: the kingdom of God is within the regenerate. But, where the kingdom of God is to be, unnumbered foes as yet have their abodes and strongholds. Our enemies are mighty and numerous, on the mountains and in the plains. They have great cities, and many entrenchments. There are many of them giants in size. But what then? Shall we fear them, or fail in our life's work? Oh no. Rather let us make these divine words our spiritual battle cry, "Be strong and of good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn to their fathers to give them, and thou shalt cause them to inherit it." Courage is something unspeakably noble. In both sacred and secular history, whereever we see dauntless courage displayed, our own hearts warm with admiration. To true courage, of warm heart and clear mind, success is already half won. Giants become dwarfs before courage, difficulties die away; while to the timid every molehill becomes a mountain.

What grand achievements have been due to courage in every age! When we read the story of David, and hear him relate how he, the shepherd boy, had seized and slain the lion and the bear, and felt that the uncircumcized giant that had defied the armies of the living God would be as one of them, we feel that it is sublime, and victory is already sure. So with Saul's valiant son, the noble Jonathan, he was fearless against the hosts of Philistia, and they fled before him. In every age, on land and sea, courage has worked its marvels, and saved nations or planted new ones; for it is not the wonder-worker in deeds of battle only. Columbus sailing for weeks and months over an unexplored ocean presents a dauntless figure. The engineer who throws a road over a morass from which the timid shrink, or builds a light-house amidst stormy waves; the reformer, the Luther, who attacks abuses acquiesced in by millions, and entrenched in respectability; the noble soul which labours to overcome ignorance, dirt, and crime, undismayed by their extent, are all heroes; and the groundwork of all heroism is courage.

Joshua had been remarkable for his courage throughout his history. He had seen with his fellow-explorers of Canaan all the dangers from which they shrunk, when they scattered dismay throughout the host with their dismal stories of giants to whom

they were as grasshoppers; but when he saw the panic spread, and the trembling multitude ready to rush back to Egypt in despair, he rent his clothes with sacred indignation. He cried out with fearless bravery, and saved Israel in spite of themselves, while all the congregation were threatening to stone him and Caleb, "If the Lord delight in us he will bring us into this land and give it us, a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord; neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defence is departed from them; and the Lord is with us; fear them not."

To him then it was, and to us through him that Moses addressed the spirit-stirring words of our text, "Be strong and of good courage. The Divine Spirit of religion is always this, when it enters into the interior of the soul. Joshua went forth with fearless bravery, and all obstacles fell before him.

And in our spiritual warfare shall it not be so with us? How unworthy is the spirit we too often hear in the pulpit even, and is still oftener found in the craven words of half-hearted souls. We cannot overcome our faults and sins of various kinds, we have tried and failed again and again; we must be saved some other way. Will it not do if we pray for mercy at the last? If we believe in Christ, cannot we go to heaven by substitution? It is mercy that is leading us to overcome the hell within. We do not believe in the Lord Jesus while we shrink from the work he gives us to do. He is the source of all true heroism. He conquered all the powers of darkness as the Divine Joshua, and He repeats these words to each of us, "Be strong and of good courage." Have faith in Me. "I give you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Do the work of repentance and regeneration. and I will ever be with you. He saves His people from their sins by giving them power to root them out; but only to men of good courage. The fearful and unbelieving ever fail, and remain outside of the holy city.-Rev. xxi. 8. "He that overcometh shall inherit all things." "I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

In the charges to Joshua, there are three things presented as bases for the invincible courage to which he was exhorted, and which are essential things to us. First, "Thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give it to them: and thou shalt cause them to inherit it." Secondly, "The Lord he it is that doth go before thee: He will be with thee." And, thirdly, it was additionally