The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-04-08


lures, we can understand Gods ProVi-
dence, but we cannot control it in the
least degree.
Gods object in the creation was and
is, and only was and is, the formation
ofa Heaven out of the human race; and
he never acts except with sole reference
to this eternal purpose The Bible was
given 10 man and to angels for that
purpose; and Gods WoRD, by reason
of it's spiritual sense, is eternal, and in
the Heavens as well as on earth, and
for the use of angels as well as for the
use Of men; and every literal state
ment or narrative in the Word has its
corresdondential spiritual narrative, his
tory, or meaning.
The literal history Of the delivery Of
the Israelites from Egyptian bondage,
and of their subsequent wanderings
through the wilderness, and their set
tlement, and Vicissitudes, and combats
in Canaan, is the spiritual history of a
regenerating soul In that Bible his
tory, as it stands in the sacred pages
every Christian man will find his own
spiritual life imaged with absolute f.
deity, as in a mirror of eternal truth.
In the spiritual sense of the Scrip
lures, Egypt corresponds to scientifics
and all forms of worldliness--to what
ever, in short, allures the soul from God
and tends to drag it down to hell.
And, sooner or later, every human
soul goes down into Egypt, and it finds
that its Joseph has been there and made
all things ready for it that Pharaoh is
eager to give it hospitable welcome, to
set apart portion Of his kingdom for
its residence, and in every way to make
much of it.
And so, for season, the deluded
soul has prosperous time in Egypt;
but, as sure as God liveth, there arises
aking who knows not Joseph; and then
the soul begins to eat its bread in Bit
ternessj it is tasked, and beaten with
stripes, and compelled to make bricks
without straw, and trampled in the
very dust of humiliation. And then
comes awakening and repentance, and
the struggle to get free, which is but
family typifed by the ten plaques and
their accompanying horrors. ae.gd
At last the soul breaks away from its
Egyptian bondage, and sets out for its
Canaan of promise, but soon finds itself
hemmed in on both sides, with the Red
Sea in front and the wickedest man "
Egypt in hot pursuit But the Lord
tells it to go forward, and forward it
goes and through the spiritual Red
Sea a spiritual Water street is opened,
and the soul goes safely through, while
the wickedest man in Egypt, together
with all his hosts, is left fOuudering in
the floods. .nou 8tHMf i.>
And when complete deliverance from
Egypt is thus gained, what is before
the regenerating soul : Why, its wan
derings in the wilderness of doubt and
uncertainty, its fight with Amalek, itt
exposure to all manner of trials and
tribulations, And when it,has crossed
its Jordan of fixed determination anG
entered within the borders of its Prom
ised Land what does it find Not rest
nor peace, nor happiness. On the con
trary, it finds the land already occupied
by myriads of foes, who are entrenched
in all the Businesses of the heart, and
are ready to contest, and will contest
every inch of ground, And they are
skilled in warfare, and know the lay o.
the land, and are abundantly supplied
with every available weapon. 9a ..f I
When the ,Israelites arrived in the
Promised Land they found thst thei
real welfare had only just begun. AnC
for what weary years, and with wha
shifting vicissitudes it was carried
out. Sometimes they were victorious
sometimes defeated-once having ever
the sacred Ark itself captured by thei
pagan enemies. a.i t..if-s. .s.rr f.
How typical is this of the Christian
war of regeneration! How often he i
defeated by the hosts of evil-by tn,
wicked native occupants of his heart
which are his spiritual Philistines.
And here I will introduce the dec
, laration of Jehovah which is the text o
this portion of my discourse. In telling
the Israelites what lay before them il
their contest for the Promised Land
and after stating the facts as to thei
enemies, and that he would drive then
out from before His people, God say
Exodus, xiii: 80, 3O)-
81 will not drive them out from before the
IN one year lest the land become desolate an
the beasts of the field multiply against thee. B
little and little will drive them out from befor
thee, till thou be increased and inherit tn
: land.'
Please to observe what excellent phi
Iosophy and common sense are embod
led 10 this Scripture. God announce
to the Israeites that the process of OccU
3 pying the Promised Land is to be il
exorabIy subordinated to principles Q
sound political economy. There is I
be no rushing of things, He is nj
8 going to drive out the Jebusites (for
q will mass all the tribes together unde
Q this common name) any faster than th
! Israelites can occupy the land. The
: is to be no wild, useless havoc of tt
: Jebusites. And why
"Lest the land become desolate an
the beasts Of the field multiply again
f thee" saith the Lord, g5 ,Ii ID.
The husbandry Of the Jebusites, eve
a in the Promised Land, is then less ol
= noxious in the sight of God than des'