The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-07
INTRODUCTION.


the roots and seeds Of summer blooms
and fruits. Under the severity of the
Hebrew Law, with it's penalties and pen
ances, it's prohibitions and threatenings,
is the spirit of mercy, which afterwards
comes to bloom and fruitage in the pro-
phets and psalms, and finds full expires
sion in the Gospel Of Jesus.-MOses
led and moulded his people by the mo-
tive of fear. The annunciation of the
Ten Words on Sinai is represented to be
under circumstances designed especially
to awaken awe. Yet, to his honor be it
said, he never, as all scholarship now
comedies, even once threatened after
death doom to the disobedient. 1t is
suggestive that, among the multitude
of penalties Moses threatened against
the i'll doors he did not once by word or
inference, employ this now much-worn
agent of religious fear and dread. New.
ertheless the punishments he threatened,
while all limited to this life, were we'll
calculated to deter men from wrong-do-
ing by foreboding and dread. The Law,
which was the constitution OF Israel, is.
in it's most apparent aspect, hard and
relentless against sinful human nature
But in our lesson today we shall
see the germinal workings OF the mercy
which was in the Abrahamic faith from
the first. 1t was the thought Of Israel
that while God is severity itself in con-
demning sinners and Furnishing sinners
he is mercy itself in forgiving his re-
pentant children. He provides refuge
for those sorely beset in the world; while
He is Himself the one Refuge that is
forever free to all to whom he has given
the breath of his own life.
LESSON STORY.
Joshua was now, at ninety years OF
age, at the end of his active leadership.
The land which had been captured from
the Canaanites had been distributed.
The distribution had been begun at Gill
gal, the headquarters of the invading
army Joshua xiii:6); it was completed
at Shiloh Josh. xviii:51), which was the
resting place of the ark and the relig-
ious centre OF the nation for the three
hundred years following. Joshua hav
ing accomplished the preliminary con-
quest, left it's completion to the tribes.
During the twenty years which re.
manned of his life. the great leader con-
tinue6 the advisory head of the tribes,
his residence being IN the city achich he
asked, euea Timnath serdh IN the hill
country of Ephraim.
One of the important duties fulfilled
in the distribution was the assignment
of cities to the Levites. who had no land
given to them, but we're given cities in
various sections Of the country, that they
might exercise their unifying influence
over the now divided tribes.
There remained the no less important
duty of fulfilling the commandment of
Moses requiring the appointment of
cities Of refuge.
Why cities of refuge we're needed was
because of the custom of blood revenge
Before the reign of law, or the epoch of
strong governments, it was the univer
sal custom for the nearest male relative
OF person killed to avenge his death on
the slayer. prior to the Mosaic age"
says the Cambridge Bible. lit was re-
quired of the nearest of kin, as matter
of duty, to avepge the death of slain
relative. He was called the Goel or
AUenger, and together with his Office in
herited the property of the deceased.
Sometimes a whole family took upon
them this duty III Sam. xiv:0." Crude
as this method of Furnishing murder was
it was largely effective in preventing the
private destruction of life. There was
certainty of the punishment of murder
ers by the blood avengers, which has
scarcely been increased by the more
elaborate modern methods OF detecting
and furnishing capital crimes.
But the evils attending this primitive
m method were very serious. The avenger
became by his act the subject of revenge.
1t became in turn the duty Of every one
slain to slay the slayer. Thus family
wars of determination descended from
generation to generation, with no pros
pect of ever coming to a peaceful end.
These destructive and interminable
feuds existed among the ancient Ger
mans and Anglo.Saxons, and now exist
in Persia, Abyssinia, Circassia and
among the Hindoos. I'm Ireland" says
the Pulpit Commentary, lit is not SO
long ago since one of these blood -feuds
in the County Tipperary had acquired
such formidable proportions that the
authorities of the Rowan Catholic
Church there were compelled to resort
to mission in order to put an end to it.
A man had been killed nearly a cen.
fury before in an ARRAY which COM
menced about the Sge OF colt. His
relatives felt bound to aveDge the MUIR
der; and their vengeance was again
deemed to require fresh vengeance, un-
til faction fights between the Three
Year-Olds' and the -Four. Y fear Olds' had
grown almost into petty wars. The only
way in which the feud could be termin-