The vision of the flowing waters, and their virtue.

1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles.

4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river

were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

LECTURE 1359.

The grace of the Gospel compared to living waters. The last two chapters of this book, and especially the passage now before us, present considerable difficulties, when viewed as relating to the state of the Jews after their return to Judea. But we know so little of their history for a considerable period between their return and the coming of Christ, that no one can say certainly how far any of these things were, or were not, fulfilled. Still less can we say what might have been fulfilled, but for the unbelief of the Jews themselves. Only we are well assured of this, that nothing is too hard for the Lord. And had the children of Israel answered to the pains He took with them, it might have been his good pleasure to manifest his presence amongst them, not only by the indwelling of his glory in the temple, but by the outpouring of such life giving streams of water as are here described. He, who had more than once made a way, for his people to pass through waters, that stood up as a wall on either side of them, might have thought it not too much to work in their behalf this ever flowing miracle, as a proof of his power, and token of his love, in the sight of the nations amongst whom they dwelt.

But both that which God actually did for the Israelites, and that which He would have done, but for their perversity, may usually be alike regarded as symbolical of that which is to be realized under the covenant of the Gospel. We cannot but think that all the prophets testify of Christ. We cannot but hold that every prophecy, every type, nay and also the chief facts recorded in the history, all bear, directly or indirectly, on the redemption of fallen man, through the atonement of the Son of God. And the less any such prophetic passage seems to have been fulfilled literally of old, so much the more may we reasonably look for its fulfilment in a later period, and in a sense adapted to an altered state of things. Here then let us behold, in these running waters, types of Gospel grace. Let us compare the passage with others much resembling it, in the prophets Joel, 3. 18, and Zechariah, 14. 8, as well as in the Book of Revelation, 22. 1, 2. Let us consider them all as applicable, though probably to different periods, yet all to the same Gospel dispensation. And what can more aptly signify the grace which we have now, and the glory which we hope for, or the growth of that grace and glory in the Church, than waters flowing out from the threshold of God's house, increasing in depth continually, refreshing the thirsty, cleansing the foul, sweetening the bitter, curing the diseased, and imparting to all things, as they flow, life, and health, and fruitfulness?

PART VIII. O. T.

M m

The borders of the land, and regulations for allotting it. 13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; and from the land of Israel by This shall be the border, where- Jordan, from the border unto by ye shall inherit the land the east sea. And this is the according to the twelve tribes east side. of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

15 And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;

16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.

17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.

18 And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead,

19 And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.

20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side. 21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

LECTURE 1360.

The excellency of our inheritance in the Gospel.

The territory here allotted to the Israelites, as described by the principal places on its borders, appears to be about the same in extent and situation as that which was first occupied in the time of Joshua. This description of its borders has every appearance of referring, at least in the first instance, to a real occupation of the land. And God's promise of giving it to their fathers is made mention of in a way which leads us to expect, that a literal fulfilment is intended. We may regard the passage then as an assurance to the Jews, that the land which they had lost should yet again be theirs, that God was able and willing to restore it; and that if they would therein observe his statutes, it should be theirs, as He had promised to Abraham, for a perpetual inheritance. See Gen. 13. 15.

Besides specifying the borders of the land to be occupied, God

further vouchsafes to give directions as to the manner of their occupation. Joseph was to have two portions as before. This is the first practical direction. This was a provision for maintaining the division of the tribes which had all along prevailed, and for preventing all dispute upon the subject. This honourable distinction conferred on Joseph, in his sons Ephraim and Manasses, was the fruit of the affliction he endured when sold into Egypt by his brethren. Interpreted of the Christian dispensation, it suggests the gain of tribulation, the advantage of suffering with Christ, as our way to being glorified together. Whensoever then God sees fit to chasten us, let us feel that it is good for us to be afflicted. The lowest state of misery to which we can be brought on earth, by any thing short of wilful sin, may prove our way to the highest measure of heavenly felicity. Pain, sickness, sorrow, even sorrow such as comes of experiencing cruel treatment by our brethren, if received with meekness, and acknowledged with thankfulness, may become the means of our obtaining a double portion of grace on earth, a double portion of glory in heaven.

The next practical direction, concerning the land, runs thus: "ye shall inherit it, one as well as another." That is to say, every man was to have his portion, as at the first allotment under Joshua. In the kingdom of Christ, there is an inheritance allotted unto every one. Here, as in the distribution of the land of Israel, all have their respective possessions. The poorest have their portion. And they who are accounted rich towards God, however much they may receive, never encroach on the inheritance of the rest. Grace, like light kindled at a neighbour's light, may be added without limit to one, and yet nothing be taken from another. Heavenly happiness, like the glory of that God from whose goodness it proceeds, may be extended infinitely, and yet nowhere diminished either in amount, or in intensity.

There is here one more practical direction for the settlement of the land, very different from the enactments of the Law, even authorising the allotment of a portion to strangers sojourning in Israel. This rule seems designed to prepare the Israelites for the state of things which it prefigures. And aptly does it prefigure the gracious comprehension of Gentiles, together with Jews, in the universal church of Christ. How thankfully ought we, that are of Gentile extraction, to praise the Lord for his goodness, in giving us a portion in the land! How gladly ought we to welcome strangers, how anxiously invite them to come in, how diligently labour to induce them, by shewing forth in the holiness of our lives the thankfulness of our hearts! And how graciously is it here signified, both to them and us, for our encouragement in holding fast to our profession, that God's gifts in the Gospel are "an inheritance," ours now, and unless it be our own fault, ours for evermore !

The apportionment of the land in several parts.

1 Now these are the names of twenty thousand in length, and the tribes. From the north toward the west ten thousand