Deuteronomy 34:12

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Overview - Deuteronomy 34
1 Moses from mount Nebo views the land.
5 He dies there.
6 His burial.
7 His age.
8 Thirty days' mourning for him
9 Joshua succeeds him.
10 The praise of Moses.
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Deuteronomy 34:12  (King James Version)
And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.
 

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Thus ends the book of Deuteronomy, and with it the Pentateuch,commonly called the Law of Moses; a work every way worthy of Godits author, and only less than the New Testament, the Law andGospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Its antiquityplaces it at the head of all the writings in the world; and thevarious subjects it embraces render it of the utmost importanceto every part of the civilized world. Its philosophy, history,geography, and chronology entitle it to the respect of the wholehuman race; while its system of theology and religiondemonstrably proves it to be a revelation from God. The Law ofMoses is more properly the Law of Jehovah,[trh yehvh ,] torath yehowah, the grandtitle of the Pentateuch. Could we conceive Moses to have beenthe author of this system, we must consider him more thanmortal:--no wisdom of man has ever yet invented such a Code ofLaws. His merit, however, has been disputed, and his lawsseverely criticised, by persons whose interest it was to provereligion a cheat, because they had none themselves. To some,whose mental taste and feeling are strangely perverted,everything in heathenism wears not only the most fascinatingaspect, but appears to lay claim to and possess everyexcellence; and hence they have called up Confucius, Menu,Zoraster, and Mohammed himself, to dispute the palm with Moses!On this subject in general, it may be just necessary to add,that the utmost that can be said of all laws, merely human, is,that they restrain vices, through the terror of punishment.God's law not only restrains vice, but it infuses virtue. Italone brings man to the footstool of his Maker; and keeps himdependent on the strong for strength, on the wise for wisdom,and on the merciful for grace. It abounds with promises ofsupport, and salvation for the present life, which no falsesystem dared ever to propose: every where, Moses, in the mostconfident manner, pledges his God for the fulfilment of all theexceeding great and precious promises, with which his laws areso plentifully interspersed; and while they were obedient theycould say, "Not one word hath failed us, of all the good thingswhich the Lord our God spake concerning us." Who thatdispassionately reads the Pentateuch, that considers it initself and in its reference to that glorious Gospel which it wasintended to introduce, can for a moment deny it the palm ofinfinite superiority over all the systems ever framed orimagined by man? Well might the Israelitish people triumphantlyexclaim, "There is none like the God of Jeshurun!" and with whatstriking propriety does the glorious legislator add, "Happy artthou, O Israel! who is like unto thee? O people, saved of theLord!" Finally, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which areamassed in these five books, have enriched the whole civilizedearth, and, indeed, greatly promoted that very civilization.They have been a kind of text-book to almost every writer ongeology, geography, chronology, astronomy, natural history,ethics, jurisprudence, political economy, theology, poetry, andcriticism, from the time of Moses to the present day--books towhich the choicest writers and philosophers in Pagan antiquity,have been deeply indebted; and which were the text-books to allthe prophets--books from which the flimsy writers against DivineRevelation have derived their natural religion, and all theirmoral excellence--books written in all the energy, and purity,of the incomparable language in which they are composed; andlastly, books, which for importance of matter, variety ofinformation, dignity of sentiment, accuracy of facts,impartiality, simplicity, and sublimity of narration, tending toimprove and ennoble the intellect and ameliorate the physicaland moral condition of man, have never been equalled, and canonly be paralleled by the Gospel of the Son of God! Fountain ofendless mercy, justice, truth, and beneficence! How much arethy gifts and bounties neglected by those who do not read thislaw; and by those who having read it, are not morally improvedby it, and made wise unto salvation!
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