13.  As the book of Genesis constitutes a suitable introduction to the Pentateuch, without which its very existence, as a part of the divine plan, would be unintelligible, so does the book of Deuteronomy bring it to a sublime close.  From the goodness and faithfulness of God, from his special favor bestowed upon Israel, from the excellence of his service, from the glorious rewards of obedience and the terrible penalties of disobedience, it draws motives for a deep and evangelical obedience—­an obedience of the spirit and not of the letter only.  Thus it adds the corner-stone to the whole system of legislation, completing it on the side of the motives by which it challenges obedience, and investing it with radiant glory.  The Pentateuch, then, is a whole.  The first book is inseparable from it as an introduction; the last as a close.  The three intermediate books contain the legislation itself, and in this each of them has its appropriate province.

CHAPTER XX.

THE HISTORICAL BOOKS.

1.  In the Pentateuch we have the establishment of the Theocracy, with the preparatory and accompanying history pertaining to it.  The province of the historical books is to unfold its practiced working, and to show how, under the divine superintendence and guidance, it accomplished the end for which it was given.  They contain, therefore, primarily, a history of God’s dealings with the covenant people under the economy which he had imposed upon them.  They look at the course of human events on the divine rather than the human side, and in this respect they differ widely from all other historical writings.  Human histories abound with the endless details of court intrigues, of alliances and wars, of material civilization and progress, and whatever else pertains to the welfare of men considered simply as the inhabitants of this world.  But the historical books of the Old Testament, written by prophetical men illumined by the Holy Spirit, unfold with wonderful clearness the mighty movements of God’s providence, by which the divine plan proposed in the Mosaic economy was steadily carried forward, alike through outward prosperity and adversity, towards the fulfilment of its high office.  After a long series of bloody struggles, the Theocracy attained to its zenith of outward power and splendor under David and Solomon.  From that time onward the power of the Israelitish people declined, till they were at last deprived of their national independence, and subjected to the yoke of foreign conquerors.  But in both the growth of the national power under the Theocracy, and its decline, the presence of God and his supremacy, as well over the covenant people as over the surrounding nations, were gloriously manifested, and their training for the future advent of the Messiah was steadily carried forward.  Thus we have in these historical books a wonderful diversity of divine manifestations, which alike charm and instruct the pious mind.