And he buried
him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor; but no
man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.
Some might regret that the last three chapters of Deuteronomy are
not read among our Sunday lessons. There was not, however, room for
them; and I do not doubt that those who chose our lessons knew
better than I what chapters they ought to choose. We may, however,
read them for ourselves, not only in the daily lessons, but as often
as we choose. And well worth reading they are.
For I know of no stronger proof of the truth of the book of
Deuteronomy, and of the whole Pentateuch, than its ending so
differently from what we should have expected, or indeed wished. If
things went in this world, as they do in novels and fables,
according to man's notion of what is right and good, then Moses and
his history would have had a very different ending.
And if the story of Moses had been of man's invention, we should
have heard--I think, from what we know of the fables, 'myths' as
they call them now, which nations have invented about themselves,
and their own early history, we may guess fairly what we should have
heard--how Moses brought the Jews into the land of Canaan, and
established his laws, and reigned over them, and died in honour and
great glory--if he died at all, and was not taken up into the skies,
and changed into a star, or into a god; and how he was buried with
great pomp; and how his sepulchre did remain among the Jews until
that day; and probably how men worshipped at it, and miracles were
worked at it, and so forth.
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