impressed, in these circumstances, where is the man that may not recognise the agency of a God? And should not every reflecting observer exclaim, as even the magicians of Egypt did, when their enchantments failed them, and the plagues began to desolate their land, "This is the finger of God?" It is true, there are, as you will infer there must be, calamities which, though most grievous in themselves, are not yet palpable to sense, and may not be recognised by men at all. We refer to spiritual judgments. These weave their own chains, and forge their own fetters. They bring their own blindness and insensibility with them. They inflate pride, stimulate perversity, and instigate to rebellion against the Lord. The men who fall under these judgments are not sensible of them, and others may not suspect them at all. Never was the nation of Israel more proud and impenitent than when they were sore afflicted during the days of our Lord, and never were their privileges greater than at that period, or their danger more imminent. And, as certain judgments may not be observed, so others may be mistaken. We refer now to the calamities which are poured down by God upon individuals. There is much modesty needed in the interpretation of judgment here. These calamities, it is true, may be judgments, and, doubtless, often are so; but when the causes are unknown, when the designs of the Almighty are not understood, when the day of grace is not yet closed, when the call of the gospel is addressed to men generally, there is room for much hesitation in ascribing any personal infliction to the vengeance of God, and considering it as a judgment of heaven. You know Christ, our Saviour, has enjoined this modesty of interpretation by the following question, and the illustration accompanying it. Think you, said he, that "the eighteen men upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay; but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." Who, my brethren, that had seen, on the one side, Lazarus lying on the ground, clothed in rags, attended only by the dogs, full of sores, and desiring to be fed on the crumbs which fell from the table; and, on the other side, the rich man clothed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day, would not, if he had judged merely by appearances, and had not known the characters of these individuals, and the designs of the Almighty, have at once pronounced that the former was the object of the infliction of heaven, and the latter of the favour of Almighty God? Yet the reverse was the truth. And ought not all of us to remember, that this was the very error into which the friends of Job fell? Viewing the sore and successive calamities which visited this man of God, wasted his substance, and oppressed his spirits; viewing his body covered by loathsome sores, and his mind afflicted by perplexing troubles, they rashly reproved him, and argued that he was a very wicked man, and that these were the infallible tokens of the anger of Almighty God against him! After all, with these two exceptions of personal calamities and spiritual judgments, the former containing much that is unknown, and the latter not exhibiting themselves to view, we may know that there are visitations of the Almighty which are fitted to make themselves known to men, and which we ought, therefore, to observe and improve. That the children of Israel did not so, is the very crime charged upon them in our text. They did not know the judgments of the Lord: and this leads us, in the second place, to explain, as we proposed, the nature of the charge that is here brought against the children of Israel, or to show you what it is not to know the judgments of the Lord. Now, in the first place, and most obviously, not to know the judgments of the Lord, is not to observe or remark them at all. We might think this was altogether impossible. What! it might be said, has a man eyes, when the judgment of God is sweeping the country, and does he not perceive it! Has a man ears, and will he not hear the sound of the chariots of the Almighty rushing to judgment, the rattling of the arrows in the quiver of the Lord of Hosts, as he marches through the land in indignation! Has he feelings, and will not his very sensibilities, while they induce him to sympathize with men amid these calamities, dispose him also to adore the majesty of heaven, and intercede for the sufferers! These are natural conclusions, and we might think that the question could be always answered in the affirmative. But it cannot be so. Many are too deaf to hear the loudest voice of Almighty God, too blind to see, what the Prophet aptly calls, "his glittering spear." Even at present, how many are insensible to the whole train of that calamity by which others are agitated! How many have no fears amid the general alarm, and the frightful tokens of the Lord's anger gone forth against us! How many are quite insensible to the visitation, and unfeeling amid the afflictions which have befallen others! They are too busy or too selfish, too much engrossed with a present evil world, too infidel, perhaps, in sentiment, and too atheistical in feeling, to be accessible to any of these emotions or exercises! Nor is this temper confined alone to the unthinking multitude. It may be found among those who conceive themselves the children of wisdom, and are, generally speaking, men of sagacity and observation. So it was at least in ancient times. "Ye hypocrites," said the Lord to those who deemed themselves men of wisdom, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, why in your selves judge ye not what is right?" And it is recorded in the book of Jeremiah, "The stork knoweth her appointed time; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgments of the Lord." 66 66 of those things which affect most deeply the life, and comforts, and interests of man. Yet do we not hear men ofttimes speaking of every cause except the great First Cause? appealing to every influence except his interposition? availing themselves of every resource except the last and best refuge? Do we not perceive them tracing, with anxious care, the history and progress of the disease, but never adverting to the hand that inflicted it; invoking every human aid, and forgetting Jehoval; looking to the physicians, and not to the Lord? Unquestionably this is at once preposterous and irrational. It is a bias, not less unphilosophical than irreligious. Yet it has been so in every age. The people of God, in ancient times, amid the most direful calamities inflicted upon them, when they had provoked the Lord by the greatest crimes, and when he was about to punish them in the severest manner, "said, the Lord seeth us not; the Lord has forsaken the earth." And even at an earlier period, you find the same sad ungodly spirit working among that people. saith the Lord, will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees; that say in their heart the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil." And, in a message by the Prophet Amos, which seems as though it were addressed to us, do we not read this declara2dly, We may be chargeable with not tion, "Shall the trumpet be blown in knowing the judgments of the Lord, if we the city, and the people not be afraid? do not recognise them as his operations. Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord As there are men who do not know the hath not done it?" And, adds he, "All judgments of God at all; so there are the sinners of my people shall die by the others who remark the calamities, and yet sword, which say the evil shall not overdo not trace them up to their proper take nor prevent us." Nor can we fail to source. It is sad to think by how many remark, that, even in our time, there were arts the deceitful and atheistical heart found in the high court of our country, men contrives to escape from the best instruc- who, in the midst of a people professing tions, and to evade the deepest and most Christianity, would have struck out from salutary impressions. Accordingly, you the act of their legislature all the recogniwill see many (and scientific and observ- tion of the sovereign will and supreme ing men are by no means excluded) who agency of God, in reference to that disease will remark the calamities, who will note which has invaded our country, is raging the signs of the times, who will, perhaps, in several parts of it, and is operating awbe speculating about what is to be done, fully in the midst of our population! 0 yet will not observe the hand, or recog- how much more pious and promising nise the interposition, or adore the majesty would it be, if we, like the men of Issachar, of God, in these dispensations. And this." had understanding of the signs of the is not only strange, but irrational; for, if there be a God that governs the earth, as all nature cries aloud there is, then he must take charge of all elements, and of all nature and its operations, and especially times, and what we ought to do!" 3dly, We shall be chargeable with the crime of not knowing the judgments of God, if we do not revere them and stand in awe of them. There are certain disposi tious and feelings, my friends, that corre- | Yet, are there not found mockers in the midst of our community, men who can make themselves merry with the precautions of the prudent; with the alarms of the fearful; and even with the devotions of the pious? In Scripture, knowledge is frequently put for practice: "Oh," cries Moses," that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" "Oh, (exclaims a greater far than Moses, when he wept over Jerusalem and her coming woes,) if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." spond with the objects with which we are conversant, and the visitations we contemplate. If we are men, the very sense of humanity will dispose us to feel for those who are in affliction. If we are friends, there is a deep and tender sympathy, 4thly, and lastly, We shall, above all, be which will incline us to enter warmly into chargeable with not knowing the judgtheir concerns, and especially to comments of the Lord, if we do not improve miserate their painful feelings. If we are them experimentally and practically. citizens, we are bound, by the law of God and man, to seek the peace, and prosperity, and health of those among whom God has caused us to sojourn. If we are mercantile and labouring men, we ought to bless God for those openings of providence, which give us the prospect of fair remuneration for our wealth or industry. And, in like manner, if we are religious men, our feelings ought to correspond not only with the ordinances of religion in which we may be engaged, but with the aspects and events of providence, as they bear the characters of Deity impressed upon them, announce his will, and affect our interests. If these dispensations be merciful, we ought to feel that they claim our gratitude, and call for our prayers. If, on the other hand, they be afflicting and bereaving, they demand our patience, submission, and resignation; and we ought "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." And, in the midst of those terrible things which God may do, our feeling should be that of solemn reverence; we should stand in awe of the majesty of the Lord God. Now, this is the spirit, which the wisest and best of men have indulged in every age. When I heard this," says Habakkuk, "my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble." And says the Psalmist, (Psalm 119th,) obviously contemplating judgment in the sense we have ascribed to it, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments." And O, my brethren, should we not, amid calamitous times, seek righteousness and seek meekness; that we may be hid in the day of the Lord's anger" I appeal to your spirit of devotion, nay, to your sense of decorum, is not a light spirit altogether unfitted to such solemn visitations? And of mockery, what shall we say, but that it is the very madness of impiety, equally insane and atheistical? to say, 66 What the improvement is, that we should make of public calamities, you do not need, I trust, in general, to be informed. They should lead us to abasement and resignation to the will of God; to repentance and amendment of life, to embrace the great salvation; and, by betaking ourselves to the atonement through the death of Christ, and the grace of God reigning by his righteousness, to prepare ourselves for whatever may befall us, and flee from the wrath to come. You will recognise the general source of your duties as indicated in such passages as the following: "In the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee." "When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." "Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." I will tell whom you ought to fear; "fear not them that kill the body, and, after that, have no more that they can do; but fear him, which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell;" yea, I say unto you, fear him. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." "The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their soul to him, as unto a faithful Creator." These duties are, it is obvious, powerfully impressed on us at present, and I THE SCOTTISH PULPIT. In the second place, this subject suggests to us the extreme folly of mankind. How astonishing is it, when God cometh forth out of his place to inflict war, or famine, or pestilence, that men should not see the hand, or hearken to the voice of the Lord? That the men, who, it may be, boast of observation and understanding, should not mark the dispensation at all; that men, with such striking and awful things before them, should not trace them up to the hand of God-should have no suitable feelings in regard to them-should feel no concern to improve them. And these judgments are the last lessons of God. If a man will not be taught by great and terrible calamities, by what else will he be taught? may anticipate the language of many here, I wipe his mouth, and pronounce himself who would say, These things will we do, innocent? No: all of us have had a deep Let us if God enable us. But, O how little do we hand in the provocation. Let us then know what is in our hearts! These things humble ourselves before the Lord. Yea, has repent ourselves as it were in the dust, and have not always been done. not the reverse been the case? I appeal to in ashes, crying each, What have I done? facts. Have you not heard of him, who recklessly laughed amid the howlings of the tempest, which might have whelmed him in the deep! have you not heard of those who have been busy intoxicating themselves when the vessel was foundering, and about to sink! have you not seen men, who, perhaps, have made themselves merry with the calamities of others, yea, as hordes of savages pounce on a wreck that has been cast on their coasts, and as thieves and evil doers avail themselves of a conflagration or of an execution to pursue their nefarious occupation! have you not known regardless beings fasten upon the spoil of the wretched and helpless, drench themselves in intoxicating liquors amid the ravages of disease, which seizes on the dissolute as its chosen victims, and, in the worst of times, work iniquity with increased greediness! We have read, that those whom God means to destroy, he first distracts, and this may be seen verified in too many indubitable instances. But there is one great fact in history, which illustrates this truth the most awfully. In the final sack of Jerusalem, when all were suffering, and every effort should have been made for mutual help, they were found slaying one another, and by their dissensions ensuring, as well as aggravating their destruction. Thus, my friends, have I spoken to you, of these two things-of the judgments of Almighty God, and of the sin of not knowing them. As to the latter, we have shown, that not to know them, is not to observe them at all, or not to recognise them as the operations of God, or not to revere the majesty of heaven in them, or not to improve them for the purpose of amendment of life, or the salvation of the soul. Now what general practical views may be deduced from this subject? In the first place, you may see crime is the cause of all our calamities, and of all the judgments of God. If then, we suffer, let us at once conclude that we are sinners; and if we suffer much, that we are great sinners. And, I ask you, have not we, and our fathers, and our kings, and our princes, and the children of our people, sinned and provoked the Lord greatly to anger? Is there one among us who dare In the third place, this subject directs our attention to the grace, the astonishing grace of God. The human family, almost since the beginning, have been the children of corruption and of crime; and, during that long period which has elapsed since the origin of our world, trespasses have been accumulating in a fearful ratio; and the guilt of man has been unspeakably aggravated. But he has, all along, pitied and spared. Here, then, are involved amazing views of the divine mercy. As for ourselves, have we not profaned God's ordinances and despised his judgments! If so, should we not expect, that God would come out of his place to punish us, every one for his iniquities! Should you not expect, that judgment would not "his strange work," but his conbe tinual employment; and that he would And, if our have been still sweeping our land with calamity from age to age. nation has been distinguished, like that of Israel, above other nations, as it certainly has been, ought we not to dread that we should be distinguished also with the judgments of Almighty God? we are a people laden with iniquity: our land is full of sin against the Holy One of Israel." Yet, behold his grace! Amid all this defection, he waiteth to be gracious; amid all our fearful, and aggravated, and accumulated iniquities, he is ready to be merciful, and to bless us with the best of blessings, for the sake of his dear Son. "For In the fourth place, this subject suggests our present and pressing duties. What does it become us to do amid the judgments of the Lord? Doubtless, we should look to the Lord our God, listen to his warnings, obey his call, and admire his forbearance. Come, then, my brethren, and let us humble ourselves before the Lord our God. Let those who have interest at his throne, like Abraham of old, intercede for our guilty cities and sinful country; and let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; and let them say, 66 Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach." Let every man of God amongst us, with the censer in his hand, and incense thereon, like Aaron, stand between "the dead and the living," entreating the Lord to turn away wrath from us, and peradventure, the plague which has broken forth, may also be stayed. Lastly, this subject suggests the high justification of the services of religion, in which we have been so lately engaged. When the last and greatest plague was about to be poured forth upon Egypt, viz., the slaughter of the first-born; it is written, that Moses kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the first-born of their oppressors, should touch the people of Israel. Now, we have been endeavouring to do so in the spirit of Moses; doing in effect what he did, and I trust also by faith. We have been betaking ourselves to that passover which was sacrificed for us: and this is the best preservative in all circumstances; this is the grand security amid all perils, especially those that are spiritual and eternal. Happy the man who reposes at the foot of the cross. Safe is the man who sits down under the shadow of the tree of life. The pestilence may walk abroad and waste at noonday; but his best interests are safe, and even afflictions are blessed for his good, as well as for the glory of God. Whatever his body may suffer, his spirit will be calm. Then, let us resolve and say, "One thing we have desired of the Lord, and will seek after, that we may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." And he will not frustrate our holy desires, but will "hide us in his pavilion in the time of trouble in the secret of his tabernacle will he hide us, and set our feet upon a rock." Come and let us make our "refuge in God, until these sad calamities be overpast." Our Jesus is "a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." But if any should be disposed to trust in another refuge rather than in this, he cannot be saved; and his attention I would turn to a passage of holy writ, which is extremely appropriate to the subject we have been illustrating. It is in the 5th chapter of the prophecies of Jeremiah, verses 1 to 7, "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. And though they say, The Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely. O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them; a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased." "If you sin, therefore, after having received the knowledge of the truth, know that there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of indignation, of judgment, and fiery indignation, to devour the adversaries." "Let sinners in Zion be afraid; let fearfulness seize upon hypocrites; who among us can dwell with devouring fire? who among us can inhabit everlasting burnings?" Let us seek grace, therefore, that we may serve God, amid all ordinances and dispensations of Providence, "with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire." Amen! Amen! EDWARD KHULL, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY. |