ms*

mm

LIBEAEY
theological cwinarg,i
BT 695 .P585 Plumer, William S. 1880.

1802-

Jehovah-Jireh

The John M. Krehs Donation.

Digitized by the Internet Archive

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2010 with funding from

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JEHOYAH-JIREH:
TREATISE
ON

PROVIDENCE.
WILLIAM
S.

PLUMER,

D.D.,LLJD.

would

assert eternal Providence,

And justify

the ways of

God

to

men.

PHILADELPHIA
J.

B.

LIPPINCOTT
1866.

&

CO.

Entered according

to the

Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by

S.

WILLIAM
In the Clerk's

PLUMER,

D.D..LL.D.

Office of the District

Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
Providence asserted
I.

PAOE
5

CHAPTER
Providence defined

IT.

12

CHAPTER
God's Providence results from his
wise, supreme

III.

nature

it

is

holt, just, benevolent,

irresistible.

and sovereign, sure and stable, powerful and

16

CHAPTER
God's works of providence are vast

IV.
35
V.

CHAPTER
Practical Remarks on Chapters III and

IV
VI.

38

CHAPTER
God's providence
is

retributive

45

CHAPTER

VII.

Some explanation of the delays of providence in punishing the wicked. How divine forbearance should be regarded and how it may be abused.
;

59

CHAPTER
in the life

VIII.

Several principles of the doctrine of providence over bad men, illustrated

and end of judas iscariot

74

CHAPTER
God's providence
is

IX. 106

often mysterious

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
X.

Mysteries of

Providence. Continued

PAGE
121 XI. 131
XII.

CHAPTER
Practical Remarks on Chapters

IX and

CHAPTER
The

special kindness of providence towards good

men

137

CHAPTER Xni.
The specul kindness of providence towards good men.

Continued
-

151

CHAPTER

XIV.
161

Practical Remarks on Chapters XII and XIII

CHAPTER XV.
Alternate light and darkness in providence, illustrated in the case of the great man of Uz 167

CHAPTER

XVI.

God's Providence towards his church renders unnecessart all tormenting

fears respecting her safety and final triumph

186

CHAPTER XVn.
God's providence over nations

202

CHAPTER
Providence punishes nations for their

XVIII.
217

sins.

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
CHAPTER
I.

PROVIDENCE ASSERTED.

ND

Abraham

called

the

name of

that place

Jehovah-jireh; as

it is

said to this day,

In the

mount of the Lord

it

shall be seen.
air: they

Behold the fowls of the

do
they
reap, nor

sow

not, neither

gather

into

barns:

yet

your

heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better

than they?

Consider the
toil not,

lilies

of the

field

how

they grow; they

neither do they spin:

in all his
if
is,

and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon

glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore

God

so clothe the grass of the field,

is

which to-day

and to-morrow

cast

into the oven, shall

he not

much more

clothe you,

O ye
is

of

little

faith?

Jesus Christ.

In the hand of the Lord

thing,
1

the soul of every living

and the heart of

*

all

mankind.
5

Job.

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

God
ance.

sent

me

before

you

to preserve
lives

you a

posterity
deliver-

in the earth,

and
it

to save

your

by a great

So now

was not you that sent me hither but

Joseph.

God.

As

thy days, so shall thy strength be.

is

Moses.

The Lord

King
hosts,

for ever

and

ever.

David.

Lord of

God

of Israel, that dwellest be-

tween the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou

alone, of all the

kingdoms of the
sitteth

earth.

Hezekiah.
of the earth,

It is

he that

upon the

circle

and the inhabitants thereof are

as grasshoppers; that

stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain

and spreadeth
bringeth the

them out

as a tent to

dwell in:

that

princes to nothing: he
as vanity.

maketh the judges of the earth

Isaiah.

The Lord

is

the true God, he

.

is

the living

God and
that

an everlasting King.
the

Lord, I

know

way of man

is

not in himself.

Jeremiah.

In him we

live

and move and have our being.

Paul.

Ye
and do

ought to

say,

If the Lord

will,

we

shall live,

this, or that.

James.
to deliver the

The Lord knoweth how

godlv out of

PROVIDENCE ASSERTED.

temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of

judgment

to

be punished.

Peter.
reigneth.

Alleluia; for the

Lord God omnipotent

Much People
He who
how
to

in

Heaven.
also

ruleth the raging of the sea,

knows

check the designs of the ungodly.

will.

I submit
Racine.

myself with reverence to his Holy

God's power as well as his wisdom gives him a

right to govern the world: nothing can equal him,
therefore nothing can share the
.
.

command with him.

wherein

He

can hold

all

things in the world together,

those
functions

and preserve them

settled

in

he

them, and conduct them to those ends, for

which he designed them.

Charnock.
and favour has been
in

A
all

sense of the divine care

ages the support of the church and the consolation

of good men.

No

thought can enter into the mind of

to

man, better adapted

than
this

promote
is

its

piety

and peace

that the world

all the

under the government of

God, and

events of our lives under the direc-

tion of his providence.

Orton.
is

The

belief in providence

the necessary supple-

ment

to the belief in inspiration.

all

"VVestcott.

From
tures,

the acts of

God

as recorded in the Scripis

we

are taught that he alone

God;

that he

is

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

present everywhere to sustain and govern all things;

that his

wisdom

is infinite,

his counsel settled,

is

and

his

power

irresistible; that

he

holy, just,

and good; the

Lord and
man.

the

Judge

but the Father and the Friend of

Watson's Institutes.

I adore and kiss the providence of

my

Lord,

who
for

knoweth well what

is

most expedient for me, and

you, and your children.

Rutherford.

God

without dominion, without providence and

is

final causes

nothing but fate and nature.

Sir Isaac Newton.

To

infer

from
is

that

passage of

holy Scripture,

wherein

God
is

said to have rested from his works,

that there

no longer a continual production of them,

would be

to

make a very

ill

use of that text.

Leibnitz.

There

is

an immediate and constant superintendence

exercised over the whole creation,

and what we term

laws of nature are but the operations of divine power

in a regular

and uniform manner.

Dr. Godwin.

The

philosopher,

who

overlooks the traces of an all-

governing Deity in nature, contenting himself with

the appearances of the material universe only, and the

mechanical laws of motion, neglects what

cellent;

is

most ex-

and prefers what

is

imperfect to

what

is

PROVIDENCE ASSERTED.
supremely
perfect, finitude to infinity,

what

is

narrow

and weak

to

what

is

unlimited and almighty, and

what

is

perishing to what endures for ever.

Maclaurin.

We cannot conceive of any reasons that can influence

the Deity to exercise any providence over the world,

which are not likewise reasons

that happens in the world.
Though

for extending it to all

Price.

troubles assail,

And
And

dangers affright,
friends should all
;

Though

fail,

foes all unite

Yet one thing secures

us,

Whatever

betide,

The Scripture
The Lord
Yes,

assures us

will provide.

Newton.

Thou

art ever present,

Power Supreme
fixed to Space,

Not circumscribed by Time, nor

Confined
to altars,

nor to temples bound,

in

In Wealth, in Want,

Freedom

or in Chains,
faithful find thee

In Dungeons or on Thrones, the

Hannah More.

We believe
earth,

that all things, both in heaven

and in

and

in all creatures, are sustained

wise, eternal,

and governed

by the providence of this

God.

and omnipotent

Latter Confession of Helvetia.

believe

We
God,

that this

most gracious and mighty

things left them not to be

after

he had made

all

A*

10

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

ruled after the will of chance or fortune, but himself

doth so continually rule and govern them, according

to the prescript rule of his holy will, that nothing can

happen in

this

world without his decree or ordinance.

Confession of Belgia.

We
lasting

believe, that

God made
is,

all

things by his ever-

Word,
by

that

by

his only begotten

all

Son; and
his Spirit,

that he upholdeth
that
is

and worketh

things

by

his

own power: and

therefore that

God

as
all

he hath created, so he foreseeth and governeth

things.

Confession of Basle.
bring themselves to think that Jehovah

When men
is

too great a being to interfere in the aifairs of this

lower world, they are prepared, by this infidel sentiment, to adopt any evil course which
self to the dej>raved inclinations

may

suggest

it-

of the

human
God

heart.

Morison.

God

reigns

is

a logical sequence from

is

is.

To

deny God's providence

existence.

as atheistical as to
sees,

deny his

God, who neither

nor hears, nor

is

knows, nor

cares,

nor helps, nor saves,

a vanity, and

can never claim homage from intelligent men.

a god should be derided, not worship ped.
suit the

Such
might

He

mythology of Paganism, or meet the demands

infidel

of an

heart, but could

never

command

the

allegiance, or

win the confidence of an enlightened

PROVIDENCE ASSERTED.
and pious man.
those,

11

Yet

there have been

and

still

are

who deny Providence.

in an evil

They "encourage themthey

selves

matter;

commune

of laying
Ps.

snares privily; they say,

lxiv. 5.

Who

shall see

them?"

Some
his

say outright,

"God

hath forgotten, he
it."

hideth

face,

he will never see

Ps. x. 11.

Nothing more derogatory

to the character of

God

can

possibly be said, than that he does not rule the world.

To

bring- into

existence

and then forsake a race of

for

beings,
total

and care no more

them would argue a

Such

want of the moral

attributes of divinity.

conduct

may
is

well comport with the character of false

to the nature of

gods, but

wholly abhorrent

Jehovah.

The world may who

is

as well be without a
it,

God,

as

have one

incompetent to rule

or,

who, wrapping himabandons crea-

self in a

mantle of

infinite indifference,

tion to the

governance of puny mortals, to the rule of

devils, or to the

sway of a blind

fortuity.

"The

os-

trich leaveth her eggs in the earth,

and warmeth them

in dust,

and

forgetteth

that

the foot

may

crush

them, or that the wild beast

may break them.

Thus

She

is

hardened against her young ones, as though they were

not hers." Job xxxix. 14-16.
instincts of her nature.
this bird fulfils the

Yet

in so doing she proves

that she

is

one of the lowest orders of irrational aniare

mals.

But God's tender mercies

His kingdom ruleth over

over

all

his

works.

all.

12

JEHOVAII-JIREH.

CHAPTER

II.

PEOYIDEXCE DEFINED.

~|3ROYIDEXCE
-*-

is

the care of

God

over created

being

divine superintendence.
is

Johnson.

Providence

the care and superintendence which

God

exercises over his creatures.

is
;

Webstee.

Providence
created beings

the divine superintendence over all

the care of

God

over his creatures.

Wobcesteb.
Providence
fore
it

is

that

bv which anything

is

foreseen be-

takes place.
doctrine of divine Providence
is,

Ciceeo.
that all things

The

are sustained, directed, and controlled by God.

Dr. Le< :>naed Woods.

By

the law of providence, I intend God's sovereign

disposal of all the concernments of

in the variety, order,

men

in this world,

and manner, which he pleaseth,

according to the rule and infinite reason of his

goodness, wisdom, righteousness, and truth.

own

John Owen.

PROVIDENCE DEFINED.

13

The word providence

by
its

is

taken from the Latin, and

etymology means

foresight, not

merely in the

sense of seeing before but in the sense of taking care

for the future, or rather

an ordering of things and

;

events after a pre-determined and intelligent plan

it

supposes wisdom to devise and power to execute.

Bethune.
Providence
is

the superintendence and care which

God

exercises over creation.

Buck.
which God takes of
to direct
all

Providence
things, to

is

the

care

uphold them in being and

them

to

the ends which he has determined to accomplish by

them, so that nothing takes place in which he

concerned in a manner worthy of his
tions,

is

not

infinite perfec-

and which

is

not in unison with the counsels of

his will.

Dick.

God's conserving
tion

all

things means his actual opera-

and government in preserving and continuing and motions of

all

the being, powers, dispositions,

things.

Clarke.
of

The providence

God

is

his almighty
as
it

and every-

where present power, whereby

were by hand, he
all creatures;

upholds and governs heaven, earth, and

so that

herbs

and

grass, rain

and drought,

fruitful

and barren

years,

meat and drink, health and

sickness,

14
riches

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

and poverty, yea, and

all things

come, not by

chance, but by his fatherly hand.

Heidelberg Catechism.
God's works of providence are
wise,
his

most holy,
all

and powerful

preserving

and

governing

his creatures

and

all

their actions.

Westminster Assembly.
According to preceding views and
God's providence consists,
1.

to the Scriptures,

In
all

his preserving all that

he has made.
his power.

He
Heb.

upi.

holds

things

by the word of

3.

"The
their

eyes of all wait

upon

thee,

and thou givest them

openest thine hand

meat in due season.

satisfiest

Thou

and

the desire of every living thing." Ps.

cxlv. 15, 16.

sal

This dependence of creatures

is

univer-

and perpetual.

Could one link

in

the

chain

thereof be broken, the least evil that would follow

would be annihilation.
2.

In governing

all that

he has made.

First,

he

restrains the creature.

By

the law of gravitation he

keeps solid worlds in their places.

his

By

the

power of
evil

hand he withholds

free agents

from

both

natural and moral.

It
is

Secondly, he guides his creatures.

his voice that rolls the stars along,

and marshals

all the host

of heaven, and works wonders

among

the

PROVIDENCE DEFINED.
inhabitants

15

of the earth.

Without him atoms and

and sinners can do

planets, angels

and

devils, saints

nothing.

John

xix. 11;

2 Chron. xxxii. 31; Acts xiv.

16; Ps. lxxvi. 10.

16

JEHOYAII-JIREH.

CHAPTER
IS

III.

God's proytde:nxe results from his nature

IT

HOLY, JUST, BENEVOLENT, WISE, SUPREME AND

SOVEREIGN, SURE AND STABLE, POWERFUL ABB

IRRESISTIBLE.

ri

1HE

world over, the unrenewed heart

is

pagan in

-*- its inclinations.

its

It does not like to retain

God
is

in

thoughts.

The Epicurean

doctrine, that

God

too

exalted to notice the affairs of men, naturally flows

from the ignorance and enmity of the carnal mind.

But " shall I not do

as I please

with mine

own ?"

is

the challenge of the Alniisjhtv.

To manage

the affairs

of the universe cannot disturb the divine tranquility.

To him,
like

that

made

all

things by the

word of his power,

the care of

them cannot be burdensome.

God

is

not

man.

He
is

never grows weary.

That he has a

right to establish an all-pervading

hi- creatures
all.

government over

as certain as that

he has anv rights at

Were our
;

hearts not wrong,

we should

glory in

his providence

and were our minds not

feeble
all

and

our faculties not limited, we should see that

objec-

PROPERTIES OF PROVIDENCE.
tion
to

17

God's care of the world was worse than

frivolous.

In
liveth

this ao-e it is

coramonlv admitted that the Lord

in the

and rnlcth

kingdoms of men.
practical belief of

This

is

the

avowed

theory.

The

many

is

quite diverse.

There are not a few whose prevailing

plans and fears and hopes would hardly be more practically atheistic if they

should avow disbelief of God's

existence and of the divine government over

affairs.

human
eyes,

Were God,

in

open day, before their

miraculously to suspend the laws of nature, they might

for a time, perhaps, be impressed

and confess that here

was the
this

finger of

God.

It

is

probable, however, that

impression would

not be lasting.

For

in

his

ceaseless support

and maintenance of the course of

perceive nothing to admire, nothing

nature, such
to adore.

men

Were
sun

the hand that

moves

all

worlds to

arrest the
still

in the

heavens and cause him to stand

is

for even an

hour, they might say, This

rise,

the

Lord.

But the sun may

set

and run

his race,

and

duly
year,

three

hundred and
is

sixty-five times

in the

and nothing

said or thought of him, at

whose

rebuke the

pillars of

heaven tremble, and by whose

ordinance the everlasting mountains and the order of

universal nature have their stability.

"A

brutish

man

knoweth
xcii. 6.

not,

neither

doth a fool understand." Ps.

Such men virtually or actually say: "The

18

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
see,

Lord doth not

Ps. xciv. 7.
revelation.

nor doth the

God

of Jacob regard."
is

To

correct such errors

one object of

Scripture puts the stamp of profaneness

on

all

such thoughts as allow

men

to believe that they

may

act independently of
is

God.

God
nature

above

all

law, being liimself absolutely inde-

pendent and supreme.

is

His own

infinitely excellent

the law of his being and of his action.

fits

This

very nature
the world.

him

in all respects to be the ruler of

God's providence
his providence
is

is

holy.
all

Because God
works.
;

is

holy,

holy in
evil,

its

He

plots

no

mischief,

works no

favors no sin

but in the

winding up of human
overthrow on
all

affairs,

he will bring a terrible

the workers of iniquity.

He

hates

sin with a perfect hatred.

To him

it

is

a horrible

thing. Jer. v.

30.

It cannot

be proven that

God

hates anything but sin.

Nor

has any mortal an ade-

quate conception of the intensity of the aversion of the

divine
"

mind

to every

form and species of iniquity.

Who

shall not fear thee,

Lord, and glorify thy

Indeed, the

name ? for thou only art

bliss

holy." Rev. XV. 4.

of the heavenly world depends upon the absolute

saints

and unqualified confidence of

infinite rectitude

and angels
vi.

in the

of God's nature. Isa.

3.

"The

Lord

is

righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his

works." Ps. cxlv. 17.

PROPERTIES OF PROVIDENCE.

19

God's providence
necessarily
results

is

just.

From
Dr.

God's holiness

his
is

justice.

Woods

" The

plan of providence

such that sin will be stigmatized

will be honored,

and sinners punished, while holiness

and those who are holy rewarded."
tainly an amiable attribute in

Justice

is

cer-

any person or govern-

ment.
tion, "

By

a fiction of law under the British Constitu-

The king can do no wrong."

But

The
it is

reason

is

that his ministers are responsible.

no

fiction

of law or theology that the Judge of

all

the earth

eannot but do right. Gen.

xviii. 25.

In the worship

of the temple not made with hands, they sing, " Great

and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty;

just

and true are thy ways, thou King of

3.

saints."

Rev. xv.

God's providence is benevolent.

Indeed, God's
him
to create

tender mercies are over all his works. Ps. cxlv. 9.

"The same
the world,
it."

benevolence, which prompted

must prompt him

to preserve

and govern

"

When we

consider the care of providence over

it is

the children of men, as

manifested either in the

fall

works of nature or of grace, we naturally

reflection,

into the

'What

is

man, that thou

art

mindful of

him? and

the son of man, that thou visitest him?' and

to see so

we wonder
them."

much done

for

men, who seem

to

have no merit or desert equal

for

to the concern

showed

20

JEIIOVAH-JIREH.

God's providence
failures,

is

wise.

In

it

are no gaps,

no

no mistakes, no

oversights.

"The same
and glorious a
it."

wisdom which contrived

so wonderful

system can and will direct and control

Because

God's plans embrace

all causes

and

all effects, all facts all

and

all contingencies, all actions

and

words,

it

is

impossible that
infinitely easy for
craftiness.

he should

be overreached.

It

is

him

to take the wise in their

own
one

The

greatest

monarch of

his

time,

whose kingdom embraced much

ing,

of the wealth, learn-

and

civilization of the world,

to his

and who was surcouncil of state:

rounded by able men, said

"Come
formed

on,

let

us* deal

wisely."

Ex.

i.

10.

They

their plans.

From

first to last

they were en-

compassed with

difficulties.

by

terrific judgments.

And they were followed Go now and stand with Moses

all this

and Aaron and Miriam on the banks of the Red Sea,

and behold the end of
raoh,

'wise dealing.'

Phaare

and

his

host,

and

his

chosen captains
:

perished.
to the

The depths have covered them

as a stone:

they sank

bottom

they sank as lead in the

mighty waters.
tation
hosts,

All the amazing operations of vegeinspired

are

by
is

men

ascribed to the

Lord of

which

wonderful in counsel and excellent in

xxviii. 29.

working.

Isa.

"O

Lord,

how manifold
made them
all:

are thy works! in

wisdom

hast thou

the earth

is

full

of thy riches.

So

is

this great

and

PROPERTIES OF PROVIDENCE.
wide
sea,

21

wherein are things creeping innumerable, both

small and great beasts." Ps. civ. 24, 25.

God's providence
sovereign.

is

supreme, and therefore

and above
all.

It

is

over

all
is

He

has no

divided dominion.
destinies.

He

sole arbiter of events

and
he,

He
is

says: "See

now

that I, even I,
kill,
is

am

and there
alive
;

no God with me: I

:

and I make

I wound, and I heal

neither

there any that

can deliver out of my hand." Deut. xxxii. 39.

the
first,

"I am
is

and I

am

the last; and besides

me

there

no
is

God."
none
is

Isa. xliv. 6.

"I am the Lord, and

.
.

there
.

else, there is

no God beside me,

there

no God
is

else beside

me: a just God and a Saviour;

Isa. xlv. 5, 21.

there
it is

none beside me."

So that

as clear that

God

rules alone as that he rules at

all,

that he rules everywhere as that he rules anyall agents, all causes,

where; that he governs

and

all

events, as that he governs

in

any of them.

To

surrender

whole or in part

his control of the universe

would

be to admit that he was not God, that another was as

strong, as wise, or as

good

as himself. Isa. xli. 23.

It

would argue some

tion.

defect in him,

who

has

all perfec-

An

angel would be burdened with the sole

charge of one
ture,

man

because an angel

is

finite crea-

and has none but derived

is

attributes; but the care

of the universe

no burden
will
is

to the

Almighty because

he

is

God.

His

the law of all worlds.

He

22

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

stretched out the earth above the waters.

"Whatso-

ever the

Lord

pleased, that did he in heaven, and in

earth, in the seas,

and

all

deep places." Ps. cxxxv.

6.

''All the inhabitants

of the earth are reputed as

nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the

army of heaven, and among

earth:

the inhabitants of the

and none can stay

his hand, or say unto him,

What
above

doest thou?" Dan. iv. 35.

all

"The Lord

is

high

nations,

and

his glory

above the heavens."

Ps. cxiii. 4.

God's providence is sure axd stable.

Whoever
Never

wishes to walk securely needs but to conform himself to

its settled

provisions and principles. Prov. x. 9.

was there a sin that did not bring misery ; never was
the

human being born

;

that did not

make some impreseffect

sion on the world

never was there an

without a

cause; never did

God change

a principle of moral law;

never did he abolish a physical law; never did the

hand of the negligent make

rich; never

was

it

safe to

make war on
never was

the natural affection even of brutes;

there a time

when

the law of acquisition

was

not,

there a

To him that hath shall be given; never was time when destruction was not easy, and conwas the general course of
its

struction difficult; never

providence without

compensations, the Lord setting

the day of adversity over against the day of prosperity,

or comforting the heart of his troubled ones with the

PROPERTIES OF PROVIDENCE.
fact that the

23

same

afflictions are

accomplished in their

brethren.
this

Greatly was the Psalmist comforted with

stability of
is

view of the

God's government: "For

settled

ever,

Lord, thy word

is

in heaven.

Thy
this

faithfulness

unto

all
it

generations: thou hast estababideth.

lished the earth,

and

They continue

day according

to thine ordinances ; for all are thy ser-

vants." Ps. cxix. 89-91; compare Pr. xix. 21

Josh, xxiii. 14.

and

God's providence
sistible.
executes.
tion.

is

powerful; yea,

it is irreit

His

providence not only consults;

it

also

It not only devises ;

also puts into opera-

It not only sees

how
is

evil

may be

prevented
that
it

it

also prevents evil.

It

so powerful

even
fallen

brings good out of evil;

making bad men and

angels to serve God's designs, while they intend no

such thing

giving the greatest efficiency to causes ap-

parently the most contemptible; and infallibly secur-

ing the accomplishment of the very best ends.

The
and

author of Providence

is

"the Lord, which

is

is,

which was, and which

Rev.
i.

to

come, the Almighty."

8.

All the other attributes of

God would

not

avail us, if
force

he had not omnipotence, whereby to enhis will.

fail to

and execute

All other properties of his

give effectual consolation, if

providence would
it

lacked divine power.

No

marvel therefore that the

Scriptures so frequently celebrate the triumphs of

Om-

24
nipotence.
is

JEHOVAII-JIRKII.

Otherwise the wicked would say,

Where
to the

their rock in

whom

they have trusted?

As

Assyrian, so to every

foe,

Jehovah
is

says,

"Because thy
into

rage against

me and

thy tumult

come up

mine
and

ears, therefore

I will put

my

hook

in thy nose,

my
the

bridle in thy lips,

and I will turn thee back by

earnest." 2

way by which thou

Kings

xix. 28.

It

will be for an everlasting rejoicing to all the righteous that

when God makes a covenant of

is

peace with his

people, he

able to cause the evil beasts to cease out

of the land: so that his people

wilderness, and sleep
in the

may

dwell safely in the

woods.

By

his

almighty

power he bringeth mariners out of

their distresses.

He

maketh the storm a calm,

still.

so

that the

waves

thereof are

All conspiracies and combinations

against providence are vain. Ezek. xxi. 21-23.

PROVIDENCE VAST.

25

CHAPTER
god's
/~^i

IV.

works of providence are vast.

;

OD'S providence is over all creatures over fixed ^-^ and planetary stars over angels and devils
; ;

over saints and sinners

fishes
;

over beasts, and birds, and

;

over globes and atoms

over heat and cold

;

over war, famine and pestilence

over heaven, earth,

living creatures
all

and
that

hell.

Having enumerated the

God

has made, the prophet says, " These wait

;

upon thee

that thou mayest give

them

their

meat in
;

due season.

That thou givest them they gather

filled
;

thou

openest thine hand, they are

with good.

Thou

hidest thy face, they are troubled

their breath, they die,
civ.
is

thou takest away

to their dust." Ps.
gift

and return
gift

27-29.

"

Every good

and every perfect

from above, and cometh down from the Father of

lights."

James
?

i.

17.

What
God

hast thou that thou hast

It
is

not received

1 Cor. iv. 7.

because of this uni-

versal providence of

that his people cry, "

:

Be not

thou
to

far

from me,

Lord

O my

strength, haste thee

help me." Ps. xxii. 19.

And

every pious

man

26
cries,

JEIIOVAH-JIREH.

"My
man

cup runneth over," and

"He

loadeth

me

daily with benefits." Ps. xxiii. 5j lxviii. 19.

is

Where
what

the

that can

number up

either his sins, or

to

are

still

more numerous, God's mercies

iv. 35.
is

him? Com-

pare Dan.

God's providence
creatures.

also over all the actions of all

If any one could act independently, he

If Jehovah governs not a
is

would be a God.
a day, that day he

man

for

a God.

Independence

is

one of
it is

the essential attributes of Jehovah.

Whoever has

God.

To put

a single act of any creature beyond

divine control would be an admission that besides the

Most High

there

is

some other God.

Satan could do

nothing against the holy

man

of
i.

Uz
12.

until the

Almighty

granted him permission. Job

The

Bible adopts two methods of teaching the uni-

versality of God's providence.

In one

it

asserts

it

as

a great truth.
Ps. xlvii. 2.
ciii.

"He

is

a great

King over
ruleth

all

the earth."

"His kingdom
all

over all." Ps.

Col.
i.

19.

"By him
all

things

consist."

17.

"He
Heb.
a

upholdeth
i.

things by the

word of

his power."

3.

" He hath on his vesture and on his thigh

written,

King of Kings and Lord of Lords." Rev. xix. 16. To him death and hell have
name
6.

no covering. Job xxvi.

Again the Scripture descends

declares that over each being;

to

particulars,

and

and event God

exercises

PROVIDENCE VAST.
sovereign control.

27

"He

that planted the ear, shall he

not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? he

that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he
that teacheth

man

knowledge, shall not he know?"

never slumbers, nor sleeps, nor

Ps. xciv. 9, 10.

He

goes

on a journey.

He

is

ever awake.

His ear
is

is

ever open to the cry of his people.

He

never sick,
in every

never weary.

He

fainteth not.

His eyes are

place, beholding the evil

and the good.

He

numbers
falleth to

the very hairs of our heads.

Not a sparrow

the ground without his notice.

He

looketh to the ends

to

of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

make

the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the

waters by measure.

He made

a decree for the rain,

and a way
2427.

for the lightning of the thunder.

Job

xxviii.

He

directs journeys
iii.

and makes them prosperi.

ous. 1 Thes.

11;

Rom.

10.

He

causeth the

grass to

grow

for the cattle,

and herb

for the service

of man. Ps. civ. 14.

crease.

Ps. cvii. 38.

He He
young

suffereth not cattle to de-

giveth

to

the

beast
cry.

his

food,

and

to

the

ravens

which

Ps.

cxlvii. 9.

He
all the

calls the stars

by

their names.

He

marshalleth

host of heaven.

He

spreads the clouds in the

the
the

heaven.
grass.

He is the father of the rain. He clothes He gives snow like wool. He scatters

hoarfrost like ashes.

Who

can stand before his cold?

28

JEIIOVAII-JIREH.

He

hunts the prey for the

free.

lion.

He

sends out the

wild ass

He

gives the goodly feathers to the

peacock and plumes every fowl of heaven.

the horse
his strength,

He

gives

and clothes

his

neck with
it

thunder.

He

shuts

up the

sea with doors that

breaks not forth.

sea.

He

enters into the springs of the

He knows

the place and the bounds of light and

stars,

of darkness.

Angels, men, sun, moon,

fiery

meteors, the heavens, the waters beneath us, dragons,

fire, hail,

snow, vapor, stormy winds, mountains,

hills,

trees, beasts, cattle,

creeping things, flying fowl, kings,

all

counsellors,

senators,

people,

young

men and
and earthhis
will.

maidens, old
quakes,
all,

men and
all

children, lightning

obey his voice

and do

Nothing ever goes beyond

his grasp.

Under

his con-

trol the race is not to the swift,

nor the battle to the

strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the j)rudent,

nor favor to

men

of

skill.

Promotion comes neither

from the
but

east,
is

nor from the west, nor from the south,

all.

God
he

judge of

Whom
whom
As

he will, he exalts;
he
will,

whom

will,
will,

he abases;

he

kills;

Avhom he

he makes

alive.

a partridge sitteth
is

upon eggs and hatcheth them

cares

not, so

man

in all his
his

and

toils

without God's blessing.

is

Under

government a horse

a vain thing for safety, nor shall

he deliver any by his great strength.

not in the legs of a man.

He

delighteth
is

Without him nothing

PROVIDENCE VAST.
holy,

29
without him

without
is

him nothing

is

wise,

nothing

strong.

He

is

a rock.

To
them.

us

many To
us

things happen by chance.

We

neither

foresee nor design them.

We neither expect nor desire

accident.
vi.

much
;

is

The
2 Sam.

Scriptures so
i.

admit. Deut. xxii. 6

31.

Sam.

Luke x.
that

Indeed, the Bible says in so

many words

time and chance happeneth to

all.

Eccles. ix. 11.

But
"

to

God, everything

is

part of a universal plan.

The

lot is
is

cast into the lap, but the

whole disposing

thereof

of the Lord." Prov. xvi. 33.

full,

When

the

cup of Ahab's iniquity was

to call

him

to

judgment, a

and God determined man "drew a bow at a

joints of the har-

venture,

and smote him between the

ness ;" and he died.

God

can

kill

without instru-

ments, or with instruments which seem to us despicable.

So

also

he can save by many, by few, or by

his

none.

Under the shadow of

say "

wings the darkest

conspiracies can do us no harm.

The

belief of this

made David
life
;

The Lord

is

the strength of

my

of

whom

shall I be afraid ?

When

the wicked,
to eat

even mine enemies and

my

foes,

came upon me
fell.

up

my

flesh,

they stumbled and

against me,
rise

Though an

host

should encamp

my

heart shall not fear

in this will I

though war should

up against me,

be confident." Ps. xxvii. 1-3.

And when

he was old

he said
3*

"

Thou

hast covered

my

head in the day of

30
battle."

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

"By

thee have I run through a troop: by

Avail."

my God

have I leaped over a

Sain. xxii. 30.

David always ascribed

his victory over the bear

and
well

the lion to the wonderful providence of

God and
;

he might, for he was but a lad when he slew them.

Beza somewhere mentions no

less

than six hundred

wonderful acts of providence towards himself in the

troublous times, in which he lived.
battle,

In that

terrible

when by

his folly

and obstinacy Braddock was

both defeated and mortally wounded, a savage deliberately

aimed his deadly

rifle

seventeen times against

Washington, yet not a

ball hit him.

Even

the Indian

was struck with amazement and said: "The great

Spirit will

not

let that

man

be hurt."
7.
is

Compare

Chron.

xviii. 31,
is

and Pr. xvi.

till

Man

immortal

his

work

done.

Cyrus was king of Persia and captor of Babylon.

He
the

and

his

countrymen held

to

two

principles

having

power of two Gods, one the author of good, the

other of evil.

Yet two

centuries before his birth

God

thus spoke to him:

"I am Jehovah,
and

there

is

no God

beside me: I girded thee though thou hast not

known
make

me.
peace,
Isa.

I form the

light,

create darkness:

and

create evil: I Jehovah,

do

all these things."

(iii.

xlv. 5-7.

Again

says

God by Amos
The

6,)

"Shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not

done it?"

Death

is

his servant.

pestilence

is

PROVIDENCE VAST.
his rod.

31

The wicked

are his sword.

Famine

is

his

scourge.
brass,

If the earth becomes iron and the heavens

like a furnace,
it

and glow

is

at the bidding of

God.

If blasting and mildew, the caterpillar and the

off the

palmer-worm cut

hope of the husbandman,

they are the messengers of the Lord of hosts.

Death
carries

and

hell

have no power but from him.

He
is

the keys of

them both.

He

opens and none can shut.

He shuts and none can open.

able.

His wisdom

unsearchis felt

There

is

none

like him.

His providence

everywhere.

He
"

rules all

men good and

is

bad, great

and small.

The

king's heart
:

in the

hand of the
it

Lord, as the rivers of water

ever he will." Pr. xxi.
is

he turneth

whitherso-

1.

The

reference in this text

to the

custom of irrigating gardens by conducting

little

the water in

canals,

which can

easily

be closed,

so that the gardener

tion he pleases.

makes

the water run in

any direc-

In like manner God controls the heart

of the king and of every man, as the gardener checks

and controls these

little

rivers of water. Phil.

ii.

13.

God

could not surely defend and protect his peo-

ple, if their

enemies were not within his grasp.

It

does not impair free agency for

sistible

motive either to a good

God to present an irreman or to a bad man.

has power sufficient
the wicked regard to

With

the former the fear of

God

to restrain

him from

sin.

With

health, honor, or wealth,

have restraining power.

In

32
neither
case
is

JEH0VAH-JIRE1I.
there

a suspension

of free agency.

If

God

does not sway the hearts of the wicked so as to

secure their doing that which on the whole view of

the case he has determined to effect or permit, are they

not independent beings?

But the Scripture leaves no

point. Acts
ii.

room

for

doubt on

this

23;

iv.

28;

2 Sam.

xvii. 14.

If any

man

were independent of
first

God, then the promise of Satan to our

parents

would be

fulfilled,

and men would become

are explicit:

as gods.
is

But the Scriptures

"The

king's heart

in

the hand of the Lord;"

"A

man's heart deviseth his

way: but the Lord directeth

are of the Lord,

his steps;"

"Man's goings
understand his

how

then can a

man
It

way?"

Pr. xxi. 1; xvi. 9; xx. 24.

was the Lord

that "turned the heart of the Egyptians to deal subtilly

with his servants." Ps. cv. 25.

It

is

also said of

the Jews that the Lord " made them to be pitied of all
those, that carried

them

captives."

Ps. cvi. 46.

Beit

cause

God

controls the free acts of wicked men,

came

to pass

that the vacillating

Pilate,

who

pro-

nounced Jesus Christ innocent, was yet prevailed on

to deliver

him

to death,

but was as firm as a rock in

refusing to alter the inscription on his cross, saying,

"What
alone,

I have written,

I have written."

When

Shimei cursed David, that holy

man

said,

"Let him

and

let

him

curse; for the

Lord

hath bidden

him." 2 Sam. xvi. 11.

God

took away restraint from

PROVIDENCE VAST.
the evil heart of that vile clog, and
let

33
him. loose to

bark at the royal fugitive.

voutly said
:

So the pious Jeremiah dethat the

"

Lord, I
it is

know

way of man

is

not in himself;
rect his steps."
it is

not in man, that walketh, to di-

Therefore, if

men

hate and vex us,

lets

because the Lord removes restraints and

them

loose

upon

us.

"When God planted the Jews

in Canaan, he told
to the holy

them that

all,

who were
all

able,

must go up

city three times every year to

worship him.

They
But

had wicked enemies

around them, who cordially

hated them, and desired their extermination.

God said: "Neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God
thrice in the year."

Ex. xxxiv. 24.

all

This pro-

mise was well kept in

this could only

their

generations.

But

be by Jehovah putting his almighty

nations,

hand on the hearts of the

and softening

for

the time their animosities against his people.

God

can make even the worst of

men

not to wish us any

harm, and yet they may

scious of free agency.

all the

time be perfectly con-

God

led

Absalom and

his co-

conspirators to choose foolish rather than wise counsel,

whereby
xvii.

their wicked plot was utterly defeated.

2 Sam.
turneth

14.

Whenever

the

Lord

will,

"he

wise

men backward."

Isa. xliv. 25.

He

causes bad

men

to punish themselves.

Thus sang David: "The

B*

34
heathen are sunk

JEHOVAII-JIREH.

down
the

in the pit that they

is

made: in

the net which they hid

their

own

foot taken.

The

Lord

is

known by
is

judgment which he executeth:

the wicked

snared in the work of his

own hands."

Ps. ix. 15, 16.

The punishment of
trayed:
self,

the wicked

is

thus terribly por-

"His own

iniquities shall take the

wicked him-

and he

shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

;

He
that

shall die without instruction

folly

and in the greatness of his

v. 22, 23.

he shall go astray." Pr.

to the flesh shall
8..

"They

sow

of the flesh reap corruption."

Gal. vi.

So

also

God
the

uses the wicked to punish each other,

and then

for their

own wickedness he punishes them.

unrighteousness

Thus when
generate,

Jews apostatized and became sadly deand

writing

decreeing

grievousness, to turn aside the needy from judgment,

and

to take

away the

right from the poor, that

widows

might be their prey, and that they might rob the

fatherless,

God

sent a
is

mighty heathen prince

his

to to

punthat

ish

them.

This

prophetic

address

haughty and

terrible

monarch:

"O

Assyrian, the rod

is

of mine anger, and the staff in their hand

nation.

mine indig-

I will send

him

against an hypocritical nation,

and against, the people of

curred

my

wrath [who have

in-

my

wrath] will I give him a charge, [or com-

mission] to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to

PROVIDENCE VAST.
tread

35

them clown

like the mire of the streets.

cloth his heart

How-

beit he

meaneth not so, neither

think so;

but

it is
.

in his heart to destroy

. .

and cut
shall
his

off nations not to pass, that

a few.

Wherefore

it

come

when the Lord hath performed mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I

of his high looks.
against

whole work upon

will punish the fruit

of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory

.
. .

Shall the axe boast itself

him

that heweth therewith? or shall the

saw

magnify

itself against

him

that shaketh it? as if the

rod should shake

itself against
lift

them that
itself,

lift it
it

up, or

as if the staff should

up

as if

were no

wood."

Isa.

x. 5, 6, 7, 12, 15.

Thus God "makes

the wrath of

man

to praise

him, and the remainder of

wrath he will restrain."

He

permitted

men and

devils to combine for the death of Jesus Christ, yet

out of that event he has brought eternal redemption to

countless millions,

and eternal glory

to

to the

Godhead.
tomb,
it

But when they combined

keep him

in the

was not possible that he should be holden of death.

Their malice and machinations were impotent.
burst the bars of the grave, arose

He

by

his

own power
captive.

and ascended up on high, leading captivity

Nor should
power

this

doctrine offend any one.

When

Pilate said to Jesus,

to crucify thee,

"Knowest thou not

and have power

that I have

to release thee?"
all

Jesus answered,

"Thou

couldest have no power at

36
against me, except

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
it

were given thee from above."

does this doctrine destroy a
it.

John

xix. 10, 11.

Nor

just accountability,

but rather establishes

:

The

very next words of Jesus are

livered

" Therefore he that de-

me

unto thee

hath the greater sin;" thus

clearly declaring that

though the sin might seem to

sin.

him

small, yet
if

it

was

Indeed wicked in

God

does not hold the hearts of the

his hands,

and

entirely control them,

can the pious pray for deliverance from wicked

how men
to

with any hope that they will be heard and answered?

But believing

this doctrine, they

if

may
and

well ask

God

save them, knowing that

he choose, he can make

their persecutors

their enemies to be their friends,

to be their deliverers.

This he has often done.

This

he

still

does, sending his people's foes

bowing unto
Elijah, can

them.

He, who made the raven feed

loss

never be at a

for instruments of

good to his
was not beis

chosen, or of wrath to his enemies.

If

it

neath

him

to

make an

insect or a world,

it

not be-

neath him to govern them to wise and holy ends.

If he should resign his control over anything even

for

an hour, no mortal can

if

trace the consequences.

And

he were utterly to forsake any work of his

hands, no creature can calculate the mischief that would

ensue; for in
ing.

him we

live
is

and move and have our be-

So that he alone

"Lord of

all."

Devils, as

PROVIDENCE VAST.

37

tempters, have mighty influence; but the feeblest child

of God, clad in innocence, upheld by grace, and guided

by Providence, need not

Satan
is

fear

a million of devils.
is

bound with a chain.

He

the proprietor of

nothing.

Though he
spirit that

is

called the

god of

this

world

and the

works

in the children

of disobeis

dience; yet the

desires

meaning of such language

that the

and motives and aims and hearts of the men

of this world are pleasing to Satan, of the kingdom of darkness, and

who

is

at the

head

who sways
.

a sceptre

of malignant power over the ungodly.

Blessed be
as
it is,

God, he has not abandoned the world, bad

the reign of devils.

to

Nor
no

has

God

resigned any part of his government

to fate or chance,

both of which are blind, and have

intelligence,

and of course no wisdom.

is

He

governs
it is

by a

plan,

which

never altered simply because

his plan,
fate

and therefore can never be improved.

as

Both

and chance

agents are nothing, and

know
Just

nothing, and can do nothing.

sides

Over

all

the earth pre-

one

who

has

all

and

infinite

perfections.

such a supreme ruler as the pious mind would desire

for all the world, just such a ruler
it

now

has and ever

shall have.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the holy ghost, as it was in the beginning, ls now, and shall be evermore. amen.

38

JEH0VA1I-JIREH.

CHAPTER

V.
III.

PRACTICAL REMARKS OX CHAPTERS

AND
The

IV.

T RUTH
tion. tion.

is

in

order to
is

godliness.

truth

respecting providence

of great practical utility

afnd calls for

devout and reverent use and consideradoctrine

Sound

on

this

subject

may be

as

wickedly perverted as on any other matter of revela-

Let

all

unrighteousness.
arising

men beware how they hold the truth in Some of the practical considerations

from the whole subject will be more appro-

priately presented hereafter.

selves
I.

few points urge them-

upon our

attention at this time.

Let us firmly believe that

This

God
is

reigns.

He

is

the Judge of all the earth.

a great truth.

It

cannot be too boldly asserted, or too firmly believed.

It
is at

the foundation of all true religion, of all solid

all

peace,

and of

holy living.
it.

We

may

not deny
9.

it.

We

may

not even doubt

Hos. xiv.

There

is

an absolute necessity for God's government over the

world, and for our believing that he does control
it.

We

begin

life

without wisdom, or experience.

We

PRACTICAL REMARKS.
take

39
life

many

of the most important steps in

when
False

age has not chastened our minds into sobriety.

notions of things, and strong passions, and subtle ene-

mies beset us on every

period,

side, especially

till

after the

when

the elements of character have been pretty

firmly united.
it is

If

God
fall.

preserve us not at such times,

clear

we must

And what
delightful

a comfort

it is

to

believe this doctrine.

If we are poor, or sick, or beit

is

reaved, or defamed,
it is

how

to

know

that

the Lord, and not man, the

Lord and not

Satan,

a friend and not an enemy, a most tender father and not a capricious master,
wise

who

thus ordains.
fall into

David was

when he

said, "

Let

me

the

hand of

the
:

Lord, and not into the hand of man."

" Smite, Lord, for thou lovest me."

Luther said

Every

child of

God may

say as much.

God

himself says,

"As many
good men.
said

as I love I

rebuke and chasten."

This doctrine of
all

providence

is

a great pillar of hope to

it

The
"

three

young Hebrews believed

when they

We
it

are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

If

be

so,

God whom we

serve, is able to deliver us

from the burning

fiery furnace,

and he

will deliver us

out of thine hand,

king.

But

if not,

be

it

known

unto thee,

king, that

we
is

will not serve thy gods."

Dan.

iii.

16-18.

This

the proper fruit of this docIt confirms the waver-

trine. 'It

emboldens the timid.

ing.

It converts cowards into heroes.

It

makes the

40
simple wise.

JEIIOVAII-JIREH.
It represses rashness. It
is

It keeps alive a

solemn sense of responsibility.

a rock of strength.

But

it

must be
:

steadfastly believed.

Dr. Dick
dence
it is

" As the doctrine of a particular provi-

is

agreeable both to Scripture and to reason, so

its

recommended by

obvious tendency to promote

. . .

the piety

and the consolation of mankind

'

The

thought, that he
all

compasses our paths, and

;'

is

acquainted with

our ways

that he watches our

lot,

steps, orders all the events in

tects us,

our

guides and pro-

and
;

supplies our wants, as

it

were with his

own hand
and

this

thought awakens a train of sentiments

feelings,

highly favorable to devotion, and sheds a

life.
;

cheering light upon the path of

as our guardian
his care,

We consider him
trust in him,

and our Father

and reposing upon

we

are assured that, if

we

no

evil shall befal us,

and no

real blessing shall

be with-

held."

Price

"

Where

can be the difficulty of believing an

invisible hand,

an universal and ever attentive Provi-

dence, which guides all things agreeably to perfect

rectitude

and wisdom,

at

the

same time that the

general laws of the world are

liberty of

left

un violated, and

the

moral agents

is

preserved ?"

"

The Lord

shall reign forever, even thy

God,

Zion, unto all generations.

cxlvi. 10.

Praise ye the Lord." Ps.

PRACTICAL REMARKS.
II.
secrets
little

41

Let us not be curious

connected with
little

in prying into inscrutable

providence.

We

know but

of the

which may be known.

is

Humbly
it is

to

study providence
sin.

a duty.

Boldly to pry into

He, who cannot swim, ought not

God's ruling the world
is

to venture into

deep waters.

a deep matter.

Many

both prejudge and misjudge

time.

all that

he does.
"it
is

Judge nothing before the

glory of

Remember

the

"vain
wild

God to conceal a thing." Prov. xxv. 2. But man would be wise, though he be born like a
Job
and
xi. 12.

ass' colt."

The

thirty-eighth, thirty-

ninth, fortieth,

forty-first chapters

of Job contain

terrible reproofs

even to good men,

who had indulged

Oh,
for

in daring speculations on divine providence.

the sublime
said:

wisdom of Paul, who stood and adoringly

"O,

the depth of the riches both of the

wisdom

and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his

judgments, and his ways past finding out."
will

Why
to

men become

cavillers

and subject themselves

but,

the alarming reproof:

"Nay,

man, who
the

art

thou that repliest against

God?
it,

Shall

thing

formed say to him that formed

Why

hast thou

made me thus?"
better than the

The ignorance of
fool.

a wise

man

is

knowledge of a

III. Consider

how

great

is

the danger of resisting

will
is

providence.
to
it,

Whenever God's

known, submit

not grudgingly, but of a cheerful mind.

For

4 *

42
their sins the

JEHOVAII-JIREH.

Jews had a hard bondage

in Babylon.

What made

their case

worse was that among them

were prophets and diviners, who fomented rebellion

against their masters.

They were
fact,

quite opposed to the

reigning powers, and, in

rebellion against

were in favor of sullen

God and man.

These

false teachers

vexed the people and kept their tempers chafed.

But
letter,

by God's
saying
Israel,
:

direction,

good Jeremiah wrote them a

" Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the

God

of

unto

all

that are carried

:

away

captives from

Jerusalem unto Babylon

in

Build ye houses, and dwell

eat the fruit of

them

and plant gardens, and

them

take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to

husbands, that they

that ye

may

bear sons and daughters

may

be increased there and not diminished.

city,

And
you

seek the peace of the

to be carried
for
it,

whither I have caused

away

captive,

and pray unto the

ye shall have

Lord
peace.

for in the peace thereof

For thus
;

saith the

Lord of

hosts, the

God

of Israel
that be

Let not your prophets and your diviners,

the

in to

midst of you deceive you, neither

hearken

your

dreams which

ye

cause

to
it

be
is

dreamed." Jer. xxix. 4-8.

How much

better

thus cheerfully to submit to Providence than to quarrel

with

it,

and

fret,

and

lose

our good tempers, and, with

!

our tempers, our good consciences

For " who hath

PRACTICAL REMARKS.
hardened himself against
ix. 4.

43

God and

prospered?" Job

Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of

the earth, but

Isa. xlv. 9.

woe

to

him

that striveth with his

fit

Maker.

We

are not

to choose for ourselves.

off.

We are
wise.

blind and cannot see afar

But God

sees

and declares the end from the beginning.

He
"Be

is all-

He

knows

all

the possible relations of things.

"The meek

will he guide in

judgment."

not as

the horse and the mule, which have no understanding,

whose mouth must be held in with

bit

and

bridle."

Do

not barely submit, but heartily acquiesce.

to say,
it

If

it

seems hard

Not my

will,

but thine be done,

God,
to

still

say
it.

and hold your conscience firmly bound

approve

" Commit thy works unto the Lord, and

thy thoughts shall be established." Pro v. xvi. 3.

Judge not the Lord by
But
trust

feeble sense,

Him

for his grace;

Behind a frowing providence,

He

hides a smiling face.

nis purposes will ripen

fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a

But sweet

bitter taste,

will be the flower.

Blind unbolief

is

sure to err,

And
God
is

scan his work in vain;

his

own
will

interpreter,

And He

make

it

plain.

44

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
" If I can have

my God

to

go before
to

me
J.

in

the

pillar

and the cloud," said Simeon

"I
if

A.

Haldane,

long

exceedingly to

visit

you once
I

more

but

I cannot see

my way

clear,

am

better

where I am."

PROVIDENCE RETRIBUTIVE.

45

CHAPTER
god's providence
is

VI.
retributive.

"

rOHNSON

defines retribution to be a return acIts general

:

coramodated to the action.

import

is
is

requital or recompence.

Foster says

" Retribution

one of the grand principles in the divine administration of

human

affairs;

a requital

is

imperceptible only
is

to the wilfully unobservant.

There

everywhere the

working of the everlasting law of requital: man always

gets as he gives."
perfect in principle
requital, because

Although God's government

is

and in conduct, yet the work of

is

unfinished,

not perfect in time.

Augustine: "If no sin were punished here, no providence would be believed;

here,
if

every sin were punished

no judgment would be expected."

Retribution results from all the principles of the

divine government already considered.
flaw in
it.

There

is

no

There

is

no

injustice in

it.

God

will not

clear the guilty.

He

will not

condemn the innocent.

He

will not slay the righteous with the wicked.

different.

He
will

never confounds things that are

He

not permit the righteous to be as the wicked.

For a

4G

JEIIOVAH-JIREII.

season his procedure

may

be inexplicable, but in the

end God

will abase the

proud and exalt the humble,

saint.

rebuke the sinner and encourage the

To
and
is

a remarkable degree

men

are

made

to reap

what

they have sowed, to gather what they have strewed,

to eat the fruit of their

own

doings.

Like

for like

an all-pervading principle of God's government.

is

Retribution in kind
sations.

seen in all his finished dispen-

In

its

operation this principle extends to both good

acts.

and bad

They
life

that

sow

to the Spirit, shall of

the Spirit reap

flesh, shall

everlasting.

They

that

sow

to the

of the flesh reap corruption.

fire

Covetousness

heaps treasure together as

day.

and

fuel against the last

it

Christian charity transports

to Paradise to be

enjoyed after death.

Requital extends to the actions of both saints and

sinners.

God
In

does not overlook

their
case

wrong

in

any of

his

children.

wastefulness

brings

want,

even as with the wicked.

On
men
is

the other hand, industry

are

and frugality

in worldly

commonly followed

by

thrift

and plenty, even

as with the righteous.

The
word

doctrine of retribution that of accountability.

essentially connected with

is

It

often stated in the

it is

of God. In the law of Moses

laid

down as

the rule
to
is

by which magistrates
wrong-doers in Israel.

shall

award punishments

This proves that the thing

PROVIDENCE RETRIBUTIVE.
in itself right.

47

"Eye

for eye, tooth for tooth,

hand

for hand, foot for

foot,

burning
.

for burning,
.
.

wound

for

wound,

stripe for stripe."

"Breach for
he hath caused

breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth

as

a blemish in a man, so shall

it

be done to him again."

"Life shall go for

life,

eye for eye, tooth for tooth,

hand

for hand, foot for foot."

Ex. xxi. 24, 25; Levit.

xxiv. 20; Deut. xix. 21.

Our Lord warned men not

it.

against this principle, but against two abuses of

The

first

was that men applied

it

to matters of private

revenge.

The

other was

that

some cruelly

insisted

upon the
ture

literal application
it

of the principle in judicato

if

when

would have been more benevolent

waive the right to demand a punishment, which,

insisted on, the magistrate

was bound

to inflict.

The

same law of Moses ordained that a

false witness
ill

should

be punished by being made to suffer the

which he

sought to bring on his brother. Deut. xix. 19.

The

same law says that God "repayeth them that hate him
to their face."

Deut.

vii. 10.

This very phrase profor.

bably implies the great principle here contended

It
is

repeated:

"The Lord

will not be slack to

him

that hateth him, he will repay

vii. 10.

him

to his face." Deut.

Retribution in kind
Scripture.

is

often categorically taught in

"With

the merciful thou wilt

show thywilt

self merciful,

and with the upright man thou

48

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
thyself upright.

show

With

the pure thou wilt

show

thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt

self unsavory."

show thy-

2 Sam. xxii. 26, 27. In Ps.

the

xviii. 25, 26,

we have almost
cases

same words

repeated.

In both
will deal
.
.

with

God teaches, says Clarke, that "he men as they deal with each other.
.

The

merciful, the upright, the pure will ever have the

God

of mercy,

uprightness and purity to

defend them.
all his

And
him

he will follow the wicked through

wind-

ings, trace

him through
his

all

his

crooked ways, untwist

all

in

all

cunning wiles, and defeat

his

schemes of stubbornness, fraud, overreaching and deceit.

...
is

If thou perversely oppose thy Maker,

he will oppose thee.

per that
fear."

No work

or project shall pros-

not begun in his name and conducted in his

is

The word rendered froward

Pool:

often rendered
is

perverse.
sinful,

"Man's perverseness
is

moral and

but God's perverseness

judicial

and penal."

At demn

the dedication of the temple

Solomon prayed

that in

coming generations the Lord would "con-

the wicked to bring his

way upon
So that

his head,

and

justify the righteous to give

him according
this

to his right-

eousness." 1
ple
is

Kings

viii.

22.

very princiIsrael.

inwoven with the devotions of the true

In the sermon on the mount, our Lord twice

asserts

the same doctrine: "Blessed are the merciful: for they

shall obtain

mercy;" and "With what judgment ye

PROVIDENCE RETRIBUTIVE.

49

judge, ye shall be judged: with what measure ye mete,

it

shall be

measured to you again." Matt. v. 7;

vii.

vii. 2.

So in Psalm

15, 16, of the

it,

wicked

it is

said:

'He

made
ditch
his

pit,

and digged

and has

fallen

into the

which he made.

His mischief shall return upon

violent dealing
shall

own

head, and his

his

come

down upon
less

own pate." Compare Psalm

Solomon
assert

cix. 17.

No
34;

clearly

does

the

same thing:
iii.

"Surely the Lord scorneth the scorners," Prov.

and one of the Apostles says:

"He

shall

have judg-

ment without mercy

James
ii.

that hath

showed no mercy."

13. requital

The same law of

good deeds of men.
the poor: the

prevails respecting the

is

"Blessed
will deliver

he that considereth
in time of trouble.

Lord

him

The Lord

will preserve him,

and keep him

:

alive;

and

he shall be blessed in the earth

liver

and thou wilt not de-

him unto the

will of his enemies.

The Lord
1-3.

will strengthen
wilt

him upon the bed of languishing: thou

bed in his sickness." Ps.
xli.

make

all his

Thus

frequently does the Scripture assert this prinIt also gives us

ciple in express terms.

ples.

many examitself."

Jehovah has often "written the cause of the

in the forehead of the

judgment

judgment

The
by

builders of Babel form a league, binding themselves

together for ever.

The Lord

dissolves the league

confounding their language, and making them a tor-

50

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
to each other.

ment

The Egyptians

destroy the inin the Nile.

fants of the Israelites

by drowning them

In God's anger the waters of

their great

river are

turned into blood, and finally their king and his hosts
are

drowned

in

the
let

Red

Sea.

They
their
fill

delighted

in

drowning, so

God

them have

of it.

They
So the

delighted in overtasking the Hebrews, and exposing

them

to the intense heat of the brickyards.

dust from the furnaces, where the bricks had been

burned, being scattered in the
air,

the Egyptians were

covered with boils and with

blisters.

Thus they were

made

to

smart as they had made others to smart.

By
Time
than

fraud and deception Jacob supplants his brother.

rolls

on.

Jacob leaves his native land.

his

Ear

from home he often finds

all

wages changed.
is

Worse

in the matter of marriage he

miserably de-

ceived.

He

loves Rachel and cheerfully serves seven

years for her; and in the hour of his rejoicing finds

that

Leah has been palmed upon him.

to feel in the tenderest possible

Thus he

is

made

manner

the na-

ture of his

own wickedness

to his brother.

"If men

deal treacherously with others, by and by others will

deal treacherously with them."

When

the Israelites took Bezek,

fled;

its

cruel prince,

"Adonibezek,

and they pursued

after

him, and

caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great
toes."

Then

this guilty

man began

to reason

on the

PROVIDENCE RETRIBUTIVE.
moral government that
is

51
this

executed

in

world:

"Three-score and ten kings, having their thumbs and

great toes out
as I
5, 6.
off,

gathered their meat under

my

table;
i.

have done, so hath

God

requited me." Judges

The ninth
verses,

chapter of Judges contains fifty-seven

and gives the history of the crimes and end of

Abimelcch, the son of Jerubbaal, who conspired with the

men

of Shechem for the destruction of

all

the children

of his father, being three-score and ten persons, one

only, Jotham, escaping.

The awful deed was

Still there

done.

The

rivals for

power were put out of the way.

For a

season things seemed to prosper.

ficulties.

were difuttered a

By

the Spirit of

God Jotham had

fearful prediction respecting his

his accomplices.

bloody brother and

in a

Ere long Abimelech himself

cruel

manner destroyed the men of Shechem.

after

Not

long

"a

certain

woman

cast a piece of millstone

all to [entirely]

upon Abimelech's head and

skull."

brake his
record
is

The

conclusion

of the

inspired

solemn: "Thus God rendered [or requited] the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in
slaying his seventy brethren: and all the evil of the

men

of Shechem did

God

render upon their heads

and upon them came the curse of Jotham, the son of

Jerubbaal."
Fuller:

"If our

backsliding;*

have con-

sisted in unfaithfulness towards

one another,

God

will

52

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
it

oftentimes punish this sin by so ordering

shall be unfaithful to us in return."

that others

Dreadful was the course of divine judgment towards

Agag, the king of the Amalekites.

tion

By

God's direc-

Samuel

said to

him: "As thy sword hath made

shall thy

women childless, so less among women.

pieces before the

mother be made childin

And Samuel hewed Agag

in Gilgal." 1

Lord

Sam. xv. 33.

the leper of

In

like

manner

for lying to

Naaman

Assyria, and for lying to his master, the leprosy of

Naaman
ever,

cleaved unto Gehazi and unto his seed for-

and forthwith he went out from the presence of

v.

Elisha a leper as white as snow. 2 Kings

20-27.

Dreadful was the

sin,

and dreadful the punishment.

Shame and misery

through
all their

follow a

man and

all his posterity

generations for this wilful, deliberate

falsehood.

History

tells

of horrible suiferings coming on those

in
inflicting

who

delighted

horrible

sufferings

on

others.

Nero,

who

loved to shed blood, the blood of

especially of Christians,

his best subjects,

and

was con-

demned

to be

punished according to the custom of

the ancient Romans.

He

turned executioner of their

sentence, slew himself, and left the world exclaiming:

"I have
Domitian

lived shamefully, I die

first

more shamefully."

trained himself and then his minions to

acts of tormenting cruelty.

He

was in the end mur-

PROVIDENCE RETRIBUTIVE.
dered by his

53

own

servants.

Dogs

licked

up the blood
up the
cruel

of Ahab, where he had caused

them

to lick

blood of the conscientious Naboth.

prince had trained a set of
deeds.

The same

men

addicted to bloody

So soon as he was gone, these very men rid In

Cilicia

the land of his posterity.

A. D. 117 died

Trajan, the persecutor.

life

His

joints

were loosed.

His

was drowned out by the waters of dropsy, while

thirst

was burning him up.

life

His

successor, Adrian,

departed this

A. D. 139 by a

disease,

which took

most of the blood from his body.

innocent blood,

He, Avho had shed

own

blood.

now reluctantly and in agony shed his Maximin and his little son were both

put to death by the servants and soldiers,

whom

he

had educated

to deeds of carnage.

As

they slew his

child, they said,

"Not

a whelp of so cursed a stock

shall be left."

Diocletian became a
fire

madman.

His

palace was

consumed by

from heaven.

His end

was

fearful.

Lucian derided the Christians by barking at them

like a dog.

His death was on

this

wise.

He

was

torn to pieces by the dogs.

A
He

modern tyrant and

murderer prepared two cups of wine, one for himself

and

one

for

his

guest.

gave

special

direc-

tion to his servant as to the disposition

of the cups.

Yet

in carelessness his servant

gave him the cup of

in convulsions.

poison.

He

drank

it all,

and expired

54

JEHOVAII-JIREH.
II.,

Henry
Geneva.

of France was a great persecutor.

city

He
of

formed the design of destroying the whole

Everything seemed

to promise well for his

malicious purpose.
ried,

But when

his daughter

was mar-

he "received a mortal wound in a tournament

his

from the splinter of a lance which pierced one of

eyes.

This wound was given by the hand of the Pre-

fect of the royal guards,

who had by

the king's order

for

seized

and imprisoned those senators who pleaded

moderation in religious matters."

clared concerning

The king had

de-

Amies du Bourge a worthy example

of justice and moderation

who was

executed in a cruel

manner

that both his eyes should see that

man burnt
is

at the stake.

Behold by his own

tool,

he

is

not only de-

prived of one eye, but through the loss of that, he

deprived of

life itself.

Charles IX. of France caused

Ihe shedding of the blood of the Huguenots on St.

Bartholomew's day.

Voltaire

tells

us that the blood

of that cruel prince burst through the pores of his

skin.

His nature was

at

war with

itself.

Several

writers tell us of the old

man, whose son dragged him

by

his

gray locks to the threshhold of his door, when

looking up he said, " Stop,

my
to

son

this is as far as I

dragged

my

father

by

his hair."

For a while
it

cruel

and bloody men may seem

have

all

their

own

way; but ere long God's hand

geance.

will lay hold on venafflict

They may mock and

the

innocent.

PROVIDENCE RETRIBUTIVE.

00

But among such, who ever lived and died happily?

Sooner or
later a pitiless

storm beats them down.

This arrangement of Providence enables us to see

and

feel the justice

of

many

things in the orderings of

the Lord.

Were our

sufferings

something foreign

from our own conduct, we might often be perplexed

with occurrences that happen to
us.

But when

sor-

row comes

to us in the ghost of the

wrong we have

committed, we say, Righteous art thou, Lord

mighty.

God Al-

In the same way we learn

Providence.
Its lessons are

to

study the book of

easy and forcible.
in his dealings.

made
is

Thus

also

we

see

how

just

God

He who
It
is

gets

what he gives cannot complain of wrong.

right the murderer should feel in his

own person
an
evil

the pangs of the death he has inflicted on another.

In

like

manner God

teaches us that

it is

and
no

a bitter thing to sin against the Lord.

evil so great as sin.

There

is

By

this

arrangement of his pro-

vidence, he

makes us

feel that sin is horrible.

So

also

we

learn the folly of sin.

what shame
life,

and confusion, running perhaps through

us for one wicked deed.
will

come on
sin
is

Ere long no doubt every

the most silly conduct

appear, as foolish as

sometimes made now

to appear. in the

Let every man honestly and earnestly inquire

day of adversity, Wherefore,

Lord, contendest thou

56
with me?
It
is

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
a rational and proper inquiry.
it,

He,

who

will not

make

must expect

to

be hardened

under judgments.

In applying
ourselves,

this principle of
strict

God's government to
severe.

we may be

and even

Our

self-love will hold us back from excess.

If we are inare harsh

nocent, conscience will shield us.

in their

Few men
It
is far

judgments of themselves.

otherwise

in

judging of our fellow-men.

We

must give them

In passing the

the benefit of any doubt in their case.

conduct of others under review we must be lenient.

charitable

A
be

judgment of good men

is

is

more apt

to

true than one that

harsh.
is

Whenever our
of
it,

sin

brought to view,
it

let us

repent
it.

abhor

it,

ask forgiveness for

will
;

and forsake
his

Newton

says,

"If a man
it

make

nest below,

God

will put a thorn in

it

and

if that will

not do, he

will set

on

fire."

Beware,

man, how thou befor thy

havest towards
sins.

God

in the

day of chastisement

Let every man be warned and deterred from courses

of conduct, which by this great law of requital must
yet involve
ao-e.

him

in trouble, perhaps even

down

to old

Some

sixty years ago there lived on the borders

of civilization a
blind
father.

The

man who had an aged, infirm, and old man frequently broke the
His
son's

crockery on which his food was served.

PROVIDENCE RETRIBUTIVE.
wife complained of
to take a block of
it,

57

and the son at

last

determined

wood and hew out a

tray or trough,

on which to feed his father. axe and went to the

forest,

Accordingly he took his

followed by his
if it
little

son.

He

found a poplar, that looked as

would

suit his

purpose, and began to cut out a block of the desired

size.

Having swung

his

axe a few moments, he be-

came weary, and

going to make?"

his son said, " Father,

what are you

to

The

father replied,

"I am going

make a
The
supposed
won't
it

trough, for your grandfather, to eat out of."

little

boy loved his grandfather very much, and

it all

very kind, and

Father,

said,

"I am

so glad;

be nice?

when you

get to be old and

blind, I will

make

a trough for you."

The
for

father,

conscience-stricken,

and fearing sorrow

himself,

took up his axe, returned home, and

to treat his aged parent kindly.

ever after

seemed

God's people are

safe

though

his enemies are not.

" For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and
the

worm

shall eat

them

like wool: but

for ever,

ness," saith

God, "shall be

and
li.

my righteousmy salvation
8.

from generation
tations

to generation."

Isa.

Temptaand

may

assail

them; enemies

may

revile them,

persecute them.

But God

says,

"Hearken unto me,

whose heart

ye that
is

know

righteousness, the people in

my

law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be

Isa.
li.

ye afraid of their revilings."

7.

c*

58

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

Let

us,

however, beware of the error into which

fell.

Job's friends

"They maintained

that

God

go-

verned the world upon the principle of minute retribution,

rendering to every

man

in the present life accord-

ing to his works;" and that this requital was perfect

in this world.

Against this theory Job argued

irre-

fragably,

and God himself condemned them and apJob, saying unto

proved

Eliphaz,

"My

wrath

is

kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for

ye have not spoken of

me

the thing that

xlii. 7.

is right,

as

my

servant Job hath." Job

FORBEARANCE OF PROVIDENCE.

59

CHAPTER

VII.

Some explanation of the delays of Providence in punishing the wicked. how divine forbearance should be regarded; and how it

may be

abused.
settle

rilHE
-fering.

Almighty does not

his accounts with

his creatures every thirty days.

He

is

patient under affronts.

He is long-sufHe forbears to
This
is

execute deserved wrath upon offenders.

one

of the striking displays of the goodness of

to lead us to repentance.
is

God

designed

He bears
the

long with us.

He

slow to anger.
is

He

is

God

of patience.

Long-

suffering

of his very essence.

Man may

exist with-

out being kind, and gentle, and forbearing.

not.

God

can-

He

can no more cease to be pitiful than he can

cease to be.

He

warns

he entreats
flee

he follows with

mercy the very men, who

sence and kind offers.
his judgments.

from

his gracious pre-

Often for a long time he delays

It

is

very important that we should not misunder-

stand God's dealings in this matter.

Let us not mis-

60

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

interpret providence, nor fall into the errors of the

wicked.
set the

A few remarks

made
light.

in order

may

help to

matter in a clear

I.

LET US NOTICE SOME THINGS, WHICH DO NOT CAUSE

GOD TO DELAY DESERVED PUNISHMENT.

1.

God
it

does not defer the punishment of any sinner,

because

would be unrighteous instantly

to

to cut

him

down, and bring him

"
is

judgment.
shall die"

The

sentence
it

The

soul that sinneth,

it

is

as just as

alarming.

Every

sin

deserves

God's wrath and

curse

now and
it

hereafter.

It deserves

punishment the
is

moment
iquity

is

committed.
it

What
instant
less or

evil there

in in-

is

in

at

the

of perpetration.

murder does not become

lapse of time.
in
it

more a murder by the

is

Whatever
first.

guilt there

in

any

sin is
is

from the

A repetition
it

of an offence

an

additional sin.
to

But

would be just and right in God

is

punish condignly and terribly as soon as he

insulted

and offended.

He

did so in the case of the

rebel angels.
2.

Nor

does

God withhold

his wrath, because

we
true

have not often offended him.

that our sins are

Of

each of us

it is

more than the

hairs of our heads.

They

are innumerable.

We
And

cannot answer for one of

a thousand of them.

each one of them calls for

vengeance.

FORBEARANCE OF PROVIDENCE.
3.

61

Nor

does

God

exercise forbearance, because he

has not at all times a distinct view of the

number and

aggravation of our offences.

In no sense does God

ever forget an unpardoned sin.

He

always sees
it.

it,

knows

it,

hates

it.

His soul abhors

He
is

is

angry

with the wicked every day.

No

being

so far resin

moved from everything

like insensibility to

as

God
4.

is.

Nor does God

delay the punishment of the wicked

because they escape his notice, or elude his search

nor because he cannot prove them guilty, nor because

he

is

not as competent to decide upon their case as he

ever will be.

Human

governments sometimes cannot

Evidence

detect, arrest, or convict.

may

be wanting.

Witnesses

may

be absent.

The law

in the case

may

be doubtful.

But

these things never cause a

moment's

delay in the divine government.

5.

Nor

are sinners allowed to

go unpunished

for a

season, because
impi-essions,
ing.

God

regards with indifference the false

his long-suffer-

which some receive from

is

On

the contrary, he "

his honor,

a jealous God."

He

is

most tender of

and carefully guards the

glory of his government.

all

He

would forever part with

rather than allow one

the creatures he has

made

truthful

charge to be brought against his justice.

in

When

the rebellion broke out

heaven, as in a

moment he emptied

the shining seats above, rather

62
than
let

JEIIOVAH-JIREII.

one sinning angel remain in his

estate,

standing reproach to God, a

rance of sin.
6.

monument

of God's tole-

Nor

does

God

forbear to punish the wicked for a

full

time because he has not

tence,

power

to execute

any sen-

which

his justice

might decree.

Omnipotence
governments

can do anything at any time.

Human

are sometimes afraid to punish, lest they should arouse

popular indignation, or dangerous commotions.

But

God

is

not for one

moment

restrained from executing

the fierceness of his anger by any such fear.

Were

the world in arms against him,

He

that sitteth in the

heavens would laugh at their impotent rage.

breath, one

One

word from Jehovah would sweep them

moment.

down
7.

to hell in a

Nor

is

there in the divine

mind any weakness,

to

any
to

irresolution,

any want of determination

award

every

man

according as his case shall demand.

Many
spirit

offences

among men go

entirely

unpunished

because of the vacillation of

in

mind

or feebleness of

parents,

masters or rulers.

But

it

is

far

otherwise with God.

He

proceeds to the

work of

judgment and of punishment with an

pose,

inflexible pur-

whenever his holiness and wisdom determine

that the right time has come.

Let us then

FORBEARANCE OF PROVIDENCE.
II.

(J3

Consider positively

why God

bears long
no

with men.

Perhaps the discussion of

it

this point is

more important than that of the preceding.

surely there are

But
which

some things involved

to us lost sinners a

in

it,

ought to make

welcome and a

delightful theme.
1.

God
are
is

delays to punish

sinners,

because in his

nature

found
full
it.

infinite

love

and

mercy.

This

thought

of weight and of interest.

Let us

dwell upon

God

is

" long-suffering to usward,"

pitiful,

because he has a loving,

compassionate nature.

modern writer* has

" There

collected

and compared many

of the forms of expression used on this subject.

says
:

He
/u-s,

is

something very peculiar in the manis

ner in which this doctrine

taught.

Observe,

several words, nearly synonymous, are used to teach us

the doctrine, such

pitiful,

is

merciful, gracious, long-suffering,

slow

to

anger, and not satisfied with the posi-

tive

the inspired writers

use the superlative

very

pitiful

and very gracious

too.

Observe, secondly, that

not content with the singular, mercy, by a felicitous

limit of style, they

adopt and employ the plural form,

the mercies of

mercies.

They speak of

God; nor

are

they content with a simple plural; but they speak of

these mercies as manifold, yea, they speak of the multitude of his mercies.

This

is

strange language.

It

* Ncvins.

64

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

expresses a conception not of

human

origin.

And

to

denote that there

is

nothing uncertain about these

mercies, they speak of

them

as sure mercies

and they
!

speak of them not only as

many but
;

great

aye,

and

great above the heavens, they say

and they speak of

the greatness of his mercies, in magnitude equal to

what they are in multitude

mercies.
cies,

many and
But they

great and sure

Think of that.

are not mere mer-

but tender mercies, and these mercies they speak

of not as derived, but as original with God.

Him

they

speak of as the Father of mercies

to tell us
essential ;

and they take care

that

mercy

is it
;

not accidental to God, but

as belonging to

they speak of
still
'

him

and

Daniel goes further

he says

'

To

the

Lord our

God belong
'

mercies

and forgiveness ?
say that
is

No

but

forgivenesses.'

You may
it
is

not chaste
Thirdly,

composition,
there
is

but

glorious

doctrine.
;

another set of phrases they use

they speak of

God

as rich in mercy, plenteous in mercy,

;

and

full of

compassion

they speak of his abundant mercy, of the

its

earth as full of his mercy, to denote

in respect of
fail not,
its

amplitude

and

continuance, they say his compassions

is

and there
is

Psalm

in

which twenty-six
There
is

times
still

it

said,

His mercy end ureth forever.

another phraseology used by the sacred writers.

kindness, his great kindness, his
;

They speak of God's

marvellous kindness, his everlasting kindness

but they

FORBEARANCE OF PROVIDENCE.
are not satisfied to speak of
call
it
it

65
;

as simple kindness
it

they

merciful kindness,
us.

and speak of

as great

towards

They

call it loving-kindness, too,

and we

read of God's marvellous and excellent loving-kindness,

with which
too,

it

is

said also that he croumeth us

here,

they use the plural form, loving-kindnesses ; and

they speak of the multitude of his loving-kindnesses.

What more could they mercy of God compared

for
like,

say?

Fourthly,

we

find the

to certain

human
it

exercises

example, to a father's pity, which

is

said to be
it
is

and

to
to

a brother's friendship, than which

a mother's love, which
it is
it

closer,

and

is

said to ex-

ceed."

Truly,

wonderful that such sinners as

;

we

are should be spared

that if spared at all,

but surely

it

is

not marvellous

it

should be under the govern-

ment

of such a

God.

" The Lord

is

lonff-sufferina:,

not willing

that

any should

perish."

God never

punishes with delight.

He

does not will, or plan, or

seek the ruin of his bitterest and most inveterate enemies.

In the esteem of God the death of a sinner

"

is

a dreadful thing.

Many

a time turns he his anger

away"

(Ps. lxxviii. 38) before

he strikes a blow or
is,

crushes a sinful worm.

The

reason

"

God

is

love."

None

else

would bear

so long,

would so long avert

deserved and terrible punishments from the heads of

the rebellious.

Verily, the prophet told us of the

glorious nature of God,

when he

said,

"

The Lord

66
doth not
afflict

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
willingly, nor grieve the children of
as

men."

So

far

we know,

there

is

but one thing

upon which the pure and benevolent mind of God

looks with more aversion than upon the misery of his
creatures.

That one thing

is

worse than

all

misery,
It is

more horrible than the torments of

perdition.

SIN, the parent of all misery, all disorder, all confusion.

Every sigh from

wrought out by
greatest

hell
sin,

and every groan from earth

is

man's most cruel tyrant, God's

indeed,

enemy.

Benevolent,

must be the

nature of Jehovah to show pity and long-suffering to

sinners.
2.

God

delays deserved punishment, because if he

did not, the race of

horrible desolation

man would
seize

soon be extinct, and

all the

would

upon

habitable

parts of the earth.

Then

creation

on earth would

have no head.

In the days of Noah the long-suffering

of God, after waiting a hundred and twenty years, was

exhausted, and but eight souls escaped the dreadful

overthrow.

God

has great ends to answer by the

creation of the world. ants

3.

To sweep away

all its inhabit-

would defeat those glorious purposes.

One

great purpose of

God

is

to continue

and enflock of

large the church of Christ

upon

earth.

The

God

has ever been composed of those, who, in God's

esteem and in their

sinners,

own

esteem, had once been great

and so deserved dreadful judgments.

Had

FORBEARANCE OF PROVIDENCE.
not
there

G7
manners,

God
is

patiently borne

with

their

evil

not one member of the visible church,

since

who

would not long

science of every

have perished.

So says the con"thus saith the

cluster,

renewed man.
is

And

Lord,

as

the

new wine
it

found in the
is

and

one saith, Destroy

I

not; for a blessing

in it: so will

do

for

my

servants' sakes, that I

may

not destroy

them
4.

all." Isa. lxv. 8.

This leads to the remark that for the sake of his

people,

and

in

answer

to their prayers,

many

a wicked

man

is

spared for a long time.

So Jesus taught: "Ex-

cept those days be shortened, there should no flesh be

saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be

shortened."
cities

Ten

righteous

men would have

saved the
fire.

of the plain from the vengeance of eternal a time

Many
may

God

permits the wicked to outlive their

godly parents and friends, that these pious persons

escape the anguish of weeping over them,
sins, in

when

they die in their

impenitency.
5.

their unbelief,

and

in their

they

God long spares sinners, may be led to repentance.

that

by
is

his

goodness

He
all

"not willing

that any should perish, but that

should come to resinners,

pentance."

In subduing the hearts of

is

God's

great argument

his

kindness.

If

God

instantly

punished every

man

according to his transgressions,

to

we could no more be exhorted

"count the long-suf-

68
fering of
is

JEHOVAH-JIREII.

God

salvation."

Thus God

teaches.

So also

his practice.

A right view of the divine forbearance

is

and mercy breaks every heart that ever

broken,

bows every
on him,
6.

will that ever submits.

"They

shall look

whom

they have pierced and mourn."

God

long spares sinful

his

men

that he

may

entirely

cut off all pleas from

his justice glorious,

incorrigible foes,

and make

when he

shall at last visit

them

for their sins.

Every murmur

against God,

and every
for

suspicion of the divine equity

ever, if
it

must be banished

shall at last appear that

"God endured

with

much

long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to de-

struction,"

and that not

until

it

was evident that longer

forbearance would give plausibility to the charge of

weakness or

irresolution, did

God "show
The
truth

his

wrath

and make

his

power known."
is

must be
on men

kept alive that "there

earth."

God
of

that judgeth in the

this truth

But

in impressing even

Jehovah
Let us

adopts a course

great

long-suffering.

m.
1.

NOTICE THE PROPER USES OF THIS DOCTRIXE.

If

God

is

so long-suffering to us,
to

we ought

to

be

long-suffering
treated

one another.

No man

has ever
treated

any of us
If

as badly as each of us has

God.

"Beloved,

God spares us, let us spare one another. if God so loved us, we ought also to love

FORBEARANCE OF PROVIDENCE.

69

one another;" "forbearing one another, forgiving one

another, if

any have a quarrel against any, even

as

God

for Christ's sake forgave you."

fire

The

true spirit

of the Gospel never calls clown

from heaven even

ten

on the
talents

bitterest

foes.

He,

to
is

whom

thousand

have been forgiven,

surely not the

take his brother by the throat, and say,

fifty

man to Pay me the

pence thou owest.

2.

When we

see

God

sparing the lives of our

r

wicked friends

and neighbors, w e ought

to labor

and

pray for their salvation.

it.

Not only should we

it.

desire

We

should also expect

Perhaps the church

forsakes

often abandons sinners before God's Spirit

them.
is

Pray and

toil

for their conversion while there

breath, for

commonly while

there

is

life

there

is

hope.

Look

at the miracles of grace

around you, yea,

look at yourself, and be encouraged to hope and pray

for others.
3.

Let a due consideration of God's long-suffering

All sin
is

increase our abhorrence of sin.

an offence

against the most gentle, loving, patient, forbearing be-

ing in the universe.

to

To maltreat any man is wrong. But

after

pursue with wanton insult and contumely one that

shows a loving disposition, even

treated amiss,
is

he has been

justly esteemed

very base.

Such

is

the real character of all the sin

we commit

against
love,

God.

And

sin in the regenerate is against

more

70

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
light

more

and more mercy than are granted

to the

unregenerate.

Christian, hate sin in

all,

but most

of

all,

hate

it

in yourself.

4.

Let the long-suffering of

God

lead

you carefully

to study, admire
like him.

and imitate the character of God.

his

Be
Hell

Think upon

name.

Acquaint thyself
is

with

God and

be at peace.

His nature

love.

for depth,

heaven for height, the ocean for vastness,

the sun for brilliancy are all wonderful objects.

But

God's character

is

a combination of

all

that

is vast,

sublime, majestic, kind, just, excellent and every

glorious.
5.

way

study the character of God.

Learn

to be patient

and even thankful amidst

trials

and

afflictions.

It does not

become us

to

make
you.

much
curse.

of a light

affliction,

when we

deserve a heavy

Think of

the

kindness

still

shown

"Were
moment
but

there but a single mercy apportioned to each

of our lives, the

is

sum would

rise

very high
every

how

our arithmetic confounded when

minute has more than we can distinctly number."

"Be

patient, therefore, brethren, unto the

coming of
great,

our Lord Jesus Christ."

Your

sorrows

may be

but the promises and the grace secured by covenant are

far greater.

Therefore, "strengthen the hands, which

feeble knees."

hang down and the

Any

sinner,

on

whom

the sentence of fiery condemnation has not been

executed, has great cause of joy and gratitude to

God

FORBEARANCE OF PROVIDENCE.
for sparing mercy. Surely he,

71
set in

whose hope

is

God,
re-

ought never

to be

much

cast clown, but

ought to

member

that he shall yet sing the song of

Moses and

Miriam, yea of Moses and the Lamb.

IV.

BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS, IN WHICH THE

LONG-SUFFERING OF
ABUSED.
1.

GOD

IS

PERVERTED AND

Some, finding the wicked spared so long, infer

there
is

that

no God at

all.

They become

atheists.

There have been such monsters on earth.

Reasoning

more

false

than that, which from God's goodness incan hardly be imagined.

is

fers his non-existence,

2.

kindred error
infer that

that,
is

when from God's pa-

tience

men

he

not just, and holy, and so

sins.

determined to deal with the wicked after their

This

is

the great pillar, on which rest

many

false

no-

tions or systems of belief.

He, who from God's long-

suffering

argues that he will clear the guilty and

justify the wicked, perverts the

most precious things.

To

the rebellious

God

never says, "It shall be well

say,

with you.

But he does

Will ye

steal,

and and

murder, and commit adultery, and swear

falsely,

burn incense unto Baal, and walk

after other gods,

which ye know not; and come and stand before me

this house,

in

which

is

called

by

my

name, and

say,

We
is,

are delivered to do all these abominations?"

That

72

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

they inferred that their conduct was not displeasing to

God, because awful judgments had not swept them

away.
i. e.

Elsewhere

God says, "Because

I kept silence,"

did not instantly and terribly reprove thy wicked-

ness, "because I kept silence

thou thoughtest I w as alr

together such an one as thyself."

Thus men deny

become
is

God's attributes.

" The wicked

live,

old, yea,

are mighty in power," not because there

not a just

God, but because that just God

3.

is

merciful.

Some abuse

the long-sutfering of God, not only

to continuing in sin,

but to making themselves more

lift

vile than

ever.

Often did the Lord

the curse

from

off the

head of Pharaoh, and as often did he sin

the more.

He was
were

very gracious when the pangs

were upon him, but as soon as the suffering was over,

his

relentings

over also.
is

"Because

sentence

against an evil

work

not executed speedily, therefore

the heart of the sons of

evil."
says,
is

men

is

fully set in
is

them

to

do

What

sad perverseness

here

The
;

sinner

Because

God

is

good I

will be

bad

because he

slow to anger, I will walk in the light of

desires of

my

eyes,

and pursue the

my

heart.

These thoughts

may

not be framed into words, but are they not carried

out in the lives of

many?
word

Does not the increasing

wickedness of

men

of uncircumcised hearts declare this

itself?

as plainly as God's

To

all

such, the

following solemn thoughts are presented.

FORBEARANCE OF PROVIDENCE.
a.

73

final

perdition wrought out

under circum-

stances of such

amazing mercy as surround you, will

if

be far more intolerable than

short and your blessings few.
b.

your

life

had been

That divine clemency, which you now abuse and

may,
for

pervert,

aught you know, be nearly exhausted.

When

it

shall be all gone,

and your lamp put out

in

obscure darkness,
course of
c. life

how

can you bear reflection on" the

you are now pursuing?

If any shall be so wicked as to persist in sin

finally perish, the imputation of folly

and

and madness
thou hast

will fall

upon

their

own
"

head.

"

Israel,

destroyed thyself."
thyself."
d.

Thou

hast procured this unto

What

dreadful sentences are these

The
live.

Scripture calls on all the wicked to turn

and

Will you repent f

will repent
is

Will you now

repent".
is

That you

as certain as that there

a holy

and just God.

that sorrow,

But whether your repentance

shall be

which works death, or that godly sorrow

of, is

which works repentance not to be repented

great question.

the
lite

Shall your repentance be unto

shall
it

and salvation? or

be but the fruitless relenting

of a soul in an undone eternity?

offered to

O accept the

mercy

you now.

Embrace the Saviour, while he

waits to be gracious.
7

74

JEHOYAII-JIREH.

CHAPTER

VIII.

Several principles of the doctrine of providence OVER BAD MEN, ILLUSTRATED IN THE LIFE

AND END OF JUDAS

IsCAEIOT.
;

CHRIST'S
never.

ministers are often deceived

all

Christ,

He knows

things.

He

never was

overreached.
detects the

His eyes are

as flaming fire.

most specious pretences.

He easily He knows all

earth.

men,

all hearts, all destinies.

all

In many ways he proved

this

when on

In the case of the son of perdition he

he was not for a
It
is

fully evinced that

in his character.

moment mistaken

proposed to show

how

the course of providence

ran towards this bad man.

object, it is best

In order

to effect that

I.

TO BEGIN WITH A HISTORIC STATEMENT.

his

His name was Judas, and

surname was

Iscariot.
all

Judas, Juda, Judah, Jehudah, and Jude are

the

same word, varied only

in

unimportant particulars.
of the

The word Judas

literally signifies, the praise

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
Lord.

75
Israelites.

The name Mas common among the

One

of Jacob's sons was called Judah.

tribe,

From him
After
tribes

descended the

within whose territory was Jeru-

salem, and from which arose the

name of Jews.

the ten tribes broke

off,

Judah designated the

of Judah and Benjamin, while the rest were called

Israel.

One

of the Maccabees, very renowned in his-

tory,

was called Judas.

Another of them, who bore

the same name, suffered martyrdom under Antiochus

Epiphanes.

Besides

these,

there

are

several

other

persons of the same name, more or

less noticed in

Jewish history before the coming of Christ.

that

After

we have an account of
Paul's host
at

four

men

called Judas.

One was

Damascus.

Acts

ix.

11.

Another was surnamed Barsabas.

Paul and Barnabas and

He

was sent with

Antioch the
itself

Silas to carry to

decrees of the Council of Jerusalem.

This was

a high honor.

Luke

calls

him

one of the " chief

men
In

among

the brethren."

Acts xv. 22.

Lebbeus,
or

Another was
Zelotes.

surnamed

Thaddeus, or
55, he
is

Matthew

xiii.

called the brother (or

kinsman)

of our Lord.

He

is

thought to have been the son of

Mary, the

sister

of the blessed virgin, and the brother

of James the Less.

flesh,

If

so,

he was, according to the

cousin-german to Jesus.

His

father's

name was

Alpheus.

The

last epistle in the

Bible bears the

name
other

of Jude, and was written by this man.

The

7G

jEiiovAir-JiRKir.

Judas, mentioned as living in the

Christian era,
Escariot.
is

first

century of the

the betrayer of our Lord,

Iscariot
is

sumamed

The word
it

variously derived.

Some

say

is

an abbreviation of Issachariothes, and

simply declares that he was of the tribe of Issachar.

Others derive
signify, a

it

from two Hebrew words that unitedly

of murder.

man

Others suppose that his

called

surname simply shows that he was of the place

Carioth or Kerioth.
planation.

This

is

probably the true exis literally,

Ish-Carioth or Iscariot

man

of Carioth.
Before entering into the particulars of his history,
observe
1.

There

is

no evidence that Judas Iscariot was a

man

of bad countenance.

Most men

are

much
tell

influ-

enced by looks,

and many think they can

This

a man's
often

character by the physiognomy.

true;

may
The

be

but there are

many

exceptions.

case of
to

Judas was probably one.

represent him, he
is

In paintings intended

commonly

distinguished by a sly,
is

mean, cunning, malicious countenance. There

nothing

in Scripture to warrant artists in so painting him, be-

yond the simple

fact

of his wickedness.

For aught

that appears to the contrary, he was a

free,

man

of calm,

open, placid, benignant countenance.

2.

There

is

no evidence

that,

up

to his betrayal of

his Lord, his conduct

was the subject of censure, com-

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
plaint, jealousy, or of the slightest suspicion.

77

Until

the night

when

he committed the traitorous deed, his

fair,

reputation seems to have been

and without the

as

shadow of a blemish.

He

was not ambitious,

James
from
all

and John on one occasion were.

the characteristic rashness of Peter.

He

was

free

His

sins

were

concealed from the eyes of mortals.

He

was a

thief;

but that was

3.

known only
no evidence

to Omniscience.
that,

There

is

during his continuance

with Christ, he regarded

himself as a hypocrite.

Doubtless he thought himself honest.

He knew

no

other kind of sincerity than that which he possessed.

He may
ful

have had solemn and joyful feelings under

the preaching of Christ.

He may

have had very aw-

and tender thoughts when he himself was preach-

ing.

Such

is

man's self-ignorance, that

it

is

probable

not one in ten thousand

lieve that such
is

who

are hypocrites firmly be-

their character.

Nay,

it

commonly
they think

happens, that the worse

themselves to be.
4.

men

are, the better

Let

it

not be supposed that Judas ought not to

his character.

have known
truth

respecting

himself.

He He

shut his eyes to the

voluntarily
rejected

evidence that would have convicted

his
is

him
is

at the bar of It

own

conscience.

Self-ignorance

a great sin.

fostered

by pride and unbelief and impenitence.

mention made of
this

The

first

man

is

entirely cred-

78
itiible to

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
him.

He

is

introduced to us as one of the

twelve,

whom

Christ chose as disciples and confidential

friends, to

be with him and hear his instructions, both

public and private.

We

are not told that Christ ever

availed himself of the absence of Judas to

make any

communications
betrayal.

to the eleven, until the night of his

Peter,

James and John were more with

Christ than the others.

But between Judas and the

other eight there does not appear to have been any

marked

difference in the

treatment which they re-

ceived at the hands of the Saviour.

Having

for

some time been a

disciple, the

Lord
office

or-

dained him with the other eleven to the

and

work of an

apostle. Matt. x.

2-4;

Mark

iii.

13-19;
is

Luke

vi.

13-16.

Since the birth of Christ this

the

highest office to which any mortal could attain.

gifts requisite for

The

the performance of

its

duties Mere
to

extraordinary and miraculous.

They belong
2 Cor.

no

man
12.

now

living.

The

proofs of an apostle were in signs,

xii.

and wonders, and mighty deeds.

Every

apostle

must have seen the Lord.

as there are
is

1 Cor. ix. 1.

There were in early times,

tenders to this office; but

still,

vain pre-

it

the duty

and honor of
ii.

the churches to expose their idle claims. Rev.

2.

But Judas was an

of his
office

apostle,

and performed the duties

fellows.

as

did

his

He

preached, he

healed the sick, he cleansed the lepers, he raised the

JUDAS ISCARI0T.
dead, he cast out devils.

79

One

part of the apostolic

commission required the shaking off of the dust from

the feet as a testimony against those
ceive

who would not

It
is

re-

them nor hear

this

their words.

may

be that

Judas did
that he

very thing, but there

no evidence

was more denunciatory than

others.
first

After the return of the apostles from their

mission, and after they
success, there is

had given an account of their

nothing said of Judas, until James and

John, at the instigation and through the instrumentality

of their mother, applied for the superiority over

their brethren.

On

this occasion, it is said:

"The

ten

were moved with indignation against the two brethren."

Matt. xx. 24.
they began to be
x. 41.

Mark says: "When the ten heard it, much displeased with James and John."
the

The

record shows no difference between

behaviour of Judas aud that of the nine others.

all

They
Juis

may have spoken

may have been
beyond

of the wickedness of such ambijust.

tion,

and their remarks may have been very

as temperate as the rest.
bitter

das

There

no evidence that he possessed a

spirit

or intolerant

others,

nor that he was often guilty

is

of censoriousness.

It

not at

all

improbable that

Peter was more liable to reproof in this matter than

Judas.

Soon

after this,

we

find Christ

warning his

disciples
is

against "the leaven of the Pharisees, which

hypo-

80
crisy."

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

Luke

xii. 1.

Judas

may have improved

this

hint so far as to attack these arch deceivers, and to

preach some very searching, alarming sermons.

as a matter of personal application to his

But
heart

own

and conscience, the warning seems

neglected.

to

have been wholly

Like many modern hypocrites, he proba-

bly gloried in his sincerity.

Even bold

transgressors,

who break

all

God's laws, often boast of their truth,

candor and honesty.

Not very long

after

this,

Christ

made a more

pointed declaration, which must have excited considerable attention.

twelve,
It

was

this:
is

"Have

I not chosen you

vi.

and one of you

a devil?" John

70.

We

are not left to conjecture

:

who was

intended, for

the Evangelist adds

" He spake of Judas Iscariot, the

it

son of Simon

for he

was that should betray him,

vi. 71.

being one of the twelve." John

after Jesus said:

Some time
all.

"Ye

are clean, but not

:

For he

knew who should

not
all clean."

betray him
xiii.

therefore said he,

Ye are
But

John

10, 11.

What

effect these

sayings

may have

had,

we

are not informed.

they do not seem to have provoked any uncharitable

remarks.
that

Even Judas seems

"Judge

to

have remembered
that ye be not

Christ had said:

vii.

not,

judged." Matt.

1.

But we do not

learn

that

these warnings of Christ caused Judas to search his

own

heart.

It

is

certain that they

had no permanent,

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
salutary effect; though
it is

81

almost inconceivable that

they should have been wholly powerless.

The next account we have of Judas

apparent regard for the poor.

respects his

When

the affectionate

Mary
there.

anointed the feet of the blessed Jesus, Judas was

Being treasurer of Christ's family, and acting

without auditors, he had dishonestly used some of the

funds for his
called

own
It

private purposes.
is

Hence he

is

"a

thief."

nowhere hinted, however, that

he esteemed himself a rogue.

that he ought to have
all

He may
also

have thought

more than any

other, as he

had

the care of the

fisc.

He may

have deceived

himself with idle plans of future restitution.

is

There

no evidence that he fully condemned himself for a

moment, though he may have had qualms and misgivings.

When Mary
some minds
:

anointed

the

Lord, Judas

objected to such an expenditure, and on grounds quite

plausible to

" Why was not this ointment

to the

sold for three

hundred pence, and given

poor ?"

John

xii.

5.

This reasoning seems to have struck

others,

who were good men.

Matthew

says

"

The
is

disciples
this

had indignation, saying, To what purpose

waste?"

And Mark

says:

"There were some

and
said,
it

that had indignation within themselves,

Why
might

was

this

waste of the ointment

for

made?
they

For

have been sold

more than three hundred

pence,

and given

to the poor.

And
D*

murmured

against

82
her."
astray

JEIIOVAII-JIREII.

Mark

xiv. 4, 5.

How

often are

good men led

Judas

by the specious pretences of bad men.

cared not for the poor, but he coveted that money.

He

did not see what good

it

could do to anoint the

It

Lord with

so very precious ointment.

was not

necessary for purposes of health.

And Mary might

Besides,

have honored Christ in some other way.

by

giving the price of that ointment to the Lord, regarded the poor as his friends, and

who

who always gave

alms when he could, there would have been no waste.

We

have much Iscariot charity in our day.

:

No

doubt

some said of Judas

the poor.
economists,

" What a kind heart he has to

He never forgets them."

who
love Christ no

We have modern
money
in

more than Judas, and

who
It

extol everything that looks like saving

efforts that are

is

merely

to

honor Christ.

strange that the enemies of our

Lord seem

never to have thought of winning over any of his disciples.

This

is

strong proof of the entire absence of

suspicion respecting their fidelity.

Accordingly they

did not apply to any of the apostles to turn traitor

but " one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went

unto the chief

priests,

and said unto them,

What

will

ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you ?

And

they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

And

from that time he sought opportunity to betray

This
is

him." Matt. xxvi. 14-16.

the account given

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
by one Evangelist.

83
is

That of Luke

much

like it:
Iscariot,

"Then

entered Satan into Judas

surnamed

being of the number of the twelve.

And

he went his

way, and communed with the chief priests and captains,

how he might
glad,

betray

him unto them.

to give

And

they were

and covenanted

him money.

And

he

promised and sought opportunity to betray him unto

them
3-6.

in

the absence of the multitude."

is

Luke

xxii.

It

probable these enemies of Christ were

much
still

surprised

when they saw and knew Judas, and

his errand.

more when they learned

This was
apostate

the

moment
ease

of exultation to wicked
to

men and

angels.

They seem

have thought that

at last they

would

themselves of

him whose sermons and

miracles

had made such an impression.

When

Judas
to ob-

went

to the chief priests,

he probably expected

tain several thousand pieces of silver,

to

and thought thus

make

his fortune.
fulfil
;

Possibly he intended to get his

money,
their

his bargain,

and put

his

Master into

hands

but expected Christ immediately to de-

liver himself out of their power.

Thus

the traitor
his

would have become a swindler.

thoughts, he
priests loved

Whatever were

made

the offer to betray him.

The

chief

money, and understood bargaining. They

probably saw in Judas an anxiety to hasten the matter.

This would make them appear

ness, until at length

less careful in

the busilife

he sold to them the Lord of

84

JEIIOVAn-JIREH.
for thirty pieces of silver, a

and glory

sum

equal to

.3 17s. 6d. sterling.

The bargain being made,

the difficulty with Judas

it.

now was

to fulfil his part of

"And

from that time

he sought opportunity to betray him."

is

Wickedness

troublesome.

Probably Judas gave frequent assu-

rances of fidelity in his covenant with the Jews,

and

would have pretended

to

be grossly insulted

if

any had

charged him with a design of fraud.

blinds the mind,

Sin fearfully

and hardens the

heart.

The

devil

seems

now

to

have had

full possession

of Judas.

He

took no time, he had no heart for reflection.

He may

have kept up some form of prayer, but there was no

sincerity in

him

or his devotions.
of. the

At
me.

the

celebration

Passover, Jesus said

shall betray

"Verily I say unto you, that one of you

And

they were exceeding sorrowful, and began

is
it

every one of them to say, Lord,

And

he

answered and

said,

He

that dippeth his

shall betray
:

hand with me

in the dish, the

same

me.

The Son of

man soeth as it is written of him but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then
!

Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said,

ter,
is
it

M Li-

I?

He

said unto him,

Thou
said,
is

hast said."

Matt. xxvi. 21-25.

When

it

is

" They were

exceeding sorrowful," the reference

doubtless to the

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
others beside Judas.

85

It almost broke their hearts to

think

it

possible that they should prove traitors.

last

But

although Judas,
is

of

all,

asked, " Is

it

I ?" yet there

no evidence that he had any right

feelings,

but the

contrary.
do, Judas

As soon

as Christ told

him what he should

his

withdrew and sought

accomplices in

wickedness.

This exposure before the whole family

of Christ seems to have stirred up the deepest malice,

and Judas

felt

no longer any restraint from the decencies

of the case.
said:

The

traitor
is

having withdrawn, Jesus

at hand,

"Behold the hour

is

and the Son of

Rise, let

man
me.

betrayed into the hands of sinners.

is

us be going: behold, he

at

hand that doth betray

lo,

And

while he yet spake,

Judas, one of the

twelve, came,

and with him a great multitude with

swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of

the people.
saying,

Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign,

shall kiss, that

Whomsoever I

same

is

he hold
:

him

fast.

And

forthwith he came to Jesus, and said,

Hail, Master; and kissed him." Matt. xxvi. 45-49;

compare Luke

xxii.

47-49.

What

a band was this

What

a betrayal was here!

the malignity of the traitor!

How cold and impudent How enormous his guilt!

to

One would have

would
feel

expected that at this moment, hell

such mighty raven for her prey, as

alive.

open wide her mouth and swallow him

his

But
to

cup was not yet

full.

He

Avho

was ready

86
sell his

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
Master, would soon be ready to throw himself

away.

The deed was now

on both
sides.

done.

The bargain was

fulfilled

Judas had put his Master into the

hands of his murderers, and he had obtained his promised reward.

its lustre,

But presently the

its

silver

began

to lose

and the money

torment
its

value.

The

price of blood
is

began

to

possessor.

The

inspired record

brief but striking:

"Then

Judas, which had betrayed

him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, repented

himself,

and brought again the

thirty pieces of silver to

the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in

that I have betrayed the innocent blood.

What
down

is

that to us?

See thou to that.

And they said, And he cast

the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed,

and went and hanged himself." Matt, xxvii. 3-5.

could not endure the
fell

He

gnaw of

the undying worm.

That

silver filled

his soul

with horrors intolerable.

it,

Of late
down
tress ;

he had greatly desired

but

now he throws

it

in the temple,

and

calls

upon the

priests, the

ministers of religion, for some alleviation of his dis-

but they are cold, and pay him no regard. They

were not willing to receive back the price of his treason.

Not
the

believing in the value and efficacy of that blood

all sin,

which cleanses from

not beholding in Jesus

Lamb

of

God which

taketh

away

the sin of the

world, not finding any sympathy from his accomplices,

JUDAS ISCARIOT.

87

conscience wielding over his guilty spirit the terrible

sword of eternal and

inflexible justice,

and a

hell

burn-

ing within him, he hanged himself, shot the awful

gulf of death, and plunged into an undone eternity.

"He

went

to his

own

place."

The aggravations of the sin of betraying

Christ were
place, in

many and

great.

The

traitor

was eminent in

gifts, in office, in

profession; a guide to others,

likely to influence

and one
if

whose example was

many, and

evil, to give great occasion to the

enemy

to speak re-

proachfully.

His
It

sin

had

for

its

object the

Lord

Jesus Christ.

was an attack on God himself.

restitution.

This sin admitted of no reparation, no

It

was against mercies, against convictions of conagainst

science,

frequent

and

recent

admonitions,

against his ordination vows, against his

own

preach-

ing, against all the rules of friendship, against all the

bonds of discipleship.

It

was committed

deliberately,

wilfully, knowingly, presumptuously, impudently,

liciously.

mamost

It

was perpetrated just

after

the

solemn and tender interview on record, just

ing engaged in the most solemn
rites

after be-

of religion.

It

was of a

scarlet his

dye and of a crimson hue.

life

Taking
quity.

own

was but adding iniquity

to ini-

He may

have

justified himself in his suicide,

to

and thought that he had a right

with his earthly existence.

do as he pleased

Perhaps he thought also

88

JEHOVAII-JIREH.

that hell itself could not be

more

intolerable than his

present anguish.

Miserable man!

why wilt thou

perdition,

place

the seal of immutability on thy

own

making

thy

doom

irreversible,

and putting thy soul beyond

the reach of even the mercy of

fiend
is

God?

Oh! what a

man
no

without the grace of God!

faithful instructions,

No

natural

amiability,

no power of worktears

ing miracles,

no solemn sacraments, no

and

warnings can hold back any

man from
free,

the vilest sins

and the

hottest hell.

God's

sovereign, eternal

love can alone save any soul.

II.

Let us note some of the principles which

THIS MAN.
All

MARK THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD TOWARDS

1.

God
will

does

is

just.

In due time and manner,

is

the

Lord

show

that he

righteous.

His mercy

may

long be trampled on, but never with impunity.

a jealous God, even

He
let

is

when he seems

for a season to

the wicked have their

in God's keeping.

own way.

God's character
dares to call

is safe

No man now

in question the righteousness of the course of provi-

dence towards the son of perdition.

the earth will do right; and he will
see
it.

The Judge of
make
all

all

the earth

2.

God

often influences

men by

causes that

seem

to

us very trivial.

It is never safe to despise the day of

evil.

small things, be they good or

Because

God

is

almighty and all-wise, and

man

feeble

and ignorant,

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
mortals cannot
great or small.
tell

89
is

whether an event or a cause

Little rills

form the greatest

rivers.

The ocean
ticles

itself is

made up of drops of

rain, or par-

of mist.

man

is

what

his daily habits

make
is ill

him.

He who

cannot

resist

a slight temptation

prepared to war with giants.

" If thou hast run with

the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then

how

canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of

peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then

how
3.

wilt thou do in the swelling of

Jordan?" Jer.

xii. 5.

Providence so arranges human

life is

affairs that

every-

thing in

a test of character.

If one
is

is

rich, his

wealth will try his humility.

If one

poor, he will
is

soon show whether he

out,
it is

is

contented.

If a bribe

held

will evince

how

far covetousness prevails.

If

one
see

put into

office like

Judas, he himself
is

whether his integrity

unspotted.

If

may soon God leads

it

the Israelites forty years through the wilderness,

to

is

humble them and

to

prove them. Deut.

it is

viii. 2.

If

he feeds them with manna,

for the

same purpose.

Deut.
it
is

viii.

16.

If ambassadors are sent to Hezekiah,

"to try him, that he might

know

all

that

was

in

his heart."
4.

2 Chron. xxxii. 31.

it is

Such being the arrangements of providence

impossible but that offences will come, as long as there

arc wicked

men

in

the world.

Luke

xvii. 1.

The

8*

90

JEIIOVAII-JIREII.
xii.

wicked will do wickedly. Dan.

also be heresies

10.

" There must

among

you, that they which are ap1 Cor. xi.

proved may be made manifest among you."

19.

Open

defections from truth and righteousness are

to be expected in this

wicked world.

It has been so
;

from the beginning.

Ananias
;

Jesus had his Judas

his

Peter, his

and Paul,

Demas.

Those that are not

of us will go out from us.

If they were of us, they

us.

would no doubt continue with

The

carnal and

confident generally apostatize as soon as the heat of

temptation
5.

is felt.

Providence so arranges

affairs in this

world, that

even the wicked

who

hate him, shall certainly glorify

him, even by their misdeeds.

The

treason of Judas

was by the Lord overruled

to

bring about the most

important event leading to man's salvation.

Let the

wicked never forget that their unbelief, impenitence,

profaneness,

and persecution of the godly,

and of tongue,

all

their

sins of heart, of life,

shall in spite of
it

themselves bring honor to God, though

fearful loss of their

be at the
hate

own

souls.

The wicked now

God

but they cannot defeat him.

If they will not be

vessels to honor, they shall be vessels to dishonor.

If

they refuse to be useful in a cheerful service, they shall

be useful in their own destruction. Ezek. xv. 1-8

compare Ps. lxxvi. 10.

6.

God

will bring

good out of

evil,

however

atro-

JUDAS ISCARI0T.
cious

91

those

may be. who work

it

This does not abate the guilt of

iniquity.

There never was greater

wickedness in any one act than in the treachery of

Judas.
sin

Yet

see

what God has wrought thereby.

and of course
it

His

was

foretold,

was predetermined. was unim-

Yet

his accountability for his wickedness

;

paired

for

he acted freely in
assert,

all

he did.

Men may

clamorously

but they never can prove that the

divine purpose infracts

human

agency, or impairs

human
liberty;

obligation.

Judas could not have had more

therefore his guilt remained.

That which

was true of the betrayer was

of our Lord.

also true of the murderers

The same
27, 28.

reasoning applies to both.

is

Acts

ii.

23

iv.

" It
not

wonderful that think-

ing and studious

men do

see, that the

whole system
of
all

of prophecy
objections,

is

a direct and

full confutation

on

this

ground, against the doctrine of prepredicted events cannot possibly

;

destination.

The

fail

of accomplishment
absolutely decreed

they

must

either

therefore

be

by the

all-wise

God, or there must

be some necessity which cannot be overcome even by

the Deity himself.
tion, the latter is

The

first is

Christian predestina;

heathen fatalism

but neither inter;

feres

with man's free agency or accountableness

for

he

still

acts voluntarily, according to the prevailing

inclinations of his heart."

7.

So perfect

is

the providence of

God

over the

02
hearts of all

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

men

that nothing
is

is

beyond

his control.
as the

" The king's heart

in the

hand of the Lord,

it

rivers of water: he turneth

whithersoever he will."

Prov. xxi.
is

1.

Man
5.

cannot even have a thought that

not foolish and futile except as the

iii.

Lord strengthens

him. 2 Cor.
8.

Providence has so

left

things that the purest

churches

may have wicked members.

The Lord

has

not granted the power of discerning

spirits.
is

Infallible

evidence of love to Christ in our brethren

able.

not attain-

profession

of piety accompanied

by such
life

evidence as an apparently consistent Christian

affords, is as

much
to

as

we may demand.
;"

Our Lord

knew Judas
taught him
life

be " a devil

but his omniscience

this.

Neither the profession nor outward

declared the baseness of the false disciple.

So the

Saviour received him into the church, leaving us an

example that

Ave

should follow his steps.

his church, not

Our Lord
by what he

judged of the members of

as

God knew

of their hearts, but by their credible pronot reject professors, who, in the

fession.

He would

judgment of
the true rule.
ful

charity, Avere honest.

He

practised on

Let us seek no other.

However painpiety, not contra-

our fears concerning the real characters of men, we

must respect a credible profession of

dicted by a wicked
9.
life.

God

has so arranged things that

we ought

to dis-

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
tinguish between personal

93
If

and

official character.

we do
official

not,

we

will deceive,

and be deceived.

All

characters

may

be sustained without any real

grace in the heart.

Balaam's prophecies were as true

and
as

as sublime as those of

Moses or of

Isaiah.

So

far

we know, Judas' performance of the

was
as acceptable

duties of his
as useful as

apostolic mission

and

that of a majority of his brethren.

Even
is

success in

preaching

is

not proof of piety.

;

It

the message, not

the messenger

the truth preached, and not the

man
infi-

who

utters

it,

that converts the soul.

Piety

is

of

nite importance to every soul of

man

but one

who

has

no piety may yet do good.

efficacy

Neither the validity nor

of ordinances depends upon the personal worthiIt

ness of the administrator.

would be very dangerous

to teach that our acceptance in approaching

rendered less certain by the hypocrisy of

God is him who

or holi-

comes to us in Jehovah's name.

pressly denied that
it

The Apostles ex-

was by

their

own power
The

ness that they

wrought

miracles.

efficacy

and

saving power of ordinances are from the Lord alone.

As worthy

partakers of the Lord's Supper cannot be

hindered by the insincerity of the administrator, so

neither can the

unworthy

receiver secure the blessing

by the
10.

piety of his minister.

The

history of the world abounds with illustra-

tions of this great principle in Providence, that

how-

!4

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

ever secret iniquity

way

to the light.

"

may Be
;

be,

it

will ultimately find

its

sure your sin will find

you

out."
x.

Num. xxxii. 23 compare 2 Sam. xii. 12; 26; Mark iv. 22; Luke viii. 17; xii. 2.
kills the

Matt.

11. Sin

soul,

and

this

according to the
see

great
fearful

laws

of retribution.

"We

in

Judas

example of the

terrible

judgment of God
it

against the wicked.

As he

loved cursing, so

came
it

unto him
far

as he delighted not in blessing, so

was

from him.

As he

clothed himself with cursing like

as with his garment, so it

came

into his bowels like

water, and like oil into his bones. Ps. cix. 17, 18.
12.

Every

society of

ungodly men has in

it

the eleis

ments of dissolution and of self-torment.

love between the severe
trial.

There

no

w icked which can

T

stand the test of

providence,

As sin

is

weakness,
its

so, in his

God
to

continually proves

hollowness and insufficiency

bind

men

together in concord and usefulness.

traitor's troubles
is

As
sin

soon as the
cried:

came, his

allies in

"What

that

to

us?

See thou

to

that."

They never had any sympathy

cast

for him.

They

cruelly

him on

Every sinner
and himself

will at last esteem every

other sinner

also a fool.

III.

Such a history and such a course of proLet us not suppose that we are natuLet us ponder the paths of

vidence TEACH US MANY THINGS IMPORTANT FOR US

ALL to learn.

rally better than Judas.

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
our
feet.

95

Let us take heed

bad end.

to our ways, lest

we

also

come

to a

The

lessons

we may

learn are

such as these:

When

man
it

is

once fairly started in a career of

tell

wickedness,

is

impossible to

where he will
maddest

stop.

God's grace
it

may

arrest one in the

career, as

did Saul of Tarsus.

But

left to himself,

man

will

dig into hell.

restrains

The good providence

desirable.

of

God

mercifully

even the wicked, else existence on earth

Scenes of violence and blood,

would not be

deeds of outrage and atrocity, words of hatred and

blasphemy, aud looks of fierceness and terror would

appal us every hour, but that

God

lays his almighty

to
its

hand upon the hearts of men and commands them

be
still.

Unrestrained, every heart would show

Passions,

possessor a monster of wickedness.

which

now

lie

smothered, would,

if let loose,

rage and sweep

every thing before them.

Natural

affection, the voice

of conscience, public opinion, regard to reputation,

and

fear of the law, are happily

employed by proviin this life

dence to hold

men

back.

Even

many a

poor sinner has been affrighted at the lengths which

he had gone in crime and debasement, and has cried

out in sore amazement:

"And

have I come to this?"

all

In the next world surprise awaits

the impenitent.

"When

they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden

destruction cometh upon them, as travail

upon a wo-

96

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
with child; and they shall not escape." 1 Thess.

man
v. 3.

All

men should
love of

especially
is

beware of covetousness.

"The
faith,

money

the root of all evil:

which

while some coveted

after,

they have erred from the

sor-

and pierced themselves through with many

vi. 10.

rows." 1 Tim.

Of

the truth of this teaching

Judas was a
describe

fearful witness.

No

tongue, no pen can

his
soul.

the

sorrows which rolled over

are eagerly heaping

When men
doing work
that which

up

riches, they are

for bitter repentance in this world, or in

to come.

is

Even on

earth "the covetous

man
them

heaps up riches, not to enjoy them, but to have

;

and starves himself in the midst of plenty and

;

most unnaturally cheats and robs himself of that which

is

his

own and makes a hard

;

shift to

be as poor and miit."

serable with a great estate as

any man can be without

Nor
toils.

can he divine

who

shall be the gainer

by

all his

"He

heapeth up riches, and knoweth not

who
It is
it

shall gather them." Ps. xxxix. 6.

God has specially set

It
is

himself to punish covetousness.

idolatry.

as true of this sin as of drunkenness, that in the end

biteth like the serpent,

and stingeth
bitter

like the adder.

Did men but know how

transgression, they

would be the end of

would

at least pause before they

plunge into
half
its

all

evil.

Seneca said:

"Malice drinks
true of all evil

own

poison."

The same

is

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
passions.

97

The madness of men

parallel in

in rebelling against
history.

God

is

beyond a

human
it

They

de-

light in iniquity, they roll

as a sweet morsel under

it,

their tongue, they risk all for

it.

and they

lose all

by

Their hearts are fully

that

set in

them

to

do

evil.

Oh!

men would
:

hear the warning words of

it

Richard Baxter
not, for
it

" Use sin as

will use

you

spare

it

will not spare

you ;

it is

your murderer and

it,

the murderer of the world.

Use
it

therefore, as a
it kills

murderer should be used.

Kill

before

you;

and though
kill

it kill

your bodies,
it

it

shall not be able to

your souls; and though

did your Head,
:

bring you to the grave,

as

it

it

shall not be able to keep

it is

you

there."

James says "Sin, when

finished, bringeth

forth death."

James

i.

15.

Yet no man, without the

till
it

grace

of God, sees the evil of sin

is

is

too late.

Folly
it

bound up

in the soul of

man,

till

God

drives

away by the beams of

the

Sun of Righteousness.
for the poor,

In Judas' pretended regard

we

see

what

foul wickedness

may

be covered with the most

is

plausible pretences.
age.

The same thing

is

seen in every

By

false

names every virtue

Pascal says
:

depressed and

every vice exalted.

" One of the greatest

artifices the devil uses to engage

men

in vice

and decertain

bauchery
virtues,

is

to fasten the to
fill

names of contempt on

and thus

weak

souls with a foolish fear

of passing for scrupulous should they desire to put

98

jEiiovAii-jiRKir.
in practice."

them

The man who beggars widows and

he brings on others, would fain
is

orphans, and holds back the wages of the hireling, and

lives

by the

distresses

persuade himself and his neighbors that he

prudent.

Indeed, any pretext will satisfy a blind, stupid conscience.

The

great concern of the masses

is

to justify

themselves before men.

nal of God.

They

little

regard the tribu-

Yet the

investigations of the last day

will tear off all false pretences,

and sweep away every

refuge of

lies.

Nor should we

forget that character

may

as well be

learned from small as from great things.

Judas' petty

larceny was as good an index to his character as his

treason.

A straw will show which way the wind blows.

character
is

Human

not

made up of a few
things.

great acts,

but of a multitude of

little

E very-day conduct
we
are

shows the man.

Great events, in which we are actors,

will fearfully expose us, if in small affairs

unable to behave well.

great occasions
is

The

failure of our virtue

on

but an announcement to the world

that we have been habitually coining short in our more

private behaviour. It
is

also manifest that

bad men may

for a long

time

appear well.

To do

so

may

cost

them
life

trouble, but

may

still

be practicable.

Through

they

may have
suspicion

such a fear of exposure, and be so studious of appearances, as to deceive all around them.

Even

JUDAS ISCARIOT.

99

may

not

soil their fair

name, and yet they

may be
It

in

the gall of bitterness.

Eschewing the

vices of the
is

debauched, they

may

practice the sins of devils.

true that this class of transgressors have a hard task.

They

are always like one

who
is

has a rent in his gar-

ment, which he finds

difficult to conceal.

Truth

is

one and simple.

Falsehood
is

multiform and complex.

An

honest blunderer

to

be preferred before the most

cunning knave on earth.

life

of deception
its

is

full

of hardship and uncertainty; and at

close,

when

amendment
a

is

impossible, the truth comes out, and in

flashes in the face,

moment damnation
away the mask,
yet bad

and the poor

soul enters on an existence full of misery.

tears

When God
possible.

disguise

is

no longer

And
his

men might know

the truth concerning

themselves if they did not hate

it.

Judas well knew

it

own

theft, yet
of.

he refused to consider

a sin to be
clear evi-

repented

He
own

had before

his

mind the

dence of his
to give
it its

hypocrisy, but he was not disposed

just weight.

He

hated the light, and did

not come to the light,

lest his

deeds should be reproved.

is

When
cence?

will

men

learn that concealment

not inno-

We
at

may

hide our sins from our

own
If

eyes,

but until God

rise

easts

them

all

behind

his

back they may

us.

up

any moment and overwhelm

men

were not as unwise

as they are wicked, they

would not

go

to the bar of

God

with a

lie

in their right hand.

100

JEnOVAH-JIREII.
small a temptation to sin will at last prevail

How

over a vicious mind.

For

less

than twenty dollars,

Judas sold

his

Lord and Master.

Those temptations

commonly esteemed
prevail.

great are not the most sure to

The

ribaldry of the Philistines did not

move

Samson from

his fidelity; but the blandishments of

Delilah overcame him.

Esau
a

sold his birthright for

a mess of pottage.

Many

man

consents to lose a

friend for his wit, yea, to lose his soul for a quibble.

Men may sin until

to great enormities.

the mere force of habit, without any

apparent inducement, seems sufficient to impel them

Nothing prepares a man

for destruction faster than

hypocrisy or formality in actions of a religious nature.

The

three years which Judas spent in the family of

all

our Lord probably exceeded

ripening

the rest of his

life

in

him

for destruction.

So many, so solemn, so

impressive truths were presented to his mind, that he

must have become very rapidly hardened.

peace-offerings with

'

" I have

me

this

day have I paid

my

vows," Prov.

vii. 14, said

one who was now ready for

the worst deeds.

The

reason why, other things being

equal, apostates are so

is

much more wicked than

others,
influ-

that they have learned

how

to resist all

good
first

ences.

They have tried the remedy, but

it

learned

to render

ineffectual.

It

is

a small matter to be judged of man's judgment.

JUDAS ISCARIOT.

101
;

The judgment of God,

it is

it

shall stand

it

is

righteous,

always according to truth.

Man

judges of the

heart by appearances.

God

judges of appearances by
itself.

the heart, and he judges of the heart by

tribunal, from
a vast

The

which there

lies

no appeal, will reverse

number of

the decisions

made by
errs.

the tribunals

of

earth.

Public

opinion

often

Individual

judgments are

as often erroneous.
all is

and God approves,

well.

men condemn But if men acquit and

If
that judgeth us
is

God condemns,
Lord.

all is lost.

He

the

The

history of Judas shows us

how man
fast

will cling

to false hopes.

Hypocrites hold

their delusive

expectations with the utmost tenacity.

There

is

no

evidence that during years of hypocrisy Judas ever

seriously doubted his

own

piety.

There were many

but what cares any
is

sure marks, indeed, against

him

hypocrite for evidence?

to

His own blind confidence

all

him more powerful than

Because he
is

the truths of God's

word.

determined to believe his state

good, nothing will convince

him

to the contrary.

We

have a

full refutation

of the objection

made

to

connection with the visible church, because there are

wicked men

in her

communion.

The

apostles certainly
;

knew

that

among them was one bad man

but they
Christ's
inter-

did not therefore renounce their portion

confessed friends. 9*

among

And

Christ

himself held

102

JEHOVAH-JIRKH.

course with Judas just as if he were all he professed to

be.

So that

if

one certainly knew another to be an

yet could not prove
it

enemy of God, and

to the satis-

faction of impartial church authorities, this should not

debar him from the Lord's table.

times get the children's bread, that

If dogs will someis

no reason why a

table should not be spread for the children.

In

all

our dealings with men,

it is

better to be

some-

times imposed on, than to be of a suspicious temper.

"With what judgment

others.

ye judge, ye shall be judged."

in

Sometimes we must put ourselves

the power of us unhappy,

To

suspect every

man

will

make

and commonly prove us

ourselves.

to be

unworthy of confidence
of the world once said
:

Even a

wise

man

"Always
the

to think the worst, I

spirit

have ever found

to

be

mark of a mean
it is

and a base soul."

How difficult
ful heart of

to bring

home

truth to the deceit-

man.

Hypocrites are slow to improve

close, discriminating preaching.

They
It

desire not to
all

look into their real characters.

was not until

the rest had inquired whether Christ referred to

in foretelling his betrayal, that
it

them
is

Judas said

" Lord,

I?"
is

Thorough, impartial, frequent self-examinanot the characteristic of any

tion

who

are at heart

unsound.
is

In

fact the reluctance

of some to this duty

sad evidence against them.

to close, searching

It costs

them

too

much.
in

Aversion

sermons

is

a bad

mark

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
any man's
character.

103
afflicts

Such preaching often

the

righteous more than the wicked, though the latter are

the most apt to be offended.

When

Christ had ex-

posed the miserable hypocrisy of

him,

it is

said

"

From

that

many who time many of his

the truth.
it all.

followed
disciples
vi.

went back, and walked no more with him." John

66.

They could not endure

feelings,

Yet Judas

smothered up his
not so

and bore

He

cared

much

for his feelings.

He

went

after his covet-

ousness.

Nor could one do a

had during

wiser thing than to inquire

whether he, has better evidence of piety than the great

traitor

his apostleship.

Judas could heal

the sick, raise the dead, and cast out devils.

first

He

was

a disciple, and then an apostle of our Lord.

He
of

often heard Christ preach.

trust

He

held the only

office

among

the apostles.

His reputation

for piety

stood as fair as any man's.

state

His persuasion of his good

felt

seems to have been so firm, that he hardly

inclined to look into the grounds of his hopes.

He

was not a drunkard, nor a swearer.

captious hearer of the Gospel.

He

was not a

Without a murmur he

bore

all

the fatigue of his apostolic mission.

He He

was

not an envious

man beyond

others.

He

was not a
dis-

slanderer, a reviler, a backbiter, a whisperer.

played no inordinate ambition.

nor a violent and outrageous

He was not a brawler, man. And yet he was

104

JEHOVAII-JIIIEII.

not a child of God.

Mere negative goodness, mere

vice,

freedom from open

glory.
It
is

proves no

man an

heir of

true there

was

sufficient evidence against

Judas, but he willingly overlooked that.

If

many

men had

as

good evidence against their enemies or

their neighbors, as they have against themselves, they

would speedily pronounce them hypocrites.

The

case of

Judas

discloses the uselessness of that

sorrow of the world which works death, has no hope

in
it,

and drives the soul

to

madness.

It

is

not despe-

ration,

but penitence, that

God

requires.

Regrets

without hatred of sin are useless, both on earth and in

hell.

They
it is

avail nothing in time, nothing in eternity.

When

said

Judas repented, the word translated,

repented,

is

not the word used by inspired writers to

express godly sorrow, or saving repentance.

There

is

much sorrow

that does but prepare

men

for other

and

more dreadful deeds.

God's judgments are
all
still

abroad in the earth.

Of

judgments, those which are spiritual should most

us.

alarm

To have

eyes

and not

see, to

have ears and

not hear, to have hearts and not understand, to hold

the truth in unrighteousness, to be forsaken of God, to

be given over to believe a

direst curses that fall

lie

these are

among
:

the

on men in

this

world

and they

are sure forerunners of God's sorest plagues in the

world to come.

And how

fearful

must

it

be to

fall

JUDAS ISCARIOT.
into the hands of the living

105

God, when on earth a drop

rather than
all

of his wrath will

life.

make men choose hanging

And how

dismal must be the prospects of

who
and

die in their sins,

when they
all

shall

have for their

companions Judas and

his angels.

evil-minded men, the devil

The

society of the
fleeing

damned

is

good
to

ground of earnestness in
come.

from the wrath

The

doctrine of universal salvation has no counteIt

is

nance in Scripture.
declarations, ences. It
is

disproven by
fair

many

express
infer-

and by many

and necessary

disproven by the case of Judas.

If,

after

many

thousand years of suffering, he shall

it

rise to ever-

lasting happiness in the skies,

will be

good for him

that he was born.

all

Eternal happiness far outweighs

temporal suffering, however protracted.

Any exist-

ence which terminates in eternal glory will prove a

blessing beyond all computation.

All temporal suffer-

ing can be gauged.

But who can fathom the sea of

love, the ocean of bliss,

made

sure to all believers?

And

eternal misery

is

as dreadful as eternal glory is

fearful

delightful.

Oh

how

must be the doom of the

incorrigibly wicked,

when

in their case existence itself

!

ceases to be desirable, or even tolerable

It

is

true of

every one

who

dies without repentance toward

God,

and

faith in

our Lord Jesus Christ, that it

had been

GOOD FOE THAT MAN IF HE HAD NOT BEEN BORN.

E

106

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

CHAPTER
god's providence
is

IX.

often mysterious.

f3ROVIDENCE
-*tion.

is

a greater mystery than revelais

The

state

of the world

more humiliating

to our reason than the doctrines of the gospel.

flecting Christian sees

A rebetween

more

to excite his astonishment,

and

to exercise his faith, in the state of things

Temple Bar and Saint

from Genesis

Paul's, than in

what he reads
Cecil.

to Revelation.

As

the dealings of very wise

men sometimes

are

founded on maxims, and admit

justifications,

not ob-

vious or penetrable by vulgar conceit; so

according to rules of wisdom and justice,

may God act which it may

be quite impossible by our faculties to apprehend, or

with our means to descry.

Barrow.

There

is,

and ever was somewhat, very much, in

this

God's providential administration of the things of

world,
therein,

and the concernments of the sons of men

which the most improved reason of men can-

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.
not reach unto, and which
us, as
is

107
is

contrary to all that

in

merely men.
is

John Owen.
inextricable

The book of Providence

ligible to the wisest

and unintel-

the

word of God.

men who are not governed by But when the principles of Scripof
pleas-

ture are admitted

and understood, they throw a

ing light upon the study of Divine Providence, and

at the

same time are confirmed and

illustrated

by

it.

John Newton.
As
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are

my

ways higher than your ways, and

my

thoughts

than your thoughts.

Jehovah.

No

subject has

more perplexed good men than the

" Righteous art thou,
let

dark aspects of Providence. Jeremiah was humble and

very tender-hearted, yet he says
:

Lord, when I plead with thee: yet

me

talk with

thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the

way

of the

wicked prosper? wherefore are

deal

all

they happy that

very treacherously?

Thou

hast planted them,

yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring
forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth,
their reins."

and

far

from

This pious, humble servant of

God was

sore

perplexed.

Indeed the Scriptures everywhere

are

admit that God's ways

unsearchable.
6.

judgments are a great deep." Ps. xxxvi.

"Thy "Thy

way

is

in the sea,

and thy path in the great waters,

108
and thy

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
footsteps are

not known."

Ps. lxxvii. 19.

"Marvellous are thy works." Ps. cxxxix. 14.

in

Even

heaven

itself, glorified

ones sing, "Great and mar-

vellous are thy works,

Lord God Almighty." Rev.

itself

xv. 3.

So that inspiration

everywhere covers

the eternal throne with clouds and darkness, and ad-

mits that acts of providence are veiled in mystery.

Wonders

will never cease.

Heaven

is full

of mysteries,
all

though none of them are painful, but

glorious.

of them

Let us look

at several things

which must ever make

the providence of

God

mysterious to pious

men

in this

world.
I.

God's ways of working are

infinitely diversified,

even in the midst of a general uniformity.

or he destroys in any

He

saves

way he

pleases,

by the

strong, or
is

by the weak; by
seen,

friend or by foe;
is

when danger

and when

it

unseen.

He
is

sends an

army of

men, or an army of
tion.
leaf,

caterpillars to

punish a guilty na-

In

either case the

work

done.

He

shakes a
errand.

or sends an earthquake,
is

and each does

its

God

confined to
all

no routine.

He knows
At

and com-

mands

causes, all agents, all truths, all errors, all

influences,

and

all oppositions.

a nod he makes

the great, small ; or the small, great.

tell

No

mortal can
till

which of two causes

is

the greater,

he sees

what God will make of them.

Men and

causes are

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.
considerable or contemptible according to the

109
fiat

of

Jehovah.
confusion

That which
is

to

us sometimes seems like

in fact all order.

The

evolutions of a

vast army,

however

perfect, according to the art of

war, appear strange to the unaccustomed eye.

seventy-third Psalm,

In the

Asaph

tells

us at length of his

deep and terrible perplexity when looking at the ways

of God.
rance,

Coming

to a

knowledge of

his

own

igno-

and of the

infinite glory

of God, his troubles

meditations

vanish; and

he concludes his sorrowful

with the exultant assurance:

"Whom
and

have I in hea-

ven but thee? and there

sire beside thee.

is

none upon earth that I de-

My

flesh

my

heart faileth: but

God

is

the strength of

my

heart and

my

portion for-

ever."
II.

For many things

in providence

we can

give no

account, except that so

all

it

seemed good to the Judge of

tell

the earth.

Who

can

why

bloody Nero was

less

left to

ruin

by

his passions,

and Saul of Tarsus, no

bloody, was saved?

Why

was repentance granted

to

one thief on the

cross,

while the other died a blasreceived

phemer?

The

mercies

by any man are

wholly undeserved.
the

No man
Yet

merits any good thing at

all receive

hand

of his

Maker.

many

mercies,

and some are blessed with

Christ Jesus.

all

spiritual blessings in

On

the other hand,

why

is

one

man

more

afflicted
10

than another?

All our afflictions are

110

JEHOVAH-JI11EII.

deserved, yea, they are always fewer than we deserve.

Indeed the wonder

is

we

suffer so little.
is

But

the

Avhole doctrine of divine judgments

terpretation,

of difficult incases.

when
"It

we come
is

to

individual

McCosh
the past

says:

comparatively seldom that

we

have such a minute acquaintance with every event in

life

of a neighbor, as to be able to determine

the precise end contemplated in any visitation of

God

towards him.
is

In some

cases, indeed, the connection

manifest to the man's intimate friend, or to the

world at large, as when intemperance and excess lead

to poverty

and

disease,

and cunning leads

it

to distrust,

and

is

caught in the net which

is

laid for others.

In

other cases, the connection

only visible to the indi-

vidual himself, or his most intimate friends.

cases, it is easier to

In

all

determine the meaning of the judg-

ments of God

in reference to ourselves,

than in their

reference to others,

when they

are exposed to them.

all

Being ourselves acquainted with

our past
life,

the incidents of

we may

trace a connection
trials sent

between deeds

which we have done, and

nection which no other
is

upon us

a conno case

intended to perceive, or so
atfiction can in

much
yet

as to suspect.

While

prove the existence of sin not otherwise established,

it

may

be the means of leading the person

afflicted
life

to inquire, whether he

may

not in his past

is

have

committed some

sin,

of which this

the punishment

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.
or cure.

Ill
is

Here, as in

many

other cases, the rule

to

be

strict in

judging ourselves and slow in judging

others."

III.

The absence of pomp and parade

in

God's

providence has struck many. of his doings.

How

noiseless are

most

When

in spring

Jehovah would reani-

mate

all nature,

bring into activity myriads of insects,

give growth to millions of seeds, and clothe mountains

and valleys in living green,

it

is

all

a silent work,

When

he would subvert a universal monarchy, long

it

before the time set for that purpose, he puts

into the

heart of a great ruler to build a bridge, and for that

purpose to change the channel of a river for a season.

This

is all

done without signs in heaven, or war in the

elements.

In the fulness of time the same river

its

is,

by

means the simplest, diverted from

shazzar
is slain,

channel.

Bel-

Babylon
is

is

a prey to the invader, and

a universal empire

dissolved.

Commonly when
his messengers
ere

God

depopulates

cities

and kingdoms,

pass silently along, and do their

work

men

are

aware.

There was no noise of preparation

for the

destruction of

Sodom and Gomorrah.

The

The morning

of their eternal overthrow was as calm as any on which

the sun had risen upon them.

destroying angel,

who

slew the first-born of Egypt, spread his mighty

wings over the land, and from them dropped down

death on every habitation of

man and

beast.

Yet

all

112

JEHOVAII-JIREH.
as the grave,
till

was quiet
filled

the wail of bereavement

the land with terror.

God makes

world with

less noise

than that produced by

man when he makes

not so

coffin.

When

Jehovah spread out the heavens and

pillars, there Avas

set

up

their

unshaken

much
rail-

as the

sound of a hammer.

When

on our best

roads

we

travel at the rate of sixty miles

is

an hour, the
is

rumbling noise

heard afar, the sight of our speed

startling to every spectator,

and we cannot divest oursince

selves of apprehension.

But ever

we were born
at the

we have been
rate of

riding on a world

moved by God

more than sixty-two thousand miles every hour.

And

yet

who

has been afraid ?

?

Who

has heard any

startling

sound

This

is

the
is

more wonderful because

the motion of the earth

not simple but complex.

Yet

in the

midst

of all this speed

we can hear

the

chirping of a bird, or the dropping of a pin.

But

when God

chooses he can

make our
"

ears to tingle.

By

the shaking of a leaf he can startle us, or

make
his

us rise

up with strange sounds.

The thunder of

power

who
dead.

can understand?"
it

When
shall

he shall destroy the

world

shall be

with sounds that shall awake the

pass

"

The heavens

away with a

great

noise."

When God
sea,

chooses to be heard, even the

mountains give ear and obey his voice.

he dries up the

At

his

rebuke

and makes the river

a wilderness.

Yet, ordinarily, his footsteps are not heard, and his

MYSTERIES OE PROVIDENCE.
voice
is

113

but the silent going forth of his almighty

energy.

IV. In
his

his mysterious providence

God

also hides

works and ways from man by commonly removing

from human view.

results far

In autumn the husit

bandman
ground.

scatters his

wheat and buries

under the
it

It dies.

Search and you shall find

rotten.

The

rigors of a long winter are approaching.

The

unskilled would say this sowing of seed was madness.

It

was casting bread upon the waters.

But wait

till

summer, and that husbandman

home.

shall shout his harvest

is

What

thus occurs in the natural world

type of spiritual things.

shall reap in joy.

"They

that

sow

in

tears

He

that goeth forth

and weepeth,

bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with

rejoicing, bringing his sheaves

with him."

Much

as

the result
mortal.
ning.

is

hoped

for,

it

is

not perceived by any

None but God

sees the

end from the beginfirst

Whom

he would bless he

puts to the test

of patient waiting.

If the righteous should see the

that befals them, as
it

happy
before

issue of all

lies

open

God,

their afflictions

would be no

trials.

Had
him

Abraham known
would be

that all

God would

require of

to bind Isaac

and lay him on the

altar,

we

never should have heard of the illustrious faith of the

father of believers.
not,

Jacob once cried out, " Joseph

not,

is

and Simeon
10

is

and ye will take Benjamin

Ill
away.

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
All these things are against me."
these things were
for

He
But

lived
at the

to see that all

him.

time of his bereavement he saw not the blessed end,

and so

his virtue

was severely

tested.

If on the day

of crucifixion, as on the day of Pentecost, the disciples

had

clearly perceived the results of that scene of terror,

the Shepherd might have been smitten, but the sheep

would hardly have been

scattered.

And

it

is

as true

of the wicked as of the righteous that they cannot

foresee results
;

they cannot

tell

what God

is

about to
at the

do.

None

are

more surprised than the wicked

conclusion of things under God's control.

inttnd<, but

The

sinner

God

superintends.

The

creature appoints,

but

God

disappoints.
filled

Man proposes,

but

God

disposes.

Lazarus was

with wonder to find himself in

sore

Abraham's bosom, but Dives was

himself in
hell.

amazed

to find

Neither Pharaoh, nor Belshazzar, nor

Herod, nor

Pilate, expected such results to themselves

as their wickedness
finished,

wrought
forth
life in

out.

" Sin,

when

it

is

bringeth

death."

But
all

the

wicked

promise themselves
unbelief.

the midst of

iniquity

and

How

sorely will their souls be vexed

when

they find themselves eternally, hopelessly disappointed.

V. God's ways
able.

respecting
see,

means are very remarkhe often works without

So

far as

we can

means.

Perceiving no causes in operation,

we expect

no

effects.

Seeing no disease, we expect no death.

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.

115

Not looking

for

a casualty,

it

finds us

unprovided with

remedies, and

we

are ready to be swallowed up.

all

As

we
us.

begin to give up

hope,

God

steps in

and
all

relieves

When
did so

he chooses, he dispenses with

means.

He

when he made

the world.

He

has often

done so

since.

" I will have mercy upon the house

of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God,

and

will not save

them by bow nor by sword, nor by

i.

battle,

nor by horses, nor by horsemen." Hos.

7.

Again,

God

often

works by means, which seem

:

to us
at a

insignificant.

Burke

" The death of a

man

critical juncture, his disgust, his retreat, his disgrace,

have brought innumerable

evils

on a whole nation.

common

soldier, a child,

a girl at the door of an

inn,

have changed the face of fortune, and almost the

Wellington
:

face of nature."

"

The stumbling of a

horse
tinies

may

decide the issue of a battle, and so the des-

of an empire."
It shall be

Will God save

Rome
?

from

pillage?

done by the cackling of geese.

Has

a man's appointed time

upon earth expired

The
bread,

sting of a bee, the scratch of a pin, a

crumb of

or a vernal zephyr shall be the means of his death.

Will

God prolong

the

life

of Hezekiah ?

lump of
up a

figs shall

have healing

efficacy.

Will he

raise

wonderful nation?

It shall be from a

man, whose
old,

body was dead, he being about an hundred years

and the

womb of his wife dead also. Rom. iv.

19.

More-

116
over

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

God

often

works contrary

to

means.

How much

malpractice in medicine does he provide against, and

thus restore the patient

How many
!

blunders in his
Christ would
clay, puts
is is
it

ministers does he overrule for good

give sight to a blind man.

his eyes as if to

He

makes

on

make him more

blind, but he

healed.

terrible fall dislocates a joint.

The bone

not put
suffirst,

fairly

back into

its

place.

Years of lameness and

fall,

fering succeed.

second

worse than the

jars the frame, jeopards

its

life,

but restores the bone to

socket,

and soon the man walks and leaps and

praises

God.

By

death,

God

destroyed

him

that had
to the

the power of death.

God

often

works contrary

natural tendency of means.

VI. God
confound
choose those

also

employs such instruments

as greatly

us.

Our

ignorance and
rejects,

unbelief

would

whom God
shall tell

and

reject those

whom
little

he

selects.

Will he cure Naaman's leprosy?

captive

maid

him of

the prophet of the Lord.

Will he lead forth Israel from Egyptian bondage?

That
edict

little

infant in a basket
to death as

among

the rushes, by

doomed

soon as born, shall be the

deliverer.

Will he make Joseph premier of Egypt?

sell

His brethren envy and him

the
far

him, the Ishmaelites carry

from

all

loved ones, Potiphar imprisons him,

flesh;

iron enters into his

is

yet in God's provi-

dence every step

onward.

How

often

are those

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.

117

whom we

never befriended made to minister to our

aid and comfort!

Must God's people be brought out

shall send forth the

of Babylon?
cree.

Cyrus

binding de-

This worshipper of the sun deals as tenderly

It

with God's people as a nurse with her child.

would not have been more wonderful

to see the

wolf
kid.

nourishing and protecting the lamb and the

Who

would have supposed that God would choose a

raven to feed Elijah, the boy Samuel to bear heavy

tidings to Eli, or the youth Jeremiah to pull

down,
exalt

destroy and build up kingdoms?

his

God would
is

Son and give him a name, which

above every
is

name.

He

is

made
is

flesh,

born in a manger,

subject

to his parents,

tempted, mocked, spit upon, betrayed,

denied, condemned, crucified, dead and buried, yet all

ends in his exaltation.

He, who made swaddling

swaddling clothes, that

bands

for the sea,

was

laid in

he might be the first-born among many brethren.

falling he arose

By
the

above

all

his enemies,

above

all

creatures of

God.
It shall not be

Will God regenerate a world ?

done

by the ministry of angels, but

and dying, the riches of
earthen
vessels.

to the poor,

condemned,

his

mercy

shall be borne in

Will God

subdue the world to

knowledge, to peace and

righteousness?

Humble
his

men

shall be his ambassadors.

Will he make of
wise

people a glorious church?

"Not many

men

118
after the flesh, not

JEIIOVAII-JIREH.

many mighty, not many

noble are

called: but

God

hath chosen the foolish things of the

world

to

confound the wise; and

to

God

hath chosen the

weak things of the world

are mighty:

confound the things that

and base things of the world, and things

yea,

which are depised, hath God chosen,

and things
are,

which are

not,

to bring

to

nought things that

that no flesh should glory in his presence."

Look

at

that good

man

surrounded by an infuriated throng.

his teeth

Each one gnashes with

prey.

and

is

keen

for his

At

the giving of the signal, stone follows stone.

is

Gash

after gash

made on

the person of the pious

sufferer.

The blood

streams from his head and body.

Hard by him

stands a small

young man, drinking

fall

in

with malignant joy the groans that

tyr's lips.

from the maron milk,

all

Like a young

tiger, hitherto fed

but

now

tasting blood, he

becomes furious against

who

call

on the name of Jesus.

slaughter.

He

breathes out

threatenings and

He

sheds innocent blood

without remorse and without cessation.

believe that this persecutor

Who

would

was the chosen of God,

and should

yet,

with unparalleled zeal and incredible

success, preach Jesus, call sinners to repentance,

and

give joy and courage to the trembling disciples?

Yet

such was God's plan, and

is

it

was

all executed.

God

sovereign.

His

counsel

shall

stand.

He

will

do

all

his pleasure.

He

rejected all the seven

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.
elder sons of Jesse,

119
boy, David,

and chose the

little

who had

been

left

with the sheep, and made him king

of his people, and the sweet singer of Israel.

"Man

looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

Most of

the great, useful, and

honored men of the next generation are now poor boys,

unnoticed by the proud, buffetting
difficulties,

and

forming vigorous characters under the influence of neglect

and

adversity.

And M. Henry
toil

says:

"The

most splendid
those

women
often

the world ever saw have been

who

were most familiar with

and

care."

VII.

We

tremble to see

God pursuing
for

course which, to our short sight, seems quite contrary

to the

end

to be gained. to

This

is

two purposes.
for the

The

first is

humble us and thus prepare us

reception of his great blessings.

The
no

other

is

to

prove

that

"besides

him

there

is

Saviour."

When

mountains and waters and cruel Egyptians hedged in

the Israelites on every side,

and

it

was manifest that

"in vain was the help of man," then came the word,

"Stand

still

and

see the salvation of

God," and the sea

was
the

cleft in twain,

and

its

waves became walls.

"In

mount

it

shall be seen" is for a saying in Israel.

till

Even

the gospel was not sent

men had

racked their

inventions,

and were

at their wit's end.

"After that
pleased God,

the world, by wisdom,

knew

not God,

it

by the

foolishness of preaching, to save

them

that be-

120
lieve."

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

Every thing
its

in

its

order.

When
fall

wit has
in,

shown

weakness, then God's word comes

and

speaks wisdom.

When human

powers

prostrate,

divine energy produces the desired results.

MYSTERIES OE PROVIDENCE.

121

CHAPTER

X.

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE

CONTINUED.
No
Let us dwell on
order already

rilHE
the

mysteries of providence are very vast.

-*- created

mind can fathom them.

little

subject a

further,

in

the

observed.

VIII. Men

are so ignorant of their

own

hearts that
is

they are incapable of determining what

them.
fied

best for

Even

regenerate

men

are but partially sanctisearches the heart.

and enlightened.

But God

He

understands our whole case.

He knows

what

is

most for our good.

He

sees our strong corruptions

and sad

deficiencies.

When,
error

in

mercy

to the creature,

he comes

to heal his spiritual maladies,

he does not
It
is

take counsel of
it is

human

and passion.

right,

best that he should act according to the

is infallible.

wisdom

which
dies.

He

employs the requisite remeflesh

Often they are distasteful to

and blood.
and
terrible

Sometimes they are

to endure.
says, " If
11

frightful to contemplate

Then man,
loved

in his ignorance, too often

God

me

he would not give F

me so

bitter

122
a cup to drink."
the

JEIIOVAII-JIKEH.

But

this is

man's

folly.

Shall not

Judge of

all

the earth do right?

Shall

human
know-

weakness control divine power?

ledge prescribe to omniscience ?

Shall finite
It
is

the height of

wickedness for a

worm

of the dust to revise the de-

cisions, or rejudge the justice of the Almighty.

We

should expect
prehensible,

God to deal with us, in a way incomif we did but remember how low, sordid,
his purposes

and narrow are our views and plans, and how holy,
glorious,

and eternal are

and

designs.

We

are quite prone to magnify both the good and evil

things of time to the disparagement of those of eternity.

But when God

makes us look
eternal.

crosses, afflicts,

and

mortifies us, he

at the things

which are unseen and

it is

If he racks this body with pain,

that

we

may
and

think of our house, not

in the heavens.

made with hands,

eternal,

The shaking

of this clay taber-

nacle forces

upon us the

recollection that this is not

to

our

rest,

and that we ought

If the best

be seeking a heavenly
earth

country.

man on

had

his

own way
full

without divine guidance, he would soon be in

march towards

destruction.

And how
loves his

kind

is

God

in

wisely and mercifully deciding so

many

things for us.

The man who

would esteem
say
it

fears
it

God and

little

daughter,

a greater

affliction to

be called on to

when

his child should be sick, than he

now

finds

to nurse

her through weeks of disease, close her

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.
eyes in death, and then carry her to the grave.

123

God
trials,

very mercifully bears the heaviest part of all our

by marking out our course

for us.

God

is

governor.

We are servants. To us belong obedience, submission,

acquiescence.
is best,

It

is

not ours to guide, to decide what

to rule the world, to shape the course of events. in providence

is

IX. Another thing

able.

very remark-

It

is

the fact that

God

so strangely upholds his

falling into sin.

people,

and keeps them from

How

often are their feet ready to slip,

and yet how comis

monly
not
the
for
is

are they upheld.

The wonder

that they do

fall

every day.

But
is

the promise even concerning

that they shall be holden up, stand.
is

weak among them

God

is

able to

make them
and that

True, his grace

secretly supplied,

their support.

But

his

providence often hedges them about, surrounds

to right conduct, sends seasonable

them with motives

hints

and warnings, points out the wretchedness of

transgression,

and

so holds

them up.

"The

deliver-

ances of God's people," says Flftvel, "are often as

remote from their expectations as from the designs of

their enemies."

X. To some God's providence

because at times he works
s'

is

full

of mystery,

slowly,

and then again

scores

he works so rapidly.

Somejfmes he takes
to eflsct a purpose.

and

even hundreds of years

cuts short the

Again he
the

work

in rigMeousness.

From

day

124
that Joseph
is

JEIIOVAH-JIREH.
sold to the Ishmaelites
till

he and his

brethren are reconciled are four and twenty long years,

while in

less

than twenty-four hours, Daniel

is

deliv-

ered from the lions' den and from the fearful conspiracy against him.

The Babylonish
less

captivity lasts

seventy years, and yet probably in

minutes, Shadrach,

than seventy

Meshach and Abednego are brought

"

out of the burning fiery furnace unhurt.

are with thee,
is

My times
men

God."

God
is

takes his

own time and

never in a hurry, and

never slack as some

is

account these things.

One day

with the Lord as a

thousand years and a thousand years as one day.

XI. Hardly anything

in Providence

is

more incomoften per-

prehensible than the lengths to which

God

mits

men

to

go in the way of transgression before he

brings them to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus.

Yonder goes a

funeral procession.
is

A large
its
life

and

re-

spectable church

burying one of

most valued
in the

members.

He

has lately departed this

triumphs of

faith.

His death was preceded by months

of painful sickness, which was borne with sweet sub-

mission to God's will.

This sickness was preceded by

more than a dozen years of close, humble walking with

God,
as the fruit of a clear conversion.

But

that con-

version was preceded by more than a dozen years of

shocking intemperance and profaneness, during which

promises were made, pledges given, and oaths taken

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.

125

that the cup of poison should be lakl aside, but all in

vain.

voyage to sea was alike

ineffectual.

So des-

perate was that man's state of

mind

that he often said,

" If I could see the world wrapped in flames, I should

clap

my
is
is

hands

for joy."

At

length he determined on
is

self-destruction.

The deadly poison

procured.

The
it.

phial

emptied, but the stomach refuses to retain

Life

prolonged.

At

last

he resolves to pray for

strength to overcome his dreadful sin.

heard.
result
is

His prayer

is

This leads him to pray for other things.

his salvation.

The

Nor was

this a solitary case.

Some of

the

converted members of the church at

Corinth had been fornicators, or idolaters, or adulterers,

or effeminate,

or abusers of themselves with

mankind, or

thieves, or covetous, or drunkards, or

revilers, or extortioners.

Nor were

they the only ones,

whose

state

was debased before

their conversion.

The

whole church at Ephesus was made up of those

who

had been "some time darkness," but by their happy

change were now "light
in the

Lord."

In countries

but recently enlightened by the Gospel are found in

the churches many,
to devils.

who once

sacrificed their children

XII. Owen mentions four things

dential dealings which
1.

in God's provi-

we

are not able to grapple with.

Visible confusion.

The

oppression of tyrants,

wasting of nations, destruction of

men and

beasts, fury

12G and
desolations,

JEHOVAH-JIKEII.

make up

the things of the past

and

present ages.
earth, in the

The

greatest

and choicest parts of the

meantime inhabited by them that know

fill

not God, that hate him, that

and replenish the

world with habitations of cruelty, sporting themselves

in mischief, like the leviathan in the sea, &c.
2.

Unspeakable variety.

Instance the case of the

dealt

saints.

In what unspeakable variety are they

!

withal

Some under
some

persecution always, some always

at peace,
in their

in dungeons

and

prisons,

some

at liberty

own

houses; the saints of one nation under

great oppression for

ness
;

many

ages, of another in quietin great distress,

all

in the

same places some poor,

to it to gain their

and put hard

bread

their lives;

others abounding in all things ;

afflictions,

some

full

of various

going softly and mourning

all their

days;

others spared

and

scarce touched with the rod at all;

close

and yet commonly the advantage of holiness, and

walking with God, lying on the distressed
3.

side,

&c.

Sudden

alterations.

As

in the case of Job,

God

takes a

man who was

blessed with choice blessings, in

the midst of a course of obedience and close walking

with himself, when he expected

to see
blasts

to die in his nest,

and

good
his

all

his days; ruins

him

in a

moment;
a choice

name, that he

who was esteemed

saint, shall

not be able to deliver himself from the

common

esteem of the hypocrite; slays his children;

r v

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.
takes

127
is

away

his rest, health,

and every thing that

it

de-

sirable to him.

This amazes the soul,

knows not
it

what God

is

doing, nor

why

he pleads with

in so

much

bitterness,

&c.

4. Great, deep,
effects,

and abiding

distresses

have the same

&c.
in providence
discoveries
is

XIII. Nothing
than the ever
grace and

more inscrutable
" He
for

new

and evolutions of the

his people.

wisdom of God towards

that spared not his

own Son, but

delivered

him up

us
all

all,

how

shall

he not with him also freely give us

viii.

things?"
iii.

Rom.

32.

In one of

his

epistles

(Titus
in the

4)

Paul speaks of the philanthropy of God,

English properly rendered, love toward man.

" After that the kindness and love of

God toward man

appeared," &c.

The same word

occurs in the

New
2,

Testament but in one other

place,

Acts xxviii.

where
little

it

is said,

"The barbarous
Their

people showed us no
in

kindness."
fire

philanthropy consisted

kindling a
sufferers

and

in hospitably receiving each of the

cold.

from the rain and

If such philanthropy

as this

is

worthy of mention in the Book of God, surely

the philanthropy of Jehovah in rescuing sinners from

everlasting misery by the gift of his

Son should never

be forgotten while eternity endures.

us that God's love
that
it is

The Bible

tells

is

from everlasting

to everlasting,

vastly productive of glory to

God and

salva-

128
tion to

JEHOVAH-JIREII.

man, that

it

is

wholly gracious, but

it

never

claims to do the subject justice.

Jesus himself says,

iii.

"God

so loved the world,"

John

16,

and the be-

loved disciple exclaims,

love." 1

"Behold what manner of

neither the Master nor the

John

iii.

1.

But
tell

beloved disciple can

us the full meaning of the

word,

so,

or of the phrase, what manner.

is
its

The

love

of no mother
xlix. 15,

equal to the love of the Saviour, Isa.

and

developments and evolutions will be

more and more

glorious forever
all this
is

and

ever.

XIV. Nor
perfections.

is

strange if

we duly

consider

that God's providence

the acting out of his infinite

Neither

man nor

angel comprehends the

infallibility

infinitude
truth,

of his resources,

the

of his
his

the glory of his holiness, the

power of
works
so

wrath, the fearfulness of his praises.

He
scale

like a

God.

His whole plans are on a

entirely

above the comprehension of creatures that angels no

less

than pious

men wonder and

worship.

XV. Nor
which
is

can any creature ever

make

straight that
is

crooked, nor smooth that which

rough, nor

light that

which

is

dark.

Who

can comprehend the

inequality of the lots of mortals?

poor, while others

Why

are

some men

no more virtuous are rich ?

are

some

feeble,

while others are strong?

in almost

Why Why are

some unfortunate

every enterprise, while

others hardly touch anything that does not seem to

MYSTERIES OF PROVIDENCE.
enhance their earthly comfort?

129

Job saw these things:

"The

tabernacles of robbers prospered, and they that

forsook

God

are secure, into

.

whose hand God bringeth

abundantly.
it

Behold, he breaketh

down and

cannot be built again: he shutteth up a

man and

there can be no opening."

XVI.
dence of

Another thing that must invest the provi-

God

with perpetual mystery to mortals

is

the

fact that all the mightiest agencies in the universe are

invisible.

No man
him
.

hath seen
live.

God

at

any time.

No

man
him

can see his face and

see

" Lo, he goeth by me,

and I

not: he passeth on also, but I perceive

. .

not.

Behold, I go forward, but he

is

not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

on the

left
:

hand, where he doth work, but I cannot

behold him

he hideth himself on the right hand, that

ix.

I cannot see him." Job

11

xxiii. 8, 9.

So

like-

wise the agency of angels has almost always been be-

yond our

perception, except

by its

effects.

They

excel

in strength.

One

of them destroyed an army of one

hundred and eighty-five thousand men in one night.

Yet no one perceived him.

influence of fallen angels
is

In

like

manner, the evil

not observed.

Thus

the

whole power of thrones, dominions and

principalities

pertaining to the invisible world eludes the grasp of

our senses ; yet nothing to an equal extent operates on

this world.

With

the

Almighty

"is

strength

and

130
;

JEHOVAH-JIREII.
the deceiver are his.
spoiled,
.
.

wisdom the deceived and

He

leadeth counsellors
fools.
.
.

away

and maketh the

judges

He

looseth the

bond of kings,
. . .

and girdeth

their loins

with a girdle.

He

leadeth princes

away

spoiled,

and overthroweth the

trusty,
.

mighty.

He

removeth away the speech of the

and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

He

poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth

. . .

the strength of the mighty.

He

taketh

away

the heart of the chief people of the earth and causeth

them
way.

to
.

wander
. .

in

a wilderness where there

disco vereth

is

no

He

deep things out of

darkness, and bringeth out to light the

shadow of

death."

These are but a few of the just and sublime

statements of the

man

of Uz, respecting the undeniable

mysteries connected with the invisible agency of the

Lord of Hosts.

PRACTICAL REMARKS.

131

CHAPTER

XI.
IX.

PRACTICAL REMARKS ON CHAPTERS

I.

AND

X.

ET

not the wicked infer that a change will

-*^* never come.

the

Among some

of the ancients,

emblem of

justice

was an old man, strong but

lame, with a sharp sword, proceeding slowly to his

work.

"The Lord

shall cut off all flattering lips,

and

the tongue that speaketh

said,

proud things: who have

With our tongue

will

we

prevail

our

lips are

our own:

who

is

lord over us?

For the oppression of

the poor, for the sighing of the needy,

saith the

now

will I arise,

Lord I
;

will set
xii.

him
3-5.

in safety

from him that

will
let

puffeth at

him." Ps.

The Lord

not
the
is

always chide his people, neither will he always

wicked go unpunished.
coming.
II.

He

seeth that their day

it

The wonder we

is

that they do not see

at all,

also.
let

Let us not judge the Lord

this, that

but

us

judge

are very ignorant

wise,

and

foolish,

and

that if

we would be
lessons

we must

listen,

and study,
If

and learn our

from the

infallible Teacher.

we

will not be candid

and

diligent students of God's

live

word and providence, we must

and

die without

132
wisdom.

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

Oh

that every

man knew
is

that he himself

is

a fool and that Jehovah alone

God.

We
is

are indeed
off.

poor judges of what

is

best.

We

cannot see afar

finished.

Kow

not a single event of Providence

in part.

We

know but

How

can

we competently
fragments

decide

upon the whole by the

little

we

possess?

An

axe by

itself,

and the helve by

;

itself are alike use-

less to the

woodman but

properly unite them, and the

monarch of the
fore

forest soon

bows

his majestic

head be-

him who wields

is

this little instrument.

Man's

glory

not the ultimate end of any of the divine pro-

ceedings.

All things are made for the pleasure and

the glory of

him who has

called us into being

and

governs us with his almighty hand.

III. Let us possess our souls in patience.

Were
as

we

required to govern the

world with our present

well despair.

darkness of mind,

we might

But

our
is

duty
quiet

is

not to rule but to submit, what

we need

mind

to stand and adoringly view the majesty

all

and government of him who worketh

the counsel of his

things after

own

will.

Promises do you need?

Here they

are:

"As

thy days, so shall thy strength be."

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou

dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed."

"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give

thee the desires of thine heart."

PRACTICAL REMARKS.

133

"Commit thy way unto

and he
shall bring
it

the

Lord;

trust also in him,

to pass."

"Rest

in the

Lord, and wait

patiently for him."

forever; yea, I will

"I

will betroth thee unto

me

betroth thee unto

me

in righteousness,

and

in judg-

ment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies; I will

even betroth thee unto

me

in faithfulness."

"I
ness,

will allure her,

and bring her

into the wilder-

and speak comfortably unto her."

will be as the
is

"I

dew unto

Israel."

"The

eternal

God

thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting

arms."

Lean on

these

and hope

to the end.

IV. Let
coming.

us rejoice in hope of God's glory.

is

It

is

It

surely coming.
it.

All the combinations

of the wicked cannot hinder

let us believe.

We shall
and we

see

it,

only

We may
be

shout the victor's song, even

shall see

here.

God

shall

glorified,
his,

him

honored.

If we are truly

we

shall be honored

with him.

Come, thou
admired in
all

long-expected

Deliverer,

come

to be

thy

saints.

Pious soul,

dost thou need encouragement to hope?

it:

Thou

hast

"Fear not

those things,

which thou

shalt suffer."

"He

that shall endure to the end shall be saved."

" Father, I will that they be with

whom

thou hast given me,

glory."

me

that they

may behold my

pil-

grim of the narrow way!

draweth nigh.
12

Rejoice, for thy redemption

134

JEHOVAH-JIRKII.
us never arrogantly

V. Let

claim to

understand

the counsels of the

Most High.

"As

the heaven- are

higher than the earth, so are God's ways higher than

our ways, and God's thoughts

Clearly the
finite

than our thoughts."

infinite.

can never comprehend the

Yet,

VI. Let
heavens, yet

us study

and observe the ways of the Al-

mighty. Hos. xiv.

9.

Though we cannot grasp

the

we may "The

look up to them, and see some

of the wonders they reveal, and learn at least our

nothingness.
attent

own
more

fainter
in

our light

is,

the

we should be

looking; the knottier the subit."

ject, the

more earnest should be our study on

Yet

as a jury, in a criminal cause,

may

receive impressions

in the progress of the trial, but should feel

bound

to

suspend judgment until the whole

facts

of the case are

submitted; so nothing can warrant us in pronouncing

upon the ways of God

or

till

we

either see

them

finished,

understand their

import by a revelation

from

himself.

VII. Let us be very

careful to guard both against

presumption and despair;

venturing to

against

presumption, in

make our

calculations

on things not

revealed; against despair, into which

we may be

led

by supposing that we already

gining.

see the

end from the be-

The

darkest hour

is

just before day.

VIII. Meditation on God's providence "should

PRACTICAL REMARKS.

135

prevent our taking offence, or being discontented at any-

even ts rising up before us; for to be displeased at that,

which a superior wisdom, unsearchable to

order,
is

us,

doth
or
at

to

be displeased at
is

we know not what,

and wail

why, which

childish weakness; to fret

that which, for all

intention,

we can
to

see,

proceedeth from good

issue,
is

and tendeth

good

pitiful

fro-

wardness."

IX. Let us embrace

Cross of Christ.

that mystery of mysteries, the that will reject all mysteries

He

must

reject salvation.

Let us not

cavil,

but believe.

Wisely did Sir Humphrey Davy say: "If I would

choose what would be most delightful, and I believe

most useful
lief to

to

me, I should prefer a firm religious be-

every other blessing."

final

And

the great Teacher,

who

shall also be our

judge, said:

"Whosoever

shall not receive the

shall in

kingdom of God

as a little child

no wise enter therein."

Will you humbly

self-

believe the Gospel?

will,

Will you renounce your

your

self-sufficiency

and your self-righteousness?

ar-

Well does Mr. Locke say: "Pride of opinion and

rogance of spirit are entirely opposed to the humility

of true science."

Surely then they are opposed to

its

true religion, which has for

all

basis the sublimest of

knowledge.

Will you bow down your haughty

spirit

and be saved from wrath by the blood and righ-

teousness of the humblest, meekest

and most mys-

136
terions

JEIIOVAH-JIREH.
the world ever saw?

sufferer

Oh

that

you and

would now be wise!

You

have but one

flies

lifetime,

that will soon be gone.

Time

Heaven
devils

invites

conscience warns your conversion seek your angels wait threatens death approaches ruin O humble yourthe door the judgments Now, Now, and believe the Gospel. Believe
Jesus
calls

the
for

Spirit

strives

hell

eternity

is

at

(coining.

self

it

NOW.
"A
point of time, a moment's space,
to

Removes you

yon heavenly
hell."

place,

Or shuts you up in

He who

rejects

the mystery of providence must

ever be in perplexity.
tery of the cross,

But
lie

he,

who

rejects the

mys-

must

down

in eternal sorrow.

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

137

CHAPTER

XII.

THE SPECIAL KINDNESS OF PROVIDENCE TOWARDS

GOOD MEN.
~^i

OD
all

is

unrighteous to none

yea, he

is

good

to

^*

men.

But he shows

distinguishing kindness

to his saints.

His sun shines upon the just and upon and he sends rain and
fruitful seasons

the unjust;
the good

on

and the unthankful.

with them

Yet

the secret of the

Lord

is

that fear him.

"He governs the

incorrigibly

wicked, though not in covenant love.

ii.

Their preservations are reservations. 2 Pet.

917.

But the

life

of the righteous
It
is

is

by the Lord mercifully

it is

controlled. wise.
last sec

ordered in a manner as kind as

It

is

so directed that he
is

and

all

men

shall at

and say that God

glorified

and the

eternal

good of the believer promoted.

less.

"We should expect no

Surely

God

will not treat friends

and

foes alike.

He

never confounds moral distinctions.

all

He

is

the

preserver of

men, "especially of them that believe."

. .
.

" The Lord loveth the righteous

but the way of

the wicked he turneth upside down." Ps. clxvi. 8, 9. 12*

138

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

"All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto
such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." Ps.

xxv. 10.
It does not impair the doctrine of a kind

and

special

providence towards the righteous that they are often

involved in the same untoward events with the wicked.

This often occurs, as inspired writers admit.

things

'"All

come

alike to all

there
;

is

one event to the

righteous and to the wicked

clean,

to the

good and

to the

and

to the unclean

to him, that sacrificeth,

and

to

him

that sacrificeth not." Eccles. ix. 2.

A pious

wife shares with her wicked husband the poverty and

misery which his vices bring on them like an armed

man.

An

invading army overwhelms saints and sin-

ners with evils which are

is

common

to all.

The event

the same

but the design, uses and

effects are quite

different.

The purpose of God

to

in afflicting his real

people

is

make them more

more
glorious.

useful,

more humble, and

in afflicting

in the end

His design

incorrigible foes is to punish

his

them

for their sins,

show

wrath, and

make them examples of

So

his terrible

justice, as

they have been the thankless receivers of

also

countless mercies.

prosperity awakens

the

gratitude

and

refines the feelings

of the pious man, but

hardens the heart of his wicked neighbor.

prosperity of fools destroys them.

Thus

the

Xor

is it

a valid objection to the doctrine of a special

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

139

kind providence over good

men

that they are often

more

afflicted

than the wicked.

afflictions

For

first,

though

" many are the

delivereth
in

of the righteous, yet the Lord

all."

him out of them

affliction.

They do not

perish

their

Secondly,
it is

When

good men are

" chastened of the Lord,

that they

may

not be
father

condemned with the world."

Thirdly,

A wise

gives far higher proof of strong and continued love to

his child

by

correcting
to

him than by indulging him,

his

or

giving

him over

own

follies.

Our Father
Fourthly,
tin's

"scourgeth every son

whom

he receiveth."

All the godly do confess that to them, even in

life,

nothing

is
;

more pleasant than the

while
it is

effects

of sancti-

fied afflictions

to be

lamented that they

"

who

lie soft

and warm

in a rich estate, seldom care to

heat themselves at the altar."

substitute for

"

No

creature can be a

God, but God can be a substitute for

every creature."

"When we

see the peaceable fruits

of righteousness, as they hang from the bough of chastisement,

we thank God

that he ever planted that

Fifthly,
is

bitter root in

our garden."

By

the sadness

of the countenance the heart

the

made

better.

" Those

Lord means

to

make

the most resplendent, he hath

Sixthly, If

oftenest his tools upon."

we
all

suffer with

him, we shall also reign with him, and

shall be found unto praise,

our sorrows
at the

and honor, and glory

appearing of Jesus Christ.

So that nothing

is

more

140
to the

JEIIOVAH-JIKEH.

advancement of the

solid

good of the

saints in

time and eternity than those things which grieve them

most.
is

On

the other

hand the triumph of the wicked

is

short, their

mirth

vain,

and

it

will soon be fol-

lowed by destruction
hilation.

a destruction worse than annivii.

Job xx. 5
i.

Ecc.
in

Ps. xxxvii.

35-37

2 Thess.

9.

Even

this

world the judgments,

iv.
i.

which overtake the wicked are very dreadful. Gen.

13; 1 Sam. xxxi. 4; 2 Chron. xxvi. 19, 20; Acts

18
;

xii.

23.
careful not to misinterpret

But we should be very

the leadings of Providence.

that God's providence pointed

No

doubt Lot thought

to

him

Sodom

but he

was sadly mistaken.

It

was the well watered land of

the plain that misled him.

David knew

that God's

putting Saul into his power was no opening for murder.

It should be stated, however, that
it is

not the mere

event, but the act of Providence explained

by the

word of God, which

is

so beneficial to Christians.

Scripture and Providence, like the cherubim over the

mercy

seat,

look toward each other and

other.

reflect light
is

upon each

"

The word without Providence

it is

sublime writing," but

dence
it is life

a dead letter; with Provi-

and

spirit.
is

Providence without the word

a dark enigma.

None can
dence
is

solve

it.

The The

best

commentary on Provi-

the Bible.

best

commentary on the

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

Bible
are to
is

141
life

Providence.

The

events of a good man's

him the

fulfillings

of the Scriptures.

In a

thousand ways they teach him the true sense of promises and threatenings, predictions and narratives,
precepts and doctrines.
belief of the truth.

They mightily confirm

his

And

let

us not forget that neither the word nor the

Providence of God, without the influences of divine

grace on the heart have a sanctifying power over even

good men.

The most
Holy Ghost.

striking events

and the most

precious doctrines will not profit without the promised

aid of the

He

can bless any truth or

any event

to our

growth in grace, our comfort and our

is

eternal glory.

He

the sanctifier.

Of course, all the benefit derived from the dealings Whatever a saint of God with his people is gracious. No man is, he is by the grace of God, not by nature.
deplores his

own

short-comings more than he.

He

abhors himself; he glories in the Cross of Christ; he

is

clothed with humility; he

is

full

of kindness; he

seeks a heavenly country; his affections are set

on

things above.

To
kind.
it.

such a

man

the providence of

God

is

special

and

Who
in

can doubt it?

The Bible

often declares

" The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy

coming

from

this

time forth, and even forever more.

He

will not suffer thy foot to be

moved.

He

that

142

JK1I0VAII-JIREH.
7, 8.
ii.

keepcth thee will not slumber." Ps. cxxi.

will keep the feet of his saints." 1

"

He

Sam.

9.

Ac-

cordingly inspired

men have

taught us to pray, "

Hold

up

my goings
5.

in

thy paths, that

my footsteps
word

slip not."
;

Ps. xvii.

" Order

my

steps in thy

and

let

not any iniquity have dominion over me." Ps. cxix.

133.

The

Scripture fully warrants the pious in bring-

ing all their troubles

and sorrows before the Lord.

They ask and

sally believe

obtain divine guidance and divine sup-

port in whatever concerns them.

Thus they univer-

with the saints of

all ages.

Very joyfully

therefore

do they

cast their care

upon the Lord, know-

ing that he careth for them.

Some

things in God's providence towards his people

are truly surprising.

fail to see

None but

the wilfully blind can

them.

None but

the desperately hardened

can

fail to

be affected by them.

Let us notice a few

of them.
I.

The

interpositions of Providence for his people

are very seasonable.

They come
is

at the

very nick of

time.
rifice,

Just as

Abram

about to make his son a sacJust as

behold a ram caught in the thicket.

lays

Hagar

down

her son to die,

God
life.

leads her to dis-

cover a well of water to save his

Just as Saul

is

ready to seize David, and there seems to be no escape

to the hunted partridge, that guilty persecutor
is

called

home by an

invasion of the Philistines.

The very

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

143

night fixed by a felon to murder a pious widow in a

retired neighborhood,

and rob her house, God sends a

stranger to lodge there and protect her.

The very day

of his trial for felony,

distance to prove

God

brings a stranger from a

the perfect innocence of William

Tennent.

Many

times in the

life

of every child of

God

does he receive the very mercy he needs at a time,

longer delay would be fatal to him.

when

Perhaps

for days or

weeks he would have fainted unless he

see the goodness of

had believed that he should

God.
or

At

last

the crisis comes, and his faith must

now

fail

triumph.

To
is

sense all
is

is

dark.

To mere

natural

reason nothing

clear.

Yet he has hope toward

Enlargement and de-

God.

Nor

he disappointed.
just in time to

liverance

came

show

that none ever

trusted in

God and was

disappointed.

seasonable

mercy

is

a double mercy.

The man

in health

and

without weariness passes by the cooling fountain and

cares not for
it;

but the poor wounded soldier would

give his last eagle for one draught of the refreshing

beverage which nature has provided.

persecution.
city
is

It

is

a time of

Malice and rage possess the wicked.

besieged.
suffer.
is

The food

is

exhausted.
is

God's people

begin to

To go

forth

death by the sword.

city is girt

To remain
sea

death by famine.

The

by the

on one

side,

and by the merciless

do?

foe on all other

sides.

What

shall God's people

If they could

144

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

hold out a month, succor would come.

But

in less

than thirty days, they will perish of hunger.

then an unheard of thing occurs.

Just

A shoal

of fishes
persecity is

come into that harbor, and

cutors lose their prey
safe.

all

are supplied.
their hopes.

The The

and

To God

give

all

the people praise.

II. God's interpositions in Providence are just such

as the Scriptures

have led

his people to expect.

His

word pronounces a
child gives

blessing on dutiful children.

up

all

the means of present personal adto serve

vancement, perhaps even of comfort,

a parent;

yet who, in the end, was thereby a loser even in this

world?

On

the other hand,

who

can find one,

life

who
has

has failed to show piety at home, and whose not been

rendered unhappy, possibly despicable by

such conduct?

Again, never did even a bad

to a saint of

man

show kindness
ward.

God,

bid.

he had his re-

Not only

the prophecies, but all the principles

of Scripture are wonderfully carried out by the events

occurring around us every day, especially in relation
to good

men.
is

III. There

an intimate connection between the

the prayers of good men.

providence of

God and

Where

is

the experienced saint

who

lias

not had an-

swers to prayer so striking and so merciful as greatly

to confirm his faith in the promises?

And

no marvel.

For " the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

1-45

whole earth, to show himself strong in behalf of them

whose heart

is

perfect

towards him."
the earth,

When

lived

there a child of

God on
cried,

who

did not have

occasion

to

record

what David wrote of himself?

and the Lord heard him and

"This poor man

saved him out of
fail to tell

all his troubles."

The time would

Samwhose prayers

of Jacob, and Moses, and Joshua, and

scores of others,

son,

and Jeremiah, and

secured wonderful acts of providence in their behalf.

Nor

are

prayer

and

providences
cries

separated

now.
travel,

Whichever way the humble

thither travel also the
Israel

of good

men

providences of God.

"Let

hope in the Lord forever and ever."

Alexander Pedan, a Scotch Covenanter, with some

others,

had been

at one time pursued, both

by horse
getting

and

foot,
little
still

for a considerable way.

At

last,

some
stood

height between them and their pursuers, he

and

said:

"Let us pray

here, for if the

Lord

hear not our prayer and

save us,

we

are all dead

men."

He
But

then prayed, saying,

"O

Lord,

this

is

the hour
idle.

and the power of thine enemies; they may not be

hast thou no other
after

work

for

them than them

to

to

send

them

us?

Send them
flee,

after

whom
is

thou
gone.

wilt give strength to

for

our strength

Twine them about

13

the

hill,

Lord, and cast the lap

of thy cloak over poor old Saunders, and these puir

14l!

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
and save us
this

things,
in

one time, and we will keep

to the

it

remembrance, and

tell

commendation of thy

goodness, thy pity and compassion, what thou didst

for us at sic a time."

And
tor-;

in this

he was heard, for a cloud of mist im-

mediately intervened between them and their persecu-

and

in the

mean time

orders

came

to

go in quest

of James

Ken wick, and

xviii. 31.

a great

company with him.

See 2 Chron.

IV. Xor
in

is

doing

it,

God slack in saving his people even if many wicked perish. What terrible
displeasure against his people's ene-

monuments of his
mies did he

make of Cain, and Pharaoh, and Hainan,

Xor has he
ceased to do

and Herod, yea, of Babylon, and Sodom and Gomorrah, and the old world!
like things now.

Show me a man

of this century,

who

has spent his breath in curses on God's people,

will

and I

show you one whose

history even in this

world has commonly marked him out as one forsaken,

terribly forsaken
shall

of God!

It

is

still

true that

"lie

have judgment without mercy, who hath showed

It
is still

no mercy."
ful

true that "bloody

and

deceit-

men

shall not live out half their days."

When their
is

malice
brief,

is

turned against the righteous, their history

their

triumph
is

short,

and

their

doom

terrible.
all

As
Ave

this

world

not the scene of full retribution,

is

may

expect here

not ample justice, but mere to-

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

kens of what
lavs

147

God

can and will do, when his hand

hold on vengeance.

Compare 2 Chron.

xviii.

31-34.

V. In some
The
wise

cases

we
all

are able to trace a long series

of causes and events

conspiring to the same result.

men

of the East are led to bring from a great

distance the most costly presents

articles easily trans-

ported

and

lay

them

at the feet of the infant Saviour,

in their flight to

that he

and Joseph and Mary

Egypt

might have the means of subsistence.

Even some-

times to the vision of mortals, perhaps always in the

sight of

God, providences are long chains with many

If one link were wanting, the event
it is

links in them.

would

fail.
is

But
fixed.

God's chain and God's plan.

issue is not doubtful.

The

thing

The
is

VI. So

perfect

God's defence of his people that

look as if their destruction was

when appearances

all

imminent, they are

still safe.

They have

fears

within

and fightings without.

flesh

They have

the world, the

and the devil leagued against them.

is

Perhaps

there

not a government on earth which has not

legislation, that

some

anti-christian

might become a

trap and a snare to a good man's conscience.

The

thousandth part of the war waged, or the conspiracies

formed, and of the blood and treasure expended against
Christ's cause,

would have rooted out from the earth

any

institution ever established

among men,

other than

148
the

JEHoVAII-JIKEH.

kingdom of Christ
is

Still

it

lives, yea.
is,

it

flourishes.

How
God

this ?

The

sole

answer
:

That

in Providence,

fulfils his

promise-

"

No weapon

formed against

thee shall prosper," Isa. liv. 17:

and.

"Though
make

make
full

a full

end of

all

nations, yet will I not

end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure."

Beziers
it-

Jer. xxx. 11.

is

besieged.

The

Protestant

cause depends on

safety.

The

besieged are secure.

The

bell begins to rine at o o

midnight, c

Every man
.

is

at his post just in

time to repel the assault with dismay

that alarm bell ?

to the foe.

"Who rang

Not some

faithful sentinel, but a

drunken man

in a frolic, not

knowing what he was doing.

strikingly in this matter.

Surely God's hand was

Paris

is

drenched in Protestant sore.

For three

days and nights the blood-hounds of regal and papal

persecution devour the flock of Christ.

His people,
Redeemer's
keep alive

who

are slain, are gathered

home

to the

bosoni.

But some of them God would

still

for important purposes.

One man

takes refuge in an

oven.

His pursuers search diligently for him.

They
not.

are within a yard of him, but they find

him

Why

do they not look into the oven?

it,

Just as he
a thick
to

entered

God
its

sent a spider quickly to

;

weave

web over
fill

mouth

he then sent a flaw of wind

:

the

web with dust

is

and so the

bloody men

said,

Our

victim

not here.

Thus God saved the

life

of

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

149
History.)

Du

Moulin

(the

Molinseus

of

Church

Must he not have been an

atheist if

he could have voyage of four

denied God's hand in this affair?

thousand miles has been performed, doubling Cape

Horn, and that

visible

in a small boat.

Was

not God's hand

here?

It

is

not

known
day

that any of these

voyagers,

who had

just escaped butchery

last

by mutineers,

were pious

men

but the

will probably

show
some

that they were saved in

answer

to the prayers of

child of

God; and they must have been

Here
the ringer of God.

brutish not to

have

said to their friends or to each other as they

is

made

the shore,

thief,

bottle of

who had a few moments warm milk hears a noise, and

before stolen a

drops his bottle

in the forest.

By

this

means a persecuted minister and

his wife, as they sit sadly

down on

a rock and find

it,

.are able to give food to their little child,

ready to die

for

want of nourishment.

Marvellous are thy works,

Lord God Almighty.

VII. God

often saves his people

by leading them

to go where they never intended to go, and where they

are sorry to find they have gone,

and

to

do what they

never desired to do.

century, the
tury,
life

The

life

of Augustine in the 5th

of Dr. John Rodgers of the 18th cenof Rev. William Calhoun of the 19th

and the

life

century were
enemies,
13

all

preserved from destruction by deadly

who

hated their doctrine, and lay in wait to

150

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

put them to death on roads, which these servants of

God
by

intended to travel, but from which they unac" Living

countably wandered.
probabilities."

and dying do not go

;

God

has one end

man

another.

Joseph had no design of becoming prime minister of Egypt, temporal saviour of the world, and so a type
of the great Redeemer, when he told his dreams to his
brethren, or
failed to

when he went
either,

to

Shechem.

Yet had he
lot

do

he had not stood in his

and

ful-

filled his course.

God's ways are unsearchable and his

out.

judgments past finding

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

151

CHAPTER

XIII.

THE SPECIAL KINDNESS OF PROVIDENCE TOWARDS GOOD MEN CONTINUED.

rTTHE

lives of

good men do much

in furnishing the

-*- history

of redemption.
is

Let us pursue the

subject.
all
it.

VIII. Because God

causes,

omnipotent and controls

he can save as well without miracle as with

For three
out the
fire

successive days does a copious shower put

kindled by savages to burn alive a prisoner

who was

a child of prayer.

Yet the clouds which

arisen entirely

dropped down these rains

may have

under the influence of natural causes.

Indeed preser-

vation and other blessings secured to God's people in

his ordinary providence are

no

less safe

and

certain,

and no
than
if

less

fit

to

be matters of grateful meditation

secured by suspending the laws of nature.

To
so.

a considerate mind they are perhaps even more

By an

act of volition

God

could create and send

down
can be

to each man's door the baked loaves from heaven.

Instead of that he waters the earth so that

it

plowed and broken

to pieces.

He

then directs

men

to

152

JBHOVAH-JIREH.
to

sow the wheat, and he sends dew and showers

it

make

sprout and grow.

He

then alternately sends the

it

frost

and the sun.

Perhaps he covers

with a thick,

moist mantle of snow.

In the spring he sends the

melting sun, and plentiful showers.

He

keeps awaydiseases,
it is

noisome

insects,

and destructive vegetable

to maturity.
;

and brings the grain

by the heat he sends
on the
table.

It is cut

dried

it

soon appears in baked loaves

sees

The devout husbandman

God's

hand

in all the process.

When
St.

Merlin, the Chaplain

of Admiral Coligny, found his distinguished patron

murdered on the melancholy

Bartholomew's day,

he concealed himself in a hay-loft.

In the Acts of the

it

next Synod, over which he presided,

that

is

recorded

though many died of hunger, he was supported

his place of

by a hen regularly laying an egg near

refuge.

similar record

is

made of another French

minister,

M. de Luce, and

a Swabian minister, John

Breng, both of

whom were

kept alive in the same way.

is

To

a thoughtful mind ordinary providence

more

marvellous than a miracle.

of God, while the former

The
is

latter is

but one act

a series of divine acts

working slowly but most

of treason.

surely.

A count

is

suspected

He

is

arrested

and imprisoned.

In the

yard to his dungeon between the paving stones springs

up a

little

flower.
it.

cares for

It grows.

He watches it. He waters it. He He writes the history of its

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

153
is

developement and growth.

This narrative

God's
little

appointed means of effecting his release.

See a

book

called Picciola.
his people dates not

IX. God's providence towards

at the time of their being called to a

knowledge of

himself, but long before.

bodies,

In the formation of their

what goodness appears.

No man
In

has ever

been able to suggest

how

the form or figure of the huthis indeed the

man frame
infancy

could be improved.

wicked share the same bounty of God.

In

their early-

how amazing was God's

too of the early

care

over them.

Think

and deep impressions which

hearts

God
tary

often

makes on the minds and

of his
soli-

chosen, even years before their conversion.

In a

wood among huge

rocks, or hoary mountains, or

river, or vast

by some gentle stream, or noble

of waters, what conceptions of

expanse
a child

God

has

many

had

In an escape from danger, what a sense of God's

goodness has stolen over the hearts of his people, even

before their conversion.
tells

John Brown of Haddington

us of his deep religious impressions at a sacrar

mental meeting, when he w as under ten years of age.

The

late

Dr. Archibald Alexander, when only four

years and a half old, was greatly interested in a ser-

mon on

1 Cor. xvi. 22.

Even where such impres-

sions do not

end

in a speedy conversion, they are often

very salutary in preserving the young from the worst

a*

154
forms of
the
evil.

JEH0VAII-JIREI1.

Nor

is

anything more wonderful than

moans God
in

uses for the conversion of his people.

A sermon,

which the preacher had no knowledge

spiritual

and no design respecting the

ticular person, a

good of any parto

sermon by
often heard

weak man addressed

better discourses

those

who had

much

on

the same topics, a text of Scripture learned twenty

years before, a
little

portion of truth found on a piece

of wrapping-paper, a sudden death of some wicked

man, the death of some good man,

good book, a kind

word, a look of tenderness, the consistent piety of a

pious wife, husband or friend, and even the profanencss of wicked

men have been

the a

means of bringing
has been led to

sinners to repentance.

Many

man

the Saviour by truths, which the preacher did not in-

tend to utter when he began his discourse.

tine tells us of a celebrated

Auq-us-

Manachee who was thus

converted under the labors of the bishop of Hippo.

Paul and

Silas

were not the only prisoners

as the

who were
their har-

honored of

God

means of converting
the persecution

dened

jailors.

Had

not arisen

at

Jerusalem, Philip would not have fallen in with the

Ethiopian returning
Isaiah.

to his

own country and

reading
in igno-

So that great man might have died

rance of the true meaning of the prophet.

Many

man

has gone for no good end to hear a sermon, and

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

before the discourse was ended has forgotten
1

155
what he

came

for

and has begun

to cry for
in

mercy.

X. God's providence

raising

up good ministers
is

of various gifts to edify his church

It
is

truly striking.

the time of the American Revolution.

is

A com-

pany
is

drilling

and

firing

by platoons.

In the ranks

a malicious man,

who

wishes to have his spite on a

particular family.

He

loads his piece so heavily that

he knows firing

it

off will burst the barrel of his

gun.

Just before firing he calls a lad in the

place.

crowd

to take his

The

noble, impulsive boy, suspecting no harm,

consents, fires the gun,

and

his left

hand

is

shivered.

Amputation

is

necessary.
life.

This cruel act gives a new

direction to his whole

His parents send him

to

a classical school taught by a pious man.

learns well, in

The youth
is

due time becomes a Christian,

finally

ordained to the Gospel ministry, bears the

preacher with the silver
fist

name of the
and

and the

silver voice, with

air,

great power addresses thousands in the open

dies greatly lamented leaving a noble posterity behind

him.

Such was the history of Drury Lacy.

are pursuing a rabbit.
It takes refuge

Some boys

in a hollow log.
it

While one boy

is

attempting to cut
reach his

out, another puts in his arm, trying to

prey.
cated,

The axe

cripples his

hand

for

life.

He

is

edu-

becomes a herald of salvation and leaves a pre-

cious

memory

in all the land.

When

Patrick Henry

156

JEHOVAH-JIREII.
it

heard him discourse on the creation, he said

to

seemed

him

as if that

man

could almost

make a

world. His

name was James Waddell, who

in the blindness of his

latter years is so justly described

by "William Wirt in

"The

British Spy."

Many

a time by the feebleness of their bodies pa-

rental counsels respecting the

temporal conduct of
last

their children are defeated,

and parental pity at

studies

consents to their

commencing

which may give

them

the learning so useful to preachers of the Gospel.

In due time
self

God

calls

them

to a

knowledge of him-

and of

his Son.

Then by

his Spirit he calls

them

to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.

To

others,

whom God

designs for great hardships in the ministry,

he gives great vigor of constitution, so that they can

bear almost any amount of labor and weariness.

How

marvellous also

is

God's providence in the mental and

social character naturally possessed

by

his people, so
life.

as to

fit

them

to act their several parts in

In

ilis

lustration

look at the ministers of Christ.

One

timid,

and God makes him especially useful

to the

diffident in

encouraging them, and to the self-confident

fears.

in

awakening salutary

Another

is

bold,

and he

alarms the guilty and encourages the wavering.

is

One
sense

full

of love and so wins the coy and melts the

hardened.

Another

is

borne

down by an awful

of the danger of the wicked, and so he cries aloud and

SPECIAL PKOVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

spares not.

157
is

One
One

is

a son of thunder.

Another

son of consolation.
rhetoric.
is

One

excels in logic, another in

best at explaining the doctrines, an-

other

is

excellent at exhortation.

One

does most good

by

his pen, another

by private conversation, and an-

other in the pulpit.

Yet

all these

men

are giving exsocial dispo-

pression to their respective natural

sitions,

and

now

sanctified

by divine grace, and turned

providence

to

a holy work.

Like

acts of

may be
all his

noticed
people.

in the variety of character displayed

by

XI. When means have been

sion of his people,

blessed to the conver-

how

strange the providences of

!

God

which lead
to lean

to their

growth in grace
;

They

are ready

on one minister

and God takes him away and

affliction

sends another. good, and

They think

would do them

God makes
and

his mercies overflow.

Or

they

think prosperity best for them, and

their plans

God

crosses all

spoils their pleasant things.

They

are

self-confident

and

fear not falling into sin,

and soon a

sad lapse

fills

their hearts with anguish.

They

are

much
and
sin.

afraid of bringing dishonor

on their profession,

their fears are blessed to their preservation

from

Christian

poet,

who

has often edified the

church of God, has well described this matter, when

he says
"I asked
In
14
the Lord, that I might

grow

faith,

and love and every grace;

158

JEHOVAH-JIBEH.
Might more of
bis salvation

know,

And

seek more earnestly his face.

to pray,

'"Twas He who taught me thus

And
But
it

He, I trust has answered prayer; has been in such a

way

As almost drove me

to despair.

" I hoped that in some favored hour,

At ODce he'd answer my request;

And by His
Subdue

love's constraining power,

sins

my

and give me

rest.

" Instead of this

He made me

feel

The hidden

evils of

my

heart,

And

let the

angry powers of hell

soul in every part.

Assault

my

"Yea, more; with His own hand He seemed

Intent to aggravate

my wo
me
low.

Crossed

all

the fair designs I schemed,

Blasted
'

my
is

gourds, and laid

this
?'

" Lord, why

'

I trembling cried,

Wilt thou pursue thy

worm

to death

?'

'

'Tis in this way,' the

'I

Lord

replied,

answer prayer

for grace

and

faith.'

" ' These inward

trials I

employ
to set thee free,

From

self

and pride

And

break thy schemes of earthly joy,

inay'st seek thy all in me.'"

That thou

XII. Go among God's people and

in

learn

how goodly God

has

many ways
them
in

their lot has been.

AVhat good parents

wonderfully
steps in

most of them have had.

led

How

many important

life.

How

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OVER SAINTS.

pleasant have been their friends

159

and

their children.

Even

the

little

ones,

whom

Jesus has early called to

nestle in the

himself,

seem

still to

warm and

bosom of

parental love.
to read.

How many
kind and

good books they have had

skillful

What

physicians have
disease has

attended them in sickness.

When

come

upon them, what good

in.

places they have

had

to be sick

How

infrequent and short their bodily infirmities

are.

commonly

How

seldom have they suffered for

the want of suitable food, or clothing, or shelter, or

any necessary thing.

How

marked the hand of God

Often
has held
all

in ordering the general tenor of their lives.

have their

feet well

nigh slipped, but

in the

God

them up.
evil,

They have been

it

midst of almost

but

has not been allowed to sweep them away.

How often has God

Hos.
ii.

" hedged up their way with thorns,

find their paths."

and made a wall that they could not

6.

Often they could not perform their entertheir ruin.

prises,

which would have proved

Job

v.

12.

The unseen dangers from men and

and
foes,

devils,

from

friends

from darkness and pestilence sur-

rounding

us, are far

more numerous than those which

all as

are visible.

Could we have seen them

lives

God saw
full

them, our
misery.

would probably have been

kind
his

of

How

providence in giving us a
life

heart and temper to enjoy

and

its

mercies.
is

XIII. Toward

his people God's providence

ex-

]C)0

JEHOVAII-JIREH.
It embraces a
It
is

ceedingly rich in spiritual blessings.

plan reaching from eternity to eternity.

in a

set forth

covenant ordered in

all

things and sure, an ever-

lasting covenant,

having the Lord Jesus Christ for a

God's loving-kindness laid the
It

Surety and Mediator.

foundation of the whole scheme of redemption.

shall lay the top-stone in glory.

It orders everything

aright forever.

Thus
It
is

far the history of

redemption

has no parallel.

God's chief work, the wonder

of angels, the joy of saints.

The whole

subject seems

to abash the faculties of all right-minded creatures.

The

sea of Jehovah's compassion and

wisdom has

never been fathomed by men or angels.

conduct of providence
it

Under
its

the

will be widening

shores

and deepening

its

abysses forever.

PRACTICAL REMARKS.

161

CHAPTER XIV.
PRACTICAL REMARKS OX CHAPTERS
I.

XII.

AND

XIII.

^ Jk THAT
"
!

a,

theme

for

humble, devout and joy-

ous meditation have we in this doctrine of

providence
less

The

pious Flavel says

" It will doubt-

be a part of our entertainment in heaven to view

with transporting delight how the designs and methods

were laid to bring us hither
:

and what

will be a part

of our blessedness in heaven

may

be well allowed to

have a prime ingrediency into our heaven upon earth.

To

search for pleasure

is

among

the due observations of

Providence
4, p.

to search for water in the ocean."

like strain

Vol.

340.
:

In a

the amiable

John Howe

says

"

When

the records of eternity shall be exposed

to view, all the counsels

and

results of the
it

profound

wisdom looked

into
!

how

will

transport,

when

it

shall be discovered

Lo, thus were the designs laid

here were the apt junctures and admirable dependencies

of things, which,

when

acted

upon the stage of

Let God's

time, seemed so perplexed

and

intricate."

" loving-kindness" be continually before your eye-.

14*

1<)2

JEIIOVAH-JIREH.
his judgments.

Think on

"He,

that will observe the

wonderful providences of God, shall have wonderful

providences of

God

to observe."

"

Whoso

is

wise,

and

will observe these things,

even they

shall understand

the loving-kindness of the Lord."

Charnock says

" It

is

a part of atheism not to think the acts of

in the world

worth our serious thoughts.

God God is

highly angry with those that mind him not

'

Because

they regard not the operation of his hands, he shall

destroy them, and not build
It
is

them up?'" Ps.

xxviii. 5.

a divine art to view the hand of

It is

God

in everv-

thing.
all

an ennobling employment

to meditate

on

the wonders he has wrought.

are great, sought out of all

" The works of the

Lord

them

that have plea-

sure therein." Ps. cxi. 2.

That was a good resolution

of

Asaph

" I will remember the works of the

Lord
I will

surely I will

remember thy wonders of old

all

meditate also of

thy work, and talk of thy doings."

Ps. lxxvii. 11, 12.

II.
ing,

There

is

excellent

wisdom

in our Saviour's say-

"What
is

I do thou knowest not now; but hereafter

it."

thou shalt
dence

know

In

this

world nothing in proviartists

fully finished.

Judge

or artizans by

appearances when their

work

is

but half done, and not

test.

one of them could stand so unfair a

greatly opposed to Christ's dying at

Peter Mas
disciples

all.

The

were overwhelmed when he did

die.

But out of

his

PRACTICAL REMARKS.
death sprang the
life

163

of the world.

There would have

been no gospel to believe or to preach, had Jesus not

died.

God's " way

is

in the sea,

and

his path in the

great waters, and his footsteps are not

Ixxvii. 19.

known." Ps.

A carpenter's rule is
The
in a bottle.

too short to measure

the heavens with.

waters of the sea can never be

comprehended

Neither can we ever fully

know any
It

act of providence as

God knows

it.

But

to

judge of an event before the

is

final issue is great folly.

also sin.

It

is

both arrogant and presumptuous.

is

It also brings

wretched than the man,

much misery with it. Who who sees nothing but

more

desolat-

ing storms in every cloud, nothing but disaster in every

undertaking, nothing but sorrow in the very means

used for his joy, nothing but overthrow in the steps

which lead

to his exaltation?

Oh

for a stronger faith.

Oh
let

for

more

patience.
all

Could we but calmly wait and

the

God

of

the earth do as he pleases, all

would

be well.

We

are so wrapped

up

in selfishness that

we

egregiously over-estimate the importance of our

affairs.

own

A splendid
home

steamer

is

swiftly passing
five

up the

Mississippi.
gers, pressing

She has more than

hundred passen-

to soothe sorrow, or scatter joy, to

give

life

to

commerce, and to carry messages of go-

vernment.
her speed.

Vast

interests

depend on her

safety

and

little

boy darts into the saloon, crying

length he finds him, and says,

for the captain.

At

134

JEHOVAH-JIEEH.
captain, stop the
boat,

"O
so.

do stop the boat."

officer.

'Why
replied,

ray son?'' said the urbane

The boy

U I have dropped
boat."

my
it

orange overboard.'!" -top the

could not be done.
left

He was

fold

His

soli-

citude settled into sadness, which

sleep.

hira only after

Think of that boy and

his orange.

There was

some proportion between the value of

the other interests involved, yet
small.
it

that orange

and

was exceedingly

But

there

is

no proportion between our comto eternity, or be-

fort lor a

day and the glory of God

afflictions

tween our

here and the glory that shall be

revealed in us hereafter.
the

"Be

patient, brethren,

unto

coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

is

We know not
Let us

what

best tor us.

Foolish children eat green apples,

first

but prudent people

trust

let

them mature.

God joyfully.

Ps. xxvii. 5.

III.

How

entirely

do just views of God's word aud

providence change the aspects of every thing.

He, who

has any right views, would rather be with Shadrach,

Meshach and Abednego

in the lions'

in the furnace, or with Daniel

den than with Nebuchadnezzar on the

far

throne.

Paul bound with a chain was

more

to be

envied than Xero wearing the imperial purple.

Paul

and
in

Silas

were far from being the most unhappy

men
were
is

Philippi the night their feet were in the stocks.

sides to every providence, as there

There are two

to the pillar of cloud

and of

fire.

The

bright side

PRACTICAL REMARKS.
towards the children of God.
has ordained
it.

165

It ever will be so.

all his

God

He

will

make good

promises.
for the

"Light

is

sown

for the righteous,

and gladness

upright."

Therefore, ye heroes of the cross, gird on

your armor.
yield to fear.

Fight the good

fight of faith.

Never

Endure hardness.
to

Live

to please

him
and

who
earth

has called you

be soldiers.

Jesus reigns.
in heaven

Hear him proclaiming: "All power

is

given unto me."

He

is

King of

kings.

He

rules in the

kingdoms of men.

He

is

God

in Zion.

He
it.

loves the church

more than you

do.

He

died for

He

loves his people as the apple of his eye.

No-

thing shall

harm

those

who

are the followers of that

which

is

good.

shout and give thanks.

in

Robert

Southwell, awaiting martyrdom

his friend
:

prison, wrote to

"

We

have sung the canticles of the Lord

in a strange land,

and

in this desert
oil

we have sucked
flint."

honey from the rock, and

from the hard

Learn

this

heavenly

art.

IV.

Sinners, will not

you give your hearts

to

God,

and secure the blessings of

his special providence?

his kindness, the care of

Do

you not need a Father in

heaven ?

Do

you not wish for a shield and buckler and

Persisting in sin

horn of salvation?

and

folly,

the

stars will fight against

you in

their courses.

Yielding
all

to the claims of divine love

will

and authority

nature

at Jehovah's bidding fight for you.

Will you

166

JEHOVAH-JTREH.
"Will

bow your neck?

you?

you take

Christ's

yoke upon

Will you be -avid?

right observance

V. The
doty.

of providence

is

a great

The
1.

particulars of this duty arc well stated

by

Boston:

We

should watch for them

Ps. exxx.
1,

till ti.

Heb.
2.

ii.

1-3;

5, 6:

Lam.

in. 49,

We

should take heed to them, and

Isa.

mark them
vi. 1

when they come.

xxv. 9; Ezek.

i.

15; Zech.

Luke

xix. 44.

3.

We

should seriously review diem,

cxi. 2:

ponder and narrowly consider them. Ps.

x.

Ezck.
4.

13; Ps. Ixxiii. 16;

Job

x. 2;

Pb. Ixxvii. 6.

We
i.

should lay them op, and keep them in record.

Luke

66

Sam.

xvii.

07

Ps. xxxvii. 25.

-3.

We

should

observe them tor practical purposes, that they

may
33;

have

sanctifying power over our heart- and lives.

7,

Ps. lxiv.

9; Deut. xxix. 2. 3. 4: 2

Kings

vi.

Ecc

vii.

14.

job's trials

and mercies.

167

CHAPTER XV.
ALTERNATE LIGHT AND DARKNESS IN PROVIDENCE, ILLUSTRATED IN THE CASE OF THE GREAT MAN
OF UZ.

rilHE

book of Job

is

the oldest

and the best

epic

-- poem

in the world.

The

persons prominently be-

fore us are Jehovah, Satan, Job, Job's wife, his three

friends, Eliphaz,

Bildad and Zophar, and that remark-

able person, Elihu.

Much

of

the

book

is

a dis-

cussion of the principles, on

which the speakers sup-

pose God's providence to be conducted.

Some have surmised

clearly proves that he

that

Job was a

fictitious

charac-

ter ; but this is surely a mistake.

The prophet Ezekiel

was a

historic personage

as

much

so as

Noah

or Daniel. Ezek. xiv. 14, 20.

He

was a man, and a very good man.

The

course of providence towards

him

is

full

of invalue.

struction.

In

his life

we

find lessons of

much

Instruction by example clearly points out the duty to

be

performed,

shows

that

it

is

practicable,

and

awakens

in the virtuous the desire of imitation.

lt>8

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

Among
ple of

mere men we seldom

grace.

tind a striking

examdistin-

more than one

;

Abraham was

guished for his faith

for

Moses, for his meekness; Daniel,

his

intrepidity; John, for the tenderness of his

for his patience.

love;
fect

and Job,

If

we would

find per-

symmetry of character
to the

in any portion of history,

we must go
It
I.

man

Christ Jesus.

may

aid us to pursue a method in our reflections.

Let us consider the course of providence towards

Job, and his character and circumstances before his

great afflictions.

Job was a man of great

piety.

The

Scriptures say that he was upright and perfect.

He
sin-

was not double-tongued, nor double-minded, but

cere, free

from hypocrisy, and had respect

to all

God's
evil."

commandments.
This character
tion among;
is

"He

feared

God and eschewed

himself.
hio;h.

given by

God
fair

His reputa"

men was both

and

When
In

the
his

vounsr

men saw him,

and

they hid themselves."

presence "the aged arose and stood up.

refrained talking
laid their

The
their

princes

hand on
their

mouth.

The nobles held

to the roof

their peace,

and

tongue cleaved

of their mouth." Job xxix. 8-10.

ever received

Proba-

bly no
great
ear
his

man

more marked
" Unto

attention from

and small than did Job.

him men gave

.

and waited and kept

silence at his counsel.

After

words they spake not again.

as for the rain."

And

they waited for

him

Job xxix. 21-23.

job's trials

and mercies.
and possessed great

169
in-

He

was

also esteemed wise,

fluence

by

his eloquence.

He

was a sound adviser.

it

Speaking of his influence over men,

chose out their way." Job xxix. 25.

is said,

"He
and

Job was also a great

captain.

His military

skill

prowess were such that he dwelt as king in the army.

Job xxix. 25.

"He

brake the jaws of the wicked,

out of his teeth." Job xxix.

and plucked the

17.

spoil

He

was

also a philanthropist.

He

was not in-

deed ostentatious in his charity, yet such a city set on

a
it

hill

cannot be hid.

"When

the ear heard him, then

it

blessed

him; and when the eye saw him,

gave

witness to him;
cried,

because he delivered the poor that

and the

fatherless,

and him that had none

to to

help him.
perish

The

blessing of

him

that

was ready

came upon him; and he caused the widow's

heart to sing for joy.

feet

He

was eyes

to the blind,

and

was he

to

the lame.

He

was a

father to the
relieve the dishis notice; but

poor."

Not only did he do good and

which others brought to

tressed in cases

he sought out the necessitous and

cause

afflicted.

"The

which he knew

not,

he searched out." Job

xxix. 16.

In

his labors of love

he was both diligent

and

disinterested.
afflictions

Before his

Job was a man of great wealth.

sheep,

He owned
15

seven

thousand

three

thousand

camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-

170
asses,

JEIIOVAII-JIREH.

and a very great household, that

is,

numerous
the rich

servants.

Job

i.

3.

In wealth he excelled

all

men
that

of the East.
''he

So abundant were his possessions

his

washed

steps in
oil."

butter,

and the rock

poured him out rivers of

In

his

own

family,

Job enjoyed domestic comfort.

it

Although he had

his fears about his children, yet

doe- not appear that they were either profane or licentious.

He
him.

loved them tenderly and they were respect-

ful to

His wife seems not

to

have shown her

grievous want of piety during his prosperity.

To crown

all his

enjoyments, the candle of the Lord

shined upon his head, and by the light of the divine

countenance he walked through darkness.

of

The

secret

God was upon

we
see light.

his tabernacle,

and the Almighty

It
is

was yet with him. Job xxix. 3-5.

that

in

God's light

When

he smiles we are blessed.

can
afflict?
its

When

he gives comfort,

who

All this prosperity begat confidence in

tinuance,

own

connest

and led Job

to say,

"I

shall die in

my

and

I shall multiply

my

days as the sand.

My
all

root

was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay

night

upon

my

branch.

My glory
in

was

fresh in me,

and

my
and

bow was renewed

II.

my

hand." Job xxix. 18-20.

his afflictions themselves

Let us consider
under them.

his patience

descent from such unusual

different

prosperity

awakens very

sentiments

from

job's trials
those entertained

and mercies.

171
in

by men, who have long lived

humble circumstances and been unexpectedly

greatness.

raised to

Let

this

thought be remembered.
the
loss

Job's afflictions

commenced with

of his

wealth, consisting of oxen, and asses, and sheep, and

camels, and servants.

The

intelligence of these losses

came upon him by

surprise.

Poverty

is

no

sin.

It

may come upon

pecially on those
this
is

us without any fault of ours.

it

Yet

every one knows that

brings sore trials on

all, esit.

who

are not accustomed to

its

All

heightened by the suddenness of

approach.
suffi-

This often produces a shock which few hearts are

ciently stout to resist.

Many who

have stood calm

while thrones were falling around them,

fearlessly

stormed the deadly breach,

who have and who have

have

manfully suffered popular rage, have sunk under intolerable anguish,

when
left
is

their earthly possessions

taken flight and

them

destitute

and dependent.

Whatever
loss

bitterness

necessarily connected with such

was the portion of Job.

sooner had the messengers closed their respective

No
all

narratives of his losses of property, than another with

the promptness attending the announcement of

:

calamities thus spake

"

Thy

sons and thy daughters

were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's

house, and behold there

came a great wind from the

wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house,

172

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
it

and

fell

upon the young men, and they are dead

and I only

am

escaped alone to

tell

thee."

Thus

his

children were carried into eternity on the same day on

which he
him.
that

lost all his property.

Not a

child was left

His Reuben and

his

Benjamin, his daughter

was

to

him

as a pet lamb,

and she that was

in

mien

as a matron, all died.

And

then they died so

suddenly.

No

previous sickness gave warning of

approaching death.

In the morning he had parted

with them, not dreaming that he should nevermore see

their faces in the land of the living-.
satisfactory evidence that they

Nor had he
for this

were prepared

solemn exchange of worlds.

the contrary.

Indeed he had

fears to

As

priest of his

own

house, he had been

in the habit of offering sacrifices for

them on occasion

of their

feasts,

thinking that they might have sinned

in their hearts.

and cursed God

Job

i.

5.

But on

this

occasion Job had not time to offer sacrifice or prayer

after the close of the feast.

How

must

this saint of

God have

followed in imagination the departed spirits

of his children.

And how must his heart

Yet
at the

have swollen

with anguish when in vain he sought for assurance of

their salvation.

end of

all this,

Job reve-

rently "

fell

down upon

the ground, and worshipped,

and

said,

Naked came I out of my mother's womb

shall I return thither
:

and naked

the

Lord gave, and

job's trials

and mercies.
;

173

the

Lord hath taken away

i.

blessed be the

name of

the Lord." Job

20, 21.

Bat

neither the malignity of Satan nor the mysteri-

ous love of
here.

God would permit

Job's sufferings to end

afflict

Satan obtained permission to

him with

bodily disease, so that he was covered from the sole

of his foot unto his crown with sore boils.

affliction

This

makes a standing posture a rack of

torture, a

chair a seat of misery,

and a couch a " bed of unrest."

he " took a potsherd
in the ashes."

In the midst of

his wretchedness,

to scrape himself

and he
is

sat

down

In

our suffering

it

seldom that we cannot find some

relief.

posture that will not give some

But

this

was

not Job's case. ceeded

Pain followed pain, and

thrill suc-

thrill until .his

:

agony was complete.

"

Hear

his

dolorous complaint
shall I arise

When

lie

down

I say,

When
is is

and the night be gone?

My
;

flesh

clothed with

worms and

clods of dust

my

skin

broken and become loathsome.

When

I say,

My
is

bed

shall comfort me, then thou scarest

me

with dreams,
breath
cor-

and

terrifiest

me through

visions.

My

rupt, the graves are ready for

me." Job

vii. 4, 5,

13, 14,

and

xvii. 1.
all

From

this
relief,

weight of suffering Job might have

found some

had the wife of

his

bosom possessed
afflicted,

a right spirit.

But when she saw him thus

her heart rose in rebellion against God, and instead of

15

174

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

exhorting her husband to faith and patience, she bade

him "curse God and

Job's wife
so,

die."

During

his prosperity-

may have given some evidence of piety. how must such an avowal have pierced his soul and if not, how afflicting it must have been to behold
If
her,

whom

he loved so tenderly, venting her wicked-

ness against

God ?

She not only manifested hatred

;

to

him whom Job adored

to her husband.

but she became cold and cruel

:

He

says

"

My

breath

is

strange to

my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of my own body." Job xix. 17. The appeal to conjugal
affection

was

fruitless.

Pointing to the pledges of

their love in their offspring

had no

effect.

Her mar-

riage

vows and

all

the kindness she had received were

forgotten.

Her

heart was unfeeling.

distress to

Another source of

Job was the conduct

of his friends, his servants and his neighbors.

that
is

To him
were their

afflicted,

pity should be shown.

But when
it

those in
faces

whom we

have trusted hide as

from

us, it is sad indeed.

At

first

Job's friends

seemed disposed to sympathize with him, but they

soon began to accuse him wrongfully.

They aggra-

vated his sufferings by referring to his former prosperity.

Job

iv. 2.

They

dealt deceitfully with him.

xvi. 20.
:

Job

vi. 15.

They scorned him. Job

soul.

They

vexed his

Job

xix. 2.

He

says

" They

whom
They

I loved are turned against me." Job xix. 19.

job's trials

and mercies.
;

175
they told

charged him with hypocrisy, Job xx. 5

him God was punishing him

cruelty,

for

his

injustice

and

Job

xxii.

6-9

they perverted his language,

and upon

his speech
of,

put a construction which he had

never thought

and a meaning which he abhorred.

2.

Job xxxiv. 9

xxxv.

The

great difficulty was that

without evidence they believed him guilty; and such

people cannot be convinced by evidence.

Under

these

circumstances Job poured forth his complaints.

Hear

him

God

" hath put

my

brethren far from

me and

mine acquaintance

are verily estranged

from me.

My
my

kinsfolk have failed, and

forgotten me.

my

familiar friends have

They

that dwell in

mine house and

maids count

and he
full

me for a stranger. I called my servant gave me no answer." Job xix. 13-16. So

he, that

was the conviction of those around Job that he

he was

was a bad man, and so helpless was

held in the utmost contempt.
despised him, and

Even "young

children

when he
The

arose they spake against

him." Job xix. 18.

children

of the meanest

people and of base men,

sported with

who were

viler than the earth

him and

spat

upon him. Job xxx. 1-10.

If

we

feel great

pain at even suspicion thrown on our

characters,

what must Job's anguish have been when

old and young, rich and poor, vile and honorable,

pious and ungodly united in suspecting, condemning

or despising

him

as a

bad man

Nor had Job any

176

JEII0VAH-JIREH.

means of proving himself innocent.

The

charges
It

brought against him were general and vague.

impossible for
as all

was
felt,

him

to

prove a negative.
is

Yet he

good men do, that a good name

better than
trials

great riches

and precious ointment.

light,

His other

would have been comparatively

been true and kind.
greatly misjudged him.

had

his friends

But they were unstable and

Another source of sorrow was that Job had no sensible religious

comfort.

He

cries

out,
2.

"Oh

that I

were as in months past." Job xxix.

riod of his sufferings does he

At no

pe-

seem

to

have had those

transporting views of divine things, which

many

of

the martyrs had, and which quenched the violence of

fire,

and bore the soul away from the consideration of

personal pains to rapturous thoughts on Jesus, and

heaven, and the crown of imperishable glory.

Yea,

not only was he tossed with

forted,

tempest and not comwith great distress.

but his soul was

filled

He
the

cries out:

"The arrows

of the Almighty are within

me, the poison whereof clrinketh up

terrors of

my

spirit:

God do set themselves in array against me." Job vi. 4. The spirit of a man sustaineth his infirmEven when ity, but a wounded spirit who can bear? alone the terrors of God may be insupportable; but
when joined
to so

many

other evils, where

is

the heart

strong enough to bear the dreadful weight?

job's trials

and mercies.
he
liad

177
not sweet

It heightened Job's misery that

access to

God by

prayer.

He

says,

"Oh

that I

knew
to

where I might
his seat!

find

him! that I might come even

I would order

my
is

cause before him.

Be-

hold I go forward, but he

not there; and backward,

left

but I cannot perceive him; on the

hand, but I cannot

behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand that

I cannot see him." Job xxiii. 3, 4, 8,
9.

The

privilege

of prayer in
ple,

all its

sweetness remaining to God's peo-

they have inexpressible comfort; but

when

that

is

gone, what can the soul do?

Another aggravation of Job's

affliction

was, that al-

though better instructed than his

imperfectly

friends,

he yet but

understood the doctrine of providence.

has been
felt

This

difficulty

in every age.
it

In the

patriarchal

and Mosaic dispensations

terribly af-

flicted the righteous.

Even under

the clear light of

this

the

gospel,

good men have perplexities from

source.

Job had no such

clear Scriptures as these:

"As many as

I love, I rebuke and chasten;" "If ye be

without chastisement, ye are not sons;"

"We
for

must

through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God;"

" We know that
all

things

work together

good to

them who love God."

Instead of this clear light Job

himself saw God's ways involved in inscrutable mystery.

Job xxxi.

3.

Hope

of better days on earth seems quite to have

H*

178

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

departed from him.

He
As

says,

"I

shall

no more see

good." Job

vii. 7.

far

forward as his vision ex-

tended, all was dark and dreary.

mise,

No

star of pro-

no ray of joyous expectation illumined

the

gloom.

Former

greatness arid happiness but

fallen.

showed

him how low he had

return.

They gave no pledge of

All seemed to be irretrievably gone.

of

The
his

great

man

Uz

became a companion

to owls,

and

harp was turned into mourning, and his organ into

the voice of

them

that weep.

Job xxx. 29, 31.

set

Under

this

enormous load of suffering Job

of patience.
lips.

bright example
ful

Not a word of
Job
i.

sin-

murmur

escaped his

22.

He exhibited

not the proud severity of the stoic in refusing to ac-

knowledge himself

afflicted.

He

had not the iron

hardihood of atheism, denying God's hand in his troubles.

lief.

Nor did he

exhibit the sinful sinking of unbe-

He

submissively acquiesced in what

God

or-

dained.

Maker.

He He

brought no

foolish

charge against his

meekly says: "What? shall we receive

shall

good at the hand of God, and

evil?" Job
especially
ii.

we not

receive

10.

He

sought solace in worship and

is

in praise.

It

not claimed that in

all

things Job was

in the

spotlessly pure, but only that he

was
close

main and persistently upright.

Near the

of the book

spoken of

God me the

himself says,
thing that
is

"My

servant Job has

right."

Job

xlii. 7.

Job

job's trials

and mercies.

179

did indeed undertake to reason on matters beyond his

knowledge. Job xxxviii.

his feelings

2.

But the general tenor of

God.

was pleasing

to

For a long time he

bore the most trying events with a spirit of submission

probably never equalled in a mere man.

cause he
is fitly

For

this
is

held up to us as one whose example

worthy of imitation.
III. Let us consider his history after the heavy

hand of God was no longer upon him.

point the

On

this

record

is

brief

but

highly satisfactory.

"The Lord
him
there unto
all

turned the captivity of Job,

and gave

twice as

much
all his

as he

had

before.

Then came
and and

him

brethren,

and

all his sisters,

they that had

been of his acquaintance before,

did eat bread with

him

in his house;

and they bethe evil that

also

moaned him, and comforted him over all

the

Lord had brought upon him

piece of

every

man

gave

him a
gold.

money, and every one an earring of

latter

So the Lord blessed the

end of Job more

than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand

sheep, and six thousand camels,

and a thousand yoke

of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

sons and three daughters.
.
.

He had also seven And in all the

land were no

women found

so fair as the daughters of

Job: and their father gave them inheritance among

their brethren.

After this Job lived an hundred and

his sons

forty years,

and saw

and

his sons' sons,

even

180
four generations.

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

So Job died being old and

10-17.

full

of
his

days." Job

xlii.

Every foul imputation on

character was wiped away.

Every slanderous tongue

storm was passed.

was

silenced.

The

terrible

Only
So-

the peaceable fruits of righteousness remained.

bered and chastened he indeed was, but richly laden

with the experience of God's goodness.

He

saw the

end of the Lord, that the Lord

tender mercy.

is

very pitiful and of

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.
1.

How

vain are all

is

merely earthly possessions!

How
pains!

unstable

popular favor!

How

uncertain are

riches!

How
When
not

soon our pleasures

may be

followed by

parents rejoice at the birth of a child,

they

know

how soon

they

may weep
is

over his dead

saved.

body without an assurance that his soul

Solo-

mon
we we

thoroughly tried the world.

all

His sober inspired

judgment was that

was vanity.

The sooner

reach that conclusion ourselves, the wiser shall

be.

2.

Let us always be more afraid of sinning against

than of offending our nearest earthly friends.
instantly repulsed the wicked assaults of his wife,

God
Job

saying,

"Thou

speakest as one of the foolish

ii.

women
Peter,

speaketh." Job

10.

To

his
:

own

disciple,

Jesus was compelled to say

" Get thee behind me,

job's trials

and mercies.

181

Satan:
vorest

thou art an offence unto me: for thou sanot

the
things
that

be of

God but

those

that be of

men." Matt. xvi. 23.

for a

No human
with our

friendfidelity

ship
to

may

moment

interfere

God.
3.

Although God generally chooses the poor

mercy
to the rich,

as his

children, yet he offers

all

and receives

such as humbly seek his grace.

Job's riches did

not debar

him from

the

kingdom of heaven.

By

rea-

son of depravity riches tend to alienate the heart from

God; yet sovereign grace can remedy

that evil.

He,

who
faith

is

rich in this world's goods,

is

and

also rich in

and good works,

of Jehovah.

loudly called to sing the

praises

Nothing but almighty power

could thus

make

the camel go through the eye of the

needle, or preserve the soul

from the burning flames

of insatiable covetousness.
4.

Weight of

character

and a high order of

to
is

talents

are

by no means confined

the enemies of God.

"Why should they be?

judgment and

Piety

wisdom.

Who

ever

stood higher for wisdom in council, for soundness of

for prowess in
to the

war than did the man of

consistent pro-

Uz ?
of

In proportion

number of

fessors of religion, there cannot be

found any number

men who
16

surpass God's people for calmness of in-

quiry, soberness of

mind and

practical

wisdom.

True

182
religion
is

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

worthy of the mpst earnest and solemn

attention.
5.

Good men

are not always

good

in

proportion to
is

the degree of light which they enjoy.

to

Job

supposed

have lived before the time of Moses, under the

;

obscurity of the patriarchal dispensation

yet he

was

a burnins: and a shining light.

He

neither saw nor

to us.

heard

many wondrous

things well

known

Yet
other

how men

far did

he and Abraham and Enoch and

ancient worthies excel the great mass of even good

of these latter days.

Truly we ought
is

to

blush

for our short-comings.

Guilt

in proportion to light.

Surely then
ciencies.
6.

we must be very

guilty for our sad defi-

When

malice, or envy, or suspicion, or evil sur-

mising

exists,

no established reputation, no want of

tie

evidence of guilt can "

ous tongue."

the gall

up
life

in the slander-

By

a long and holy

Job had given

incontestible evidence of the purity of his character.

His friends could bring no proof of

anything.
city

his criminality in

Yet they charged him with

cruelty, rapaleft

and hypocrisy.
It
is

Such wickedness has not yet

the earth.

no new or rare thing for the best men

basest

to be charged with the

practices.

plans,

principles or

It will be so until grace shall reign through

all

Jesus Christ over

hearts.
is

propensity to evil
the last faults

thoughts and evil speeches

among

job's trials

and mercies.
even good

183
are

of character from which

livered.
7.

men

de-

If friends accuse us falsely and act as enemies,

let

us not forget to pray for them.

:

Job

set

us the

example

Job

xlii. 8.

Enmities arising between old

friends are generally

more violent than

others.

"A

brother offended
city:

is

harder to be

won than a
like

strong

and their contentions are

Prov. xviii. 19.

the bars of a
yield to

castle."

But we must not

passion.

We
till

must forgive and seek blessings on

and cruelly entreat
us.

those

who

falsely accuse us

It

was not

Job prayed

for his accusers that

God

turned his captivity.

malice in our hearts.

Let us never carry a load of

It
is

worse than any evil we

can suffer at the hand of man.

8.

When
It

our characters are assailed,

we

are

at

liberty to use Christian measures to

report.
is

remove an

evil

then best to leave the whole matter in

the hands of God.

Lawsuits for character

may be

lawful and sometimes expedient.

sions are excited

But when bad pasis

no character
its

so unspotted that

malice will not spew out

venom
call for

against

it.

We

may deny our

us
;

guilt

we may

evidence against
;

we may bring evidence of innocence

of heated imaginations and
its

but with

men

strong

prejudices,

evidence never has

9.

just weight.

It

is

very dangerous to become involved in a

184

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

labyrinth of reasoning concerning God, his character

and providence.
to us

Things which are revealed belong

and our children.

;

We may
but

safely follow where-

ever revelation leads

we

are

no judges of what

is

proper to be done under the government of God.

The

attempt to
failure

criticise the

divine proceedings

is

always a

and
is

iniquity.

10. It

important to study the Scriptures and

the plans and providence

learn all

we can concerning

of God.

Had Job
learn,
it

clearly

known what we by

patient

study

may

would have removed much of the

God's word
it.

pungency of
lamp.
11.

his grief.

is

a light and a

Let us walk by

What

is

the grief of each one?

loss

Is

it

poverty,

poor health, want of reputation,

fort ?

of religious com-

"Whatever

it

be, take for

an example of suffertrials

ing affliction Job, the narrative of whose

written for our comfort.

was

Like him,
slay

let

each one say

of the Almighty,
trust in

"Though he
xiii.

me, yet will I

confi-

him." Job

15.

Never was pious Never did any

dence in the Lord misplaced.

trust in

him and was confounded.

12.

The
The
is

secret of the

Lord

is

with them that fear

ever reveals to his

him.
people

greatest

secret

God

the mystery of redemption.

Of

this

Job

was not ignorant.

language
is

By

this

he trium^'-ed.
that

His own

explicit:

"I know

my Redeemer

job's trials
liveth,

and mercies.

185 day upon

and that he
:

shall stand at the latter

after

the earth
stroy this

and though

my

skin
shall

worms deI see

body yet

in

my

flesh

God

whom

I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall

behold and not another." Job xix. 25-27.

16 *

186

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

CHAPTER XVI.
god's providence

towards his church renders

unnecessary all tormenting fears respecting

her safety and final triumph.

fear of the

rilHE
-*-

Lord

is

the beginning of wisdom.

too

Of

that kind of fear

is

we cannot have

much.

There

also a salutary fear, based in self-distrust,

to pride
is

and opposed
quality.

and

carelessness.

That

is

a good

Blessed
is

the

man

that feareth always. It disheartens,

But

there

a fear which torments.

multiplies difficulties, magnifies obstacles, and refuses

available
resources.

Such

fear

brings a snare.
It cries,
it

It
is

begets doubts and despondency.

lion in the way.

There
rejoice.
is

a
It

It weeps

when
and

should
It

sings dirges

when

paeans are called for.

in

many
is

ways an enemy

to our peace It is

usefulness.

It

grief to our fellows.

an offence to God.
the church.

Sometimes such
trembles for her
ter in order.

fear

possesses

She

own

safety.

Let us consider the mat-

THE CHURCH SAFE.

I.

187

the occasions of this fear

1.

are such as these:

When

the church looks to herself for resources

and encouragement.
is

She

is

"a

little flock."

"Jacob

small."

The

people of

God

are

"a remnant."
great numbers.

The house of God cannot boast of

Much

as Zion has lengthened her cords

is still

beyond her
in.

former possessions, she

but a garden hedged

Few

love her feasts, or delight in her solemnities.

state is

Her outward
are poor.

humble.

Most of her
Lord

friends
refuses

In gathering

his family, the

none,

who

sincerely apply for admission; yet gene-

rally he pours
all glory,

contempt on princes, stains the pride of

takes the beggar from the dunghill and exto sonship

alts

him

with God.
is

Zion's friends are an

afflicted people.

"She

black as the tents of Kedar.

The

sun hath looked upon her."

to

Waters of a

full

cup are wrung out

her children.

Her garments
She
is

are stained in the blood of her martyrs.

feeble.

very

In one text God addresses the church as

"thou
Faith

worm
is

Jacob."

Her
is

attainments are

low.

weak.

Love

languid.

Joy spreads but

few

feasts.

Self-denial has taught but few of her hard

lessons.

Humility furnishes but a scant robe.

Zeal,

where

is it?

She

is

also sadly divided.

Her

unity

is

marred.

"Her

children have been angry with her."

They have been

unnatural.

Ephraim has envied

Judah, and Judah has vexed Ephraim.

188
2.

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
'Another occasion of fear
is

the apparent inade-

quacy of the means of the church's defence.

gifts

Ascension

have indeed
Still

descended

on

her

pastors

and

teachers.

they are not angels but men,

men of

like passions with others, not vessels used in heaven,

but vessels of clay.

The cherub

in glorious

knowledge
any of our

and the seraph

pulpits.

in holy fires appear not in

When God

vouchsafes his presence, divine

ordinances are clothed with a blessed efficacy, but if

the Spirit offended by our sins withdraws,
as
it

is

"even

when an hungry man dreameth, and behold he

and
his

eateth; but he awaketh,

soul

is

empty: or

as

when a

thirsty

man

dreameth, and behold he drinketh,

is

but he awaketh, and behold he

faint,

and

his soul
less

hath appetite."
the law killeth.
Spirit
ness,
it is

In the

letter the

Gospel no

than

In the hands of the new-creating

the power of

God; otherwise

it is

foolish-

a stumbling-block, sounding brass, a tinkling

cymbal, and he,

air.

who

proclaims

it,

does but beat the

The weapons of our warfare have no mightiness

Another occasion of fear
to the church is

but through God.

3.

found

in

the number, haughtiness, cunning, fierceness

and

cruelty of her foes.

Their name

is

legion.

The church
by
birds

dwells like the turtle-dove surrounded

prey.

of

Her enemies

present whole empires, and those

the most populous, in solid masses

of wickedness.

THE CHURCH SAFE.

Their insolence
is

189
shoot out the
lip.

diabolical.

They

They
grief.

point the finger of scorn.

They

deride pious

They mocked

the dying agonies of her Lord.

They

ridicule her noblest designs, saying, " If a fox

go

up, he shall even break

down

their stone wall."

They

exhaust their powers of reproach and ignominy on the

saints.

They

rely

on worldly influence.

In fury they

are like raging waves of the sea, foaming out their

thundering menaces.

The blood
to the

of the faithful they

have poured out like water

dogs of persecution,

who have

licked

it

up with greediness.
" Sat and planned

Many

a time

has persecution
Deliberately and with most musing pains,

How
The Her

to

extremest

thrill

of agony,
souls of holy

flesh,

and blood, and

men,

victims,

might be wrought; and when she saw

New

tortures, of her laboring fancy born,

She leaped

for joy,

and made great haste

to try

Their force, well pleased to hear a deeper groan."

We

may

live to see such days.

Sober writers on pro-

phecy seem to expect a wasting fury of wicked passions before the blaze of Millenial glory.

But whether

raging or quiet, the enemies of the church are always

cunning.

With

the

venom

they have also the guile

of the serpent
nations.

that old serpent,

who

deceiveth the
fill

They

lay dark plots.

snares.

They
is

the

way

to

Zion with pits and

This

especially true of

190

JEIIOVAH-JIREH.
"Insidiousness seems to

the fautors of false doctrine.

be a

common

character of heresy."*

" Damnable here-

sies" are always

brought in " privily."

If

it

were

possible false teachers

4.

would deceive the very

for sinful fear in the

elect.
is

Another occasion

church

the seeming; tardiness of her divine

Head

in aveng-ino-

her wrongs and vindicating her cause.

that the plans of her
to

Zion forgets

King

reach from an eternity past

this,

an eternity

to come.

Forgetting

the church

cries,

"O

Lord,

how long?" "Why

is

art thou unto

me

as a liar

and as waters that fail?"

"I look

for judgit

ment, but there

none; for salvation, but

cried,

is far

from me."
long,

For ages the church has

true, dost

"How

Lord, holy and

thou not judge and

avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"

How
hope.

often

is

the heart

made

sick

by the deferring of
had
lived

Edwards ventured

to conjecture that he

seen the

dawn of

the latter-day glory.

Yet he

to see folly, heresy, fanaticism

and persecution mar the

glory of that great revival.

II.

SUCH FEAR

IS

WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE.

to

The language of God

takeable
reasons,
:

Zion

is

clear
."

and unmis-

" Fear not

be not dismayed

God
:

gives

good reasons for such encouragement

;

"I

am
;

with thee

am

thy

God

I will strengthen thee

* Milner.

THE CHURCH SAFE.

will help thee
;

191

I will uphold thee with the right hand

of

my

righteousness."

These words are

full

of com" I

fort.

They point

us to God's omnipresence.
his

am

with thee."

With

church

God

goes through the

Red

sea,

through the wilderness, through Jordan,

through the wars of Canaan.

into the mire of the

He

goes with Jeremiah

dungeon of Malchiah, with Daniel

into the lions' den, with the

young Hebrews

into the

burning

fiery furnace,

with Stephen through the shower

of stones, and with John to the island of Patmos.

does he confine his presence to
occasions.
trials

Nor

great men, or great

To

the whole church in all her states and

;

he says, " I will never, no never leave thee

will never,

no never, no never forsake thee."

"When

thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;

and through the

rivers they shall not overflow thee

fire,

when thou
burned
;

walkest through the

thou shalt not be

neither shall the flame kindle

upon

thee."

In

this presence of

God

there

is

a blessed concord
Trinity.

among
Son

the

persons of the adorable

The

eternal Father says, " I

says, " Lo, I

am

with thee."

The

eternal

am

with you always even unto the

end of the world."

The

eternal Spirit

by the Son
This

assures us that he will abide with us forever.

presence supposes and implies readiness to hear complaints, to

extend

aid, to protect,

support and deliver.

It gives us at

hand

vast storehouses of infinite perfec-

192
tions

JEIIOVAH-JIREII.

from which

to

draw

supplies.
:

Let the church

is

stand on this rock and sing

"

God

our refuge and

strength, a very present help in trouble."

Look,

too, at the

power of God promised

Pious

to help,

uphold and strengthen us.

stayed themselves on that

men

of

all

ages have

al mightiness,

severed from
into the bot-

which the universe would rush headlong

tomless abyss of annihilation, but supported by which

all

worlds travel, "wheeling unshaken through im-

mensity."

The Lord
even
I,

thus chides and cheers us at

once

"

I,

am

he that comforteth you

who
that
as

art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a

man

shall die,

and of the son of man that

forgettest the

shall be

made

grass

',

and

Lord thy Maker,

that hath

stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations

of the earth

and hast feared continually every day

because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were

ready to destroy? and where

is

the fury of the oppresthat he

sor?
loosed,

The

captive exile hasteneth

may be
? hast

and that he should not die

in the pit, nor that

his bread should fail."

" Hast thou not known

thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord,

the

Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not,

is

neither

weary? there

is

no searching of his under-

standing.

He

giveth power to the faint, and to

them

that have no

might

he increaseth strength."
is

Who
He,

dare affirm that anything

too hard for

God ?

THE CHURCH SAFE.

193

who humbly

relies

on the presence and power of

man whom
;

God

"is the

storms can never

make

Meanly complain

nor can a flattering gale

:

Make him
To read

talk proudly
:

he hath no desire
yet unconcerned

his secret fate

And calm
In
all its

can meet his unborn destiny

charming or

its

frightful shapes."

The Bible abounds

made with
his chosen,

in exceeding great

and precious

promises, inwoven into the covenant, which

God

has

and which has been the joy of

the saints in all ages.

That covenant
set
it

is everlasting.

Time, change, tumult, can never

aside.

Abra-

ham, David, and

heaven by

all the

prophets hold their places in

this tenure.
is

This covenant
It
is

also sure.

There

is

no flaw in

it.

well ordered.

It

is

the device of

God

himself,

the

work of

eternal wisdom.
is

This covenant

confirmed

by renewals, by

fulfil-

ments, by ordinances, by signs and seals, and by the

solemnities

of an oath.

For,

"God
it

willing

more

abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed

by an

oath, that

by two immutable things, in which

it

was impossible

God to lie, we might have a Now, " though it be but a man's

for

strong consolation."

covenant, yet

if it

be

confirmed, no

man

disannulleth or addeth thereto."

How
17

firm then must be the covenant of

I

God

194
This covenant

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
is

no-

-d with any causal or

meritorious conditions.

"We are

to look

and

live, to

take and

eat, to receive

Christ and his grace, and be

is

saved forever.

Xo
is

money, no merit
ample in
life
its

required of us.
It secures

This covenant

provisions.
is.

the promise of the

is

that

now

and of that which

to

come.

It secures

bread and water, food and

raiment, justification and sanctification, laith, repentance, hope, love, joy, meekness, patience, gentleness,
peace, experience, victory

and an exceeding and

a blessing. things.

eternal

weight of glory.

It

makes death
all

It pro-

nounces the believer heir of

ills

It converts

into mercies.
is

This covenant
of God.
-

sealed

in the blood of the

Son

" This

is

the

new

testament in

my

blood,"

he.

The

execution of this covenant

Spirit."

is

conducted under
gives us the
all

''the ministration of the

He

anointing that abideth, the unction that teacheth

things.

This covenant
_

is

never to be forgotten.
let his

God never
it.

:- it,

nor will he
is

people forget

This covenant
tor. Jesus,

ordained in the hands of a Media-

who

is

" the Messenger of the covenant,""

his soul delighteth," the G<xlhis

U G d'a

elect, in

whom

man, the
fitness

Surety- of all

people.

The exceeding
is

of our Saviour to administer this covenant

THE CHURCH SAFE.

often declared in Scripture.
First,

195
"

He

thought

it

not robbery to be equal with God."

His

eternal

power and Godhead are never questioned

in heaven.

As a days-man he
Secondly,

is

able to lay his

to

hand upon God.

finding those

be redeemed in

human

He became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. He assumed our whole nature, its sinfulness excepted. He was tempted in all points like as we are. He carried our sorrows. He shook hands with grief and made affliction his
nature, he took part of the same.

bosom companion.
and with

With

tastes

exquisitely

refined

sensibilities the keenest,

he lived and died

poor, subsisting chiefly on the charities of a few

hum-

ble females, he hungered, he thirsted, he toiled, he

wept, he prayed, he died, and even in his mysterious

agony, he showed his power and grace by saving a

thief,

and

his

filial

piety and

natural

affection

by

making

the most fitting provision for his aged mother.

Even

after his resurrection

still

he gave

many

infallible

proofs that he was

truly a man.
for his

Thirdly, Christ

was pre-eminently prepared

gloriously anointed

work by being
" He received

by the Holy Ghost.

the Spirit not by measure."

truth,

All fulness of grace, and

Fourthly, in conseis

and wisdom dwelt in him.

quence of what he was and did and suffered, he

highly exalted.
universe
is

His name

is

above every name.

The

subsidized to him.

He summons

the stars

196

JEHOVAII-JIREn.

to fight his battle?,

at his
'*

and they obey him.

his foes

His angels
his people.

command confound
and

and save

By him

kings reign, and princes decree justice.

By

him

princes rule,

nobles, even all the judges of the

earth."

Over good and

It

bad, angels and

men he sways
dumb.

his sceptre.

was

he,

who

struck the oracles

Even
ples.

his birth sent confusion into the heathen tem-

The most famous

seat

of such worship was

at

Delphos.

When
boy,

the oracle there was asked

why he

so seldom gave responses now, the answer was, " There

is

Hebrew
and

who

is

king of the gods, who has

commanded me
hell,

to leave this house,

and be gone to

therefore

you are
is

to expect

no more answers."

yes, the

Hebrew boy
him.

the Father of eternity, the

Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God.

subject

Devils were
Sennacherib,

unto

Pharaoh,

Cyrus,

Herod, Xero, every tyrant and every persecutor did

but " accomplish his whole work on Mount Zion."

If convulsions shake heaven and earth,

if

thrones

and empires crumble

poured
out, if

to dust, if rivers of blood arc

famine and pestilence devastate the land,

if there

be " upon the earth distress of nations with

perplexity ; the sea and the waves thereof roaring

men's hearts failing them for

after those things,
still

fear,

and

for looking

which are coming on the earth,"

Zion, thy
is

we

sing, "

God

reigneth."

On

the

other hand to his people he

the Prince of peace.

To

THE CHURCH SAFE.

them he
riseth,
is

197

as " the light of the morning,

;

when

the sun

even a morning without clouds

as the tender

grass springing out of the earth

rain."
thee,

by

clear shining after

Thou worm

Jacob, he helps thee, he upholds

he strengthens thee.
his saints to be as
to

He

makes "the

feeble

among
David
"

David, and the house of

be as God, as the angel of the Lord."

When

the poor

and needy seek water and there

is

none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, he opens

rivers in high places
valleys.

and fountains

in the midst of the

He makes
his

the wilderness a pool of water and

the dry land springs of water."

infinite,

His compassions are

his

power almighty,

wisdom unerring.
in all their

Before his incarnation he was

affliction,

afflicted

and

since his ascension

he has once come

to assure us that he

down within
and
phemer,

the hearing of

men

his people are one, saying to the enraged blas-

"Why

persecutest thou

me?"

His church

is

graven on the palms of his hands.

cares
his

In the midst of

and business the husband may forget the wife of

;

youth

but the bridegroom of the church has

" betrothed her unto him forever, yea he has betrothed

her unto
in

him

in righteousness,
in

and

in

judgment and

loving-kindness, and

mercies.

He

has even
all this

betrothed her unto

him

in faithfulness."

And

provision of mercy, of a covenant with a Surety, was

made

in

mere love and

pity.

So that we may

in-

198

JEHOVAII-JIREH.

trepidly reason, If "

God

spared not his

own Son, but

he not with
is

delivered

him up

for us all,

how

shall

him

freely give us all things?"

Such reasoning

conclusive

unanswerable.
so,

It shuts us

up

to hope.

It forbids all harassing fears.

It brands dismay with

guilt

and infamy.
then every pious
to derive benefit

If these things are

to be far
tions,

man
from

ought
afflic-

more concerned

than to get rid of them.

We

are always guilty

fruit

when we do not gather the peaceable

ness from

of righteous-

our chastisements.

From

adversity the

church should derive the following benefits

1.

She should learn the meaning of many portions

of Scripture.

The Psalms and many

Whatever
is

of the sacred
trial,

writings are best studied in the day of darkness,

bereavement.

leads us correctly to under-

stand God's word

2. Trials

useful to us.

lead to prayer.

How

seldom has strong

crying with tears ascended to God, except from the

hearts of believers borne

down with an awful weight

Jonah
ship.
is

of sorrow.
safer
3.

At prayer

in the whale's belly

and nearer deliverance than asleep on the

In
sanctified affliction

we

acquire increased con-

fidence in

God.

We

find that

we

are as safe and can

be as quiet

when haled

before judges,

when loaded

with chains and reproaches, when stripped of earthly

THE CHURCH SAFE.

stays

199
in plenty,

and props,

as

when abounding

and

having outward peace and prosperity.

4.

" The path of duty

is

the path of safety." Daniel

in the lion's den,

Paul

in carrying his cause to

Rome,

and Luther in burning the pope's bull, were perfectly safe

because they were following the leadiugs of Providence.

God
and

will defend

all,

in the Lord.
his soul
is

who work righteousness and trust man is not hurt, till his soul is hurt;
till

not hurt,
is

his conscience
till it is

is

defiled;

and
sin.

his conscience

not defiled,
us, as

polluted with
are follow-

Nothing can harm

which
is

long as

we

ers of that
5.

good.
the wicked
is

The triumph of
is

short,

and

all caris

nal boasting

vain.

The
enemy

greatest of all victories

his

that which one obtains over

joice not

own

evil heart.

" Re-

when

thine

falleth,
:

and

let

not thine
see
it,

heart be glad

when he stumbleth

lest the

Lord
his

and

it

displease him,

and he turn away

wrath

from him."
6.

At

all

times beware of carnal exultation.

God

will take care of his interests

on

earth.

He

will promote the purity

his church.

and protect the innocence of

is

"All
the

is

not lost that

it

brought into dan-

ger."

"In
is

mount

shall

be seen."

"Man's exthings get to

tremity

God's opportunity."

"When
better."

the worst, they begin to

grow

"When

the

bricks arc doubled, then comes Moses."

7.

Whoever

risks

anything for the truth, and cause,

200

JEHOYAH-JIREH.
suffer

and people of God, shall ultimately

nothing.

damage

in

"He

that loseth his life shall find it."

life

He,
con-

who
8.

piously leads a

of self-denial, has

tinual feast.

Let us judge nothing before the time.

\Ye are
the

of yesterday and

know

nothing.

Though

Lord
wil-

cause grief, he will have compassion according to the

multitude of his mercies, for he does not

linodv nor grieve the children of men. C Da
9.

afflict

If

we

see the oppression of the poor,

and the vio-

lent perverting of

judgment and

justice in the earth,

is

we should

not marvel at the matter; for he that

higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher

than they. Ecc. v.

things
that
perish.

8.

Xor

let

us be greedy of the
partridge sitteth on

"As

the

eggs, and hatcheth

them

not, so

he that getteth

riches,

and not by
days,

right, shall lose

them

in the midst of his

aud

at his

end shall be a

fool." Jer. xvii. 11.

10. All the trials the church

undergoes are
in their hearts.

tests,

and show God's people what

is

So

we

read of Hezekiah.

"In

the business of the ambas-

sadors of the princes of Babylon,

to inquire of the

who

sent unto

him

wonder

that

was done in the land,

God
was

left

him, to try him, that he might

know

all that

in his heart."' 2 Chr. xxxii. 31.

11.

God

so arranges

and

blesses

the trials of his

people, as

commonly

to

make them

the

means of

THE CHURCH SAFE.

strengthening their love to the church.

201

He, who
He,

does not love Zion, does not love her King.

who

does not prefer Jerusalem above

his chief joy, is

not prepared for glory.

Whatever
tell

leads us to

"walk

about Zion, go round about her,

the towers thereof,

is

mark
good
12.

well her bulwarks, and consider her palaces,"

for us,

and

refreshes us.

Some

trials in

each age of the church are neces-

sary to keep alive the principles of personal and reli-

gious liberty.
nizing.

The world

is

always cruel and tyranto fight the battle of

Every generation has

freedom of thought, and freedom of worship.

world
13.
is

The

always encroaching.

Let us often inquire, Wherefore,

Lord, dost

thou contend with us?

There

is

always a cause
is

need be

for

our

afflictions.

Blessed

he who knows

his calling, his business, his opportunity,

and the end

God
let

has in view in dealing with him.

14.

By

the review and remembrance of past trials,

for

the church gather strength

future

conflicts.

Often do saints sing:

"

When we
'Tis

review our dismal fears,

to

hard

think they've vanished so;

left

With God we

our flowing tears,

He makes

our joys like rivers flow."

love,

"Zion enjoys her monarch's

Secure against a threatening hour;

Nor can her

firm foundation move,

Built on his truth, and armed with power."

202

JEHOVAH-JIREII.

CHAPTER XVII.
god's providence

over nations.
little

general

men

think far too

of God's provi-

dence over nations.

evidently the power of

In great perplexity, when

inadequate to re-

man is wholly

move or avert evils, then In God alone is our help.

vernment of
nations.

indeed the thoughtful say,

If divine interposition
it is

is

required in anything, surely

essential in the go-

The

interests at stake are vast

and momentous.
life,

Property, liberty, reputation and

with

all

the rights and blessings connected with

them, are powerfully protected or ruinously destroyed

by

political

institutions.

An

invasion of rights recalled

specting either of these Jbas often

greatest

forth the

powers of argument and eloquence, even when

but one

man had committed

or suffered an aggression.

But

in the

government of nations the rights of thouIf conscious

sands, generally of millions, are at stake.

integrity under slander, violence or chains

its

may, from

dark

cells, lift

up

its

supplicating eye to the Father

his arm,

of

spirits,

and hope that he will make bare

PROVIDENCE OVER NATIONS.

and plead
its

203

cause,

though the person of but one, and

society, be involved; can

he an humble member of

we

believe that the destinies of a mighty people associated

in a

body

politic are forgotten before

God?

If the

gentle shepherd, the distressed mariner, the dying prisoner, the

orphan boy, or the defenceless widow

may
a

venture to repose confidence in Jehovah; surely

nation expect that their
interests will not

may

common and unspeakable

God?

be forgotten before

These thoughts derive no small force from the absolute incapacity of nations to protect themselves, or to

preserve their

own

existence.

There are but few men

in the world possessed of

any considerable wisdom in

the

management of

political affairs.

The

eloquent, the

brave, the learned are often wholly unfit for times of trial
in the regulation of states and empires.
highest authority for saying : " Great
wise."

We have the
not always

men are

The

affairs

of nations are so complicated, the

so conflicting, the passions of

interests involved are

men

are so turbulent,

and a passage through

difficul-

ties is often so

narrow and so

intricate, that learning

is

gives no safe precedents, eloquence

powerless in the
is

presence of fierce opposition, courage

as useless as

it

would be

in attacking a tornado,

and age and public

services are

forgotten, despised or envied.

is

In such

times there

need of wisdom in

all

the departments

of government

wisdom

too that has seldom been

204
attained

JEHOVAH-JIREII.

by mortals.

The shrewdest men

felt

the world

has ever seen have often

themselves embarrassed

and sometimes confounded.

Moreover, the really wise

men

in

any nation, being a very small minority in

so in the adoption of measures.

fact, are often

They

see one after another of the only safe plans,

which they

recommend,

rejected
is

until

they despair of success.

is

Their foresight

called fancy; their prudence

is

es-

teemed timidity; their moderation

account of lukewarmness
is
;

set

down

to the

and

their

timely courage
earth, at least

called rashness.

Every people on

every free people, have at times been like a vessel dismasted, her rudder bands broken, herself driven before
the winds, and at the mercy of the waves.

No

pilot

but one that has omniscience

the

is

adequate to stand at

helm and guide her

despotism
is

safely through the storm.

A pure
ment

the simplest form of governit

in the world.

In

the will of one

man

decides

everything.

The moment men depart one

more

step towards

constitutional freedom, the

government becomes comthe

difficult it is to

plex.

The more freedom,

understand and adjust the balances of the Constitution

and the laws under

it.

Hence the
But

necessity of trans-

cendent wisdom in rulers.

if great

men

are not

always wise, neither are wise

interested

men always

honest, distraitor.

and

patriotic.

Ahithophel was a

Richelieu was bold, intriguing and fond of war.

He

PROVIDENCE OVER NATIONS.

wasted Savoy, Pignerol and Casal.

205

He

sent

Mary de
dissen-

Medicis, his great benefactress, to end her days in exile.

He

agitated all surrounding

kingdoms with
had great

sions

and

insurrections.

He

abilities

but
fell

great ambition

and very few

virtues.

Talleyrand
its

with every tottering dynasty and rose with

cessor.

suc-

His very wisdom was the scourge of the

Pitt was a great statesman,

nation which he ruled.

but his wars cost England nearly a million of millions

of pounds sterling, besides precious lives innumerable,

and the
all

loss of

more private

virtue than the glory of

is

the kingdoms of the world

to

worth.

Men who

might understand what ought

be done for a nation's

selfish.

good are often vain, cruel and sordidly

When

wisdom degenerates

into cunning,

and

political acts

are cautiously constructed to secure the elevation of

their authors, their very gifts are a curse.

Their long

and loud professions of love of country deceive none

but the unwary.

When

any one dares

to oppose their

nefarious schemes, they cry out,

"Art thou he

that

troubleth Israel ?"

They

often pander to the sins of

the nation.

Their appeals are to the worst passions

breast.

of the

human

Their practice

is

never better

than their principles.

Sometimes they are wine-bibbers

;

and drunkards

sometimes they are lewd and profane

sometimes, gamblers and duellists.

is

They

deride God's

206
*

JEIIoVAII-JIKEH.

name

they despise his Sabbaths

they scorn his wor-

ship; they reject his word.

Some have thought

States,

that,

because in the United

the ten

Christianity

has

outlived

thousand

malignant blows aimed at her sacred standard and her

standard bearers by the
after the

army of infidels

that arose just

religion
?
is

French Revolution, therefore pure

here in no danger.

But

is

this not a

mistake

In

the eyes of a majority of this nation,

it is

no longer a

reproach to be a professed Christian.

great

For years some

men have been

courting various religious denomi-

nations in order to secure their votes.

Hence new

dangers threaten both the body politic and the church

of God.

Already hypocrisy and phariseeism are by

in political contests.

some deemed advantageous

world
It
is

The

not without a solemn lesson on this subject.

it

may

not be resolved by any legislature, as once

was by Parliament, that " no person shall be employed

but such as the House
is

satisfied

of his real godliness."

Yet
any

oftentimes public opinion

statute.

is

more powerful than

Let ambitious men be once persuaded

that an assumption of the Christian's

will advance their interests,

name and garb

find

and

if

we do not

them

with " plain dress and lank hair," " talking through
their noses

and showing the whites of

their eyes,"

we

shall at least find

them

flattering the vanity of the

silly or superstitious,

and desecrating the high func-

PROVIDENCE OVER NATIONS.

tions

207

of their stations to sectarian fanaticism, and

putting their hands upon the holy things of a religion,

which hurls

its

most awful anathemas against a vain

but says imperatively to each one,

show of
"

piety;

My

son, give

me thy
is

heart."

Surely then there

need for the insteppings of Je-

hovah

to

guide and govern nations ; nations generally

each nation in particular.

hope.

Truly God

is

their only

If he withdraw his arm they sink.

his protecting shield, they fall

If he

remove
enemies.

before their

If he take his strong and quieting hand off

the hearts of the people, their passions heated as in a

furnace burst forth, and free institutions like stubble

perish before the consuming
It
is
fire.

therefore no less the part of

wisdom than of

piety to acknowledge the absolute dependence of every

nation upon the all-wise governance and nurturing

care of

Jehovah

for the perpetuity of its blessings.

Sober

men

in every age

and country have publicly and

the

privately confessed
save,

how

Lord alone did make, and

and keep them a people.

Many

a time does the

peace of every land hang by a thread, and faction, or

violence, or treachery stand ready with their
to cut
it.

weapons

Without God's good providence

too, nations

would soon perish from

famine or pestilence.
a feeble folk to set

Very

easily can

God arm even

at defiance for years together the skill of the

most

208

JEIIOVAH-JIREII.

powerful governments.

At one time

in this century

four of the mightiest nations on earth for years found

their

arms and prowess held

;

at

bay by comparatively

contemptible tribes

Russia by the Circassians; Eng;

land by the Afghans

France by the Algerines

and

America by the Seminoles.

states

Each of

these powerful

expended

scores of millions of

money and wasted

teaching them

many

precious lives, while

is

God was

that the race

not to the swift, nor the battle to the

strong, but that

God

is

Judge of

all.

These views are fully sustained by Scripture.

weakness and wickedness of
cannot be preserved

If the

men show that nations by human power and wisdom,

It
is

revelation teaches the same.

not convenient to
establish

present all the passages of

this truth.

Holy Writ which

are

The following

some of them.
nations.

God
To To

claims to be the Father and

Founder of

Ishmael he said: "I will make of thee a nation."

Abraham he
tion."

said:

"I

will

make of

thee a strong na-

Very
"

often in the Scriptures does he claim to

have founded and preserved the Jewish nation. Again

it is

said

He
is

shall

judge among the nations," and

'The Lord

governor among the nations."

God

is

often said to have scattered nations, to have cast out

nations, to have

divided to the nations their inheri-

tance, to increase nations, to enlarge them,

and
this

to Bub-

due them.

Xor

is

Jehovah burdened with

mighty

PROVIDENCE OVER NATIONS.

charge; for all nations are before

209

him

as nothing

and

vanity, a drop of the bucket and the dust of the

balance.

"When

he giveth quietness,

who

then can

make

trouble? and

when he
it

hideth his face,

who

then

can behold it? whether

against a

be done against a nation, or

has often threatened to
cast

man

only."

God

punish

nations, to be

avenged on them, yea, to

into hell the nations that forget God.

a small part of the

These are but

this

solemn texts of Scripture on

subject.

They

are enough to
is

show

that God's provi-

dence over nations

universal and particular.

is is

They

also

show

that there

cause of fear for every

their governor

nation on earth.

The Lord

and they

have rebelled against him. They have been exceedingly

ungrateful.
fat

What

prosperous nation hath not waxed

and kicked against the Lord ?

How

do

pride,

and

vanity, and covetousness, and evil speaking,

faneness,

and pro-

and drunkenness, and hatred between the

rich

and poor, and contempt of authority, and violence,

stain the escutcheon of every na-

and bloodshedding
tion
!

How
"

is

the permanency of every good governoffice seekers!

ment endangered by
UnnumberM

suppliants crowd preferment's gate,

Athirst for wealth, and burning to be great;

Delusive fortune bears the incessant

call,
fall.

They mount, they

shine, evaporate

and

On every
IS *

stage the foes of peace attend,

their flight,

Hate dogs

and

insult

marks

their end."

210

JEHOVAII-JIKEII.
afflicts

When God
reverently

any nation

let

its

inhabitants
to his

bow

before

him and humbly submit

chastisements.

Let good men pray and trust

God.
all

in the providence of

He

can deliver them and their nation out of

their troubles.

It

is

his

memorial in every
wonderful
acts

GENERATION THAT HE HEARETH PRAYER.

Let men praise Jehovah
for all his

towards their respective nations in days that are past.

We
the

have many model Psalms on

this subject.

It

is

Lord

that giveth salvation unto kings and deliverIt

is

eth his servants from the hurtful sword.

he that

makes our sons

as plants,

grown up

in their youth,

and our daughters

as corner-stones, polished after the

similitude of a palace.

It

is

he that makes our gar-

ners to be full, affording all

manner of

store;

that

makes our sheep bring

sands
in

forth thousands,

and ten thouto

our

streets;

that

makes our oxen strong

labor, that gives peace

which none can disturb, so that

nor going out, and no com-

there

is

no breaking

in,

plaining in our

streets.

We

should guard against becoming violent partisans

in the state, to
terests of

which we belong.
let

a country are at stake

Where the good men

real in-

risk all
let

except a good conscience in their defence.

But

not

good men

associate with

lewd fellows of the baser sort

PROVIDENCE OVER NATIONS.

in their howlings against

211

law and order.

"Beware of

dogs."

Let God's people be very careful how they

pate in a revolution. This
ances
are

partici-

may not be done when grievor

few or

light,

when
it is

there

is

any milder

method of redress, or when

the favorite measure

merely of the lawless and profligate portion of society,

or

when

the good to be gained bears no proportion to

the evil to be removed.

In such cases

it

seems to be

the duty of the suffering patiently to submit,

humbly
is

using such remonstrance, memorial or petition as

generally permitted.

Should these be forbidden,

let

the pious

man

carry his case to God.

Thus did God's

people in Babylon.
there,

Daniel, once in great authority

although a captive, was, under Belshazzar, driven

court.

from

The most venerable man

slighted

in the

kingdom,

he was

still

and

forgotten.

Wickedness

reigned and raged over all the land.

The sorrows of
the

the

faithful

were

multiplied.

By

prophecies

Daniel
long.

knew
Yet

that this state of things could not last

for the
to

time cruelty triumphed, and he

gave himself

fasting
to

and prayer.

He

and

his

countrymen seem

have been denied even the right

of memorial, until the iniquity of the government was

full.

Then

the

arm of Omnipotence was made

slain;

bare.

In one night Belshazzar was

Cyrus became

master of Babylon; the revolution was completed;

212

JEIIOVAH-JIREH.

God's people were bidden to rebuild their city; and

Israel were as those that dreamed, so marvellous
their deliverance.
christian.

whs
anti-

The

character of agitator

is

The

character of patriot seeking

by just
is

means the general welfare and the public good

nently commendable.

emi-

Let not good men be overmuch distressed by the

false

charge of being seditious and disturbers of the

public peace.
repeated.
1

This slander

is

old and has often been

Ahab brought
xviii. 17.

the charge against Elijah,

it

Kings

Hainan repeated

against all the

Jews, whose only offence was that one

man among
would
the
too,

them, venerable for age, piety and

not truckle to a tyrant.

patriotism,

Good Jeremiah
Israel,

weeping prophet, the lover of

treason.

was charged with

One high

in authority said, "

Thou

fallest

away
ble,

to the

Chaldeans." Jer. xxxvii. 13.

The humIn the

godly prophet

Amos was

foully charged with a

conspiracy against the king.

Amos
their

vii.

10.

days of our Lord, the Jews greatly hated Caesar.

Yet

when our Saviour reproved

sins,

abominable secret
let this

they said to Pilate, " If thou

:

man

go,

thou art not Caesar's friend

self a
it

whosoever maketh him-

king speaketh against Caesar."

Of

the apostles

was said, "

They

that have turned the world upside

down have come

hither also."

" These all do contrary

PROVIDENCE OVER NATIONS.

213

to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another

king, one Jesus."

All these charges were grossly calumnious; but they

are repeated against the
to age.
acter.

same kind of people from age

Christian char-

The world never understands

With

it

gospel humility

is

meanness, faith in
is

the testimony of
stubborness.

God

is

fanaticism, firmness

dogged

When

Pliny the younger, as governor

of a distant province, wrote to the Emperor Trajan an

account of the Christians, he said
:

" I asked them

if

they were Christians

if

they confessed, I asked them

again, threatening punishment.

If they persisted, I
:

commanded them

to be executed

for I did not at all

doubt but, whatever their confession was, their stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy ought to be punished."

In another part of the same

letter this

pro-

consul seems to have some relentings, but what can be

done with men, who have no magnanimity?

refuse to

Many
piety.
;

draw any

distinction between the ravings of

fanaticism,

and the purest and most humble

often pronounced themselves patriotic

Mobs have
is

but

there no difference between a

mob and
piety

a band of

patriots?

And

is

there

no difference between the

of a
true

enlightened,
Christian,

humble, unswerving

and the wild, lawless radicalism, which

rises
pit,

sometimes
bottomless

up, not from religion, but from the

to screen

and assumes the garb of piety

214
or to sanctify of the
its

JEHOVAII-JIREII.

abominations

The

natural enmitv

human

heart against holiness, the

envy of wicked

men
and

against the righteous, whose blighter lives and

higher hopes cast a pall of sadness over their character

destiny,

and the solemn testimony which good

men

in every age feel compelled to bear against the

reigning vices and darling sins of

men

sufficiently

account for

tlft

uniformity and bitterness with which

the charge of sedition, conspiracy and disloyalty are

made

against the best

it

men

of even-

acre.

Indeed

is

wonderful

how

true piety has always

secured good conduct

in subjects

and

citizens,

and
It
in

made them
so in

blessings to the laud they inhabited.

Babylon, where the church of

It

God was

cruel bondage.

was

so in the

Roman

empire during

those three hundred years

when

Persecution walked

The
Of

earth,

from age

to age,

and drank the blood

saints,

with horrid relish drank the blood

Of God's peculiar children

and was drunk

and
in his

And

in her drunkenness

dreamed of doing good.

The supplicating hand of innocence,

That made the
tiger mild,

wrath

The

lion pause

the groans of suffering most

:

Severe, were taught to her

>"o
B

she laughed at groans

music pleased her more; and no repast

-weet to her as blood of

men redeemed

By

blood of Christ.

For

centuries,

had the Christians chosen

to retire

PROVIDENCE OVER NATIONS.

215

from the empire, their very absence, as Tcrtullian

says,

would have been

terrible

vengeance to their per-

secutors.

How

long and patiently too did the Vau-

dois

and

their pious neighbors bless the very lands

that persecuted

them

So too

in

England and Scotits

land the voice of railing and slander poured

cruelty on the heads of the pious Puritans
nanters,

utmost

and Cove-

men of whom

the world was not worthy.

The

greatest historian of

England and the

greatest

novelist of Scotland have laid out their strength to

bring into disrepute these godly men, whose

is

memory

blessed.

With
is

all

his adoration for the house of

Stuart,

Hume

obliged to confess that these

men

were preeminent in the cardinal virtues, and that the

principles of liberty
tion were

inwoven in the British Constitu-

mainly through their agency and sufferings.

And
feel

after all Sir

Walter

Scott's sneers, one cannot but

that those

whom

he ridicules will by
place in church

God
and

be

adjudged to have
far better

filled their

state

than the

men who
"

caricature their conduct.

An

eminent writer, a zealous minister of the church

:

of England, says

Many, no doubt, who obtained an

undue ascendancy among the Puritans in the turbulent

days of Charles the First, and even before that time,

were

factious,

ambitious hypocrites

but I must think

liberty,

that the tree of liberty, sober

civil

and legitimate

and

religious,

under the shadow of which, we,

in

216

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

the establishment as well as others, repose in peace,

and the

fruit

of which we gather, was planted by the

if

Puritans,

and watered,

not by their blood, at least

Yet
it

by
to

their tears

and sorrows.

is the

modem fashion
revile, if

feed delightfully on the fruit, and then

not

curse, those

who planted and watered it"

cast out of

How

often

have the best men been

church establish-

ments, and then charged with the sin of schism.

How

often have they been fined, imprisoned, hunted like

partridges on the mountains, or pursued like beasts in

the wilderness, and yet have been complained of as

troublesome.

They have been driven from home

by wild

to

dwell in caves, they have suffered hunger, and shame,

and nakedness, and

perils

beasts

and savage

men

and yet

when

their patience has been

worn

out,

and they have availed themselves of the power given

them by providence

for their protection

and defence

they have been accused and condemned for not loving

a government, which gave them no protection, secured

to

them no immunities, but poured the

terrible indiscriminateness

vials of its

wrath with a

on the gray
;

head of ninety years, and on the infant of days

yea,

even butchered the unborn babe and crushed existence

in

embryo.

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.

217

CHAPTER

XVIII.
SINS.

PROVIDENCE PUNISHES NATIONS FOR THEIR

~^i

OD'S
tions.

providence

is

over both persons and nais

^^

In

this

world retribution to persons

imperfect, for they will be dealt with hereafter.

But

nations exist here only.

Whatever rewards
In

or punishthrift,

ments they receive must be temporal.

peace,

and

and honor they have

their

reward in

this

world

for their justice,

temperance and industry.

Here too

they are punished for their iniquities.

Sins are Rational, either

by

their prevalence

among

a people, or by being sanctioned by national authority.

"When the law-making power of a country decrees unrighteousness and frames wickedness
its

by a law; when

executive power

is

wielded for cruelty, or favorit-

ism; when the judges of a land are corrupt, and justify

the guilty and

condemn
off.

the innocent, then a fearful

reckoning
the

is

not far

So when iniquity abounds in

its

members of a

nation,

punishment

is

near.

The
pride,

offences,

which bring ruin on

nations,

are

luxury, idleness, oppression, extortion, cruelty, covc19

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
toosness, profaneness, hardness of heart, ingratitude,

or any of the Bins forbidden in God's word.

But
is

the Scriptures
offensive to

make

it

very clear that nothing

more

God

than the rejeetion of his

of Isaiah contains

pel by a people.

The 60th chapter

the

prophecy

respecting

peaceful

and

powerful

iph of righteousness, concluding with the declaration that casting off the authority of Christ shall be

followed by awful woes:

"The

uation and kingdom,

that will not serve thee, shall perish."

ter of nations

"The
is

charac-

and men."

says Dr. Spring, u

fall

decided

by the GospeL
with
it,

As

they

in with

it,

or fall out

they are saved or lost."

is

This

a weighty matter.

Let us consider

it

well.

These remarks are obviously just:

1.
tiie

It

is

of God's mere sovereign kindness that ever

to

Gospel has been preached, or mercy offered

auv

people.

The

glad tidings of salvation are the more

title to

gladsome, because we had no

2.

such a blessing.

The sending of
is

the gospel to one nation and not

to another

not owing to the superior merit of the

favored people over others.

I this, saith the Lord, be
it

"Not for your sakes known unto you: be ye

your ways,
is

ashamed and confounded

Israel." Ezek. xxxvi.
-32.

for

hous

"Where

the nation

who

when
in

they

first

heard of salvation were not sunk

down

many and

great sins?

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.
3.
is

219

The continuance of the

gospel

among any people

He, who
All people have
all his

an act of prolonged sovereign goodness.

kindly gave,

may justly

take away.

sinned enough to warrant

mercies.
4.

God

in

withdrawing

Great favors impose great

obligations.

The
The

greater the mercy, the greater the responsibility.

Gospel

is

the greatest blessing ever bestowed on man.

Therefore nothing equally obliges a people to receive

the gift with gratitude and to

make

a right use of

it.

Nations

reject the

Gospel
general

By an avowed and
with them.
Christ.

renunciation of

its

claims and authority, after

being

made acquainted
But when
of

In every land some refuse the yoke of

it secretly.

Sometimes many do
is

the hostility

bold and aversion

rises to the point

malignity, and opposition builds

up adverse systems,

and

all this

with the clear light shining, a nation has

crisis.

icached an appalling

So
to

it

was with the Jews.

it

Paul and Barnabas said

them, "Seeing ye put

from you, and judge yourselves umvorthy of eternal

life, lo,

we

turn to the Gentiles." Acts

at this matter:

xiii.

46.

Let us carefully look

I.

Sometimes

this rejection is

accompanied by anti-

christian legislation.
rulers, that if

Such was one law of the Jewish

any should confess Christ he should be

put out of the synagogue.

Such was much of the

JEHOVAH-JIREH.
legislation of revolutionary France, incorporating into
its

edicts the very spirit of Voltaire's infidelity.

8

letimes a people go further

and cruelly persecute

Ignorantly yet

all

who oppose

their

wicked course.
is

rashly to shed innocent blood

:

a blemish on a

human
Popu-

anient, or a stigma

on a benevolent man.

lar violence

roused by some atrocity

may

rashly and

wickedly mete out a too terrible doom.

Or

a pusil-

lanimous judge, overawed by popular clamor,

perjure himself and deliver to death one
deserves scourging.
:

may

who

hardlv

But when

in the spirit of

Cain or

people hunt down, imprison and murder the

-

friends o:

ruth, their ease

becomes

fearful be-

expression.

In

his

History of Redenr

Edward-

says:

"We

read in Scripture of scarce anv

destruction of nations but that one

for
it
is,

main reason given

against

their

enmity and

injuries

church, and doubtless this was one main reason of the

destruction of all nations

by the
t

flood."

The

case

is,

if possibi

more alarming when the

rancorous zeal of persecutors makes them seek to hinder the spread of saving truth

among

those

who

are

not joined with them by social or political

ties.

Thus

the cry of the infidels of the last century was:

"We

must

set fire to the four corners

of Europe." intending

the destruction of all religion.

killed the

So the Jews not only

Lord Jesus and

their

own

prophets, and

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.

221

persecuted the Christians, but they became "contrary

to all

men," says Paul, " forbidding us

to
fill

speak to the

Gentiles that they might be saved, to

up

their sin

alway: for the wrath

most." 1 Thes.
their
ii.

is

come upon them

to the utterfilled

16.

This was the drop that

full.

cup of trembling to the

II.

Men

sometimes

reject the
it.

Gospel by making a
of the prophets

hypocritical profession of

Which

has not lifted up his voice like a trumpet to warn

against this sin ?

men

Jesus Christ, in whose lips the law

yet uttered the most fearful denuncia-

of kindness

sat,

tions against hypocrites.

For

false professions,

Anamore

nias

and Sapphira

fell

dead by the awful judgment of

God.

A hypocritical profession of the

it is

Gospel

is

offensive than a hypocritical profession

under any pre-

ceding dispensation, because

clearer light.

committed against

The
is

real cause of a hypocritical pro-

fession of religion

found in the desperate wickedness

heart.

and deceitfulness of the human

sions to
it

But

the occa-

are principally

two

First the legislation of

a country, holding out to professors of some peculiar

form of religion
honor.

baits in the

way of
numbers

profit, trust

or
to

Carnal

men

in large

will

submit

the drudgery of religious rites rather than

political preferment.

forego

Shaftesbury, Collins and Gib-

bon, bold infidels as they were, were willing to receive

the Lord's Supper in the church of England, rather
19*

'lZ-

JEHOVAH-JIIiEH.
Secondly.

than be shut out of Parliament.

Sometimes

public sentiment becomes powerful in favor of a religious profession, and in some

way makes temporal

prosperity dependent on a connection with the church.

There

is

hardly a state where some one sect

is

not a
sect

kind of pet with ungodly men in power.

The

most favored

is

commonly

the one that

commands

the

most votes, or one whose public ministrations are but

seldom honored by pungent convictions of sin, or clear
conversions to God.

Those who sew pillows

to all

armholes are the teachers for the men of this world.

" If a

man walking

in the spirit

and falsehood do

lie,

saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine

and of strong

drink

he shall even be the prophet of this people."

ii.

Micah

11.

This public opinion, perverted,

It

is

potent

for mischief.

knows no

limits.

It has

no checks
hypocrites
will

as every written law has.

faster

It can

make

than the apostles made converts.

Xor

any

true-hearted professor of religion feel the less abhorrence to the adulation offered by cunnincr
it

men

because

may be
III.

directed to his

own denomination.
without any practical
to rest

general

formality

embracing of Christianity, a readiness

forms, and
rites,

upon

and ceremonies,

is

no

less a rejection

of the Gospel.

Outward

privilege cannot take the

formalists, profession
is

place of inward grace.

With
is

everything, principle

nothing.

"A

pale cast of

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.
thought sicklies over
all their religious enterprises

223

and

turns all their good purposes awry."

the place of holy living.

Ceremony takes

Fruitfulness gives

way

to

pragmatical

zeal.

The

receptacles in the temples of

religion are full of anise, mint, rue

justice, faith

and cummin

but
of

and mercy are stricken from the

roll

necessary morals.

A staid

sobriety

and a studied ur-

banity take the place of genuine solemnity and Christian kindness.

A puling

sensibility is substituted for

a warm-hearted charity.
its

The Gospel

is

professed but
its

genius

is

not understood.
it is

Some of

doctrines

are taught, but

holiness.

never dreamed that they require

Baptismal regeneration supplants the re-

newal of the Holy Ghost.

Men

reach the fearful con-

clusion that religion consists in forms.

Such a community,
soon be
filled

destitute of fervent love

may

with

fanatics,

contemplative and philo-

sophical, or vulgar
less,

and

boisterous, or fierce

and law-

holding to the bloodiest codes and worst maxims

of devils, doing evil that good

may

come, offended at

nothing so

much

as hesitancy in receiving their

wicked

dogmas, or resisting their sovereign sway.

as soon find
figs

You might
They
are

on

thistles as

meekness, gentleness,

goodness, charity, pity or patience in them.

have the Gospel, without the humility

it

requires.

They hear God's word, but they do

like

it

not.

They

the "earth,

which drinketh in the rain that

224

JEHOVAH-JIREII.
oft

cometh

upon

it,

which yet bringeth forth thorns

is

and
ing,

briars,

and which
is

rejected,

and nigh unto cursvi. 7, 8.

whose end

to be
:

burned." Heb.

To
shall

such a people Jesus said

" The kingdom of

God

be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth

the fruits thereof."

Matt. xxi. 43.

treat the

Those who thus

Gospel bring on themScriptures say "they

spiritual

selves incalculable evils. shall perish."

The
is

This perdition

and temporal.

Their souls perish, and with them their dignity, their

good

institutions, their

outward prosperity.

Left to

themselves,

men "grope

for the wall at noon-day."

" They

sit in

darkness, yea, in the region and shadow

of death."
alienated
that
is

" Their understanding

life

is

darkened, being
the ignorance
is,

from the

of

God through

in them."

" Where no vision

the people

perish."

No

principle of moral conduct

is sufficiently

clear to the natural

mind, nor invested with adequate

life, if

authority to control the heart and

one

is left

without a revelation from God.

Gospel, nothing can establish
original.

And
its

if

one

rejects the

claim to a divine
is

Without God's word, reason herself

be-

nighted.

The very

light that

is

in

men

is

darkness.
Christ.

They know not God.

They have not
so

They know not Jesus

as heard

much

whether there be a

Holy Ghost.

" He, that hath not Christ, hath neither

beginning of good nor shall have end of misery.

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.
blessed Jesus,

225
not to be than

how much

better

were

it

to be without thee."

soul that has no

God

is

worse

than the new-born babe without a parent.

spiritual calamities for

The worst

time and eternity await those,

who

for their sins are deprived of the Gospel.

But

there

is

a temporal perdition, awaiting a people,

who, to their other sins have added the rejection of the

Gospel.

The language of

Scripture

is

awful

"

Who

hath hardened himself against

God and

prospered ?"

"The
those

nation and

kingdom

that will not serve thee

fall

shall perish."

most heavy vengeance will

on

who having heard

eternal
life.

the Gospel, count themselves

unworthy of
Jews:

So

said

God

to the ancient

"You

only of

all

the families of the earth have

visit

I known, therefore will I

iniquities."

upon you

all

your

Amos

iii.

2.

With them
years,

the long-sufferit

ing of
always.

God

waited

many

but

did not wait

The

calamities

which

finally overtook

them

might be weighed against the miseries of the world

for

any ten centuries of

its

existence.

Any

adequate

description of the
city

destruction of their temple

for this

and

would be too long

work.

First came

Titus with his

Roman

legions, themselves

heathen,

proud and

fierce,

with the

Roman
Then

eagle, the chosen

emblem of prophecy
cast

for desolation.

trench was

about their Jerusalem.

itself,

seditions arose in
to wild beasts

the city

compared by Josephus

K*

220

.TEIIoVAH-JIREH.
for

grown mad, and

flesh.

want of food eating

their

own

Thus

the city had fierce heathen foes without,

and

fiercer

domestic foes within.

Famine with
until the

all its,

horrors wasted the

unhappy people
the recital.

human
found

mind can hardly bear

tered

Heaps of slaughgore were

men and

streams of

human

around the

altar of

God.

dreadful pestilence was

the natural offspring of these things.

In short, every

outward calamity with which man

fell

is

commonly
all

visited

upon

this

people from without; while

the in-

tolerable fires of frenzy,

envy and malice raged within.

This

state of things

was only diversified by new and

deeper scenes of horror, mingled with occasional and

delusive hopes, springing up only to be disappointed,
until at last the city
fell,

and the ploughshare of ruin

its

was driven over

soldiery fierce

its

walls and through

streets

by a

and brutalized by the nature of the long-

continued contest between the besiegers and the besieged.

Tacitus says

600,000 Bonis thus miserably

at

perished.

Josephns puts the number

fulfilled the

1,100,000.

In that day was

prophecy of our Saviour:

"Then

shall be

great tribulation, such as

was not
time, no,

since the beginning

of the world

to

this

nor ever shall be." Matt. xxiv. 21.

Xo man

can read

Josephns9 account of those awful scenes without saying

this

prophecy was

fulfilled.

Following the overthrow of the holy

city

came a

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.

227

saddening series of calamities to Jews everywhere.

Long had they spoken of

turies,

Gentile dogs; but for cen-

he

who

killed his neighbor's

dog committed

as

grave an offence as he

who

killed a Jew.

That favored

people became a by-word and a hissing.

God
in

also cast off the

left

body of the nation from

his

saving mercies and

unbelief.

them

in their sins,

hardened

"Behold

therefore

the

goodness and

severity of

God: on them, which

fell,

severity; but to-

ward

us,

goodness, if

we

continue in his goodness;

otherwise

we

also shall be cut off."

Let us not think

safe.

we may

treat the

Gospel as we please and yet be

to us is:

The admonition of God

but fear: for if
take heed
lest

"Be

not high-minded

God

spared not the natural branches,

he also spare not thee."

it is

If this reason-

ing teaches anything,

that

God may abandon and

to deliver the

forsake a Gentile people having the Gospel, for far

less

provocation than led

him

Jews over

to destruction.

For long generations God showed and

from him, God said:
shall

expressed peculiar tenderness to the seed of Abraham.

Even
shall

in their deep revolt

"How
I de-

I give

thee up,

Ephraim? how
shall I

liver thee, Israel?

How

make

thee as

Adheart

mah? how
is

shall

I set thee as Zeboim?

Mine
are

turned

within me,

my
Let

repentings

kindled

together."

Hos.

xi.

8.

Gentile

churches and

228

JEHOVAH-JIREII.
fall

nations take timely warning from the awful

of the

Jews.

How

instructive too

is

the

history of the

seven

churches of Asia, addressed in Revelation and warned

to beware lest their candle-stick be removed.
sus,

EphePhila-

Smyrna,

Pergamos,

Thyatira,

Sardis,

delphia and Laodicea stand

like seven awful beacons

having inscribed on them:

BEWARE!!!
7

Beware

how you
your
tri

slight the Gospel!

Beware how .you leave

first

love!
!

Beware how you embrace the doc-

ne of

Balaam

Beware of

that

woman
defile

Jezebel and

her adulteries!
ments!

Beware how you

let

your gar-

Beware how you

any man take your

crown!
hot!

Beware how you become neither cold nor

The worst judgments

and

are spiritual judgments.

The

sorest plagues are plagues of the heart.

War, famine

pestilence are God's scourges for the nations gene-

rally.

But the withholding of

the influences of the

Spirit, the closing of the

day of grace, and the with-

drawal of a pure gospel are the plagues reserved for

sinners of the deepest dye.

They

are fearful tokens

of God's. fiercest displeasure.

REMARKS.
1.

Let the people of every land study

Its

their national

history.

pages are full of interest.

God

is

in

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.
history.

229

Let the people of America be no exception

to this call.
2.

Let us not trust in

man

to preserve us.
seers are blind.
is

The

diviners are often

mad, and the

God
strong

alone

knows enough, and

to protect
all

loves enough, and

enough
3.

any people.
beware of a morbid excitability of
falsetto

Let us

temper.

" The mock heroic

of stupid tragedy"
till

will create a thirst for the horrible,

at last

our

people will gloat over scenes of carnage.

4.

What

shall be the future character of the

busy

millions of America,

who

already begin to compass sea

and land ?
lime.

is

one of the questions properly called sub-

Shall they be rude ?

The

sternest virtue

may
The

be clad in camel's hair.

Shall they be refined?

most debasing

vices

and the most atrocious crimes

fine

have often been arrayed in purple and

Shall they have but
little

linen.

wealth ?

God

hath chosen

the poor of this world rich in faith.

free ?

Shall they be

Freedom

is

a boon worth

all it

ever cost.

Still

Joseph in chains was a man, whose presence made

others
feel

"how
as

awful goodness

is." if

Daniel

in

Babylon was
left

sublime a character, as

he had never

the hills of Juctea, and the waters of Siloah.

Paul

dates several of his epistles from under the throne of

Nero.
20

But when we
its

ask, Shall this nation be virtu-

ous ? shall

people

know and do

the will of

God ?

230
shall they

JEHOVAH-JIREH.

meekly wear the yoke of Immanuel and

offers

welcome the

of redeeming mercy?

we ask the
whose

gravest questions.

"Blessed

is

that

people,
call
it,

God

is

the Lord."

All nations shall

such a land
in every

blessed,

God

himself shall smile upon

and

evening and morning

nacle of

hymn
it

shall be sung "

The

tabershall

God

is

with men."

"When every land

truly receive Messiah,

shall be said

One song employs

all

nations,

and

all

day,-

Worthy the Lamb

The dwellers
Shout
to

for

he was slain for us.

in the vales

and on the rocks

each other, and the mountain tops,

From
Earth

distant mountains, catch the flying joy,

Till nation after nation taught the strain

rolls the

rapturous

Hosanna round."

But
mercy
ties,

if

any people learn habitually

to slight offered

their future course will

open an Iliad of calami-

appalling to the stoutest heart.

The

prophetic

roll

of such a country's history

is

written within

and

without with lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

5.

Let each

man remember
The way
by the

his

own awful

responsi-

bility to

God.
is

that nations rise in worth, or

sink in ruin,
Avalking

individuals,

who compose them,

humbly with God,

or renouncing their por-

tion in Jacob.

Aggregated masses are the sum of the

good or

ill

inwoven into the character of their compo-

nent parts.

The union of good men

is

right,

and

it is

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.
strength.

231
heart.

Let every man rule

his

own

He

is

the best patriot,

who walks most

according to the

moral law and the example of Christ, and who most

fervently implores the blessing of heaven on his people

and country.
" Blessed
is

the nation, whose

God

is

the

Lord."
is

" Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin proach to any people."

6.

a re-

People of America

Beware how you

trifle

with

sin,

how you make

this

light of God's authority,

and revel

in iniquity.

In ages long gone by, there flourished

on

continent a powerful race of men.

In the

ruins of their cities and fortifications,

we

see

monuBut

ments of their prodigious energy and resources.

they are
all

passed away.
their rise

No

living

man

has any

knowledge of
the red man,
turies

and

fall.

After them, came

commonly

called the Indian.

Two

cen-

ago there were millions of these people where

now

are but thousands.

Many

powerful tribes have

wholly disappeared.
It looks as if

Others are rapidly melting away.

a
full

God would make

end of them.

Their nationality has generally perished.

the myriads, that

And

shall

now swarm on

these shores, follow

in the footsteps of these old transgressors,

and alike by the

Lord,

fade

away under the desolating power of

evil,

curse of Jehovah, or in internecine strife ?

232
thou knowest.
all

JEHOVAH-JIREII.

Lord, have mercy, and grant to us

unfeigned repentance.

But some

are hopeless cases.

Nothing moves them.

their hearts harder

God

chastises them, but they

make

than adamant.

He

invites

them by mingled words of

entreaty and of authority, but they pass heedlessly

along.

word

enters

more

into a wise

man, than

seven

stripes

into

them.

Though they should be

In

brayed with a pestle in a mortar, their foolishness will

not depart from them.
worst.
their case

we

fear

the
lo,

"When

they cry, Peace and safety; then

sudden destruction cometh upon them."

Yet no

signs

of devouring wrath now strike their or our senses.

Earthquakes,
stillness

it

is

said, are

preceded by an unusual

in nature.

Hell follows close on uninter-

rupted carnal security.

God

calls

the whole nation to repentance.

is

The

voice of mercy

loud and tender and persuasive.

Will not

all,

individually, turn

and

live ?

Will you
This

renounce every evil way, and believe in Christ ?

year you

may

die.

How
life.

can you appear at God's

tribunal without an interest in Christ ?

to lay hold on eternal
will be
Christ,

Be persuaded
it

If the nation repents,

by each man bewailing and so

fleeing

his sins, believing in

to

from the wrath

come.

"God
TO RE-

NOW COMMANDETH ALL MEN EVERYWHERE

PENT."

Obey, and Live.

NATIONAL JUDGMENTS.

233

We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty,

WHICH ART, AND AVAST, AND ART TO COME BECAUSE THOU HAST TAKEN TO THEE THY GREAT POWER, AND
;

HAST REIGNED.

THE END.

pate

D ue

P /AfT

"V U.