for our security, the more secure we are in our own apprehen- sion, the more likely are we to receive such a message from God^. It was when the rich fool was looking forward to years of enjoyment, that God said to him, " This night thy soul shall be required of thee : " and it was when Job fondly expected he should " die in his nesf"," that God pulled down his nest, and despoiled him of all that he had. Let us not then promise ourselves an hour's continuance even of life itself" : but be standing " with our loins girt, and our lamps trimmed, that at whatever hour our Lord may come, he may find us watch- ing" ]
Application "
1 1 Thess. v. 3. >" Job xxix. 18. See also Ps. xxx. 6, 7.
" Prov. xxvii. 1.
° This may be more appropriate or more general : in the former case, a message may be delivered as from God himself to Oppressors, and the Oppressed ; (to awe the one, as Isai. x. 5 — 18. and encou- rage the other, as Isai. x. 24 — 27.) in the latter case, an Adcbess may be made to the Careless, the Backsliding, and the Faithful, with the prefatory Remark to each, " I have a message from God to thee."
Judg. v. 24 — 27. Blessed above icomen shall Jael the unfe of Heher the Kenite he, blessed shall she he above ^oomen in the tent. He asked water, and she gave him milk ; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the tvorkmajis hammer ; and ivith the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, tvhen she had jjierced and stricken through his temjyles. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he boived, he fell : where he bowed, there he fell douui dead.
THE subject of assassination, one would suppose, should not admit of much diversity of sentiment : but there are those even in the Christian world, who think that in extreme cases, where the death of a tyrant would put an end to grievous oppressions and desolating wars, the dagger of an assassin might be employed. I am not aware that any would attempt to vindicate this sentiment by an appeal to Scripture : they would justify it rather on reasonings from expe- diency : but it is certain that, though in most cases