find that he was sinking under the weight of your iniquities, and if He was thus overwhelmed with the load, what must become of us, if we, after all, should have to bear the curse due to our sins ? Let every eye be fixed on him with humble, grateful adoration. Let every one look to his vicarious sacri- fice for pardon and peace. And, as he has thus graciously " borne our sins in his own body on the tree," let us trust in him. Let us " go to him weary and heavy-laden, and we shall find eternal rest to our souls."]
Amos. iii. 3. Can two walk together, except they be agreed ?
IT is not always safe to judge of God, and the things which relate to Him, by the things which take place in our intercourse with men : for the distance between God and man is such as precludes all pa- rallel between them. Yet, in a way of illustration, it is often of great advantage to consider what occurs in common life ; because, from observations of that kind, we are enabled to attain a correct judgment with more facility than we could by any laboured process of rational investigation. Hence this mode of illustration is frequently adopted by the inspired writers. In the passage before us, the Prophet Amos had delivered this message from God to all the chil- dren of Israel : " You only have I known of all the families of the earth : therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities3." Then the prophet, anticipating an objection to this, proceeds to obviate ith. He sup- poses an objector to say, ' Your alarm is groundless : for it never can be, that God should so act towards those whom he has chosen for his peculiar people.' To this he replies, ' There is good reason for you to be alarmed : for I appeal to you, Can there be any
a ver. 1, 2.
b The text, and following context, to ver. 8, are the prophet's oivn irords, and not a continuation of his message. The not attending to this has perplexed many, and thrown an obscurity over what is very plain.
o2