in its full extent, and endeavour to fulfil it ; attending to it in all its parts, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Let it henceforth be the one labour of our lives to " keep a conscience void of offence before God," if by any means we may approve ourselves to him, and " stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."]
Amos vi. 1 . Woe to them that are at ease in Zion.
ONE would scarcely conceive it possible, that the Jews, with so many instances of God's displeasure before their eyes, could indulge in security, whilst they were evidently, in the whole course of their lives, provoking him to anger. But the blindness both of Israel and Judah was almost incurable. The ten tribes having wholly addicted themselves to idolatry, were the first monuments of God's indignation. Yet on them the divine judgments fell at first but partially, in order that they might be stirred up to penitence, and avert, by timely reformation, their impending fate. But they continued obdurate, under all the chastise- ments that were inflicted on them : nor did Judah make any suitable improvement, either of the judg- ments inflicted on others, or of the forbearance that was exercised towards themselves. God, by the Prophet Jeremiah, complains of Judah thus : "I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot alsoa." A similar complaint was made by the Prophet Amos in our text. God had " begun to cut Israel short ;" but neither did they nor Judah lay it to heart, as they should have done : they saw what had been done to nations less guilty and more powerful than themselves ; to Calneh, in Chaldea ; to Hemath, in Syria; to Gath of the Philistines ; and yet " they put away the evil
a Jer. hi. 8.