appearance in behalf of his people : and when, accord- ing to general expectation, increasing darkness might rather be expected to ensue, then shall light arise in God's Church, and his purposes respecting it be accomplished.
For the purpose of confirming this interpretation of the passage, I will first consider the text in reference to God's general dispensations ; and then, in reference to the period more especially described.
I. Let us consider the text in reference to God's general dispensations.
The more we examine the dealings of God with mankind, the more we shall see that he has, in all ages, permitted difficulties to arise, in order to make his people feel their dependence on him ; and to dis- play, eventually, in a more striking manner, his inter- position in their behalf. In the 107th Psalm, this plan of the Divine government is illustrated in a great variety of particulars : Travellers " wandering in a wilderness b ;" captives " sitting bound in affliction and iron0;" sick persons " drawing near to the gates of death d ;" and mariners, in their tempest-tossed vessels, " at their wit's end6 ;" all having been brought to the utmost extremity, are made to know, by happy expe- rience, that there is a God who heareth prayer, and who is able to save, from every kind of danger, all those who call upon himf.
Nor is this his mode of dealing only in relation to temporal matters ; it obtains equally in reference to men's spiritual concerns. The parable of the Prodigal Son is not unfrequently realized amongst ourselves. How often have persons been left to run to the ut- most excess of riot, till the very extremities of want and misery, to which they have reduced themselves, are made the occasions of suggesting to their minds that salutary reflection ; " In my Father's house there is bread enough and to spare, whilst I am perishing with hunger : I will return unto my Father." And in
b Ps. cvii. 3—7. c Ps. cvii. 10—14. d Ps. cvii. 17—20.
l' Ps. cvii. 23—30. f Ps. cvii. 23—30.