sufferings by the prophet David' and no wonder " the
sun went down over him, and the day was dark, when he had no answer from his God."]
III. A prof»nostic of the judgments that should come upon his enemies —
[These were spoken of by Moses and all the prophets ; and that too under the image which we are considering *"
The prophet Amos, in a fore-cited passage, connects
the calamities which they should endure with the very event which prefigured them". Our blessed Lord also foretold them in language not dissimilar". And how awfully have these predictions been verified ! Surely from the foundation of the world there has never been an instance of any nation suffering such various, accumulated, and continued calamities as they. The darkness of their minds too, no less than the wretchedness of their condition, shews to what an extent the wrath of God is upon tliem : for a veil is upon their hearts, thicker than even that which obscured the meridian sun. O that at last the veil miglit be taken away, and that the light of God's countenance might be once more lifted up upon them !]
Though this subject may appear unconnected with ])ractice, it may he justly improved,
1. For the humbling of the impenitent —
[How awful does the insensibility of man appear, when we see even the material creation more affected, as it were, at the death of Christ, than they ! It is a fact, that many who have heard of the death of Christ times without number, and
'' Luke xxii. 53. ' Isai. liii. 10.
"^ Compare Mic. iii. 6, 7. with Ps. xxii. 1, *i. where the image n^ applied to the false prophets corresponds with the fact as exemplified in our Lord.
' Ps. Ixxxviii. 3, 0, 7, 1 1, 16.
>" Isai. xiii. 9 — 11. Jer. xv. 1 — 3, 9. » Amos viii. 9, 10.
° Mark xiii. 21— 2(i, 30.
1411.] THE SUPERNATURAL DARKNESS. SOt
who profess to believe that he died for their sins, have yet never once mourned for those sins which nailed him to the accursed tree. Were they to hear of the slightest accident that had befallen their friend or relative, or any trifling loss which they themselves had sustained, they would be affected with it: but the crucifixion of the Lord of Glory is heard of by them without any emotion, even though they themselves were the guilty causes of his death. But let such ungrateful people know, that if ever they be brought to a just sense of their sins, they will " look on Him whom they have pierced, and mourn, and be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born p." The Lord hasten this peni- tential season to every one of usi ! ]
2. For the comforting of the afflicted —
[It is not uncommon to find persons deeply distressed on account of the hidings of God's face. And we acknowledge that they have cause to be distressed ; because it is the most afflictive of all events, and because it never takes place but for the correction of some evil in them. Our blessed Lord, though he had no sin of his own, had evil enough upon him, even the sins of the whole world : and Job, though in some sense he was " a perfect man," had much to learn, and much to attain. Yet let not any one despond, as though the cheerful light of the sun should no more appear : but let those who " walk in darkness and have no light, learn to trust in the Lord, and to stay themselves upon their God"^:" and then "their light shall rise in obscurity, and their darkness be as the noon-day."]
3. For the encouraging of all —
[Reviving are those words of the Apostle John, " The darkness is past, and the true light now shineth^" All that was obscure in the death of Christ is now made plain ; and, blessed be God ! the whole mystery of Redemption is now ex- hibited before our eyes. Yes, on us " the Sun of Righteous- ness has arisen with healing in his wings." But as we know not how long the light shall continue with us, let us " walk in the light whilst we have it, lest darkness come upon us*." If any thing in the dispensations either of providence or of grace be dark to us at the present, let us contentedly say, " What I know not now, I shall know hereafter;" and let us wait in patience for that world, where " our sun shall no more go down, neither shall our moon withdraw itself; but the Lord will be our everlasting light, and the days of our mourning shall be ended"."]