Neither Aasrri!l nor Babylon had much w,,.rning of their fate. EMh seemed well-niah nt the 1-cnith of its power when the final blow came. "I have laid a snare for thee, 11;d thou Rrt !llso taken, 0 Babylon," says Jehovah," and thott wast not aware" (Jer. l. 24); and ngRin "-e are told, "Babylon is Sttddenly fallen !Ind destroyed" (Jer. Ii. 8). God's punishments are apt to come, even on individuals, suddenly. When a man says to hie ~nu], " Soul, thou hast much goods la.id up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and he merry," then comes the sentence of God, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be requim-J. of thee" (Luke xii.19, 20). Job's example is an extreme one (Job i.13-19); but modified instances of men crushed by quick blows of unexpected oo.la.mity are within every one's experience. Destruction comes upon God's enemies generally "at unawnres" (Ps. xxxv. 8). JY. 'l'HAT ON FINDING THEMSELVES THE OBJECTS OF DIVINE PUNISHMENT, MEN ARE FILLED WITH TERROR AND DESPONDENCY. The terror and despondency of the Baby- lonians 11.re strongly marked in the descriptions both of Isaiah and Jeremiah; e.g. "Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: and they shllll be afraid: pangs and sorrow shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain 88 a woman that tral'"aileth: they shall be amazed one at another" (eh. xiii. 7, 8). "The land shall tremble and sorrow . . . The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight; they have remained in their holds . . . they became as women" (Jer. Ii. 29, 30). Some such feelings come upon all who are conscious that the hand of God is laid upon them, not for chastisement, but for punishment. V. THAT DrnKE PU1\1SHMENTS SELDOM STOP AT THEm IMMEDIATE OBJECTS, BUT PASS ON AlID AFFECT OTHER~ ALSO. Partly, this would seem to be inevitable from the interconnection of man with man, and of nation with nation; but partly, also, it appears to be the result of the Divine will, which is set on punishing sin, and wherever it finds sin must punish it. Let Israel have to be punished for certain sins, Judah will be found to have committed the same sins; Judah must therefore participate in the punishment. ·when God arises to judge one nation, he, in a certain sense, arises to judge the whole earth; there must be equity in his dealiDgs. If he has punished Babylonia, and Egypt is as bad, be must punish Egypt; if Egypt is no worse th&n Ethiopia, he must punish Ethiopia. The sin of Sodom brought destruction on 811 the cities of the plMin-that of the Canaanitish nations on them, and on many of their nei:zhbours. A Jeboram provokes God by his idolatry, and is deservedly smitten (2 Kings ix. 24). An Ahaziah, far less guilty, but still guilty, shares his fate (2 Kings ix. 27). The punishment of Babylon led on to the punishment of the." world for its eYil" ( eh. xili. 11), and to such a general depopulation of Western Asia.as made a man more precious ti,an the gold of Ophir (eh. xiii 12). YI. THAT DIVINE PUNISHMENTS ABE OFTEN COMPLETE AND FINAL. It.was said of Assyria, "There is no healing of thy bruise" (Nab. iii. 19). And a similar finality attaches to most judgments upon nations. Babylonia, though she made some desperate efforts to throw off the Persian yoke, never recovered herself. Egypt., a few years later, sank finally under foreign dominion. The ten tribes lost their separate existence after their captivity, and became merged in Judah. Judah's nationality was obliterated by Titus. The history of the world is a history of nations whom God hss punished for their sins by final destruction. And the punishment of individuals, too, is often final. Korab, Dathan, and Ahira.m "went down quick into hell" (Numb. xvi. 30). Uzzah r.·as smitten with sudden death for toucliing the ark (2 Sam. vi. 7). .Ananias and 6a1,pliira Jell dead for uttering lies (Acts v. 6, 10). The question of punishments in another world i6 not here at issue. What the example of Babylon teaches is, that God's pnuishments, so far a.e this world is concerned, are often final.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-22.-0racZe ooncerning Bribywn. L APPROACH OF THE WABBIORII OF JEHOVAH. On the bare mountain the banner is upraised, and with loud cry and com- mat.ding gesture of the band a host of warriors is summoned from all sides. As in ver. 26, Jehovah is viewed by the poet a.ea mighty Battle-Leader, Lord of hosts. His voice is heard, "I have given commission to my anointed ones, have called my heroes on. xm. 1-22.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 233