The Pulpit Commentary — Joel — Section 47

directing hiR steps back to God. Soul-reformation is not turning from one doctrine or Church, or habit to another, but turning to God, ~oing back with all lta deepest l~vo to him. But in turning there is deep moral contrition· there Is "fasting" and "weep- ing," .and" mourning," and the" rending of the hca.rt.." Soul-reformation begins m g.enumc repentance for put sins, "Father, I have Binned against Heaven, and in thy sight." II. ITS UIIGENCY. "Therefore also now, eaith the Lord." Yee, now is tho timu • there iR nothing more urgent ; everything must make way for this• until this Is donr.' ~othing is done properly. Now: 1. Because the work Is of th~ most paramount 1mport&nce•. 2. Because the time for a.ocomplishing It is very short. Whatever other work you adJourn to & future time, for your soul's sake adjourn not this for a single hour. III. 1TB ENCOURAGEIIIENT. "For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repenteth lrim of the evil." The word deprecateth would be better than "repcntcth." The inflicting of Rulferings on his creatures is repugnant to his nature. "He desireth not the death of the sinner." What an encouragement it is to the smner to turn to the Lord, to he &88ured that he will be welcomed with all the love and tender sympathy of an &ffectionate father 1-D. T. Vers. 15-17.-.An fl4'gent'tg dem,a;n,ded 'IMtlting. "Blow the trumpet in Zion," etc. Men are constantly assembling themselves together for one purpose or another-poli- tical, commercial, scientific, entertaining. But of all the meetings, none a.re so urgent 1113 the one indicated in the text. I. IT IS A KEETING OALLED ON .AOOOtrliT OF OOKllON BIN. All the people of ,Judah h!Ml. sinned grievously, and they were now summoned together on that account. No subject is of such urgent importance as this. Sin, this W&B the root of e.11 the miseries of their country. It behoved them to meet together in order to deliberate how best to tee.r up tr.i.s upas, how best to dry up this pestiferoUB fountain of a.11 their calamities. II. lT xs A MEETING COKPOSED OF .ALL OLABSEB, The young and the old were there; the sad e.nd the jubilant; even the bridal pair; the priests e.nd the people. 'l'be subject concerned them all; all were vitally interested in it. Sin is no class sub- ject. It concerns the man in imperial purple as well e.s the man in pauper's rags. III. IT IS A KEETING FOB HlJKILIATIOlf AJD> PBAYEB. "Let the priests and the ministers weep between the porch and the altar, e.nd let them say, Spa.re thy people, 0 Lord ! " It we.s not a meeting for debate or discussion, for mere BOCia.l intercourse and entertainment; but for profound humiliation before God. Co?-CLUBION. No meeting in England is more urgently demanded to-day the.n such a one as this.-D. T. Vers. 18-24.-Interaction of the Dwime and h'/J/TMn. "Then will the Lord be jealous," etc. These verses refer to the removal both of the actual calamity under which the nation were suffering, namely, the plague of }OCUBte, and also to the removal of that calamity which was to come upor.. them by the invasion of a. foreign foe, namely, the Assyrians. The latter is evidently referred to in ver. 20: "I will remove fa.r off from you the northern e.rmy, and will drive him int.o e. land barren and desolate, with hiI; fa.c,: toward the east sea., and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, e.nd his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things." Ilendereon implies that the passage in Zeph. ii 18, "He will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria.; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry Jike a wiWerness," is sufficient to prove that the term "northern" here refers to the Assyrian power. However, for hom.iletica.l purposes, it sce.rcely matters whether the locusts, .A.ssyrians, or a11y other destrueti.ve enemy are referred to. The grand question is-W Lat are tb.e truths contained in the para.graph that are of universal importance a.od application? The following are clearly deducible. l. '!'RAT THE IIIATEB.lAL OOJfJ>lTlOli 0'11 .A PEOPLE DEPBliDB tJ'l'Oli THE DIVIliE oPEB.A'l"lONS. Two things are referred to in the passage a.s the work& of the Almighty towards the Jewish people at this time. 1, The withdrawal of cakvmitia. "I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a. land ba.rren and ciei,ulate." Wh<:n. terrible calamities come upon a. people, 1uch u ho11ta of destructive on. rr. 1-82.] THE BOOK OP JOEL.