MERCIES. All that God had done was a motive to obedience and Rn argument against ~in. But all the Brrows of influenoe fell pointless and broken from their hearts of stone. The more Dil"ine mercies multiplied, tbe more did abominable wiokednea• increase. Sin, under such unlikely circumstances, argues special inveteracy, and invoh-es corresponding aggravation of guilt (Rom, ii. 4). With every want supplied and <'Very better feeling appealed to, it was sin not only without temptation, but in spite of strong deterrents, and was therefore hopeless as it was guilty. The love and goodness of God are the most potent persuasives to his service. Where these fail the case is desperate. What mercy cannot bend judgment will only break. If you sin against mercy you can sin eternally. There ie no spiritual argument that can make you yield (2 Pet. iii. 15; Rom, ii. 4). Vers.13-16.-.The wrath of outraged goodness. "A wounded spirit who can bear?" E,en God will not bear it for evermore. A "base contempt of covenant mercies," exemplified here, may go too far. The limit of intelligent forbearance will be passed, and the pent-up vials of wrath restrained will be poured forth. I. THE CRUSHER. " Behold, I will press you down as the cart presses that is filled with sheaves" (Keil). This ie a strong figure. God, in his retributive action, is compared not only to a cart, but io a heavily loaded one, which crushea all it passes over. His stroke, when it falls, will be heavy in proportion as, in mercy, it has been long suspended. His love had long been spurned, and now at last it is turned into rightoons hatred. Unspeakable goodness disregarded persistently will now give place to thick disasters. His power had been insanely dared, and Israel would now discover whether they bad an arm like his. "On whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder." How indignant love can be that has suffered persistent outrage I How stern goodness becomes when it finds itself thrown away on inappreciation and con- tempt! How overwhelming Omnipotence is, which nevertheless endures defiance from worms of the dust so long! How terrible God will be as a Foe where he will not be accepted as a Friend (Ps. xviii. 26; Prov. i. 24-28) I II. THE CRUSHED, These are not the nation in general, but each class in particular -the strong, the courageous, the swift, the fighter, the runner, and the rider alike. None shall escape. God's wrath, like his love, is distinctive-rests not on masses, but on individuals. And, answering to this, the judgments which execute his wrath are elaborated in detail They are no more necessary than reluctant, no more reluctant than sure, no more sure than thorough. 11 The mills of God grind slowly, But they grind exceeding small." It is noticeable, too, that of those who fall in the sweep of God's sword, it is the best protected who are emphasized. Nothing ill said of the weak and timid and slow. Their destruction might be taken for granted. But, lest any should cherish a hope of escape under any circumstances, the persons to whom such hope would be most natural are doomed by name. An occasion of remaining in sin is, with many wicked, the stealthy hope the.t somehow or other they will escape at last (Isa. xx.viii. 15). Perhaps they have no definite expectation, no theory even, on the subject. They know the Word of God to be decisive, and feel the chances are against them. But they cajole the judgment into negligently making the wish the father to the thought, and go down to death the half-conscious victims of a make-believe. The gospel to such wants heralding with a Saviour's warning cry, "How can ye escape the damnation of bell?" III. THE CRUSHING. A variety of fignres combine to illustrate this. 1. It cannoe be resisted. "The strong one will not fortify his strength," etc. There are no arms we can use against God. They a.re suited to a material, not a spiritual, foe. There is no strength to be put in competition with his. The bare thought of a struggle is the climax of all absurdity. "Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth." 2. It cannot be faced. "The courageous one among the heroes will flee a.way." Man haE strength, and confidence in it, for a struggle with fellow-man. But his strength leaves him in God's presence (John vii. 44). He cannot even attempt resistance. " 8 e falls at hie feet like one dead." 3, It cannot be escaped. "The flight will be lost to the swift." To fly from Omnipre1ence is as inconceivable as to fight against Olllili• OH, D, 1-16,] THE BOOK OF AMOS.
potence, Darknes11 cannot bide, nor distance separate, from God. We live in bis presence. Wo sin in bis presence. We die io bi11 presence. Even the destruction from bis presence as gracious (Z These. i. 9) is destruction fa bis presence as filling heaven and earth. (1) Judgment is the obverse of grace. There are only the two ways of it. There is no compromise between obedience and disobedience (Matt. xii. 30). So there is no via media between salvation and destruction, The coin of Scripture truth com0& to us with a nimbus on the one side and a death's head on the other. We may choose between the two, but one or other we must take (Mark xvi. 16). God will save if he may, but he will destroy if he must. (Z) Grace is the converse of judgment. J udgment empties the strong of strength. Grace makes the weak to be strong in God. You may have either; and you must have one, Which shall it be?