The Pulpit Commentary — Amos — Section 111

l1eaven of God's presence, and they shall be poured down upon you in showers or spiritual blessings. CoNCLUSION. If you would know the comfort of the text, you will only find it i11 obedience to its first clause, "Seek him I " "Seek ye the Lord while he may bi, found," etc.; "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace." 'l'hen, under the quiet light of the stars, or in the splendours of sunset and dawn, or watching the fall or the he.aven-sent showers, you will have thoughts of him who rules over all, e.s of one who through Jesus Christ is your Father and your Friend.-A. R. Vers. 8, 9.-The gloi·y of religion. "Seek him that maketh the seven stare and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning," eto. The word reveals t,,..o things. l. THE 001''1\'ECTION WHICH GoD HAS WITH HIS UNIVERSE. His connection is that: I. Of a Creator. "He maketb the seven stars and Orion." These constellations are only given as specimens of all the things be has created in different parts of the uni- verse. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." 2. Of a Governor. "He turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea., and poureth them out upon the face of the earth." The truth taught is this-that he presides over the revolution of day and night, and the changes of the seasons, and the fortunes of men. .All nature is. under his control. "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." 3. Of a Redeemer. "That strengtheneth the .spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress." The reference is here undoubtedly to bis redemptive work in human history. Il. THE CON1''ECTION WHICH JUN SHOULD HA VE WITH Gon. " Seek him." A phrase of frequent use in the Bible, denoting the duty of man to attain to the knowledge, the friendship, and the fellowship of the Eternal. And in this all true religion consistB. The pursuit implies : L Faith in God's personal existence. A belief that he is. 2. A consciousness of moral distance from God. We do not seek what we possess. 3. A felt necessity of friendly connection with God. 4. An assurance that such a con- nection can be obtained. CONCLUSION. What a grand thing is religion! It is not a thing of mere doctrine, or ritual, or sect, or party. It is a moral pursuit of "him that maketh the seven etara and Orion," etc.-D. T. Ver. 14.-Religion. "Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken." From these words two things may be inferred concerning religion. L IT DCPLms A SPECIFIC PURSUIT. "Seek good, and not evil." Good and evil are both in the world; they work in all human souls; they explain o.11 history. 1. They imply a standard of ~ight. By what do we dete~mine the _g~ and evil in _human life? The revealed will of God. What accords with that will JB good, what disagrees with it is evil 2. Their object is a human pursuit. There are those who pursue evil; they follow it for worldly wealth, animal plea.sure, secular aggrandizement. There are those who pursue good; and their grand question is, ".Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " 3. The pursuit of good is . the specific effort of religion. Good in thought, spirit, aim, habit, as embodied in the life of Christ. To get good requires -strenuous, persistent, devout, prayerful effort. IL IT INVOLVES THE HIGHEST DENEDICTlON. 1. The enjoyment of true life. "That ye may li,e." Without goodness you cannot really live: goodness is life. Everlal!ting goodness is everlasting life. "This is life eternal, to know thee," etc. (John xvi i. 3). 2. The enjoyment of the Divine friendship. "So the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you." What a benediction is this! "The Lord God of hosts," the Almighty Creator, Proprietor, and Governor of the universe to be with us, to guid11, guard, beautify existence ! " I will walk among you,'' says he; "I will be your God, and ye shall be my people."-D. T. Ver. 19.-&lfishness in terror. "As if a man did flee from a lion, and a ,bear met bim; or went into the house, and leaned his hand oa the wall, and a serpent bit him.", <JH, V, 1-27,] THE BOOK OF AMOS. 111