Vers.1-6.-R,nrelation and prayer. "Thus bath the Lord God showed unto me," etc. This portion of the Book of Amos (eh. vii. and viii.) contains four symbolical visions respecting successive judgments that were to be inflicted on the kingdom of Israel. They were delivered at Bethel, and in all probability at the commencement of the prophet's ministry. Ea.eh of them, as it follows in the series, is more severe than the preceding. The first presented to the mental eye of the prophet a swarm of young locusts, which threatened to cut off all hope of the harvest (vers. 1--3); the second, a fire which effected a universal conflagration (vers. 4--6); the third, a plumb- line ready to be applied to mark out the edifices that were to be destroyed (vers. 7-9); and the fourth, a basket of ripe fruit, denoting the near and certain destruction of the kingdom (eh. viii. 1-3). 'l'he intervening eight verses which conclude the seventh chapter (vers. 10--17) contain an account of the interruption of Amos by Amaziah the priest of Bethel, whose punishment is specially predicted. In point of style, this portion differs from that of the rest of the book, being aln,ost exclusively historical and dialogistic (Henderson). In the words we have two subjects of thought-A Divine revelation leading to human prayer, and human prayer leading to a DivinB revelatim. I. A DIVINE REVELATION LEA.DING TO HUHA.N PRA. YER. 1. Here is a Divine reve- latim. What is the revelation ? It is a vision of judgments made to the mind of the prophet, Both judgments are symbolically represented. (1) Destruction by grass- hoppers at the beginning, or the "shooting up of the latter growth after the king's mowings." 1 The prophet saw the devouring grasshoppers eating up the grass of the 1 As we write, gl~ncing at the Times, we are struck with the following statements rererring to suoh judgmenls: "Australian pnpers state that in tho Riverina distriot the grasshoppers, or loousts, have been very troublesome reoently, not only destroying crops, but filling up wells and water-holes, and even consuming textile fabrics, suoh a.s blinds and window-ourlains, in the holllle&." 154 THE DOOK OF AMOS. [err. vu. 1-17.
land. No agents are too insignificant for the employment of Jehovah. He can inflict t.errihle judgments by insects. Here was a prospect of famine set before the prophot. (2) Destruction by fire. ",Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me: and, behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up o. part." Perhaps this represents a great drought, the sun's fire burning up all vegetation, It is said this fire "devoured the great deep." It drank up the pools, the lakes, the rivers. Thus in two symbolical forms is a Divine revelation made to the mind of Amos. Most terrible and alarming is the prospect of his country, thus divinely spread out before him. God makes revelations of his mind to his people. "Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do?" 2. Here is a human prayer. What is the prayer? Here it is : "0 Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small." And again, in ver. 5, "0 Lord God, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small." "Forgive." This calamity is brought on by the sin of the nation. Forgive the sin; remove the moral cause of the judgment. "By whom shall Jacob arise?"" Or, better, "How can Jacob stand? for he is small." Jacob's-• the nation's-weakness is the plea. of the prayer for forgiveness. The Israelites had been greatly reduced by internal commotions and hostile invasions, and were now on the point of being attacked by the Assyrians, but purchased their retreat by a payment of a thousand talents of silver (2 Kings xv.19, 20). The nation was now so weakened that it was unable to stand before another invader. How can Jacob stand? The time bas come when men may well ask this question in relation to the Church. How can it stand? The numbers are decreasing, viewed in relation to the growth of the popula- tion. By whom shall it arise? Not by statesmen, scientists, ritualists, priests. A new order of men is required to enable the Church to stand. Heaven raise them up I II. HIDIAN PB.A YER LEADING TO A DIVINE REVELATION. The prophet prays, and the great God makes a new revelation-a revelation of mercy. " The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord." "The Lord repented for this: This also shall not be, saitb the Lord God." "Repented," which means merely that he appeared to Amos as if he repented. The Immutable One changeth not. Though we are far enough from holding the absurdity that human prayer effects any alteration in the ordinances of nature or the purposes of the Almighty, we nevertheless hold with n tenacious faith the doctrine that a man gets from God by prayer that which he WQUld not get without it. Indeed, in every department of life man gets from the Almighty, by a certain kind of activity, that which he would never obtain without the effort. A man has a field which he has never tilled, and on which Providence has bestowed no crop for many a long year. He tills it this year, and in autumn God crowns it with his goodness. Another man has no health; for many years he has neglected the con- ditions of physical vigour, and he is infirm and afflicted. This year he attends rigorously to the laws of his physical well-being. He takes the proper exercise, the right food, the pure air, and he feels his infirmities and his pains decrease, and new vigour pulsating through his veins. Another man has never enjoyed the light of Divine knowledge; his soul has been living in the region of indolence; he has neglected all the means of intelligence. He alters his course and sets to work ; be reads and thinks, studies God's holy book, and prays ; he feels his nature graduall_y brighteni~g under the genial rays of truth. Thus everywhere God reveals to man his goo~ness ~n connection with his activity, which never comes without human effort. It 18 so 1n prayer. "The effectual ferv_ent pray~r. of ~ righteous. man avai_let.h mu~h.". It. puts the soul in that angle on which the Drnne hgbt falls, ID that soil ID which its 1ntel• lectual and moral powers will grow. "Ask, and ye shall receive." "More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of. Wherefore let thy voioe Rise like a fountain for me night and day. For what are men better than sheep or goats, That nourish a blind life within the bra.in, If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer Both for themselves and those who call them friends? For so the whole round earth ill every way Bound by gold chains about the feet of God." (Tennyson.) D.T. mt. vn. 1-17.J THE BOOK OF AMOS. 156