Vera, 7-9.-Man's moral character. "Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb-line, with a. plumb-line in his hand," etc. "Behold, the Lord stood upon e. wall ma.de by e. plumb-line," viz. perpendicular. "Amos." "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Tim. iL 19), as he saith to Moses, "I know thee by name" (Exod. xxxiii. 12, 17). "He calleth his own sheep by name" (John x. 3). "Behold, I will set e. plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel." No longer are the 1ymbols, o,s in the former two, stated generally; this one is expressly applied to Israel. Jod's long-suffering is worn out by Israel's perversity; so Amos ceases to interce<le, e.s Abraham did in the case of Sodom. The plummet-line was used, not only in build- ing, but iu destroying houses (2 Kings xxi.13; Isa. xxviii.17; xuiv. 11; Lam. ii. 8). It denotes that God's judgments a.re measured out by the exactest rules of justice. Here it is placed in the midst of Israel; i.e. the judgment is not to be confined to an outer pa.rt of Israel, a.a by Tiglath-Pileser-it is .to reach the very centre. This was fulfilled when She.lmaneser, after e. three years' siege of Samaria., took it, in the ninth year of Hoshea the King of Israel, and carried a.way Israel captive finally to Assyria. (2 Kings xvii. 3, 5, 6, 23). "I will not again pass by them any more." I will not forgive them any more (eh. viii. 2; Prov. xix. 11; Micah vii. 18). "And the high places," dedicated to idols, "of Isaac." They boasted of following the example of their fore- father Isaac, in erecting high places at Beersheba (eh. v. 5); but he and Abraham erected them before the temple was appointed. at Jerusalem. But these Israelites did so after the temple had been fixed as the only place for sacrifices and worship. The mention of Isaac a.nd Israel is in e.11 probability intended simply to express the names which their posterity boasted in, as if they would ensure their safety ; but these shall n,ot save them, Homiletically, we may use these words as suggesting certain things concerning man's moral character. I. THERE 18 A KIND OF IIIABONBY IN THE FOBIIIATION OF IIIAN 1S CHARACTER. "Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a. wall ma.de by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line." A plumb-line is an architectural instrument; and the wall on which the Lord stood was being measured by a plumb-line. Moral masonry is sug- gested. Man's character may be compared to masonry in several respects. 1. It ha.,i one foundation. Walls a.re built, not upon two, but upon one foundation. So is every man's character. 'l.'here is some one principle on which it is organized, some one fount to which you can trace a.11 the streams of human activity. The principle is the para- mount affection of the man. Whatever he loves most, governs him. If he loves pleasure most, his character is sensual; if he loves money most, his character is worldly; if he loves wisdom most, his :character is philosophic; if he loves God most, his character is Divine, etc. 2. It has a variety of materials. In a building there are earth, lime, stones, bricks, wood, iron, etc. These are brought together into a whole. Character is not formed of one set of actions, thoughts, impulses, volitions. All kinds of acts enter into it, mental, moral, muscular, personal, political, religious-all are materials in the building. 3. It is a gradual advancement. You cannot build a house in a day; stone by stone it must advance: so the formation of character is e. slow work. Men cannot become either devils or saints at once, cannot spring into these characters by a bound. It takes time to build up a. Satan, and a. longer time still to build up a seraph within us. Acts make habits; habits make character. II. THERE IS A DIVINE STANDARD BY WHICH TO TESl' IIIAN'S CH.ABACTEB. Here is the great God standing on the wall with a "plumb-line" in his hand, with which to test his people Israel. What is the Divine "plumb-line" by which to test character? Here it is: "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them." Or, perhaps more intelligibly, the moral character of Christ: "If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his." That spirit is love for God and men. Without love we are "nothing." Here is a. plumb-line. Are you Ohristly P If not, your moral masonry is not architecturally sound or symmetric. He who now stood before Amos on the wall,-_witb a "plumb-line in his hand," stands to-day amongst men with this moral test of character. IIJ. THERE 18 A TERRIBLE RUIN FOB THOSE WHOSE CHABA0TEBS WILL NOT BEAR THE 'tEBT OF THIS PLUIIIB-LINE. " Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Iarael : I will not again pass l>y them any more : and the high places of baac shall bQ THE BOOlt OF AMOS. (err. vrr. 1-1'1,
<les0latc, and t-be ~Rnctnaries or Israel shall be lo.id waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword." See this test applied on the day of judgment, as represented in Matt.. xxv. 31-46, "When the Son of man shall come In his glory," ctc.-D. T.