Ver. 10.-" .A bitter day." There is something incongruous in this language. Day is the bright and beauteous gift of God, and its sunlight and all the glory it reveals may justly be taken as the emblem of happiness and prosperity. The light is sweet; the day id joyous. Yet here there is depicted a bitter day I The context makes it evident that this is attributable to sin, which makes all sweet things bitter, and all bright things dim. I. THE BITTEB DAY OF !SBA.EL 0ONTBASTB WITH BYGONE DAYS OF SWEETNESS, Festivals and songs are mentioned in the context as distinctive of the religious life of the chosen people. And in times of national plenty and prosperity there had never been wanting abundance and even luxury, mirth and music, festivity and joy. These things have vanished into the past now that the "bitter day" has dawned. li. THE BITrER DAY OF IBBAEL IS MARKED BY CIECUMBTAN0ES OF TERRIBLE DISTRESS. The sun goes down, the land is darkened, mourning and lamentation are heard, sack- cloth is worn, the hair is shaved off the heads lately anointed for the banquet and wreathed with flowers; the signs are those of" mourning for an only son." The fallen and wretched condition of the. nation could not be depicted more graphically. The prophet-artist is skilful to heighten the dark colours which are expressive of Israel's woe. III. THE BITTEB DAY OF ISRAEL IS THE RESULT OF lsBAEL's BINS. What is calle,l misfortune and calamity is often really punishment. There was nothing accidental iu what befell this nation. On the contrary, Israel brought disaster upon itself by unfaith- fulness, disobedience, rebellion. As the people had sown, so they were to reap. Under the government of a just God it cannot be otherwise. The fruit of sin cannot be otherwise than bitter. lV. THE BITTER DAY OF lsBAEL IS SUGGESTIVE OF LESSONS OF WISDOM TO EVERY NATION. The rule of a righteous God is a fact not to be disputed. The retributive consequences of that rule are not to be evaded. Let not the people imagine a vain thing, or the rulers take counsel together against the Lord.-T.
Ver. 11.-Famine of the Word of God. 'l'here are many blessings which are not suitably valued until they are withdrawn and missed. It is so with bodily health, with political liberty, with domestic happiness. And the prophet assumes that it will be found the same with the Word of God. \Vhen it is possessed-when the Scriptures are read and the Go~pel is heard-it is too orten the case that the privilege is unappreciated. But what must it be to be shut off from all communication with Heaven I And such, it was foretold, was to be the lot of Israel in the days of retribution and calamity which were al>out to overtake Israel. I. THE WOBDB OF GOD ABE TO THE SOUL AS BREAD A.ND WATER TO THE BODY. Man's bodily constitution is such that food and drink are a necessity to health and even to life; to be even partially starved is to be disabled and to be rendered wretched. Even so, the truth, the ri~hteousness, the love of God, are the necessary aliment of the spiritual nature. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that pro• ceedeth out of the mouth of God." Fellowship with God by hid Word is indispensably ucccssary in oruor that a high, holy, and acceptable service may be rendered. II. A FAMINE OF THE WORD OF GoD 18 TO DE DREADED AS DETB.IMENTAL TO SPIRITUAL li2 THE BOOK OF AMOS, (on. vUl. 1-14.
LIFE AND 'WELL-BEING. 1. If the knowledge of God himself be withheld, there is for man no solution of all the mysteries of the universe, the mysteries of his being. 2. If the Law of God be concealed, there is no sufficient guide through human life. 3. If the gospel of Christ be withheld, there is no peace for the conscience, no sufficient inspira- tion for duty, no assurance of immortality. 4. If revelation be denied, there is no power, no principle sufficient to guide and to govern human society. ( Vitie • The Eclipse of Faith,' by the late Henry Rogers, where a chapter" The Blank Bible," sets forth the consequences which may be supposed to follow upon the disappearance of the Holy Scriptures.) III. THOSE WHO POSSESS THE \VORD OF Goo SHOULD BY THESB OONSIDERATIONB BIii INDUOED TO STUDY IT AXD TO usE IT ARIGHT. Neglect of the Divine Word may not in 01;1r cas~ e~tail the a.ctu~l dep_riy~tion foretold in the text. But it certainly will entail an indifference and msens1b1hty to the truth, which will be equally injurious and disnstrous. Now the Word is ours ; let us listen to it with reverence and faith • Jet us obey it with alacrity and diligence, "Walk in the light while ye have the light; lest darkness come upon yotL"-T.