Ver. 1-ch. iii. 19.-Wicked nations: 3. Providence often employs one wicked nation to inflict ruin upon another. "He that dasbeth," etc. " He that dasbeth in pieces is come up before thy face.'' "The disperser hath come up before thee" (Hender- son); "A dasher in pieces comes against thee" (Keil). Who is "he that dasheth in pieces"? The Medo-Babylonish army. This mighty army, under the command of Cyaxares and Nabopolassar, composed of. Medes and Babylonians, wrought the terrible destruction so graphically predicted in these chapters. And beneath its triumphant power Nineveh fell, between B.o. 626 and 608-fell to rise no more. Both these powers -the Medes and the Babylonians-were pre-eminently wicked, as bad in every respect, if not worse, than the Assyrians.. These were the battle-axe with which God broke in pieces the Assyrian power. As a rule, in the government of the world, God employs one wicked nation to destroy another. Who destroyed Edom and Egypt, and Persia and Moab, and Greece and Rome ? These were all destroyed by the hands of wicked men. Why this? Why does not the Almighty punish wicked nations by some other way? Why does be not destroy them without any instrumentality whatever, by a mere volition; or, if he employs instrumentality, why not the blind forces of nature, or wild beasts, or poisonous reptiles? Why should he employ wicked men as bi9 instruments? The method clearly answers certain purposes. I. IT MAKES THE PUNISHMENT APPEAR MORE TERRIBLE. Who would not sooner die by a flash of lightning, or a pestilential blast, or a predatory beast, than in deadly conflict with a man with whom he bas measured his strength? In such a death passions are roused that burn in the centre of the soul, and a terrible humiliation is felt. A wicked man can have no greater tormentor than a wicked man. The greatest tormentors of fiends are fiends. In punishing wicked men in this way the Almighty declares to their consciences that they are so wicked that the wicked shall destroy them. Those of their own flesh and blood and character shall wreak vengeance on their head. II. 1T REVEALS THE ENORMITY OP SIN. Man was made to loTe his brother. His social instincts, his physical relationships, and the law of interdependence, as well 11S the laws of God, demonstrate this. But when you see him flaming with malign emotions towe.rdd his fellows, and wrestling in a deadly conflict, what a revelation of the enormity of sin I The battle-field is at once the product and the type of helL Such a manifesta.tion of sin is surely hideous enough to make us stand aghast with horror and hate. III. IT snows Goo's MA!!'l'ERY OVER HUMAN ACTIONS. The wicked engage in bloody ware, and thus become the instruments in administering the just penalties of sin; not to obey the Diviue will, but to gratify their own avarice, ambition, malice, and greed. They do not serve Providence by their will, but against it. God is such a }faster of human souls that he "maketh the wrath of man to praise him.'' It is not 40 THE BOOK OF NARUM. [on, m. 1-19.
optione.l with man whether he ehe.11 serve God or not; serve him he must I the option is whether be shall serve him willingly or unwillingly, e.s e.n agent or e.s an instrument. God links the devil himself to the.t providential chariot which is bearing on bla great purposes to their fulfilment. CoNCLusroN. Two things should be remembered in connection with this subject, 1. That the wicked'MBIJ of nations does not necessarily imply wickedness in e.11 their members. There are good men in every nation under hee.ven, even in the wo~st. There are N oe.hs, Lots, De.niels, Jobs, amongst the corruptest people. 2. That the Nin of nations does not necessarily imply the f'Uin of e.ll their members. Nations are but assemblages of individuale----abstractions, nothing more. They he.ve no future exist- ence; there ie no Egypt, Persia, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Rome, Germany, Italy, Engle.nd, etc., in eternity. Nor are there any Churches there, Papal or Protestant, Conformist or Nonconformist. "Public bodies and communities of men, e.s such, ce.n only be rewarded and punished in this world. This world is the only see.son for national punillhm81lta." "The individual culprit may sometimes Unpunished to hie after-reckot:iug go. Not thus collective man; for public crimes Draw on their proper punishment below: When nations go astray, from age to age The e1fecte remain, a fatal h81'ite.ge." (B. Southey.) D.T.