"The world, with sin and Satan, In vo.in our march opposes ; By faith we shall break through them all, And sing the song of Moses," E.8.P. Vere. 1-4.-.Avarice. "Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds I when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand," etc. The prophet, in the preceding chapter, foretold the judgment that would befall both kingdoms on account of their apostasy from the living God. He begins this chapter by denouncing the rapacious avarice of their leading men. Oppres- sion is one of the greatest social crimes; alas! one that has been prevalent in every age and land ; a crime this, too, which the Bible denounces with great frequency and with terrific force. Avarice, or greed, is the spring and spirit of all oppression. In the text we have this rapacious avarice presented to us in three aspects. I. SCHEMING IN THE NIGHT. The 11varicious men "devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds." When avarice takes possession of a man, it works the brain by night as well as by day. It keeps the intellectual facn Ities busy in the stillness of nocturnal homs. What schemes to swindle, defraud, and plunder men are fabricated in this London of ours every night upon the pillow I Perhaps there is no passion that takes a stronger hold upon man than this, and that moves his intellect with such con- centration and constancy. It has been called" the great sepulchre of all other passions." II. WORKING IN THE DAY "When the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand." Delitzsch renders this," In the light of the morning they carry it out, for their hand is their god." The irlea is, perhaps, that which they esteem most is the worldly gain of their avaricious labour. So it ever is; gain is the god of the greedy man. He sacri6ces all his time and labour on its altar. Before it he pros- trates his Roul. Your avaricious man in the day trots about the streets, the shops, the markets, like a hungry hound in search of food. Shakespeare compares such a man to a whale, which plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at last devours them all at a mouthful. Such whales have I heard of on the land, who never leave gaping till they've swallowed the whole parish-church, steeple, bells, and all. Ill. SUFFERING IN THE JUDGMENT. "Therefore thus saith the Lord ; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks," etc. Judgment comes at last; and in the judgment, as these words give us to understand, the punishment will correspond with the sin. "Because they reflect upon evil," says Delitzsch, "to deprive their fellow-men of their possessions, Jehovah will bring evil upon this generation, lay a heavy yoke upon their necks, under which they will not be able to walk loftily or with extended neck." Ay, the time will come when the avaricious millionaire will exclaim, "We be utterly spoiled," "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you," etc. (Jas. v. 1).-D. T. Ver. 1.-GocT:s truth. "0 thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?" "Thou called house of Jacob, is the patience of Jehovah short then? or is this his doing? Are not my words good to him that walketh uprightly?" Such is a modern translation. We prefer the translation of Henderson, as follows : "What language, 0 house of Jacob I Is the Spirit of Jehovah shortened? Are these his operations? Do not, my worus benefit him that walketh uprightly?" These words seem to be a reply to an objection raised agamst the prophets in the preceding verse. The objector did not approve of predictions so terribly selfere. "It is not strange," says Matthew Henry, "if people that are vicious and debauched covet to have ministers that are altogether such as themselves, for they are willing to believe that God is so too." There are people in all congregations who revolt at the pro- clamation of any doctrines from the pulpit that chime not in with their love of ease 1md their cherished notions, and especially so if such doctrines are unfamiliar to their ears, They desire the o)d things to be iterated without end, and with as little change of form and note as possible, The text may be taken as a reproof to such, It sni s two things to them. 32 THE BOOK OF MICAH. (OH, II, 1-18,
I. THAT THE SrIRrr OF DIVINE TRUTH 0ANNOT DF. RESTRAINED. "Is the Spirit of the Lord strnitened?" There is no limit to truth; it is an ocean that has no shore, a fil'ld whose ever-springing seeds are innumerable. Men's theological systems, even the largest of them, have narrow limits. 'l'hey are, as compared to Divine truth, only ns a barren rood to a fertile continent; a little sand-pool to the mighty Atlantic. It is not" straitened." It has no limit. To every true minister this Spirit has some- thing fresh to suggest, and which he is bound to propound and enforce. "The Lord bath yet more light and truth to break forth from his Word." II. THAT THE PRACTICE OF DIVINE TRUTH 0ANNOT DUT DO GOOD, .. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?" Though you have never heard the particular truth before, though it may be too severe to please you, though it may clash with all your prejudices and wishes, if you practise it, it will do you good. 1. Ie is to be practised. It is not fitted merely for speculation, systematizing, controversy and debate; it is for inspiring the activities and ruling the life. It is a code rather than a creed; it is not something to play about the brain, the imagination, or the emotions, but to possess, permeate, and transform the whole life. It must be incarnated, made flesh, and dwell in the land. 2. When practised it is a blessing. "Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?" Yes, they do good-when they are trans- lated, not into languages and creeds, but into living deeds, A man gets good only as he builds up a noble character. But what is a good character? It is made up of good habits, a.ad good habits are ma.de up of good acts, and good acts are but the forms and expressions of God's words and idea.s.-D. T.