through the greater portion of this long period the Jews | were in a depressed and afflicted state; yet there were during this, as during the other periods of their eventful history, special interpositions of God's providence in their behalf, showing that God had not utterly forsaken them. And it may be proper here briefly to notice some of those occasions on which the hand of the Lord was interposed to deliver them from dan ger, when, to human apprehension, their destruction seemed inevitable. The first instance I mention is that memorable deliverance that was wrought for them, through the instrumentality of Mordecai and Queen Esther. This belongs, indeed, to that portion of this period of their history, that was under consideration in a former number, while they still enjoyed the ministry of the prophets. But not having been mentioned there, it may be introduced here. It was in the reign of one of the kings of Persia, called, in the Scriptures, Ahasuerus, that this deliverance was accomplished. A plan had been formed for exterminating the people of Israel in one day, throughout all the provinces of the Persian empire. The plan had been sanctioned by the king, and messengers had been sent to all the provinces, carrying the bloody mandate, which, according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, could not be altered. What human means could now be devised for their deliverance? It is evident that nothing but the power of God could rescue them from destruction. Divine power was accordingly put forth; and in the use of human means, which gives a more wonderful display of the hand of God in arranging all the dispensations of providence, and all the designs and purposes of men for fulfilling all his counsel, than if the deliverance had been effected without human agency. There is indeed in all the circumstances of this deliverance, as recorded in the Book of Esther, a more striking display of the overruling hand of God, over all the designs and purposes of men, than is anywhere to be found. Let us trace some of the steps of God's providence, which issued in the deliverance of the people of Israel from the destruction wherewith they were threatened. It was of the appointment of God that many of the Israelites should be carried captive to Babylon. It was so ordered, that among them Mordecai should be one, with his young relative an orphan. It was so ordered, that Mordecai should be employed at the palace of Shushan, under the kings of Persia. It was so ordered, that while he resided there, he should give information respecting a conspiracy against the king's life and government, and thus be the means of saving the king's life. It was so ordered, that no reward should be given at the time when he made that important discovery. It was so ordered, however, that the fact of Mordecai having made that discovery should be entered in the public records of the kingdom. It was so ordered, that the king should be offended with his queen, and put her away. It was so ordered, that by the advice of the king's servants, or chief ministers, a fair virgin should be sought for throughout the kingdom, to supply the place of the queen. It was so ordered, that of all who had been selected, of whom Esther was one, she was the object of the king's choice. It was so ordered, that Mordecai, having heard of the plan formed for exterminating the Jews, had it in his power to communicate the intelligence to Esther, of which, otherwise, she would have been ignorant. It was so ordered, that, on the very night previous to the day when Haman had proposed the cutting off Mordecai, the king could not sleep. It was so ordered, that, for his entertainment probably, he wished to have part of the records of the kingdom read to him. It was so ordered, that, in the portion of the records that was read to him, was recorded the discovery of the conspiracy against the king's life by Mordecai. It was so ordered, that the king should inquire whether any reward had been given him for the discovery. It was so ordered, that the king should purpose to reward him for this service. It was so ordered, that, instead of fixing upon the reward him. self, he should first consult some of his officers of state, in whom he placed confidence. It was so ordered, that Haman, who was at that time in high favour with the king, was in waiting, intending to apply to the king for leave to lay hold on Mordecai, and to have him hanged on the gallows which he had prepared. It was so ordered, that, before Haman had time to mention his request, the king, whose mind was occupied with the account which had been read to him respecting the discovery of the conspiracy, should ask him what he thought should be done to one whom he wished to honour, without mentioning his name. It was 80 ordered, that Haman, rashly concluding that this per son could be no other than himself, was led to contrive the very highest honour he could think of for the man whom he most of all hated. And it was so ordered, that the king, not knowing any thing of Haman's ill will to Mordecai, should desire him to do to Mordecai just as he had desired should be done to him whom the king delighted to honour. Now, in all this, is it pos➡ sible not to mark the overruling hand of God, arrang ing every thing in the course of providence? This is evidently the Lord's doing; let it be marvellous in our eyes. The result, in the present instance, is well known. The Jews were delivered from the threatened destruction, and signal vengeance was inflicted on their enemies. A second instance may be mentioned, which occurred about fifty years after Malachi, the last of their prophets. Alexander of Macedon passed over into Asia, with the view of conquering the Persian empire, then the greatest in the world. He was a young man of great talents and accomplishments, and he was full of ambition to distinguish himself as a mighty conqueror. He set out with a great army, and purposed laying siege to Jerusalem, not doubting, it is likely, that it would prove an easy conquest. And the Jews, had they looked only to their own resources, had no sufficient force to defend themselves from the assault of so formidable an army. But they put their trust in the Lord, who had often delivered them from their enemies, when to outward appearance they were without hope. By direction from above, their High Priest, arrayed in his priestly robes, and a great company of the priests dressed in white set out from Jerusalem to meet Alexander at the head of his army. And to the astonishment of his officers and army, and to the astonishment, it is likely, of the Jewish priests themselves, when the procession approached, Alexander dismounted and prostrated himself before the High Priest, declaring, that before he left Macedon, he had seen in a dream a person in the dress of the High Priest, and who had encouraged him to come over to assist to conquer the kingdom of Persia. Immediately all hostile intentions against Jerusalem were abandoned. He ac companied the priests into Jerusalem in peace. He offered up sacrifices, according to the law, through the ministration of the High Priest. And the High Priest showed him from the Book of Daniel, that it was then foretold that a prince of Grecia should overturn the kingdom of Persia. Alexander concluded at once that this prince must be himself. And it was so. is the person that was foretold as the notable horn on the rough he-goat that was spoken of as the king of Grecia. He, therefore, ever after cherished a respect for the people of Israel. Now, in the whole of this transaction, we may trace the Lord's hand graciously interposed to deliver them from impending destruction, There can be no doubt that Alexander's dream was from the Lord; and thus we learn how God hath the hearts of all men in his hands, and turns them as the rivers of water. For he might be descended, according to the flesh, the Saviou in whom all nations must be blessed. 2. Observe, not only were they upheld during ali the vicissitudes of their lot in this period, but their genealogies were kept carefully, particularly the genealogy of the family of David; that thus when the Saviour at length appeared it might be known that he was lineally descended from David, as had been re 3. Observe, that amidst all the vicissitudes of this trying period, the Jewish Scriptures were carefully preserved; so that when Christ appeared, it could be proved from them that he was the Messias, as in him were fulfilled all that their own prophets had foretold respecting the coming of the Messias. 4. The intercourse which the Jews had with the neighbouring nations during this period, was the means of giving them some intimations respecting the coming of the Saviour; so that not in Judea only, but in other countries, when the time of Christ's coming drew near, there was a general expectation that a great king was to appear; and thus was a preparation made for Christ being acknowledged as king among the Gentiles. ON THE CERTAINTY, CIRCUMSTANCES, AND CONSE- Another instance may be mentioned of a signal de- | liverance being wrought for the Jews, when they were in the most distressing circumstances, and many of them suffered martyrdom because they refused to worship idols. Alexander had but a short reign of six years and some months. As he had no son to succeed him after his death, four of his principal officers divided his dominions among themselves. And this was foretold by Daniel, when he saw, that after the one nota-peatedly foretold. ble horn of the rough he-goat was broken, four other horns arose, but not in the same power. Seleucus, in this division, obtained Babylon and Syria, and his successor, Antiochus Epiphanes, was a wicked prince, and particularly manifested great enmity to the Jews. He took the city of Jerusalem, massacred thousands of the inhabitants, and took away great numbers of them as captives, and compelled many of them, by torture, to renounce their own form of worship and to worship the beathen gods. Many of the Jews submitted to torture and to death, rather than renounce their religion. And it is probably to this period of Jewish history that the Apostle Paul refers in Hebrews xi. 36-38, "others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented : (Of whom the world was not worthy;) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." In this extremity, there was no doubt much prayer offered up to God, that he would be graciously pleased to interpose for their deliverance. And the Lord did graciously interpose, and raised up a deliverer for them in Judas Maccabeus, who, with a few brave men, gained repeated victories. And under him and some of those who succeeded him, Judea became an independent kingdom, and the temple was purged from idols, and the worship of the true God restored; and neighbouring nations sought their alliance. Even the Romans, who were at that time rising into great power, made a league with them; and for about a century they continued an independent kingdom, the High Priest for the time being also their civil ruler. Trusting, however, more to their own resources and the fame that they had acquired under Judas Maccabeus and his immediate successors, than to the power by which their victories had been obtained, they were suffered again to come under a foreign yoke. Pompey, a Roman general, captured the city of Jerusalem, and made the Jews tributary to the Romans. This happened about sixty-three years before Christ's coming into the world. And about forty years before Christ, Herod, a foreigner, was, by the permission of the Romans, allowed to reign as king over Judea, and was alive at the birth of Christ; and he dying soon after the birth of Christ, from that time Judea became a province of the Roman empire. And thus was fulfilled what was foretold by Jacob, that the sceptre should not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, till the coming of Shiloh; and that to him should the gathering of the people be. In reviewing the portion of the history of Israel, contained in this number, from the time of Malachi on to the coming of Christ, the following remarks may be worthy of our consideration : 1. Let us admire that watchful care of God's providence over this people, that even when they had forfeited his favour, by abusing and perverting their distinguished privileges, they were never utterly given up to the will of their enemies, who at times seemed to aim at their utter extirpation. But under the watchful care of the Shepherd of Israel, they were not only preserved from extirpation, but were kept a separate and distinct people. Herein God was faithful to his promise. And this was necessary, that from them BY THE REV. THOMAS ROSS, LL.D., "The Judgment of the great day."-JUDE ver. 6. WHEN we survey the material creation in all its various parts, we find that there the utmost harmony and order universally prevail. In the heavenly regions we see the sun, the moon, and the stars, perform their several revolutions with unfailing regularity, so that the exact situation of any one of them can be accurately ascertained for any given hour of any given day; and their periods of revolution, as well as their conjunctions, occultations, and eclipses, are foretold by calculation, many ages before they occur, without the variation of a second of time. Hence it happens that, from the days of Noah to the present moment, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, have not ceased; but each has returned, and continues to return, in grand and regular vicissitude, according to a fixed and established law. In like manner, upon earth the same beautiful and useful order is preserved, in consequence of which, the mariner commits his life and fortune on the boundless ocean, because he confidently trusts that the waters shall preserve their buoyant quality, as well as their liquid form, and that the winds shall continue to blow, which will waft him to his wished for haven. The husbandman also, with an extraordinary seeming improvidence, scatters on the surface of the earth that precious grain which might be manufactured into food for the support of himself and of his family; because he hopes that by the influence of light, and heat, and moisture, it will produce to him a manifold return; and he regulates the quantity of the different kinds according to the purposes for which they are intended, with the absolute certainty, never yet disappointed, that each shall exhibit a crop of its own quality and nature. earth pays no regard to the affairs of mortal men? Such, indeed, is the impious reasoning of the wicked, who "set their mouth against the heavens, and speak wickedly concerning oppression; who say, how doth God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High ?" Nay, the people of God themlanguage, and in an hour of darkness and desertion, to exclaim, "Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world, they increase in riches; verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency." Again, if we look to the animal creation, we find that the various tribes are adapted, with admirable wisdom, to their respective elements and climates, and are led by an amazing and infallible instinct, to prefer that species of food which is suited to their nature, and to avoid whatever is pernicious or unsafe. And if we extend our view still far-selves are sometimes tempted to adopt a similar ther, even ransack the bowels of the earth, and examine its mineral productions, we find their several tribes obedient to laws equally uniform and useful, insomuch that, whether by analysis or composition, the same causes are invariably known, in similar circumstances, to produce the same effects. All, all proclaim aloud the superintending care and vigorous influence, as well as the creative energy, the deep design and discriminating skill of a most wise, most mighty, and most beneficent God. When, on the contrary, we contemplate the affairs of the moral world, a strangely different appearance of things presents itself to our view. There, where we look for harmony and design, we are struck with inconsistency and discord, and where we anticipate the delight of perfect beauty and order, we are continually shocked by new instances of derangement and confusion. From the faculties with which our Maker has endowed us, it is impossible for us not to perceive that there is an immutable difference between truth and falsehood, between right and wrong, between virtuous and vicious actions-in a word, between moral good and evil. The most abandoned of the human race would startle at the assertion, that he who had spent his life in rapine, in violence, and bloodshed, is as respectable a citizen as he who had employed his time, his talents, and his substance, in promoting the best interests of his fellow-creatures. If these things, then, are so, the necessary conclusion from analogy is, that however different the shades of virtue and of vice, in various characters, may be, it must happen that the more virtuous any man is, the more must his happiness be increased, and, the more vicious, the more miserable must he be. But does the fact, from observation and experience, confirm this reasoning from analogy? Far from it! On the contrary, we find that, in this world, "all things come alike to all; that there is one event to the righteous and the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not; that as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath." Nay, we even find, that the righteous are often afflicted while the wicked prosper; that crimes of the most aggravated nature are committed with impunity, while the most sublime and ennobling virtues are altogether overlooked; in short, that vice is accompanied by success and honour, while virtue is subjected to ingratitude and scorn. Are we, then, from these circumstances, to conclude that the Supreme Being, whose wisdom and goodness are so conspicuous in regulating the course of the natural, neglects the government of the moral, world, and that the God of heaven and But let us attend for a single moment, and see whether such a conclusion can stand, even when tried at the bar of reason itself, short-sighted as it is. Let us look to the heavens above, and to the earth beneath; let us, with the most minute attention, investigate all the material works of God with which we are here acquainted; to these let us add the innumerable worlds on which the light of modern science enables us to gaze, let us examine them in all their properties, and assign to them their utmost value and importance; yet all these, immense, diversified, and glorious as they are, are not to be compared, in dignity and worth, to one rational, immortal, and accountable spirit. And can we, then, with any show of reason, suppose that a Being of infinite wisdom and goodness should give a most minute and unceasing attention to the meanest of his works, and utterly forsake the noblest efforts of his power, that he should make his sun to shine, his rain to descend, and his seasons to revolve, with unvarying regularity, in order to feed the fowls of the air, or deck the lilies of the field, and yet abandon to its fate that sublime and intelligent substance which he has created to contemplate his own perfections, and to address him by the name of Father? in one word, that he should superintend the vegetation of the minutest particle of grass, and yet neglect the cause of truth, of holiness, and justice? If not, then it necessarily follows that there must be a future state, in which the present seeming derangements shall be all adjusted, and a righteous distribution shall be made of rewards and punishments, according to the deeds and characters of men. Such are the dictates of unbiassed reason, concerning the future destinies of accountable beings. But no further does our unassisted reason, with its utmost efforts, avail. It throws not the most distant light on the place, the nature, or duration of future happiness or misery beyond the grave. It merely brings us to the very threshold of an eternal world, and then leaves us there in darkness and conjecture. Where, then, is all the wisdom of the wise? Where is all the learning of the schools? Where are all the boasted discoveries of philosophy? Where end all the speculations of the disputer of this world? What have all these effected, or wherein does their importance consist to guilty and immortal man, if they only serve to swell the pride of his few vain days on earth, and then forsake him in his utmost extremity of need? But, blessed be God! where the light of reason fails, divine revelation kindly interposes for our relief, and discovers to the eye of faith those awful and important realities beyond the grave, which both demand the attention, and satisfy the desires of every inquiring mind. It not only informs us that our souls shall live for ever, in a state of inconceivable happiness, or inexpressible misery, but that there shall be also a resurrection of the body, and a day of general judgment, all the circumstances and consequences of which it has brought to the clearest light. Nor can it at all be doubted that these important doctrines, though far beyond the discovery of unassisted reason, were well known to the true Church of God, in all the ages of the world. Thus, concerning the resurrection, our Lord says to the Jews, "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." And again, "This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." And as a practical illustration, and undeniable proof, of the truth of the doctrine, he himself rose again from the dead, on the third day, according to the Scriptures. Of a general judgment, he has not only given the clearest intimation, in innumerable passages of his discourses; but has even condescended to describe, with singular minuteness, a variety of circumstances, which constitute the greatness and solemnity of that important scene; as we may see in the 25th chapter of the Gospel by Matthew, from the 31st verse to the end. In like manner his apostles, emboldened by his Thus we find that Enoch, though only the seventh in descent from Adam, yet living in an age in which, through the prevalence of sin, the recollection of the first divine communications on these subjects was rapidly wearing away, prophesied, saying, "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all," and was himself afterwards translated without tasting death, as a kind of sensible demon-authority, and supported by his power, in the face stration, that the bodies, as well as the souls, of holy men, would live for ever with God, in his heavenly kingdom. A similar proof was given by the translation of Elijah, in the degenerate days of Israel. Job, also, who probably lived before the promulgation of the law, declares, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day, upon the earth. And, though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." "God is judge himself," says David, "he cometh to judge the earth." "He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth." Rejoice, O young man," says Solomon, "in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Thy dead men shall live," says Isaiah, "together with my dead body shall they arise: awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth," says Daniel," shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." 66 Such are a few of the innumerable intimations concerning the resurrection of the dead, and a future judgment, with which it pleased God to favour his Church under the Old Testament dispensation. But in the New Testament these doctrines are brought forward with so much clearer evidence, and more lucid illustration, that the Apostle Paul, as if he overlooked all former revelations concerning them, observes, that "our Saviour Jesus Christ has brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel." of the most violent opposition from the world, inthians, "we must all appear before the judg ment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Having thus shown, both from reason and the Word of God, that there will be a future state, a resurrection of the body, and a final and eternal judgment, I now proceed to state some of those circumstances which must give to the day of judgment a character of peculiar interest and importance, on account of which it is called in Scripture, "The Great Day;" and, by way of eminence, "THAT DAY." And, But the Eternal Father being a spiritual, invisible essence, and many of those who are to be judged being clothed with a material substance, and to receive a sentence corresponding to the deeds done in the body, he has most wisely appointed that the judgment shall be conducted by the ever-blessed Son, who comprehends in his own person the two distinct natures of God and man. Thus says the apostle, "He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained." And says our Lord himself, "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." And he adds, "He hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." At the same time, though the Judge of the that all may behold his person, and acknowledge his competency to comprehend the views, and to decide according to the motives of their conduct; yet will his human nature be adorned with all the essential dignity and sovereign authority of the Godhead, that thus a reward of glory may be given to the man Christ Jesus, corresponding to the amazing humiliation of his suffering state. Thus says the apostle to the Philippians, "He having humbled himself, and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: therefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." That is, that it may be fully known and acknowledged by the whole intelligent creation, that he who stooped so infinitely low, was from eternity God equal with the Father. Great then, indeed, must that day be, which will require the exertion of the infinite powers of so glorious a Judge! I. It will be a great day, on account of the number and quality of those beings whose most important interests shall be, on that day, eternally decided. For on that day shall be assembled together all the apostate angels, those ori-world shall appear in the form of a man, in order ginally pure and spiritual beings who kept not their first estate, but having, in rebellion, left their own habitation, the Lord hath reserved them "in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." They shall, on that day, hear the voice of the Son of God, summoning them into his presence, and they must obey. On that day, too, shall be assembled the whole posterity of Adam, from the creation of the world, even to the consummation of all things. Neither rank, nor wealth, nor influence, nor power, shall give any privilege of exemption. Nay, all distinction of earthly rank shall then entirely cease, and nothing shall remain to distinguish persons but character alone: yet great is the distinction, and wide as heaven from hell. Such is the number, and such the quality of those who shall on that day appear, with all the mingled emotions of hope and fear, of joy and sorrow, of triumph and despair, to hear their final sentence. And if that be reckoned here a great and anxious day-a day of general agitation and inquiry-in which an earthly judge, clothed in his robes of office, proceeds to decide either the life or death of one or two, perhaps obscure individuals, of his fellowcreatures; what, then, must be the greatness of that day, which shall unalterably fix the condition of all created intelligence, throughout eternal ages! II. Another circumstance on account of which the day of judgment is justly denominated a great day, is the transcendent character and infinite majesty of the Judge. In the affairs of this world, inferior officers are employed to decide in causes of inconsiderable moment; but when matters of high importance are at issue, then persons of more elevated rank, and more dignity of character, are appointed to preside; and the occasion which demands their attendance, marks a great and important day. How great, then, must that day be, in which the Creator of heaven and earth, declining the services of all inferior agents, shall enter, in person, on the judgment of the universe! "Jehovah is our Judge," says the inspired Isaiah: "Jehovah is our Lawgiver; Jehovah is our King:" "Jehovah shall judge his people," says the Lord himself, by his servant Moses. III. Another circumstance, on account of which the day of judgment is justly denominated a great day, is, the awful pomp and splendour in which the Judge will appear and enter on the discharge of his office. Once this Divine Personage-astonishing truth! condescended to visit our lower world as an infant in our nature, of low degree, to live in it as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and to submit to the most cruel indignities from the vilest of mankind. But now he is exalted by the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, he receives the humble adorations of saints and angels, and at his second appearance, he will exhibit the most convincing and undeniable proofs of his omnipotence and glory. "The sun," we are told, "shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.” But who can conceive the terror and dismay which must seize all the enemies of God on earth |