MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 349 every threatning in the bible shall appear to be the voice of God, and his power shall employ all the terrible things in the creation for the accomplishment of his dreadful word. The wings of time bring onward the remote tempest : These dark clouds unite and grow big with divine and eternal vengeance ; they rise high, they hang over the nations, and are just ready to be discharged on the head of impeuitents. The God of thunder will roar from heaven, and cause his voice to be heard through the foundations of the earth, and to the very centre of hell. The spirit of the haughtiest sinner shall tremble with unknown astonishment, and the man of mockery shall quiver to his very soul. The light- nings of God shall kindle the world itto'one vast conflagration ; the earth, with all its forests and cities, shall make a dreadful blaze ; the enemiesof the Lord shall be fuel for this devouring fire, and a painful burning shall be kindled in the consciences, which innumerable ages shall not extinguish. " Who can dwell with this devouring fire! NVho can endure 'these everlasting burnings i" Blessed souls, who in a wise and happy hour have heard these divine warnings, who stood in awe of these distant thunders, and reverenced and obeyed the voice of the Lord in them. Bles- sed souls, who beheld the flashes of the wrath of God while they were yet afar off; who saw them kindling terribly in the threat - nings of the broken law, and fled for refuge to the hope set before them in the gospel ! they are divinely secured amidst the promises of the covenant of grace, from all the approaches of the fiery indignation. Jesus has sprinkled his own blood upon them ; a sovereign and preventive remedy against these terrors, a sure and eternal defence against the power of the destroying angel, and the burning tempest. " Their feet shall stand ou high, their habitation is a munition of rocks ;" they shall live secure, and rejoice is their God amidst the ruins of the lower creation. David's Lamentation over Saul and Jonathan; 2 Sam. i. 19, &c. THE Jews were acquainted with several arts and sciences long ere the Romans became a people, or the Greeks were known among the nations. Though Moses might learn some of them in his Egyptian education, yet perhaps others were taught by God himself amidst their travels in the wilderness, when they formed such á wonderful portable structure as the tabernacle, and wrought such garments of exquisite glory and beauty to adorn the high priest in his sacred ministrations. Nor is it unlikely that Moses introduced among them the art of verse ; for the most ancient poetical composures which are known in the world, are the xvth chapter of Exodus, where he triumphs over Pharoalt and his army, the xcth Psalm, where he describes the frailty and misery of human life, and the xxxiid of Deuteronomy, where he Z 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=