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with me, and the event hath not yet taken place. By so much as the world is getting older, by so much are we admonished to be more earnestly on the look-out, assured, as we must be, that we are they "upon whom the ends of the world are come."

Under the above reflections in view, I request to salute the Lord's people who may read these lines with my affection, and would here dwell a little on the well-known words in the prophetical writings of the Prophet Isaiah, "Watchman, what of the night?" To the lovers of biblical study, they will not need being told that they are part of what is contained in the burden of Dumah. Dumah, according to the ancient statements in geography, is said to have been in Arabia; but I think that the Prophet speaks rather of persons than of place-and if so, he connects in one and the same subject the whole carnal descendants of the patriarchs not interested in the "election of grace." The Prophet saith, "The burden of Dumah," but he instantly connects with it one that calleth to him out of Seir, when he saith, "Watchman, what of the night?" so that, while we know that Ishmael was the father of Dumah, and that Esau and his descendants dwelt in Mount Seir, (for Esau is Edom,) it becomes no violence to Scripture, but rather according to the analogy of Divine truth, to suppose that both by Dumah and Mount Seir, the Prophet intended to represent the children of the bond woman in all ages of the Church, as distinguished from the children of the free.

By the term burden we are taught, and that in various Scriptures is meant, somewhat to follow in the discourse of the Prophet, that is exceedingly weighty and impor

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tant. The Prophets frequently have used the expression, but always with a marked discrimination between that which is from the Lord, and that which belongs to man. For what is a burden and a weariness to the ungodly, is light and life to the Lord's people. The one from Mount Seir is evidently the cry of the ungodly-"Watchman, what of the night?" And as one panic-struck at some more than ordinary event, which at the time he probably beheld in the world, full of portentous signs and apprehensions of impending judgment, the Edomite repeats his question-"Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night?"

I detain the reader at this part of the subject to make a short application. It is impossible to figure to the human mind-for the utmost grasp of the imagination cannot portray them—the horrors of a guilty conscience, in the trembling prospects of Divine judgments. Sacred Scripture gives the only finished representation, but falls infinitely short of the reality. Under the era of the sixth seal, the Inspired writer saith, " And I beheld, when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the

mountains; and said unto the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" And no wonder, when the forebodings arise, as that they sometimes will arise, when storms, or hurricanes, or lightnings, or desperate sickness, beset the sinner, like another Felix before the Apostle, while apprehension of the judgment to come is in full view, that he anxiously puts the trembling inquiry to any one, and to every one, that he thinks can answer the question-"Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night ?"

But what I particularly admire, and desire to bless my God for, is to observe, upon the occasion of any alarm by which infidels are roused to a sense of impending danger, how the Lord of all Lords extorts from the very hearts of those that have before scoffed at his Sovereignty, saying with those of old, "Where is the promise of his coming?" the acknowledgment of their fright and the fearful looking for God's wrath. In the history of Persia we have a notable instance of the Lord's harrowing up the guilty conscience of atheistical men in their hour of danger, and compelling them to acknowledge the Divine government, which, in their profanity, they had denied. One of their writers, Eschylus, gives this statement: "When the Grecian army was full in pursuit of us," says he, "and we had no escape but over the great river Strymon, which was then frozen; and when, had it thawed, every soul must have perished—

*Rev. vi. 12-17.

many a one," says the historian, "did I see with my eyes, and hear with my ears, which before had denied the being of a God, now crying to Him for mercy, that the ice might hold until they were gotten over." And the cases of those infidels in those days are not without parallel in ours. Were the Lord to come forth by some national visitation-of an earthquake, or pestilence, or sword-oh! how many of the Christ despisers would then tremble to the very centre of their souls, and turn into paleness and horror, in the apprehension of Divine judgment! And none more so than those who, in the full blaze of Gospel truths, deny the Lord that bought them. The Prophet hath described such in lively but alarming characters: "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ?"*

I shall here drop the subject, as in reference to Dumah, or the man out of Seir, in order to consider the question, as it may be rendered profitable to the godly reader. The Holy Ghost hath taught us, by the Apostle Peter, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation: "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." In all the predictions of the Lord, it is to the Church, and for the Church, as so many modes of instruction. And as the Lord here most blessedly states, this, as well as all other prophecies, is of no private interpretation, but is given for the edification and comfort of the Church, and cannot be interpreted as

*Isa. xxxiii. 14.

other books of man's wisdom may, by man; but the Lord that gives it, is the same Lord only that can explain it. I shall be led to hope the same Almighty God which moved holy men of old to write, will direct our spiritual understanding to apprehend as we read, that we may "know the things freely given to us of God."

CHAPTER XVII.

Vital Goodness contrasted with the Heresies abounding, as clearly depicted in the New Testament.

I begin this section with observing, that the inquiry, "Watchman, what of the night ?" becomes abundantly interesting, upon numberless occasions, in the common intercourse of society, man with man; and if, from the lower circumstances of the present life, we rise in the investigation to the greater and more momentous, in which are involved all the infinite interest of another, the subject increaseth in magnitude as we advance; and the mind, if taught of God, becomes more solemnly impressed in the contemplation. I have often found a train of reflections awakened within, when at any one time the silence of the night hath been interrupted by the watchman's call without, "All is well." Yes, I have responded, all is well indeed; being at peace with God, and at peace with man. But can all be well where sin and Satan reign? The watchmen which go about the city consider all to be well, as long as no fires from within, or robbers from without, disturb the peace of the inhabitants. But

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