mies of the church, both devils and wicked men; and they are aptly spoken of for the whole. They were to fill up their measure, and heap on themselves damnation. They were the avowed enemies of God by wicked works; provoking him to anger every day by the most scandalous crimes hereditary crimes, if I may be allowed the expression; not merely as they were sinners in Adam, but as the descendants of wicked Ham. Now as it was the Lord's will that they should suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, justly due to their manifold sins, and have nothing to say against this sentence being passed; so they would require four hundred years longer to fill up their measure. "Wrath stays him ;"* therefore he says to Abraham-"Thy seed must be content to suffer four hundred years exile, in order that this grand purpose of mine may be accomplished." Abraham has not a word * Cowper on Conversation:-awful hinderance! to say the Lord's enemies were his enemies; it was but one cause, and served as a powerful motive with Abraham to submit. "'Tis painful to consider," as if he had said, "that this must be the lot of my posterity for so long a time: but thou, O Lord! hast some end in view; and if 'tis vengeance on thine enemies, I will even rejoice in it." "And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge." Egypt must be judged; she must also fill up her measure; and the chosen seed must still suffer. Pharaoh and the Egyptians are a striking type of Satan and his angels, who are all agents in bringing on afflictions of mind, body, and estate, on the children of men. The Devil's spite and malice is particularly levelled against the called of God, because they are translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son; and he is the prince of that world, and the prince of 4 the power of the air, and has, as it were, a delegated authority in these regions.The many afflictions brought on Job is a forcible instance of that power. The woman bowed down with a spirit of infirmity was bound by him eighteen years; and he hindered an apostle from going on his intended journey. He raises the storm, and sends thousands to the bottom of the great deep; he brings on wars, and gluts his fury on millions of the slain. There is no fatal accident, or misfortune, brought on the sons of men, but he is a principal agent in it; and, in a spiritual sense, we who are the called of God are not ignorant of his devices. But the Lord has a great end to answer in this: he has not yet received his full and final punishment; all the phials of divine wrath are not yet poured out on his devoted head; for he is reserved to the judgment of the great day; and he is permitted to shew his spite, and to tempt us to sin against God, in order to fill up the measure of his iniquities, "That with reiterated crimes he may Heap on himself damnation, while he seeks Evil to others." MILTON. This will be one lesson, among many others, to teach me patience, and more than patience it will teach me to be joyful in tribulation. Wicked men also have no small share in many of the afflictions that befal the Lord's people; and they must fill up their measure. "They fill their measure, and receive their due." COWPER But Satan's machinations are principally out of spite to our glorious Head, the Lord Jesus; and this should lead us to hold up our head, for he will surely avenge us, seeing we are sufferers on account of our attachment to him and to his cause; and though he be an enemy, and a powerful F |