world GoD's Special Providence, and attributes all events to the operation of certain fixed laws given to nature by the primeval fiat of her Great Author. The destruction of an empire or a city, in the view of such reasoners, is but the necessary development of some fixed though latent law of nature, resulting as necessarily from the constitution of things as the gravitation of bodies towards the earth. The earthquake, or the water-flood, or the famine must be regarded as phenomena wholly unconnected with the moral agencies of mankind, and therefore wholly unaffected by any variations in his moral condition. But it was the sin of Nineveh which came up before GoD and caused HIM to stretch forth His hand to destroy. And it was her repentance that stayed the coming desolation. The interference of PROVIDENCE was special, and that special purpose was altered by reason of the amendment of a repentant nation.

Again, how clearly does the case of Nineveh demonstrate, that GOD's decrees regarding man are not unconditional, absolute, and irrespective of the free agency of moral beings. He had determined to destroy Nineveh; but "when He saw their works, HE repented of the evil that He had said that HE would do unto them, and He did it not." Thus are the Divine dispensations of punishment contingent upon the conduct of man. All are called to repentance; and to all who will repent there is promise of abundant pardon. "And therefore," to quote the words of Bishop Beveridge,' "if we will still stand out, and will not accept the gracious offers which are made to us, whatsoever punishment should be inflicted on us, we must even thank ourselves for it. For if we

1 Sermons, Vol. iv. p. 226.

be not in the number of the chosen as well as the called, it is only because we will not perform those things which we are called to; for this is most certain, that he who doth what the Gospel requires cannot but attain whatsoever is promised in it, the promises being altogether as faithful as the commands are just."

The narrative of Nineveh's repentance has been appointed with peculiar propriety for the First Lesson upon this morning's solemnity. The judgments of the LORD are abroad in our land. Our fruitful island has been made barren for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. "Is not the meat cut off before our eyes? The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down, for the corn is withered." And our gracious Queen has "proclaimed a Fast," by reason of "the heavy judgments with which ALMIGHTY GOD is pleased to visit the iniquities of this land, by a grievous scarcity and dearth of divers articles of sustenance and necessaries of life, trusting in the mercy of ALMIGHTY GOD, that notwithstanding the sore punishment He has laid upon us, He will, if we turn to HIM in due contrition and penitence of heart, withdraw His afflicting hand.”

First of all we must recognise this visitation as coming directly from ALMIGHTY GOD. Doubtless all that we usually term the processes of nature are but the working of GOD HIMSELF. The laws of nature, the inherent powers of matter, what are all these but instruments by which He operates His sovereign pleasure? But alas! we are but slow of heart to believe that He is actually energizing that beneficent machinery which supplies the unnumbered blessings of qur daily life. We are but too prone to let it slip from 1 Joel i. 16, 17.

2 Proclamation.

our minds, that HE it is who makes the sun to shine and the rain to descend, and giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. When all is prosperous and smiling, when peace is in our borders, and plenteousness in our dwellings, nations, like individuals, too unfrequently remember who is the Author and Giver of all their good things. But when "the terror of GOD is upon the cities," when "the sword of the LORD is filled with blood;" when the pestilence wasteth at the noon-day; or famine roams the land like a ghastly spectre; the inhabitants of the earth are more ready to acknowledge the immediate hand of GOD. The rival theories of a superficial philosophy may indeed attempt to account for the catastrophe which has caused this day's assembling by what are called second causes, and in their futile efforts will but expose the impotence of human science. But our Church, with the true dignity of real wisdom, professes to understand no more than that "it is certainly GOD'S Visitation." The form of sound words appointed for our use this day, ascribes it simply to His bidding 'that the earth which sustaineth the life of man, hath withholden in parts of these islands the wonted provision of food, and turned abundance into scarcity."

But further: we are instructed by the Services of the day to regard our present affliction as a punishment; to confess that we have justly deserved this punishment, by our "manifold sins and provocations,” our strifes and divisions, our misuse of God's gifts, our forgetfulness of His manifold mercies. Holy Scripture teaches us that famine, as well as every other evil, is but a consequence of that sin which brought death into the world and all our woes, with

loss of Eden." "A fruitful land maketh HE barren, for the wickedness of those that dwell therein." Thus, generally, we may be sure, that the sins of our nation have called down this visitation; and we may grieve, individually, for our own sins, as having contributed their share to swell the tide of national iniquity. About our own sins we cannot be mistaken, for each one of us, who looks inward, may see the plague of his own heart. But we may readily fall into error if we seek for the cause of God's anger in national, as contrasted with individual sins. We may weaken the poignancy of our own contrition while speculating upon the ungodliness of others. The Ninevites, as they sat in sackcloth and ashes, and cried mightily unto God, did not cast the blame of the coming judgment upon the acts of others, whether public or private; they turned each from his own evil way. Let us, then, be careful how we presume to pronounce, that this famine has come peculiarly upon any class of our fellow-countrymen, when the sin may lie nearer to our own door, or because of any measures, which, perhaps, men wiser and better than ourselves, have conscientiously, perhaps rightly undertaken. Above all, let us most carefully avoid the notion that the chief sufferers under the misfortune are therefore the part of the whole community, whose crimes have been chiefly instrumental in calling down the calamity. It is often the mysterious arrangement of Providence, that the least blameworthy, perhaps the innocent, should endure the largest share of collective judgments. Suppose ye that these Galileans (whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices,) were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eigh

teen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”1

If, then, our present afflictions have been brought on by our sin, let us take courage at the thought, that they may be removed by our repentance. GoD afflicts not willingly the children of men. HE sends forth His judgments upon earth, that her inhabitants may learn righteousness. Let us, individually, break off those sins which collectively have caused this collective judgment. Let each of us undertake for himself, and let him begin to-day! Let our unhappy strifes be all absorbed in the ardour of universal charity; our divisions be knit together into unity of spirit in the bond of peace. Let our former misuse of God's gifts be exchanged for a faithful stewardship of all the talents committed to our trust. Instead of forgetfulness of His manifold mercies, let the overflowing gratitude of our hearts display itself into devotion of all we have and all we are to His service. avenging Angel be commanded to stay his hand; even yet will the LORD be gracious unto His inheritance, as in the ancient days, in the generation of old; we "shall eat in plenty, and praise the LORD our GOD."2

So, even yet, may the

But while the goodness of GOD thus leads us to repentance, let us remember that His SPIRIT will not always strive with us. "The men of Nineveh shall rise up against the men of this generation if they repent not, and condemn them, for they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold a greater than Jonas is here." At Jonah's voice, all Nineveh dissolved into penitence, and kindled into one flame of 1 St. Luke xiii. 2-5.

2 Joel ii. 26.