THOUGHTS

ON THE

RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN.

CHAPTER I.

NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

WE are not called upon in this work to prove that God governs the world. We are allowed to take it for granted that our readers receive the Bible in faith; and we may address each individual as St. Paul addressed his noble auditor,

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King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest." If, then, we believe the prophets, we must believe that the Almighty Ruler of the universe looks down with interest on the concerns of this world which He has made; that the Most High ruleth over men, and to accomplish his mighty purposes, exalteth or depresseth those great princes who, while seeking their own will, have but subserved the

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designs of Omnipotence. The Jewish people of old were chosen to be the depositaries of revelation, the guardians of truth:-they prospered so long as they fulfilled these high trusts; they were brought low when they neglected them. Assyria, the rod of mine anger," was, as the Lord had threatened, raised up to humble them; and it would be easy, in reviewing the history of this distinguished nation, to point out how exactly their prosperity was proportioned to the faithfulness with which they fulfilled their high destiny, and how continually their lapses into that idolatry which they were exalted to destroy, were visited with the heaviest punish

ments.

The distribution of talents to nations, as well as to individuals, is diverse; but the responsibility which attaches to each is in exact proportion to the advantages received. The whole tenor of gospel teaching goes to prove the solemn fact, that "to whomsoever much is given, of him much will be required." The woes of Chorazin are declared to be greater than those of Tyre, because she had enjoyed the advantages of Christ's teaching and miracles, without profiting by them: and, even the doom of guilty