Designed to assist the Labour of Missionaries and other Instructors of the Ignorant.
BY THE LATE REV. JOHN LOVE, D.D.
(Continued from page 108.)
FIFTH ADDRESS.
INHABITANTS of this delightful island, who dwell in the bosom of the immense heap of waters, in the temple of the great sun, and under His bright eye! That glorious sun, that boundless expanse of waters which your thoughts cannot travel over, and these fair delicious shores of your island, are constantly declaring the glory of Jehovah our God, who created them, and who at this moment, though unseen, is bearing them up in His vast arms, which never are weary. So it is likewise in other places of this great world, which we have seen, very far off. There the same sun shines over other seas and other shores, and declares the glory of the same God. But there is darkness in the minds of men, in all places of the world: they are stupid, and do not consider; they become like the beasts of the field, which have no understanding; they degrade themselves by wickedness below the beasts of the field. Jehovah sees this, and is angry: but still He is kind to the children of men, and He comes near to lead them out of their darkness, and to shew them His light, His glory, and His love. But first, they must be struck with awe, and tremble before Him, and fear His infinite majesty.
We are now going, beloved brethren and sisters, to show you how Jehovah appeared to that great people which we were speaking of in that vast wilderness, after He had led them safely through the bottom of the sea, and drowned their wicked enemies. The people of Israel, for that was the name of the great nation, remained in the vast wilderness for two moons: they ate the bread which Jehovah sent them from the skies, and drank the water which ran out of the hard rock. Jehovah likewise caused a vast cloud, like a pillar rising to the skies, to hang over them, to screen them from the burning sun; and at night the cloudy pillar was bright and fiery, and gave the people light in the darkness, and terrified the wild beasts that they durst not come near them. When this cloudy pillar moved forward, the people of Israel followed it. Under its guidance they went forward into the great wilderness, and at length came to the bottom of an exceeding great mountain.
Now, you must imagine that you see as many people drawn up in order like an army—men, women, and children—as could stand thick together, all over this broad shore up to the bottom of those little hills of this island which you see at a distance. Then, you must think you see a lofty mountain towering up to the skies, and, as it were, threatening to tumble down upon the multitude below. From the top of that mountain Jehovah called to Moses, who was an aged holy man, the leader of the people of Israel. He had climbed up by a path that winded about the sides of the mountain till he was far out of the sight of the people. When Moses was alone in that lofty situation, he heard the voice of Jehovah speaking to him thus: “Moses, Moses! Lo, I come to thee in a thick cloud; I come to talk to the people from heaven. Go down to the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes. And say to them: Be ready against the third day, for Jehovah will come down in your sight. And that they may learn to stand in awe of my presence, let this mountain be railed in all round at the bottom; and let no beast, nor man, touch this mountain, not even with his hand: if any one presumes to do it, let him be immediately killed. And if the people break through to gaze curiously and boldly, they shall perish.” Moses came down from the mountain, and called together the elders of the people, and declared to them the words of Jehovah. On the morning of the third day, the people, being all prepared, came forth to the bottom of the mountain, standing behind Moses. Then a vast black cloud came upon the top of the mountain, reaching upwards to the skies, and making it dark like night all over the heads of the people. Then the thunder began to roar through that black cloud, and the lightning to flash, in a manner exceedingly terrible. And, besides the thunder and lightning, there was heard the sound of an unseen trumpet, such as never was blown, from the creation of the world to this day. At first the people stood calm and composed; but the sound of that trumpet became louder and louder till their faces began to be pale and their lips to quiver, and they were seized as with the terrors of death. Then Moses spoke to Jehovah, entreating that the terror of that trumpet might be abated. Then Jehovah called Moses to come near Him, and he ascended boldly to the very top of the mountain. At length the fire of Jehovah came down from the lofty skies through the vast black cloud: it took hold of the mountain, and pierced downwards into its bowels. Then the whole mountain was covered with smoke, which ascended as from a great furnace, and the huge sides of the mountain heaved and shook greatly. Then the people, being afraid, began to step backwards; but immediately another voice was heard from the midst of the awful fire, not the voice of a trumpet, but the voice of words, which all the people heard distinctly, and slowly, and with a solemn majesty, pronounced in their ears.
Ye men and women of Otaheite, are you willing to hear the words which Jehovah, the living God, pronounced in the ears of Moses and the people of Israel from the midst of that dreadful fire? You are willing.
We will repeat the words slowly, and in as solemn a manner as we can, while you stand silent and seriously listen to them.
Jehovah spake these words from the top of the burning mountain: “I am Jehovah thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I, Jehovah thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
“Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; wherefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.
“Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
These are the laws of Jehovah. Ye people of Otaheite, you have not heard them before. But you perceive that they are just and good laws. Look into your minds within you: there you will find the secret, silent traces of these very laws. Jehovah, who made your souls within you, put the traces of His laws into your souls. You know that it is right to love, to worship, and to seek after the Great Spirit who made all things. You know that it is right to reverence the image of God in your parents, to regard the life and comfort of every man and woman, because they are the image of God; and that it is wrong to wound the body of another, or to dishonour the body of another by impurity, as if he or she were not an immortal spirit, made in the image of God. You know it is wrong to grieve another by taking away his goods, or by speaking falsehood concerning him. You know it is wrong to bear an inward hatred at any one, and that you ought unfeignedly to love every one around you.
But you ask us—Why was that thick, black, terrible cloud? why those thunderings and lightnings? why that sound of the trumpet, and that dreadful fire, and that shaking of the mountain, when Jehovah declared His commandments? Ye people of Otaheite, consider well what we say. It was because the people of Israel had been stupid and unmindful of the laws of Jehovah, and had been proud, and unthankful, and disobedient. It was that they might know that Jehovah was angry at their wickedness, and was able to punish them if they would still be wicked. It was that they might learn to be exceedingly humble, and to lie flat on the ground before Jehovah, and to long for the coming of that great and wonderful Man whom Jehovah promised to send into the world to save the children of men from their wickedness.
Brethren and sisters, we are going, in a little while, to tell you of the coming of that wonderful Man, who saves the children of men. We were once stupid, and proud, and unmindful of the laws of Jehovah. We were wicked in our hearts, and desired to do wicked things. But we heard of that awful blackness, and trumpet, and fire, of Jehovah; and we were greatly afraid; and we said within ourselves, Jehovah will punish us when we are dead. Then we heard of the coming of the Great Man, who saves men from their wickedness; and His words were sweet in our souls—as honey or as the fruit of your trees. And now we know that Jehovah will not be angry with us when we are dead, but will then make us happy; and we no longer desire to do any wicked things, but the things that are good.
Ye people of Otaheite, have not you done things that were wrong? Have you not felt yourselves wicked? Have you not been afraid of the anger of the Great Spirit, who made all things? He hath sent us to tell you how you may be saved, and how you may have light, and sweetness, and joy in your souls, and how—when you are dead—you may climb up far above these skies, and be glad with Jehovah, our God, for ever and ever. But he who will not regard the words of Jehovah shall die in a little while. And when he is dead Jehovah will drive him into a dreadful blackness and fire, where he shall often cry out, “O foolish, wicked wretch that I am! Why did I not regard the words of Jehovah! Oh, that I never had been born!”
(To be Continued.)