cause
the very children of the oppressors to rise up against them, and
oftimes put them to death? "God works in many ways his wonders to
perform."
I will not here speak of the destructions which the Lord brought upon
Egypt, in consequence of the oppression and consequent groans of the
oppressed--of the hundreds and thousands of Egyptians whom God hurled
into the Red Sea for afflicting his people in their land--of the
Lord's suffering people in Sparta or Lacedemon, the land of the truly
famous Lycurgus--nor have I time to comment upon the cause which
produced the fierceness with which Sylla usurped the title, and
absolutely acted as dictator of the Roman people--the conspiracy of
Cataline--the conspiracy against, and murder of Caesar in the Senate
house--the spirit with which Marc Antony made himself master of the
commonwealth--his associating Octavius and Lipidus with himself in
power,--their dividing the provinces of Rome among themselves--their
attack and defeat on the plains of Phillipi the last defenders of
their liberty, (Brutus and Cassius)--the tyranny of Tiberius, and from
him to the final overthrow of Constantinople by the Turkish Sultan,
Mahomed II., A.D. 1453. I say, I shall not take up time to speak of
the _causes_ which produced so much wretchedness and massacre among
those heathen nations, for I am aware that you know too well, that God
is just, as well as merciful!--I shall call your attention a few
moments to that _christian_ nation, the Spaniards, while I shall leave
almost unnoticed that avaricious and cruel people, the Portuguese,
among whom all true hearted christians and lovers of Jesus Christ,
must evidently see the judgments of God displayed. To show the
judgments of God upon the Spaniards I shall occupy but little time,
leaving a plenty of room for the candid and unprejudiced to reflect.
All persons who are acquainted with history, and particularly the
Bible, who are not blinded by the God of this world, and are not
actuated solely by avarice--who are able to lay aside prejudice long
enough to view candidly and impartially, things as they were, are, and
probably will be, who are willing to admit that God made man to serve
him _alone_, and that man should have no other Lord or Lords but
himself--that God Almighty is the _sole proprietor_ or _master_ of the
WHOLE human family, and will not on any consideration admit of a
colleague, being unwilling to divide his glory with another.--And who
can
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