called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel: and the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned from Israel."[1] Here we see an instance of the severe punishments necessary to prevent the Israelites from going astray and plunging into idolatry—which they were so inclined to do, even after all the wonders they had seen performed by the great Jehovah. And this punishment, though in seeming anger, was yet inflicted in mercy, for the salvation of their own souls and those of their posterity, and for the sake of preserving the knowledge of truth to coming ages. And, in like manner, the destruction of the wicked nations of Canaan was permitted, not in vengeance, but in mercy to mankind.
That such is the true view of the subject—that this, and all other acts of seeming violence and wrath, mentioned in the Scriptures, were, in truth, deeds of mercy, and thus, that all the doings of the Lord, whatever their seeming character, are from pure love and mercy alone—is strikingly shown in the following beautiful Psalm[2]; in which, after enumerating the various doings of the Divine Being, from the creation downwards, it is declared that each and every one of them was done in mercy, and that His mercy is everlasting. And we cannot, perhaps, conclude this chapter and the Second Part of our Work, more appropriately, than by presenting this remarkable Psalm entire. It is as follows:
