acquainted with the influence, whether of good or of evil, of truth or of error, in his own mind; then it is of equal importance to set up a spiritual vane there, since every such influence is a real wind, either from the kingdom of light or from the kingdom of darkness. How awful, yet how just, in this instance, is the divine rebuke, Ye hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the sky, but ye cannot discern the signs of the times. (Matt. xvi. 3.) For the signs of the times properly denote the spiritual states of the church, and of all its members; and to discern them is to note them, thus to note the influences of good or of evil, so as to discover which are most prevalent, either generally or individually.
134. The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, (see 2 Kings xiii. 17,) though it appears at times to move slowly, yet never fails in the end to hit its mark. Indeed its appearing to move slowly is but an appearance, grounded in the imperfection of man’s judgment, whilst the reality is, that its motion is the most rapid of all motions, because urged by the most active of all principles, the divine mercy and loving-kindness. The difference in this case between the appearance and the reality, is the same with what is expressed by Jesus Christ, in those seemingly contradictory words, that God will avenge His elect speedily, though He bear long with them. (Luke xviii. 7, 8.)
135. It is written in the Book of Psalms, concerning the Lord, that He telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names, (Psalm cxlvii. 4.) where it is evident, that by calling the stars by their names,
