CHAPTER L. ENGEDI.

temblem,initsrampantandwemightsaydeliriousexuberanceofvegetation,ofthatdarklystruggling,wildlyvegetatingswampofhumansouls,cutoff,likeit,fromtheusagesandimprovementsofcultivatedlife. Beneaththatfearfulpressure,soulswhoseenergy,well-directed,mighthaveblessedmankind,startoutinpreternaturalandfearfuldevelopments,whosestrengthisonlyaportentofdread. Thenightafterthemeetingwhichwehavedescribedwasone,tothissingularbeing,ofagonizingconflict.Hispsychologicalcondition,asnearaswecandefineit,seemedtobethatofahumanbeingwhohadbeenseizedandpossessed,afterthemannerrelatedinancientfables,bythewrathofanavengingGod.Thatpartofthemoralconstitution,whichexistsinsomedegreeinusall,whichleadsustofeelpainatthesightofinjustice,andtodesireretributionforcrueltyandcrime,seemedinhimtohavebecomeanabsorbingsentiment,asifhehadbeenchosenbysomehigherpowerastheinstrumentofdoom.Atsomemomentstheideaofthecrimesandoppressionswhichhadoverwhelmedhisracerolledinuponhimwithaburningpain,whichcausedhimtocryout,likethefatedandenslavedCassandra,atthethresholdofthedarkhouseoftyrannyandblood. Thissentimentofjustice,thisagonyinviewofcrueltyandcrime,isinmenastrongattributeofthehighestnaturesforhewhoisdestituteoftheelementofmoralindignationiseffeminateandtame.Butthereisinnatureandinthehumanheartapleading,intercedingelement,whichcomesinconstantlytotemperandsoftenthisspiritandthiselementinthedivinemind,whichtheScripturesrepresentbythesublimeimageofaneternallyintercedinghighpriest,who,havingexperiencedeverytemptationofhumanity,constantlyurgesallthatcanbethoughtinmitigationofjustice.Asaspotlessandhigh-tonedmotherbearsinherbosomtheanguishoftheimpurityandvilenessofherchild,sotheeternallysuffering,eternallyintercedingloveofChristbearsthesinsofourrace.ButtheScripturestellusthatthemysteriousperson,whothusstandsbeforeallworldsastheimageandimpersonationofdivinetenderness,hasyetinreservethisawfulenergyofwrath.Theoppressors,inthelastdreadday,arerepresentedascallingtothemountainsandrockstofallonthem,andhidethemfromthewrathoftheLamb.ThisideahaddimlyloomedupbeforethemindofDred,ashereadandponderedthemysteriesofthesacredoraclesandwasexpressedbyhimintheformoflanguagesofrequentinhismouth,that"theLambwasbearingtheyokeofthesinsofmen."HehadbeendeeplyaffectedbythepresentationwhichMillyhadmadeintheirnightmeetingoftheeternalprincipleofintercessionandatonement.Thesenseofitwasblindlystrugglingwiththehabitualandovermasteringsenseofoppressionandwrong. Whenhisassociateshadalldispersedtotheirdwellings,hethrewhimselfonhisface,andprayed:"OLambofGod,thatbearesttheyoke,whyhastthoufilledmewithwrath?Beholdthesegraves!Beholdthegravesofmybrothers,slainwithoutmercy,and,Lord,theydonotrepent!Thouartofpurereyesthantobeholdevil,andcanstnotlookoniniquity.Whereforelookestthouuponthemthatdealtreacherously,andholdestthytonguewhenthewickeddevoureththemanthatismorerighteousthanhe?Theymakemenasfishesinthesea,ascreepingthingsthathavenoruleroverthem.Theytakethemupwiththeangle.Theycatchthemintheirnet,andgatherthemintheirdrag.Therefor