and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life;" what effect must such momentous truths produce upon his mind ? Must he not of necessity begin to inquire into the meaning of these expressions, and feel a solicitude to have these questions satis- factorily determined : 'Am I a real penitent ? Am I born again ? Have I the Son of God V If he doubt the truth of these tilings, and think they maybe taken in a lower sense, he will of course be less concerned to attain the experience of them ; or, if other things appear to him of superior importance, he will attend to those things in preference. But let him have that faith which gives a present subsistence to things future, and a demonstrable reality to tilings invisible a, and it will be impossible for him to trifle with such solemn declarations. It is true, he may sin against the convictions of conscience ; but if he continue so to do, it is evident that his convictions are not proportioned in any degree to the importance of eternal things, and that he cherishes a secret hope of escaping by some means or other the judgments denounced against him. Let him hut feel the worth of his soul in a degree proportioned to its value; let him estimate that as men estimate the worth of their natural life, and he could no more resist habitually the convictions of his mind, than he could sit composed, while his house and family were ready to be destroyed by fire : he would surely resemble those Egyptians who sought shelter for their servants and cattle ; he would " flee from the wrath to come, and lay hold on eternal life."]
Such a practical attention will be given to the word of God by all who truly believe it, because they know,
II. How it will affect their state hereafter —
The distinction put between the believing and un- believing Egyptians related merely to this present life : but the Scriptures authorize us to declare that a similar distinction will be made between believers and unbelievers in the day of judgment. Yes assuredly,
1. They who have sought the appointed refuge shall be saved —
[Christ is that hiding-place to which all are enjoined to flee : every other covert will be found " a refuge of lies, which the hail shall sweep awayV but Christ is a sure refuge, " to which whosoever runneth shall be safe." Whatever we may have been, and whatever we may have done in past times, we have nothing to apprehend from the wrath of God, provided we be found in Christ." " Believing in him, we are justified from all things," and shall unite for ever with the murderous
a Heb. xi. 1. in the Greek. b Isai. xxviii. 17.
72.] DANGER OF DISREGARDING GOI)'s WORD. 361
Manasseh, the adulterous David, the filthy Magdalen, and the persecuting Saul, in singing " Salvation to God and the Lamb ! " We must not however be understood to say, that an attention to the faith of the Gospel will save us, while we neglect its practical injunctions : far from it : but this we do say, that the vilest of sinners may find "acceptance in the Beloved;" and that " all who put their trust in him may be quiet from the fear of evil." The declaration of God himself is, " There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."]
2. They, on the contrary, who have despised the offers of mercy, shall perish —
[" Whatsoever men sow, that shall they also reap :" and though God's vengeance may be long delayed, it shall surely come at last. What if we see no symptoms of it now ? There was no appearance of a deluge when Noah warned the old world; nor were the fire and brimstone visible, when Lot entreated his sons-in-law to escape with him from Sodom ; yet were the predictions relative to these events exactly fulfilled : he who built the ark, and he who fled from the devoted city, were preserved ; while they who took not warning, were de- stroyed. So also shall it be in the last day : " the unbelief of men shall not make the faith of God of none effect." " Their covenant with death shall be disannulled, and their agreement with hell made void : when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, they shall be beaten down by itc." Nor shall the excuses, which they now urge with so much confidence, avail them. It is probable that many of the Egyptians might expose themselves to danger in consequence of urgent business, or from what they judged a necessary obedience to the commands of their masters; but they perished notwithstanding. So shall that word be verified in spite of all excuses, " Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed ; but he that feareth the command- ment, shall be rewarded d."]