and how abundant in goodness and truth :" and let us " never stagger at any of his promises through unbelief; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God." And if, according to the views of sense, there be no hope, " let us against hope believe in hope ; " and rest assured, that " whatever God has promised, he is both able and willing to perform."]
2. Those who question the execution of his threatenings —
[Men will dissuade us from regarding, as we ought, the sacred oracles ; and will venture to place their own word in opposition to God's. Your own heart, too, will be apt to suggest, "I shall have peace, though I walk after the imagi- nation of my own evil heart"." But what God said to Moses, he says to us : " Thou shalt know whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or notx." Go on ; listen to your car- nal advisers ; let them tell you that there is no need to give yourselves up to God ; and that you may be the servants both of God and Mammon at the same time. Go on ; and take their word in preference to God's ; and wait to see " whose word shall stand, theirs or his." But remember, that if, unhappily for you, God's word shall take place, and that threat- ening be executed, there will be no room left for repentance : your state will be fixed, and that for ever. Choose ye, then, whom ye will believe, and whom ye will serve : and, if ye be truly wise, shut your ears against the assurances of an ungodly world, and say, in reference to them all, " Let God be true, and every man a liary."
u Deut. xxix. 19, 20. x Ezek. xxiv. 14. y Rom. iii. 4.