But how boldly soever they reply against God, we may see in the answer of Elijah,
III. How certainly they ruin their own souls —
The fearless prophet soon taught the murderous monarch what he was to expect —
[" I have found thee ; " and God has found thee, and his judgments ere long will find thee too. Agreeably to the pre- diction of Elijah, though the judgments were deferred in consequence of Ahab's forced humiliation, the blood of Ahab, like Naboth's, was licked by dogs, and the body of Jezebel was devoured by them in the very place where Naboth had been destroyed by her command. And, not long after, the elders of that very city Jezreel, who at the command of Ahab had slain Naboth, slew all the seventy sons of Ahab in one
f 2 Chron. xxv. IG. e Gen. xix. 5 — 9. ^ Gen. iv. 9.
i Amos V. 10. k Ps. xii. 4. ^ Gal. iv, 10.
single night at the command of Jehu"": so exactly were the threatened judgments of Elijah executed upon him and upon his whole family.]
In like manner shall the judgments of God over- take all who continue obstinate in their sins —
[" He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, saith the Lord, and that without remedy." Men hope that " they shall escape for their wickedness :" but God beholds it, and will call them to account for it in due sea- son. It is in vain to think that any thing shall be hid from him : for " there is no darkness nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves"." Adam, after the commission of his sin, hoped to hide himself from God ; bvit God sought him out ; " Adam, where art thou ?" Achan thought he had altogether escaped notice ; but God appointed the lot to fall upon him, when, according to human calculations, the chance was two millions to one in favour of his escape. On many occasions too the punishment has instantly followed the detection, as in Gehazi's leprosy, and the sudden death of Ananias. But where the sins of men remain concealed or un- pvmished in this world, they shall not escape notice in the world to come ; for *' God will bring every secret thing into judg- ment ;" and fulfil in its utmost extent that awful declaration of the Psalmist, "making them like a fieiy ovenin his-anger, and swallowing them up in his wrath"."]
This subject speaks powerfully to different cha- racters ;
1. To wilful and impenitent transgi'essors —
[What Moses said to all Israel, we must say to you, " Be sure your sin will find you out." You may glory in your success, and " roll your iniquity under your tongue as a sweet morsel, as Ahab did, but your sin shall ere long meet you to yoiu' sorrow and confusion ; yea, every sin that you have ever committed shall meet you at the bar of judgment; and, when addressed by you as Elijah was, shall return you the same answer as he did to Ahab ; " Hast thou found me, O mine enemy ? I have found thee." The long-suffering of God may bear with you for a season; but " your judgment lingereth not, and your damnation slumbereth not p."]
2. To those who have repented of their sin —
[Your sins, piu-ged away by the precious blood of Christ, shall be sought for, but not be found'' : God has " blotted them
m 2 Kings ix. 26. " Job xxxiv, 21, 22. ° Ps. xxi. 8, 9.
P 2 Pet. ii. 3. and iii. 9. Q Jer. 1. 20.