way, to save his life ; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity ; but his Mood will I require at thine hand^." Here you see, that if the consequences be fatal to others, they are doubly so to ourselves : for they who perish through our un- faithfulness, have only their own souls to answer for : but we must perish mider the accumulated guilt of destroying, not our own souls only, but the souls of all that have been com- mitted to our charge. Well does the Apostle Paul again and again make that request : " Brethren, pray for us :" for indeed we need your prayers ; since we are sure to incur man's dis- pleasure, if we are faithful ; and God's displeasure, if, through any motive whatever, we shrink from a full discharge of our duty.]
Ahab's mind towards the faithful Micaiah shews to every minister,
II. The recompence he must expect for his fidelity —
It might be supposed, that in proportion to the fidelity with which he exercises his office, a minister should be loved : but by the ungodly world he will rather be hated like Micaiah, and for the very same reason, " because he doth not speak good concerning them, but evil." This hatred to him will be,
1. Invariable —
[If we go back to the beginning of the world, we shall not find one faitliful minister that ever escaped the hatred of those around him. Noah " condemned the world" in his ministra- tions ; and was regarded by them with scorn and contempt. If we ask how Moses, David, Elijah, and all the prophets were treated ? our Lord has told us ; " Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?" As for the Apostles, our blessed Lord plainly warned them, that they also should have their cross to bear, being " hated, reviled, persecuted, for his sake." But it may be thought that our blessed Saviour could never become an object of aversion to any ; since the perfection of his wisdom, and the extent of his goodness, and the effi- ciency of his power, would preclude a possibility of his being regarded with any feelings but those of love and gratitude. Yet, though " he spake as never man spake," and wrought miracles far more numerous than those which had been wrought from the foundation of the world, he was more an object of hatred than any other : as he says ; " The world cannot hate you : but me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are eviP." Even at this day there is not to be found
^ Ezek. iii. 17, 18. i John vii. 7.