2. The awfulness of their end —
[As God raised up Pharaoh to the throne of Egypt, with an intent to shew forth in him his wrathful indignation against sin% so he loads with temporal benefits many, who shall finally be made objects of his heavy displeasure for their abuse of them. He bears with them for a season : but " their feet shall slide in due time**;" and then "they will be cast down into everlasting destruction*^." O how terrible is their transition in a single instant, from a fulness of all earthly comforts to an utter desti- tution even of "a drop of water to cool their tongue*^!" Think of the rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day : v;hat a change did he experience the moment that his soul departed from the body ! The next thing we hear of him is, that " he was in hell, lifting up his eyes in torment," such as no words can describe, no imagination can conceive''. Lazarus, on the contrary, who in this world had not the most common necessaries of life, was enjoying unspeakable and endless felicity in Abraham's bosom. Who that beholds the termination of their career, would not infinitely prefer the tem- poral estate of Lazarus, even though it should last a thousand years, before all the vanishing gratifications of the man of wealth ? If it should be thought that this rich man was more addicted to, sin than others, the account we have of him suggests no
ground
' Prov. i. 32. ' ver. 6 — 11. ' Ps. Ixii. 10.
" 1 Tim. vi. 17. Luke xii. 19. '^ Prov. xviii. 23.
J Jam ii. 6. ' ib. ver. 7. " Rem. ix. 17.
'' Deut. xxxii.35. ''ver. IS. ^ ver. ly. f Luke xvi. 23^ 24.
260 PSALMS, Lxxiir. 16, 17. [387.
ground for it whatever: on the contrary, it tells us, that his five surviving brethren, who inherited his wealth, were, like him, yielding to the sad influence of the temptations which it offered, and therefore were hastening to that same place of tor- ment, to which he had been consigned ^ Doubtless it is painful to reflect on the thoughtless security of milhons, who, if not guilty of any flagrant enormity, have no conception of the predi- cament in which they stand. But the Scripture speaks too
plainly on this subject to admit of any doubt ^ ^'ay then.
Are these to be envied ? Alas ! if viewed aright, they must be re- garded only as persons accumulating wrath upon their own heads'', or as victims fattening for the slaughter': and consequently, their superior prosperity in earthly things affords no ground for com- plaint to the godly, however destitute they may be, or however afflicted.]
Let us LEARN then from this subject,
1 . To mark the motions of our own hearts —
[We greatly deceive ourselves if we imagine that our actions afford a sufficient criterion for judging of our state. There are many who indulge in all manner of evil thoughts, whilst yet they are restrained by merely political considerations from carrying them into effect. VVhiLst therefore man sees nothing amiss in us, God may see our " hearts to be full of evil/' It was not any overt act that the Psalmist spoke of in our text, but of his thoughts only : and yet he ackno^vledges, that they had well nigh destroyed and ruined his soul''. O let us observe from time to time the various thoughts that arise in our corrupt hearts, (the proud, the vain, the envious, the wrathful, the vindictive, the impure, the covetous, the worldly thoughts,) and let us humble ourselves for them in dust and ashes, and pray, that " the thoughts of our hearts may be for- given us' !" If we view ourselves as we really are in the sight of God, we shall see that we may, on many occasions, ju>tly, and without hyperbole, say, " So foolish am I and ignorant, I am even as a beast before thee"."]