upon it. But in violating his commands, we trample on his authority, and say in effect, " I am at my own disposal : who is Lord over me^?" " Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice ? I know not the Lord ; neither will I obey his voice ^^ :" "I will not have this man to reign over me'\" We have a striking exemplification of this in the conduct of the Jews, who, contrary to God's command, would go down into Egypt : " As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, (said they to Jeremiah,) we will not hearken unto thee ; but we will certainly do whatsoe^'er thing goetli forth out of our own mouth'." Thus, as God himself says, " We not only forget him, but cast him behind our back*^."]
3. A disbelief of his truth —
[God has spoken frequently respecting his determination to punish sin : he has said, that " he will by no means clear the guilty;" and that, " though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not pass unpunished." Now, if we truly believed his word, we could not rush into sin : the apprehension of such tremendous consequences would deter us from it. But we are hardened by unbelief. Unbelief was the source of all the Is- raelites' rebellions in the wilderness^; and it is the fruitful spring of all our disobedience : " Ye shall not surely die," is at the root of every evil we commit"'. But " God is not a man, that he should lie, or the son of man, that he should repent : hath he said, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good"?" Let us bear this in mind, that in the commission of sin, and the expectation of impunity, we " make God himself a liar"."]
4. A denial of his justice —
[God has represented himself as " a God of judgment, by whom actions are weighed p ;" and has declared his purpose to *' call every work into judgment," and to "judge every man according to his works." But, in violating his laws, " we say, in fact, God will not require iti;" " The Lord is altogether such an one as ourselves "■ ;" " he will not do good, neither will he do evil^" What an indignity is this to offer to the Gover- nor of the Universe, the Judge of quick and dead ! He has spoken of the last day as " the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God:" but, if the issue of it were such as we expect, and heaven were awarded to wilful and impeni- tent transgressors, it would rather be a day wherein God's
f Ps. xii. 4, s Exod. v. 2. ^ Luke xix. 14.
i Jer. xliv. 16, 17. ^ Ezek. xxiii. 35.
• Ps. cvi, 24. Heb. iii. 19. m Gen. iii. 4.
n Numb, xxiii. 19. "1 John v. 10. Pi Sam. ii, 3.
1 Ps. X. 13. r Ps. 1. 21. s Zeph. i. 12.