3. He casts it away for a thing of nought —
[Give to sensual gratifications all the importance you will, they are only as tlie small dust upon the balance when weighed against the soul. Yet for these does the man who refuses in- struction sell his soul. Truly, if Esau " despised his birthright," when he *' sold it for a mess of pottage^," much more do they pour contempt upon their own souls, who, for any considera- tion whatever, abandon all reasonable hopes of heaven, and subject themselves to the infliction of everlasting misery in hell ]
Address —
\. Avail yourselves now of the opportunities that are afforded you —
[Tliere has been declared unto you from time to time, so far as I have been enabled to declare it, " the whole counsel of God." Think what improvement you have made of these
instructions and what will be your reflections in the
eternal world, if you reject them*^ Indeed, whilst dis- regarding the instructions given you, you greatly " wrong your own souls," and act as persons that are " in love with death '^." O that ye may be wise ere it be too late ! For, " if they
^ Gen. XXV. 34. « Prov. v. 12, 13. ^ Piov. viii. 30.
escaped not, who refused Moses who spake on earth, much more shall not ye escape, if ye turn away from him, even the Lord Jesus, who now speaketh to you from heaven^."]
2. *' Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves^" —
[Instruction, if it abide in the understanding only, will be of no profit. To be really useful, it must descend into your hearts, and operate in your lives. Our blessed Lord's warning upon this subject deserves your deepest attention. I would have you not only wise, but " wise unto salvation." I would not that you should erect a house upon the sand; and that, after all your labour, it should fall upon your heads, and crush you ; but rather, that you should build your house upon a rock, and find it able to shelter you from all the storms and tempests that ever can assault it^. This will shew that " you have real love to your soul*^ ;" and richly shall you " be recompensed at the resurrection of the just*."]
e Heb. xii. 25. f Jam. i. 22. s Matt. vii. 24—27.
i> Prov. xix. 8. i Prov. viii. 33 — 35.