bodily health many arc given over to final impenitence, so that the ministry of the word serves only to harden them, and the
Gospel itself becomes to them only " a savour of deaths"
God gives them over to judicial blindness, and leaves them to harden themselves in order to their more aggravated condem- nation. Thus he dealt with the sons of Eli''; and thus he has declared he will deal with us, if we wilfully reject his tender
solicitations^ Thus may death come in its most gradual
and protracted form, and yet, as far as respects our souls, be as sudden, as if it visited us like a thief in the night.]
2. Irremediable —
[If once God say to his Holy Spirit, " Strive no longer with that man : he is joined to idols : let him alone "^ ;" the man is in fact left to irremediable destruction. He will live only to " fill up the measure of his iniquities," and to " treasure up wrath against the day of wrath." But at all events, the very instant that death arrests us, our day of grace is terminated : there is no repentance in the grave ; no possibility of passing the gulf that is fixed between heaven and hell : the worm that gnaweth the conscience will never die ; the fire that tor- ments the body will never be quenched: the wrath to come will ever be the wrath to come.
What a fearful thought is it, that of those to whom the word of salvation is now preached, many will " come at last into that place of torment," and many, who, like the Foolish Virgins, once had the lamp of outward profession, and associated with the wise virgins, will, instead of being admitted to the marriage supper of their Lord, be " cast into outer darkness, where is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth ! " The Lord grant that none of you may ever experience this doom ! yet it is certain, that if you harden your necks against either the precepts of the Law or the promises of the Gospel, this will be your state for ever.
To put you more effectually on your guard, let me]
Address —
1. Those who are indisposed to submit to God's reproofs —
[The word delivered to you, so far as it accords with God's revealed will, is God's, and not ours. We are his ambassadors; and it is He who speaks to you by our mouth. Indeed, who- ever he be that gives you the counsels of true wisdom, he is God's representative to you. Think then, ye who have rejected
s See Isai. vi, 9, 10. which is quoted six times in the New Tes- tament. See also Jer. vii. 23 — 27.
h 1 Sam. ii. 25. i Prov. i. 24—31. k Hog. iv. 17.