But a forgetfulness of God, a neglect of Christ, a resistance of the Holy Ghost, an indifference about the soul, with ten thousand other sins of omission or of commission, are considered as light and venial, and as affording no ground for sorrow and contrition. If the outward conduct have been decent, it is no matter what has been harboured within, or how much God has been disregarded and despised.
But is this the light in which the Scriptures teach us to regard sin? What was it that cast angels out of heaven ? the sin of pride. What drove our first parents from Paradise, and brought a curse on all their posterity ? one single transgression ; and thai a breach, not so much of a moral precept, as of a positive institution. Whom is it that according to God's declaration he will cast into hell? " the wicked, and all the nations that forget God." Does sin appear a light matter when we are told, that nothing but the sacrifice of the Son of God could make atonement for it? Or will it appear a light matter to ourselves, when we are suffering the vengeance due to it in the lake that burnetii with fire and brimstone ? Surely, they are " fools who make a mock at sin," and blind, who doubt of its malignity.
3. To adduce only one instance more, they persuade themselves that their eternal state is safe —
Men living in a direct violation of God's command- ments, and in a perfect contrast with the example of Christ, imagine that they have nothing to fear: " they have done no harm ; and God is very merciful ; and if they were to perish, what must become of all the world?" These, and such like arguments, are consi- dered as sufficient to invalidate every word that God has spoken, and to justify their hopes of eternal happiness.
But darkness and light are not more opposite than these sentiments are to the declarations of God. Where will they find one single passage that will warrant such expectations as these ? They must indeed make " evil good, and good evil, and must change bitter