3. We accumulate on our own heads the judg- ments which we despise —
[The contempt with which men treat the word of God is itself a great and grievous sin, and adds exceedingly to that load of guilt which we have contracted by all our other offences. How indignant was God with Saul on this account! " Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord hath rejected thee from being king1." In like manner, it was no slight expres- sion of his displeasure which he used towards those who, in opposition to his commands, went down into Egypt ; " They shall know," says he, " whose word shall stand, mine or theirs™." But more particularly mark God's message to king Jehoiakim: to what an ignominious death he was doomed for his impiety ; besides that, on the contents of this roll being again written, " there were added unto them many like words." Let it be considered, that, whilst we are setting at nought the word of God, we are not only insuring, but increasing those very "judgments which we puff at," and actually " treasure up wrath against the day of wrath." Well does God say of all such persons, " Lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them11?" Let these words then sink down into the ears of all that hear them : if ye persist in saying, " I shall have peace, though I walk after the imagination of my heart ; the Lord's anger will smoke against you, and he will blot out your name from under heaven0."]
If now we would know how to conduct ourselves in reference to the word of God, let us learn,
1. To tremble at the word ourselves —
[This is the disposition which God approves. He ap- proved of it in king Josiah, under circumstances similar to those in the history before usp; and he will look with complacency and delight on all who manifest it in their conduct q. O that there might be in all of us such a heart! for if we " receive the word with meekness, we shall find it able and effectual to save our souls."]
2. To use all diligence in making it known to others —
[When Baruch had written the words from Jeremiah's mouth, he went and read them in the ears of all the people. Then he read them also in the presence of the princes : and the princes went and read them to the king. All this was right :
1 1 Sam. xv. 23. m Jer. xliv. 28. " Jer. viii. 9.
o Deut. xxix. 19, 20. p 2 Kings xxii. 8, 10, 11, 18, 19, 20. (i Isai. lxvi. 2.