exclaim against the Gospel as the invention of priestcraft or enthusiasm : but the truth is, they are too proud to submit to the yoke of Christ, and to receive salvation as the unmerited gift of God.]
Once more ; — How awful is the issue of unbelief!
[Plain were the warnings which they received ; and bitter was the experience which the unbelieving Jews had of God's fidelity to his threatenings. Thus also it was with the Jews who came out of Egypt, all of whom perished in the wil- derness, with the exception of two only. And thus it shall be with unbelievers, whoever they may be : they shall find to their cost, " whose word shall stand, whether God's or theirs." " Their unbelief shall never make the word of God of none effect :" of his word, not one jot or tittle shall ever fall to the ground.]
From this general view of their conduct, let us turn to the consideration of it, II. As imitated by us —
It may properly be said of all who attend upon the preaching of the Gospel, that they virtually acknow- ledge the relation that subsists between them and their minister : they look to him as God's ambassa- dor, to declare to them the Divine will respecting them; and they profess their readiness to obey the Divine mandates, whatsoever they may be ; and in every instance wherein they are wilfully disobedient, they are, in truth, like the Jews in our text, dissem- blers with God. But there are some particular occasions on which our hearers place themselves precisely, as it were, in the same situation with them whose conduct we are considering :
1. Under conviction of sin —
[Those who hear the Gospel faithfully administered, rarely escape without having the word at one time or other brought home to their conscience, and being constrained to make some resolutions of amendment. When such emotions are excited, the heart, which was before stout, is softened ; and the ear, which was deaf to all the precepts of the Gospel, becomes opened to receive instruction. On such occasions men will even condescend to request a remembrance in the prayers of their ministers, and to desire instruction relative to the commands of God. Like those on the day of Pentecost, they will cry, " Sir, what must I do to be saved ?"