salvation? If a man, feeling himself in imminent danger
of perishing in the sea, cannot but avail himself of the assist- ance offered him for the preservation of his life, so neither can a man who feels his danger of everlasting destruction neglect and despise the salvation offered him in the Gospel.]
2. Will issue in their destruction —
[God himself best knows what he has ordained and de- creed : and as the fates of men will be determined by him at last, to him, and to his word, we make our appeal.
We want to ascertain the states of those who are ignorant of the Gospel : God tells us plainly, " They are lost0."
We want to be informed whether their ignorance will not be considered as a sufficient plea for their rejection of the Gospel ? God assures us, that instead of operating in that view, and to that extent, it shall itself be the ground of their condemnation p.
We would fain hope that the Lord Jesus Christ would in- terpose for them at the last day, to avert or mitigate their sentence. But we are told, on the contrary, that he himself will come to judgment, for the express purpose of taking ven- geance on themq.
Here we leave the matter. If ye will not believe such plain and positive declarations of God, we shall in vain hope to make any impression on your minds by any feeble arguments of our own.]
Infer —
1. How carefully should we improve the means of grace !
[The ordinances are appointed of God for our instruction in spiritual knowledge. Should we then absent ourselves from them on slight occasions? or should we be content with a formal attendance on them, while yet we derive no solid benefit to our souls? O let us remember that our all is at stake : and whether we hear, or read, or pray, let us do it as for eternity.]
2. How earnestly should we pray for the teachings of God's Spirit !
[Whether we be learned or unlearned, we can know nothing but as we are taught of God. In respect of spiritual knowledge, the rich have no advantage above the poor : yea, the poor have rather the advantage of the rich, inasmuch as they have more docility of mind ; and God has promised to reveal to babes the things which are hid from the wise and
0 2 Cor. iv. 3. p Isai. xxvii. 11. q 2 Thess. i. 7, 8.