[What God has already inflicted on us, is nothing in com- parison of what we may expect at his hands, if we continue to provoke him. "Go to Shiloh, and see what he did to it for the wickedness of his people Israele." Look at the Jews at this day, whom he has dealt with " as a man who wipeth a dish, and turneth it upside clown f." He hath only smitten us with rods at present; but, if we repent not, he will "chastise us with scorpions:" yea, he will continue to "punish us seven times more for our sins." O that we might cease from our wickedness, before we oblige him to " come forth against us as a man of war," and " his fury burn to the lowest hell." " It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."]
2. In the day of future retribution —
[In this world God calls men into judgment in their national capacity. It is in the eternal world only that he will reward and punish the different individuals. Then all of us must appear before his judgment-seat. And if we die impeni- tent, every dispensation which God had appointed for our good, shall be brought forth to aggravate our guilt and con- demnation. ■ I sent you affliction ; yet you returned not unto me : I sent you mercies ; yet you returned not unto me : I gave you my Gospel to enlighten your mind, and my Spirit to affect your heart ; yet you returned not unto me : I continued these mercies to you for so many years ; yet you returned not unto me.' Alas ! how unanswerable will be his accusations, how just his sentence, how terrible his award !
For this account we must prepare : we must be ready to meet him whensoever he shall summon us : and if he call us unpre- pared, it were better for us that we had never been born.]
There are yet two or three considerations, which we would impress upon your minds, to strengthen those which have been already proposed :
1. If you return not to God, there is no hope for you—
[From one end of the Bible to the other we cannot find one word which countenances the idea of any person being saved, who dies impenitent. And should not this thought lead us to repentance? O let it have due influence on our minds ! and let us be sufficiently on our guard against self-deception. Let us remember, that it is not a sigh, a tear, an acknowledg- ment, that will suffice : we must l-eturn unto God ; we must return to him with our whole hearts : we must return in deep contrition, in lively faith, in unreserved obedience.]
e Jer. vii. 12. f 2 Kings xxi. 12, 13. with 1 Kings xiv. 10.