of Naboth ; yea, she herself also was devoured "by dogs, al- most on the same spot'' : and soon afterwards the whole family of Ahab, even seventy sons, were put to death. Thus God threatened, that, for their spiritual fornication, he would " cast them into a bed, and those who committed adultery with them into great tribulation, and that he would kill the teachers, and their followers, with death." He further de- clared, that, as in the case of Jezebel, their sin should be so visibly marked in their punishment, as to manifest to the whole Church, that the Saviovu', whom they thus despised, was indeed the omniscient Jehovah', and the righteous Judge of all. He did indeed still offer to pardon them on their repentance : but, if that offer, like those which had preceded it, should be slighted, his vengeance would come upon them to the utter- most.
And is there not, at this time also, a remarkable correspon- dence between the judgments inflicted on false teachers, and the sins which they commit ? The contemners of vital godli- ness, whether of the infidel or Antinomian class, are filled with pride and presumption : and God " gives them over to delusion, till they believe their own lie," and " perish in the ir own corruptions." O that both the deceivers and deceived might " repent them of their deeds :" and that all who ha\e hitherto maintained their stedfastness, might so zealously op- pose the incursions of sin and error, as to preserve themselves and all with whom they are connected, " blameless unto the day of Christ !" If however this warning be slighted, let it be remembered, that " the end of all shall be according to their works."]
But this evil was only partial in the Church ; as we see by,
III. The injunction addressed to her more consistent Members — Manj^ there were among them who had no inter- course with the impostors, nor were at all infected with their errors —
[To recommend their sentiments, the impostors repre- sented them as " depths," which none but persons of their superior wisdom could fathom. But they were depths " of Satan" and not of God ; such depths as owed their existence to Satan, and were propagated altogether by his influence. With such pernicious doctrines the more pious among them
would
" 1 Kin. xxi. 9, 10, 19,23. & xxii.38. & 2 Kin. ix. 25,26,36,3;. * Mark the force of the words, " I am he that searcheth;" i. e. that I possess that which is the prerogative of God alone.