[The Jews of old despised both the mercies and the judgments of their God: and the Prophet Habakkuk, expos- tulating with them, declared, that God would inflict on them such judgments by the hands of the Chaldeans, as they would not credit, however strongly his determination should be an- nounced111. St. Paul declares, that similar judgments awaited the Jews of his day ; and warns them against bringing on themselves such heavy calamities11. But what are the calamities inflicted by the Chaldeans or Romans in comparison of those which await unbelievers in the eternal world ? We declare to men, that God has wrought the most stupendous work of mercy in the redemption of the world by his dear Son, and that he will consign over to everlasting misery all who reject his Gospel : but men will not believe either the one or the other of these things : they will not so believe his promises as to seek an interest in them ; nor will they so believe his threatenings as to endeavour to escape them. But as the judgments denounced against the Jews in former ages have come upon them, so will the judgments denounced against us. Methinks it were sufficient to hear God so strongly assert this, as he does in many places0: but God condescends to appeal to us, and to make us judges in our own cause : "What shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of Christ?" " How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ? " " He that despised Moses' law died without mercy : of how much sorer punish- ment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?" Can we hear such appeals, and not see the need of attending to the admonition in the text? O let us " beware" how we reject or slight the salvation now offered us. Let us " beware" lest we bring upon ourselves that "wrath and fiery indignation which await the adversaries" of the Lord Jesus : and what I say unto one, I say unto all, " Beware."]
m Hab. i. 5.
n St. Paul quotes the Septuagint translation, which differs a little, but not materially, from the original Hebrew. 0 Mark xvi. 16. John hi. 36.