Moreover, the pain of mortifying sin can never be compared with that tvhich tvill follow from the indulgence of it. Be it so, the mortifying of sin is painful ; but what are the sufferings of hell fire ? Were the pain of self-denial a million times greater than it is, it is but for a moment : whereas the pains of hell are everlasting. Alas ! who can think of them, and not trem- ble? Who can think of them, and hesitate one moment about the mortifying of sin ? See what we do when informed that the retaining of a limb will endanger our lives : we suffer am- putation, however painful it may be ; and are glad to pay the person that will perform the operation for us. O let us be equally wise in relation to our souls !
From the contemplation of this argument then we most heartily concur in our Lord's advice : If your connexions en- snare you, renounce them ; if your interests, sacrifice them ; if your passions, get them subdued and mortified. Having your choice given you, learn, with Mary, to " choose the better part."]
We cannot conclude the subject without pointing out to you the importance,
1 . Of ministerial faithfulness —
[It can be no pleasure to us to speak of " hell fire," and to alarm you with denouncing it as the portion of so great a multitude of our fellow-creatures. But what are we to do ? What did our Lord liimsclf do in the words before us? If we are silent, we cannot alter God's determinations : whether we tell you of it or not, this is the alternative which God has given you: we cannot reverse it; we cannot soften it; we cannot lower it to your wishes or attainments. We may deceive and ruin you by our silence ; but we cannot benefit you at all : we shall only involve ourselves in your ruin. If indeed we have put a wrong construction on our text, then we are blameable for alarming you without reason : but yet, as long as we believe this to be the mind and will of God, we must declare it : " knowing, as we do, the terrors of the Lord, we must persuade men ; " and you may at least derive this advantage from our warnings, namely, to be stirred up to a diligent inquiry after truth. But suppose our interpretation of the passage to be just, of what infinite importance to you is it to be rightly in- formed respecting it ! How many of you may now escape the miseries of hell, who, but for this warning, might have been subjected to them for ever ! Surely then, brethren, you are indebted to us for our fidelity. You cannot but know that such faithfulness is the parent of contempt and obloquy. But we would gladly endure infinitely -more than ever we have endured, if only you would take heed to our words, and flee from the wrath to come. To all of you then we say, Be thankful