As He has been from the
beginning, when He heaped blessings on the stiff-necked and
backsliding Israelites--as He was when He endured the cross for a
world lying not in obedience, but in wickedness; so is He now; the
perfect likeness of His father, who is no respecter of persons, but
causes "His sun to shine alike on the evil on the good, and His rain
to fall on the just and on the unjust."
But now, there is one thing against which I have to warn you most
solemnly, and especially in such days as these. You may believe my
words to your own ruin, or to your own salvation. They are "the
Gospel," "the good news of the Kingdom of God"--that is, the good
news that God has condescended to become our King, to govern and
guide us, to order all things for our good. But as St. Paul says,
the Gospel may be a savour of death unto death, as well as a savour
of life unto life. And I will tell you now; that you have only to do
what the Jews just before the coming of our Lord did, and give way to
the same thoughts as they, and then, like them, it were better for
you that you had never heard of God, and been like the savages, to
whom little or no sin is imputed, because they are all but without
law. How is this?
As I said before--take your covenant privileges as the Pharisees took
theirs, and they will turn you into devils while you are fancying
yourselves God's especial favourites.
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