It is his
business to talk like that; he is paid for it, and I suppose he likes
it. So if he does what he likes, we shall do what we like. Come
along." And at that all the other foolish fellows round burst out
laughing, as if the poor lad had said a very clever thing; and they
all went off together, having their hearts hardened by the Lord's
warning to them, as Pharaoh's was.
And they showed, I am afraid, that very evening that their hearts
were hardened. For out of a sort of spite and stubbornness they took
a delight in doing what was wrong, just because they had been told
that it was wrong, and because they were determined to show that they
would not be frightened or turned from what they chose.
And all the while they knew that it was wrong, did those poor foolish
lads. If you had asked one of them openly, "Do you not know that God
has forbidden you to do this?" they would have either been forced to
say, "Yes," or else they would have tried to laugh the matter off, or
perhaps held their tongues and looked silly, or perhaps again
answered insolently; showing by each and all of these ways of taking
it, that the Lord's message had come home to their consciences, and
convinced them of their sin, though they were determined not to own
it or obey it.
Pages:
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412