And the way they would have put the matter by and
excused themselves to themselves would have been just the way in
which Pharaoh did it. They would have tried to forget that the Lord
had warned them, and tried to make out to themselves that it was all
the preacher's doing, and to make it a personal quarrel between him
and them. Just so Pharaoh did when he hardened his heart. He made
the Lord's message a ground for hating and threatening Moses and
Aaron, as if it was any fault of theirs. He knew in his heart that
the Lord had sent them; but he tried to forget that, and drove them
out from his presence, and told them that if they dared to appear
before him again they should surely die. And just so, my friends,
people will be angry with the preacher for telling them unpleasant
truths, as if it was any more pleasure to him to speak than for them
to hear. Oh, why will you forget that the words which I speak from
this pulpit are not my words, but God's? It is not I who warn you of
what you are bringing on yourselves by your sins, it is God Himself.
There it is written in His Bible--judge for yourselves. Read your
Bibles for yourselves, and you will see that I am not speaking my own
thoughts and words. And as for being angry with me for telling you
truth, read the ordination service which is read whenever a clergyman
is ordained, and judge for yourselves.
Pages:
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413