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perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity." Like the brute animal, thou hast returned to thine old nature, and to the habits that are too congenial to thee. But he does not leave him in despair. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." As the prophet had said before," Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions: so iniquity shall not be your ruin. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord your God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

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LECTURE XLIX.

THE SCOFFER AND UNBELIEVER REFUTED.

2 PETER iii. 1-8.

1. This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

2. That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

The Holy Spirit, by whose guidance the Scrip

9 Acts viii. 18-24.

10 Ezek. xviii. 30-32.

tures were written, has warned us against every danger. Many evils have beset the church in its different periods, and have led away multitudes: but none without warning. Here we are told of scoffers, who should come in the last days, (in after or latter times,) walking after their own lusts. It is not by nature that man is led to walk after any other law than that of his own desires. There is always, therefore, a tendency to recede: a disposition to find some ground on which we may depart from the law of God, and become a law to ourselves. Unbelief furnishes such ground: prevents the effect which Scripture is intended to produce upon the heart and life. Scripture says, Watch" "be ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh :" cometh "to judge the world in righteousness:" to bring "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil." Then unbelief steps in, and asks, Where is the promise of his coming? The patriarchs have died the fathers of the church have died: the apostles and teachers of our faith have fallen asleep: and all things remain as they were from the beginning of the creation.

St. Peter meets this objection. He stirs up their minds, by calling to their remembrance things of old, and what had taken place in ancient time. He reminds them how God had acted in the case of the deluge. He had first declared his purpose; he then for a while delayed his purpose; and at last he fulfilled his purpose of destroying the whole world

1 Matt. xxiv. 44.

by water. He will, in the end, with equal certainty destroy the present world by fire.

5. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6. Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Those who

These scoffers argue, All things continue as they were. But so, replies St. Peter, the antediluvians might have argued. God had revealed his design : (Gen. vi. 17:) "Behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life from under heaven and everything that is in the earth shall die." heard this warning might deny that the world could be thus overwhelmed. They, like later scoffers, might be willingly ignorant: ready to deceive themselves: and refuse to believe that the word of God which had "set up the pillars" of the world, might take them down. " By the word of God the waters which were under the firmament were divided from the waters that were above the firmament." The earth, though surrounded by water, stood out of the water: to which bounds were set that it should not pass. And how long might the heavens fall in rain, before the hills should be covered? So man might suppose: and so perhaps they did persuade themselves, during the hundred

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and twenty years whilst the ark was preparing, and Noah, "the preacher of righteousness," was in vain endeavouring to alarm their fears and bring them to repentance. The scoffers of the day would argue, Since this dreamer began to threaten, all things continue as they were from the beginning. But at the appointed time" all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened:" whereby the earth that then was, being overflowed by water, perished. "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died."

So vainly should we suppose that because God had laid the foundations of the earth firm and unshaken, they should never be removed. Whilst men say, "Peace and safety, sudden destruction may come upon them unawares :" as it came upon those who lived in the days of Noah, and were buying and selling, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, "till the flood came, and swept them all away." The delay of God's judgments is no reason why they should never be fulfilled. There has been indeed a promise (Gen. ix. 11) that "there shall not any more be a flood to destroy the earth." But there is also an assurance, (Matt. xxiv. 30,) that "all the tribes of the earth shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory:" that "the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (2 Thess. i. 7,) in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." So

2 Gen. vii. 11.

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that the heavens and earth that now are, by the word of God are kept in store, reserved unto fire. The old world was surrounded with water: stood out of the water and in the water: and that by which it stood together, proved the element and instrument of its destruction, when God permitted: so that the world which then was, being overflowed with water, perished. The world that now is, is reserved unto fire: the materials of which are constantly beneath our feet, and are only restrained from bursting forth by the will of the Creator. Let him speak the word, and in a moment "the heavens shall pass away, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."3

Thus much God has clearly revealed. The season when it shall take place he has not disclosed. "Of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." The scoffers argue, that because it has been long delayed, it will never be. They know little of the nature of the God whom they despise, or of the eternity with which they are trifling.

8. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

A day, a year, is much to short-lived man. But what is it in the counsels of Him who is from everlasting? A drop of water is much to the parched and thirsty traveller: but what is it in the bound

3 See ver. 10.

4 Matt. xxiv. 37.

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