By their experience we must
learn. By their chastisements we must be warned. So says St Paul. So
have all preachers said who have understood St Paul--and so say I to you.
And the lesson that we may learn from this chapter is, that we may repent
and yet be punished.
I know people do not like to believe that; I know that it is much more
convenient to fancy that when a man repents, and, as he says, turns over
a new leaf, he need trouble himself no more about his past sins. But it
is a mistake; not only is the letter and spirit of Scripture against him,
but facts are against him. He may not choose to trouble himself about
his past sins; but he will find that his past sins trouble him, whether
he chooses or not,--and that often in a very terrible way, as they
troubled those poor Jews in their day, and our forefathers after the
Reformation.
"What?" some will say, "is it not expressly written in Scripture that
'when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath
committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his
soul alive?' and 'all his transgressions that he hath committed they
shall not be mentioned unto him,' but that 'in his righteousness which he
hath done he shall live?'"
No doubt it is so written, my friends.
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