.314 Ver. 10. Ver. 3: Ver. 8.. i Reflections on the Character, and Danger, of Scoffers: Means and Inftrument of Life to the whole animal Creation, at the divine Signal, became the Means and Inftrument of Death! Who can be unaffected, when he seriously reflects on the Heavens pafing away with a great Noife! on the Elements melting with fervent Heat? on the burning up the Earth, and all Things therein? Let Scoffers who walk after their own Lufts, madly deride the Promife of his Coming let them deliver over their Taunts and Infults to each other, thro' the Succeffion of a thousand Years: Were his Coming at the Distance of ten Thousand Generations, or a yet remoter Diftance, they who have any juft Impreffion on their Minds, of the Eternity of God, or the Immortality of the human Soul, would difcern the important Day of final Retribution, as immediate and present to their View. While they fcoff and deride the tremendous Reality, let us bear the Declaration of its Approach with the profoundest Attention; and let our Souls enter deeply into the alarming and important Reflection. If indeed we look for fuch great Things as these, what manner of Perfons ought we to be in all boly Converfation and Godlinefs; that we may be found of him in Peace, without Spot or Blemish? And if we defire this Bleffednefs, (as who can fail earneftly to defire it, who hath a firm and steady perfuafion of its Reality?) can we poffibly live in tolerable Compofure, if we have little or no Reason to conclude we fhall obtain an Intereft and Share in it? Let us be all concernVer. 11.ed that we may grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour; by the Knowledge of whom every Grace will be greatly revived and ftrengthened. On thefe lively and important Subjects of Meditation let our Thoughts frequently dwell; and let us endeavour, that the Sentiments which refult from them, may be wrought into our Hearts,, and controul our Lives. And as for thofe hard Sayings, which occur, either in St. Peter or St. Paul, or any Ver. 15, 16. other facred and infpired Writer, let us neither wrest and torture them to our own Mischief and Deftruction, nor be fo curiously and fedulously diving into their Meaning, as to neglect thefe, and the Ver. 11. Ver. 149. like Prejudices indifpofe them for admitting the Truth, or whofe Levity prevents their due Solicitude to retain it; but not Perfons of humble teashable Minds, refolute in pur. fuing, and maintaining the Truth. And the Remedy prescribed, is not laying afide the Scriptures on account of their Obfcurity, as fome would perfuade us to do; but a Concern to grow in Grace, &c. (Ver. 18.) The Expreffion spher, wreft, or torture, as on the Rack, plainly implies, that Violence is done, by thefe bad Men, to fome Paflages of Scripture, to make them fpeak an unnatural Senfe, which may anfwer their own Purpoles, And truly he must know little of the Hiftory of theegical Controverfies, who hath not observed many deplorable Inftances of this.. And on the Patience and Long-fuffering of God. like, plain and ferious Admonitions, this fincere Milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby. May all the Powers of our Souls be exerted in fecuring their Deliverance from Wrath to come, that fo the Patience of God, and his Long-fuffering toward us, may indeed prove Salvation. And if that be indeed the Cafe, the Light of Heaven will mightily illuftrate thofe Mysteries both of the divine Word and Providence, which our weak and defective Organs of Vifion have not enabled us clearly to difcern and unfold, while by the comparatively fainter, though in itself glorious, Light of Revelation, we are guided through this dark and gloomy Valley. 315 The END of the FAMILY EXPOSITOR on the fecond Catholic EPISTLE of |