Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 64 SERMON IV. THE SINNER'S DESTRUCTION CERTAIN. EZEK1EL XXXUi. 11. Say unto them, ?? I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways ; for why will ye die, ? house of Israel ? Under the pressure of present evils, men often utter complaints against Providence ; and while referring to the future recompense awaiting the wicked, they murmur against the equity of the divine dispensations. The principle whence these complaints and murmurings arise, is natural to the human heart in its present condition. Its operation was remarked at the period when the individual whose words we have recited, prophesied in the name of Jehovah. There were Jews who, involved in captivity and its attendant calamities, weredisposed to trace these evils to any other source than their own misconduct. It was not that they had been guilty, but that their fathers had been soâ?? and that God had inflicted upon the former the chastisement due to the latter, or that he had causelessly involved them in wretchedness. Against this presumptuous and impious charge, the protestation of the text is directed. Let us first consider by how solemn a pledge this declaration is supportedâ??" As I live, saith the Lord God." The truth of the statement is as certain as the existence of Jehovah. It is confirmed by the oath of that glorious Being, who since he can swear by no greater one, has sworn by himself. Consider next the fact asserted, that " he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked." It is not to gratify any malevolent disposition in the divine mind, that men endure misery here or hereafter. Even when justice and enlightened benevolence, regarding the good of the whole, require the punishment of...