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The Lord was displeased with this people for their demur. They should have obeyed the command given them at once and earnestly. The prophet expostulated, and his expostulation was not in vain.

I. A REJOINDER WITH WHICH MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR. Such and such things are presented for your consideration, and they are presented kindly and intelligently. And you admit the importance of the things. For example, you listen respectfully when the necessity is set before you for sorrow for your personal sin. Yet, when you have admitted this necessity, you quietly say, "But I must be excused at present — not now — the time is not come." Again, you give heed when the minister points out the necessity for the abandonment of sin. But, many and many a time, when the effort has been made to urge the actual relinquishment of bad habits — the immediate, continuous, and permanent abandonment of them, you have said, "What a ease that is!" Well, what then? "Ah! but you must be excused at present. Not now. The time is not yet!" Again, how respectfully you listen when the minister points out the necessity for the forgiveness of sin. It is shown you that however deep may be the sorrow, and however complete and entire may be the abandonment of sin, there is the sin after all; there is the sin, with its pollution, on your conscience; and there is the sin, with its guilt, waiting settlement in the book of God's remembrance. That guilt is to be cancelled; that pollution is to be cleansed. But what was the upshot in this case of pleading? "We must be excused for the present. Not now. The time is not yet." Again, how respectfully you have listened when the effort has been made to show the necessity for co-operation in counteracting sire Yet this has been met by the same procrastinating response.

II. CERTAIN REASONS WHEREBY YOUR REJOINDER IS JUSTIFIED. "The time is not yet." Why not?

1. The answer from some of you is that your situations are especially unfavourable to a religious life.

2. Others say they are so entirely absorbed with secular avocations and with worldly care.

3. Others say, Oh, my passions and predilections are so entirely beyond my control.

4. Others say, I have never yet been visited by any overpowering communication from on high. And all the time you admit that sin shall be confessed and abandoned, that forgiveness shall be solicited, and that you should take your place amongst those who, m God's name, are attempting to counteract sin.

III. HOW UTTERLY UNWARRANTABLE, AND HOW UTTERLY UNSOUND YOUR JUSTIFICATION IS. If there is a commandment in this book that is imperative, it is the commandment to be sorry for sin. If there is a duty incumbent, it is the duty of abandoning sin. If there is an obligation paramount, it is the obligation to seek, through Christ, the forgiveness of sin. If there is a responsibility brought to bear upon human intelligence by the Divine authority at all, it is the responsibility to take your place on the Lord's side. Your reasons are indefensible, untenable. I pray you to mark the untenableness, and to have done with them.

(William Brock, D. D.)

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KJV: Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

WEB: Then the Word of Yahweh came by Haggai, the prophet, saying,