[1] To a man living in the belief of what is erroneous or the
practice of what is wrong you proclaim the truth, and what
happens? (1) Either he amends his creed or his conduct; or
(2) he _disregards_ what you say, and goes on as before; or
(3) he _rejects_ what you say, and cleaves to his error
more passionately than he would have done otherwise. The
latter is a very frequent result. For example, slavery once
prevailed throughout our colonies and the United States of
America. Holy men held slaves; they had no suspicion of the
wrongfulness of slavery. When its wrongfulness was
proclaimed, many abandoned it; but others held to it,--some
not caring whether it was wrong or right, looking only to
the fact that it was profitable; but others reasoned
themselves into a persuasion that it was right, that it is
Scriptural, and maintained the system with a tenacity and
passion they never felt before its wickedness was declared.
In thousands of cases that was the result of the
anti-slavery movement. God foresaw it, yet He raised up
faithful men to proclaim the doctrines of human brotherhood
and freedom, and sent them forth on their perilous errand,
saying to them in effect, _"Go, and tell this people, Hear
ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but
perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make
their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and convert, and be healed."_ He sent them
forth, notwithstanding that He foresaw that one inevitable
effect of their mission would be the confirmation of
thousands in error, the hardening of thousands in iniquity.
In like manner He raised up Isaiah and other prophets to
denounce their political schemes--their alliances now with
Egypt and now with Assyria--to be huge mistakes, and to
exhort them to a life of holiness and of simple trust in
God; He foresaw that the result of their efforts would
_not_ be the reformation of the nation, and yet He sent
them forth!